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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 29, 1918)
"SACRED DUST" The American Dead on the Battlefields "They Could Never Be Transported to a Fairer Bed, " Says Bishop Brent, "Than That Which They Have Earned With the Red of Their Own Rich Blood" w - sis : Is BT CHARLES HENHT BRENT. Jflormerly Spiscopal Sishop of tb Philip pines and Chaplain of the American Expe ditionary Forces.) , ''If I should die. think enly this of me: ' Vhat there's some corner of a, foreign field 'hat is forever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust conceal'd; dust whom Kngland bore, shaped, made aware. Gave once her flowers te love, her ways to roam.' SO WROTE avn Englishman about to die. So thought la terms of his own country many a eon of Amer ica before he died. No soldier passing: down the far-flung fcattleline of Eastern France, where the long; procession made of graves flanks the trenches, could fall to wonder whether his body, too, would not be come part of the soil of a foreign land. The home folks may srrieve that the time-honored custom of placing their lead in the family plot of the ceme tery is displaced by the grim necessity of this war. But their sons, who actually faced death, far afield from kith and kin, fait well content for the most part at the prospect of lyine where they fell, with the undying elory of the cause lighting; forever the field cf contest. There are places which his tory cradles In its arms with special reverence, lik Thermopylae and Get tysburg' But will any historic spot, ancient or modern, claim to rival In brilliancy the trlory of the whole battlefront from Flanders to Iorraine, where the glow ing lamp of liberty has been fed by a myriad lives laid down without a thought of self? No dead sleep with greater calm than those who rest be neath the daisies and violets and sunny jonquils of France. They could never be transported to a fairer bed 'than that which they have earned with the red of their own rich blood. We can afford to leave them not only with satisfac tion, but also with pride, where they lie in a foreign land that ceases to be foreign because they are there. My first sight of the graves of those who had fallen on the field of honor was in the early Spring of 1317, when I walked over part of the Marne. Peace reigned where once the battle had staggered and swayed. Nature quickly obliterates the scars inflicted by war - upon her bosom. Here and there a crater marked where high-explosive shell bursts had made a gaping wound. Occasionally a bit of broken equipment or a fragment of shrapnel might be seen. Yonder on the skyline the plow man with the inevitable white horse of the French farm or the lumbering oxen registered his silhouette and proclaimed the resumption of the manners of peace. But the landscape had a new feature on its face graves, everywhere graves, everywhere heroes graves. The astonishing thing is that in spite ef the uniformity which of necessity characterizes the numerous war cem eteries, seldom are two exactly alike. Of couree the French and British each have their own mode of expression which is unmistakable. They have, all of them, however, a common character, due to the universal use of the cross. which lends a dignity lacking in home burial grounds, with their pompous mausoleums and sentimental art. The cross, always the supreme Christian symbol, is peculiarly fitted to mark the last resting place of tho.e who have laid down their lives for their friends. Let us walk down the line of graven stretching across the cemetery and glance at each group of the many which mark the battlefield of the Marne. Here, for Instance, there is a long, narrow lnclosure with a rustic fence and a single inscription telling where 300 who fell on the field of honor lie burled. Evidently the fight waxed hot at this spot. Identification was not possible at that date, as now, so many were placed in a common grave. Further along each grave has its cross and inscription, or- perhaps separate graves are grouped under the arms of a common cross and a stone monument shoots its straight shaft to ' the sky, a few words on its face group ing in memory those who bad grouped together in the last throb of life. Or again little plots, each with its cross, many with cap or belt marking a grave, all alike claimed for France by the tricolor rosette, whose hues have taken ona richer tone from their as sociation with sacrificial death, break the level surface with their gentle mounds. Ho one could fall to be struck by the evident reverence, with which these soldier boys were laid to rest. There was no touch of carelessness, no early forgetf ulness from the living for those whose swift passage from earth saved France and the world. But it is not only for her own dead, that France has a tender care. Some thing over two years ago the French government offered to provide land for permanent resting places for British officers and men at the cost of the French nation, and "a law was passed which gave effect to this generous Im pulse on December 29, 1915." More re cently the Belgians made a similar of fer. Since then suitable burial places have been provided immediately behind the lines and In connection with the various types of hospitals. , So far as possible all interments were made there, though there were occasions 1 T : T : fflte'- ?1 when the, contingencies of battle made isolated