32
PERSHING REFUTES
CARAWAY CHARGES
Heard of No Desecration to
American Graves During
Stay in France.
By the Associated Press,
LINCOLN. Nebr.. September 16.
Gen. John J. Pershing, chairman of
the American Battle Monuments Com
•mission, said that during a recent!
stay of two months in Europe he had
not heard of any insults having been
written on the little white crosses
oocr ‘."he graves of American soldier
dead buried in Europe.
Oen. Pershing referred to a state
ment given out in Washington by
Senator T. H. Caraway. Democrat, of
Arkansas, declaring that "vulgar ex
pressions have been inscribed on the
crosses" over the graves of soldier
dead buried in France, lb* declined
to comment on other points of Senator
t'araway’s statement. (lon. Pershing
is visiting here at the home of his
sisters.
Davis Doubts Reports.
A pronouncement by Senator t’ara- '
way of Arkansas that he favors the
return from France of America’s war
dead, because of reputed insults writ
ten on the white crosses that mark
their graves, failed to arouse officials
at the War Depart men t.
Secretary of War Davis was in
clined to doubt the accuracy of the
information reaching the Senator who.
upon his return here from abroad,
said that “To hell with America" and j
other similar expressions have been
inscribed on the crosses, according to |
statements from what he considered]
reliable sources.
Mr. Davis said fieri. Pershing only j
recently returned from France, where |
he had gone to Inspect the cemeteries, j
but had not found, so far as he knew, j
a single sign of desecration, and that
recent reports from caretakers failed
to Intimate any lack of respect by the
French for American graves.
