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Show APilgrimaG of -)f- (Qold Star Mothers 3w- -U T .Li. : WF ' WZ --V 'S''' 6 " ' ' s " t " " f'JS 1 rI ' y Ch,A'l JgJLr L ?! " Gold Star Mothers at Tomb , 1 of UnKnoWn Soldier f j T.C 4 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON , -'Tf .,V V T, fc i-iiuMAJL day this year will be unique - , y J g&U rl 1 V in the history of that day. Here in L 'pSj '-(ft' if 4 ' il v B America it will be observed in the I s , 4 ' . , 41 manner familiar to fill of us. But 1 s M fr'fer AVer ,flcross the At,ant,c groups of rlr?r " , ( s -i W $ I American women will visit the places Dl1 V I i, K . i , s I wllere "st"1"1 tne crosses, row on ? , " , u 1 to America's soldier dead who sleep -1 v J- " I in foreign soil. But this tribute will L' Vw-'L.V " " 'gQ not be just a formal gesture by a 1 . !k T?nWfinne f & group, to each one of these women . ' s ? eTneienr ax Komaqne O it will be an intimate, personal act O- hf Komagne, France of devotion. For these women are svr-ijb-j America's Gold Star Mothers, and with loving ffA lfi tPZ '''' S0 Eoosevelt- Ma 28- 15. America, June 4. hnnds they will lay flowers upon the graves of ! WyJ ' C r-f - "00- Harding June 14 300, Rooseelt June 21, their sons. EXv v.: f If - . , 300, Republic, June 25, 350, America, Julv 2 300; So Memorial day this year will be unique be- H Z fi--' Harding, Julv 9 300 Washington, Julv 23, 300; cause of the pilgrimage of Gold Star Mothers Rt-sT TZpl v " - Republic Tulv 20 "00 America, Julv 30, 200; which has been arranged by the United States V -"iC ' ' ' " " 1 Koo'eelt, August 9 200, Washington, August 19, government. The Idea of this pilgrimage dates h - "TVp ffTp 'J0 Amenca, August 27, 300, Republic, Augus1 from March 2, 1020, when congress passed a bill 'fVTli 1! ' . 30 G- authorizing an appropriation of more than $5 000 - & 2 ! i ' " Man knott pioblems hae been met at every 000 to cover the expense of taking the mother's hi M"1 ' ' ' ' Ue of the airrn-ements With moie than 5 000 and wives of the service men, who met their lis -I !V s4 r I ! '& to go, coming fiom every tate in tlie Union there death in the World war, as the guests of the gov- 5 1 JF I j jtv 1 1 ' j was the question of wheie to begin It was thought ernment for a visit to the place where their sol- ! ! 3 il i " ' 'J ' t " t if thnt " "U'd be 8 happV fllranKpment lf the dier dead are burled. The War department was I f i ' ! !ji motheis fiora gnen low llties could go together, then directed to make the necessary preparations tV -X 'i (' I , Most w ould be 111 elv to lne fi lends or acquaint for the visits and Invitations were sent out to I I f' I 1 t' K. J?1 . 1 ' anCeS ti0m tlie Stalt lhev WOllld at least feel 11,630 of these women. Of that uumber 5 640 have !r? ?b" F r 1 ! " f more at home sunount,ed b other "omen from accepted and they will be taken at various times l - , their on state But what should be the order of this summer. The remaining 5,990 have been 1 I H " tl,elr soIng frorrl the dlfferent states? listed and may make the trip at convenient times I v In tlle end tbe matter was left to chance The between now and October, 1933. ""' names of the states nere put in a basket and The trip will be under the direction of the War 7 d,awn out one at a tlme lhe women from the department with the quartermaster corps in direct MeSaLThi St3te C3"e hUt, r 1 chnree. and everv deiii win he ha,lfnH h uemoriaL vnapeiai: LaidCOUrt all(1 g0 on. Mrs. Herbert Hoover drew the names By ELMO SCOTT WATSON ""T B J-li'MAL (lay this year will be unique 8 in the history of that day. Here in ' B America It will be observed in the d 1 manner familiar to all of us. But JfX. (iJX, over "cross the Atlantic groups of jw J? M American women will visit the places W JJ Vj where "stand the crosses, row on Yr k)y row" ana there pay reverent tribute 'WjSMp to America's soldier dead who sleep jwgpST In foreign soil. But this tribute will "UY DOt be nst a 'ormal gesture by a group. To each one of these women . fcJ It will be an Intimate, personal act of devotion. For these women are America's Gold Star Mothers, and with loving hands they will lay flowers upon the graves of their sons. So Memorial day this year will be unique because be-cause of the pilgrimage of Gold Star Mothers which has been arranged by the United States government. The Idea of this pilgrimage dates from March 2, 1020, when congress passed a bill authorizing an appropriation of more than $5,000,-000 $5,000,-000 to cover the expense of taking the mothers and wives of the service men, who met their death in the World war, as the guests of the government gov-ernment for a visit to the place where their soldier sol-dier dead are burled. The War department was then directed to make the necessary preparations for the visits and Invitations were sent out to 11,630 of these women. Of that uumber 5,640 have accepted and they will be taken at various times this summer. The remaining 5,990 have been listed and may make the trip at convenient times between now and October, 1933. The trip will be under the direction of the War department with the quartermaster corps in direct charge, and every detail will be handled by army officers.. The quartermaster corps has developed the American cemeteries In Europe and is responsible re-sponsible for their administration. The graves