burials necessary. The French, with that courtesy and unerring deli cacy of feeling which is characteristic of them as a nation, offered to main tain these cemeteries, but the British government and the government of these overseas dominions have under taken ''to provide for their main tenance in perpetuity and have ap pointed an imperial war graves com mission to care for the graves after the war." Exhumation or removal was against the law during the war, and it is to be hoped that the fitness of things as they are will not Jv- disturbed by sentimentality, either by ourselves or our allies now that peace has come. France has become part of us because we have taken her and her choicest ideals to our bosom. We have become part of France because we are pouring into her our vltalitv by our daily in creasing contributions of our neareBt and best. The sacred dust of America should be committed for all time to the safekeeping of France and left to con stitute our pledge of fellowship and constancy in the ages yet to come, as together we reach out for those unwon gifts of democracy which we covet for ourselves and for the world. We cannot do better than follow the example of the British in their well- organized and established system. We, as they, have a graves registration department, and can count upon its reaching eventually the same high ef ficiency as that of our ally. The po sition of every grave Is registered. marked with a wooden cross and bear ing a metal plate with an inscription of identification always uniform. , More than once I have been over the battle-scarred Vlray Ridge, made immortal by the Canadian corps the 9th of April a year ago. ' I recall one vast crater that told of the absolute obliteration of those who received the shock of the explosion which formed it. It has been converted most fittingly into a cemetery of those who perished there. A recumbent cross and inscrip tion, ingenious in conception and exe cution tell the tale. At another com manding point where the struggle was acute a massive monument marks the spot and records the victory. Behind the lines the cemeteries are given the same thoughtful care as at home. They are grass sown and planted with flowers and shrubs under tne super vision of experts. I know of no city of the dead more seemly and Christian than the many that have been built along the western battle front. Of course, when ground was fought over repeatedly the .ruthless shells were as pitiless to the dead aa to the living. A whole cemetery was fre quently plowed into a wilderness. But It was possible to restore it when the storm had subsided. I saw one instance of this where no mark was left of the rude treatment which it had under gone. One of the earliest cemeteries I visited was In Ypres, where the first grave bears the date of October 14 1914, and the last December 81, 1917. Over each grave Is a cross and in scription giving name, number, corps and whether killed in action or died of wounds. In some instances additional crosses had been erected by friends or MUNITIONS GIRLS IN ENGLAND CELEBRATE FALSE PEACE RUMOR, AND SUFFER COLDS Locked Doors Fail to Restrain "Women, Who Make Ropes From Sheets and Climb Ont of Windows Exciting Messages Are Received Concerning Internal Developments in Germany Portland Thanked for Green Ferns. BY EDITH E. LANTON. , SOMEWHERE IN THE BRITISH ISLES, Oct. 1S-17. We are all filled with excitement and' triumph at the near approach of Germany's de feat and peace on the terms of the al lies. The Munition Oirls were so full of Joy at hearing a false rumor the other night of the capitulation of Germany and the abdication of the Kaiser that they paraded the streets all night long singing a weird mixture of hymns and battle songs and hurrahing until their voices left them entirely. No one could check their mad career and at heart everybody sympathized with them. The matrons of some of the hostels, in a vain effort to calm the girls, locked the doors and tried to keep the girls at home. All in vain, for they made ropes of their sheets and climbed out of their windows so Insufficiently clad for a cold night that many of them are now my patients. Every girl who comes In has either a bad cold or sore throat or else she has lost her voice. I was teasing one tonight who could only speak in a whisper and telling her she would have no voice left to cheer with when the end of the war really came. There is a thrill in the very air tonight. Exciting Messages Received. Exciting messages keep coming over the telephone, official and semi-official, all telling of Germany's despair. The TTIE SUNDAY ... t- - J- . - -f-V r- comrades. One group of Australians had a common cross and over the graves was a map of Australia and a bit of Tasmania in a low relief of white stones. Until I was informed on the subject I was puzzled to know what superstition marked many new mad graves with an inverted bottle. I found that superstition played no part in the matter. The bottle, being the best receptacle for the purpose, contained a paper of identification pending per manent inscription. The director of graves registration engineers in London, in response to the request of the relatives of British sol diers who have fallen, is prepared to send a photograph of any given graye. It is mailed In a cardboard frame and on an accompanying card Is given the name, rank and initials, regiment, po sition of grave and the nearest railway defeated