Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1919 — Memorial Day This Year Has New and Great Significance [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Memorial Day This Year Has New and Great Significance

EMORIAL DAY, the day of America’s soldier dead, has grown with the sweeping growth of America’s destiny In this great war. Twenty-five years ago May 30 was the day of remembrance of the Union soldier. The Grand Army met on the village street, and the Woman’s Relief corps fell In behind It; a carriage bountifully laden

with lilacs and mock orange blossoms, sometimes with roses, brought up the rear, and the cortege moved to the cemetery, where, with prayers and bared heads, the veterans and the people strewed the flowers upon graves which were marked with little flags. Then came the day, 25 years ago, when the Spanish empire was wiped off the map. Not that we had anything against the Spanish empire; but on that day an Irresistible and unforeseen destiny moved our nation, and the world with It, on a glorious path, Involving far more than we knew. Then we had new graves to decorate —not so many, perhaps, but graves about which a glorious symbolism clustered. But see what a new stride It has now taken. Memorial day comes again, and we see the marshal of France, and with him the representatives

not only of the French republican government but of Britain and Italy, standing by many new-made graves of American soldiers In a far foreign land, and reverently laying wreaths and palms upon them, with tears for our dead —tears and emotions of joy as well, for the deed which these American soldiers performed In dying was one which has

sealed the unity of the free peoples of the world. Marshal Foch, Premier Clemenceau and the other French leaders who participate In the decoration of the graves of our soldiers In France know well that they are celebrating an event much vaster than the mere honoring of the heroic boys themselves who had gone to the aid of their cause. They know that they are celebrating the birth of the old world revivified and liberated by the coming of {he new world to their fair fields devastated by war.