of service men buried abroad are in Its charge. It Is giving infinite care to the choice of the officers who are to be responsible for all the Gold Star Mothers who cross the seas, and its one idea is that the women who go on this journey shall have everything to make them comfortable and happy. It is an immense project, this taking 5,000 women to a foreign country. Most of the women are between sixty and sixty-five years old, one is eighty-eight, some of them are in ill health and only their desire to see the last resting place of their beloved dead spurs them to cross the sea and to adventure in foreign lands among people who are strangers. The War department has tried to think of every possible contingency and provide for it. All the experience in planning military expeditions, from food to passage, has been used to work out arrangements ar-rangements to the smallest detail, and leeway is provided for those unexpected contingencies which they know always arise. The difficult feature about this pilgrimage Is that it is unique. There has never been anything like It, so the War department de-partment has no experience to build its plans on. It must estimate on vision aud imagination to cover all possibilities. They have figured on $S40 per person for each of the women who go and Incidentally no woman who has already visited the grave of her son or husband may go on this pilgrimage. Its purpose Is to take those women who cannot go otherwise than as guests of the government. Besides the actual expense of transportation and care of the mothers, which adds up to this $S40 apiece, there will be the salaries of an office force in New York and Taris. The mothers will De looked after by army officers from the moment they arrive in New York until they are put on board the train in New York again after they return from Europe. Every 'mother who Is to go has received an engraved card inviting her, in the name of the United States government, to go on the pilgrimage. pilgrim-age. So far only those have been asked who have actual graves to visit. Legislation is pending which would permit those to go whose sons or husbands were buried at sea or are among the missing abroad. The women will go to New York, whence all sailings will be made, arriving the day before sailing. They will go in groups of 300, sailing once a week from May to October. Their fare will be paid from their homes to New York, but they must come to New York without chaperon- age from the government. The War department has made the most careful arrangements with the various railroads, however, to see that the women get their tickets and the railroads are doing their bit by promising every aid, even to delivering tickets personally to mothers who live in the country. Each mother will have a badge of red, white and blue ribbon, with her name on a metal bar, her number on the back for each woman will have a number on file in the War department and this badge will entitle her to special care tn her way to New York. Every railroad employe, 800; Roosevelt, May 28, 150; America, June 4. 300; Harding. June 14. 300; Roosevelt. June 21, 300; Republic, June 25, 350; America, Julv 2. 300; Harding, Julv 9. 300: Washington, Julv 23, 300; Republic. July 26. 300: America, Julv 30, 200; Roosevelt, August 9. 200; Washington, August 19, 400; America, August 27, 300; Republic, Augus' 30. 020. ' Manv knotty problems have been met at every stage of the arrangements. With more than 5.000 to go, coming from every state in the Union, there was the question of where to begin. It was thought that it would be a happy arrangement if the mothers from given localities could go together. Most would be llkelv to have friends or acquaintances acquaint-ances from the start. Thev would at least feel more at home surrounded bv other women from their own state. But what should be the order of their going from the different states? In the end the matter was left to chance. The names of the states were put in a basket and drawn out one at a time. The women from the first state that came out of the basket went first, and so on. Mrs. Herbert Hoover arew the names and the ceremony took place at the White House late last year. Here is a list, in the order in which they came out of the basket and the number of women from each state who will go over this summer: Nebraska, Ne-braska, 59; Florida, 37; Delaware, 5; Kentucky, 56 ; Ohio, 282 ; Arkansas, 47 ; Iowa, 131 ; Montana, 30; Porto Rico, 1; Oklahoma, SS; South Dakota, 31; Washington, 127; California, 3C9; Rhode Island, Is-land, 40 ; District of Columbia, 20 ; North Dakota, 59; Michigan, 215; Wisconsin, 177; Maryland, 49; New York, 742; Massachusettes, 318; Hawaii, 1; Nevada, 4 ; Wyoming, 13 ; Virginia, 69 ; New Mexico, Mex-ico, 2; Oregon, 90; Mississippi, 36; Illinois, 259; Idaho, 25; Minnesota, 102; Texas, 135; North Carolina, 225 ; Utah, 31 ; New Jersey, 229 ; Pennsylvania, Penn-sylvania, 497; West Virginia, 43; Georgia, 83; Louisiana, 46 ; Missouri, 151 ; Vermont, 20 ; Tennessee, Ten-nessee, 71; Kansas, 108; Indiana, 115: Connecticut, Connecti-cut, 74; Alabama, 65; Arizona, 15; Maine, 38; South Carolina, 40; New Hampshire, 37; Colorado, Colo-rado, 64. There are eight cemeteries in Europe which the Gold Star Mothers will visit. One is in England, one in Belgium, and six are In France. All eight of these cemeteries