bully is trying to make the oest terms possioie ana also to nooa wink President Wilson if possible. I am glad I am up and awake and en night duty, able to hear what Is going on in the world. An Australian has just rushed in Joyfully to tell me the latest bulletin. Editors la tasdom, I see by the London paper that the editor of The Oregonlan is in town, to gether with a number of other distin guished American newspaper men. Now the last lot of American editors was brought up to inspect our works, which is a show place, and I am think ing that It Is very probable that our editor swill be brought here, too. In which case I hope he wll be brought to see the Guncotton Dressing Station and the nurse In charge thereof, which is me. How nice to see somebody from Portland once more. Ferns Are Admired. The green pots of ferns which I bought to embellish the ward are very much admired, all the more so because they are "a present from America." The girls wish me to thank the donors. The exact words of one girl were: "You must please tell them how we like them and how we thank them." Another girl exclaimed delightedly: "Then they don't forget the Munition Girls, either!" I am sure when the people of Port land know what pleasure it gave the girls to feel that they were remembered as well as the soldiers and sailors, they will not feel that I overstepped my in OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, -m.'A -s , j station. It will be only a matter of time before America will be prepared to do likewise. Those who have been for any length of time in France and breathed the air of battle are more easily recon ciled than friends at Home to the seem ing slight to sentiment of leaving their sacred dust unmolested in its first grave. In our last war many of our dead were transported even from the far Philippines to America. But the times have changed. It would be as unseemly now as perhaps it was seemly then, to move the remafns of the fallen from where they are. They are among friends, the chosen friends by whose side they fought and fell. A common idejal beckoned them, a com mon cause united them, a common fu ture awaits them. In Hf they were one, in death they are not divided. structlons by giving something to my patients of the moment. RTe Is Success. "The Nltro-Cotlon Revue" ws grand success. One of the Australian vchemlsts who was stage-managing told me that he was really touched that the one remark ef all the triumphant performers was "Oh. I do wish my mother could have been here." They really are nice girls. The more applause each performer got the more tie wished that ' mother could be here.' Some of the dancers were Quite ex cellent; in fact, one or two of them are professionals who have patriotically necome munitioneers for the time being. New Doormat PtMeBteeU My ward looks even more spotlessly perfect than usual. We have a new doormat, as well as our pretty new ferns. . The Ministry of Munitions pre sented us with the doormat in anticlpa Jon of the visit of a Surgeon-General ho was to make a tour of Inspection in ine ana ne aian t turn up- That is a favorite confidence trick of Surgeon Generals. Get even-thing ready for (hem and they never do come. When they intend coming they never announce their visits beforehand. We are a doormat ahead, anyway, and it is such a fat and fluffy one that we can hardly shut the frost door, Anno domlnt and hard uiaifc will wear It down. The rain finally got tired of staying -ern v wLr1i . 1 DECEMBER 20, 1918. eroesl out of doors and during the last few violent storms it has blown in right through the walls of the nurses' quar ters and formed eccentric mural dec orations of its own. One wet patch looks like one of the Assyrian kings returning from the hunt, and another like one of the fig ures out of Noah's Ark. It was a blow to read In today's paper that there was a shortage of umbrellas, which would soon be ra tioned. Svhether that announcement was meant as a joke or not I cannot say, but it is too serious a matter to Joke about in this climate. Jam Taken Away, Jam has disappeared from our menu I at the Canteen. We clung to it as long as possible, particularly when It was Strawberry. It dwindled out gradually. The last lot we had was plumKss plum. We only knew It was that because some forgetful plum had left a few stones and its jacket in the pot. For dinner last night we had what one of the Australians rudely called potted dog," some form of potted meat. which was quite edible until he gave It that name. As I remarked, if we only had the kind of suet pudding known to the Navy as "spotted dog." to follow after. It would have been a menu simple to say and easy to remember "Potted dog and spotted dog." Doubtless in years to come we shall look back with a certain amount of affectionate regret upon our war-time meals. I am jealous of one of the Aus tralians, because he is expecting a beautiful cake from home. Every day he adds an extra inch or two of depth to the almond Icing and a pound or two of extra fruit to his descript?e of this anticipated cake. We are green with envy and tell him it is sure to be torpedoed. I am hopefully expecting a box of chocolates from across the seas in an other direction, so if both parcels ar rive together there will be rejoicings in the Canteen. Dogs of all kinds, pot ted or spotted, will be ordered to heel. What a tragedy If neither parcel should turn up! Patients Interrupt Writing. All the time I have been writing this t have kept breaking off at intervals to attend to patients. 1 have two in bed, one of them slightly gassed and one poor child with face-ache. The others come and go. Toothaches, blistered heels, sore fin gers, sore throats and bad colds are ever with us. Sprained wrists were fashionable last night, tonight is night of sick headaches. Most of our burns have gone to another dressing station, so I have mure time than usual to do my writing. Now in conies a sprained back, so I must end this paragraph. Woraeei Itret Noldiers. When the Prime Minister of New foundland was inspecting the women police a short time ago, he delighted their hearts by saying: "The best men in this war are the women." (tie would never have eald that, though, had he known my sailors and soldiers.) One of the women police constables fainted on duty a night or so ago, and I had to take her to the barracks. It was a unique experience to- have one of the police in charge. The Sergeant received me most po litely when I delivered over my pa tient, and asked me to stop and have some tea and toast. An unusual drink for a tiergeant to offer, but then you see this Hergeant was a woman. IN PORTLAND'S CHURCHES (Continued From Page 8. A Missionary convention will be held in connection with a district quarterly meeting at the Central Free Methodist Church Thursday evening, January 2 continuing until Sunday. Lev. J. S. MacUeary, general missionary secre tary for the church, will attend. see As a spiritual Introduction to plans for welcoming back returning soldiers to their church affiliation, a quiet hour will be conducted by Bishop Sum- Ce7?ete:( sib&s-yY&is'e uva ner at St. Stephen's Pro-Cathedral Sun day afternoon at 4 o'clock. A aeneral invitation is issued to men of the city, also to boys over 14. Other large meet ings are being arranged with the in tention of reviving the spiritual life of the men in the diocese. This is done In the realization that a new clay is here, and that the men and boys who have served under the flag will come home believing In real things and wanting reality In religion. It Is pro posed to organize every parish and mission, so that the men will be to the fore in extending a welcome showing full appreciation of the sacrifices made, by new interest and loyalty. Bishop Sumner will conduct the serv- j ices at the I'ro-Cathedral Sunday, both i morning and evening. Armistice News Causes a Quick Recovery. Soldier III la Hoaottal Gets Up to See Celebration. NEWS thst the i signed resulted mlHtice had been d In the speedy re covery of at least one til American sol dier, according to the letter received In Portland recently by E. Francis Will lams, 763 Wasco street, from his eon. Hulls K. Williams, who Is a member of the 148th Field Artillery, lst Division. "I was in bed when I received the news of the end of the war, but in a very few minutes was on my way to town to get into the celebration," he writes, after telling that he had been confined to one of the hospitals. "Really. I was more amused watching the frogs than I was indulging my self." Telling of his experiences before the signing of the armistice, young Will lams wrote: "We landed and detrained in Laxute Gaucher the morning of July 7, and Immediately moved to the front, then along the Marne River. We were near the Paris highway leading from Chateau-Thierry In our first position. The size of the guns we used were .155. or six-Inch rifles of French caliber. We were all through the drive on this front. Incluillnir the drive on Sotssons and the Aisne Kiver. "My greatest surprise of all was No Man's Land. I thought it to be nothintr but devastation and wasted lands. All through the fight it was either wheat fields, a road, rullrond tracks or woods with perhaps a shelter trench to pro tect our front line. The most difficult No Man's Land is such a waterway as the Marne Hlver was at the start of the counter offensive." Luck of Collision Likened to That of Flanders. G. A- dough, of Arlloartea, Recovers From Uousdi l Auto-Trala Craik. HOOD RIVER, Or, Dec. 23. (Spe cial.) "As the boys In the trench es used to say, "They haven't got my address.'" Thus spoke G. A. Clough, just recovering from wounds sustained in an auto-train collision at Arlington early in November. He con siders his eccape from death miracu lous. Mr. Clough Is associated with a brother in the lumber end fuel business at Arlington. He loaded several bags of coal in the tonneau of a patron's automobile. The patron. J. PL. Wood, drove around a lumber pile and headed his car directly in the path of the fast eastbound Oregon-Washington limited of the O.-W. It. N. Company. Mr. Wood Is still in The Dalles hospital, where both men were rushed, the bones of his arm knitting. Mr. Clough says the Impact sheared from the spinal column all of the ribs on his right side. The lungs were punctured, and as he breathed the air escaped, puffing up his skin like a bellows. "Fortunately, a westbound passen ger train, several hours late, reached of France . ?e JLos-c?de. Arlington soon after we were Injured and we were taken to The E:illes hos pital." eail Mr. Clnugh. "Otherwise, : irueht not bo with you. I was Just barely able to breathe in little spas modic gasps when we reached The Dalles." Mr. Clough sustained a bad flesh wound over his eye and lost the end of the thumb and forefinger on the left hand. 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