have been laid out with skill. Gravel and cement walks, which were planned from the standpoint of convenience and art, wind their way through each of them. Marble headstones head-stones mark every grave. Trees, flowers and shrubs contribute to the beauty and peaceful atmosphere. at-mosphere. At each of the American cemeteries there is a caretaker, a World war veteran, who by reason of his own experience, is able to meet with proper understanding those who come to visit the graves. Each cemetery has its chapel and In nearly all the hostess houses have been completed. The Meuse-Argonne cemetery at Romagne, near Verdun, which is the largest of all the American cemeteries in Europe and wherein 14,167 American Ameri-can soldier dead are buried, is approximately 150 miles by bus from Paris. A hostess house is maintained main-tained in this cemetery for the convenience of those visitors who desire to stay overnight, or to remain several days. In the St. Mihiel cemetery 4,148 soldier dead lie buried. It Is located near the small town of Thiaucourt, whose population is about 1,200, in the department of the Aisne. St. Mihiel is approximately ap-proximately 70 miles from Paris, 25 miles from Metz and 30 miles from Nancy. The Oise-Alsne cemetery, where 5,993 American soldier dead are buried, is in the department of the Alsne, approximately 05 miles from Paris. The Aisne-Marne cemetery, where 2,208 service men are buried, is located near the village of Relleu, department of the Aisne, about 6 miles from Ohauteau-Thierry and approximately 60 miles from Paris. The Flanders field cemetery, in Belgium, where 368 American soldier dead are buried, is about 25 miles from i.ille. The Brookwood cemetery, where 437 of our soldier sol-dier dead lie buried, is at Brookwood, Surrey, England, only about 28 miles from London. Each of these cemeteries has been so developed that it has become an area of great beauty, and Is so cared for as to constitute a continuing proof of the country's appreciation of the services of those who lie burled there. from conductor to switchman, will be instructed to look after any woman wearing that badge, with - the Gold Star and the Great Seal of the United States on it. The pilgrims will be met in New York by army officers, mostly captains and lieutenants who have been detailed to stay with the groups. The pilgrims pil-grims will be housed in first-class hotels. Nine dollars and fifty cents a day is allowed per person in New York. They will stay in New York overnight over-night and the Gold Star Mothers organization will entertain each group the day after they arrive and before they embark. They will sail on American Amer-ican ships and go first class. Everything will be paid for them, from stewards to steamer rugs. Arrived in Cherbourg the mothers will be met by officers who will conduct them to Paris, where they will stay two days. The groups on the ships will be arranged by states and by cemeteries. As they arrive they will be broken up into units of 25, each forming a busload. From then on each unit will be in charge of an officer who will stay with them until they re-embark. The war mothers of France are preparing a warm welcome for them. General Gourand, commanding com-manding the military district of Paris, will put himself at their disposal. There will be visits by groups to the grave of the Unknown Soldier and to the Suresnes cemetery, "the Arlington of France," which is on the edge of Paris, a place of surpassing beauty. Priests, rabbis and Protestant Prot-estant ministers will be available. American nurses will attend them and the doors of the American hospital will swing open to any who need treatment. treat-ment. Not only will it be an immense project to take these mothers to Europe, but it was an almost equally stupendous task to search out the mothers of the 30,000 American soldiers who are buried in France, Belgium and England mostly in France. There had been no occasion for locating these mothers until the present legislation was passed. The quartermaster corps started with the name of the next of kin which was given by each man when he went into the army. It wrote 30,000 letters to the addresses given. Out of every 100 sent, forty came back unclaimed. Those who had been set down as next of kin had died, or moved away, or otherwise disappeared during the twelve or thirteen years that had passed since they were last heard from. But 00 per cent " of the next-of-kin letters brought answers. Of mothers of those who had died abroad, less than half were still alive. Of wives of those who had died abroad there were many who had married again and so became ineligible ineli-gible for the trip. The number of widows who will make the trip is small. The mothers who responded to letters having been located the quartermaster corps went further in its search for the relatives of those whose next of kin did not respond. It operated through the veterans' bureau. Because of insurance and compensation, com-pensation, that agency has been in touch with most of them. Yet there has been found only one mother or widow to about three men burled abroad 11,630 out of 30,792. The ships, their days of sailing, and the number num-ber of war mothers each will carry are as follows: fol-lows: America, May 7, 300; Republic, May 13, 202; Harding, May 14, 150; Washington, May 21, |