VISIT TO FRANCE AND BELGIUM

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16848, 31 May 1920, Page 10

VISIT TO FRANCE AND BELGIUM

conditio:*" or graves. (FROM OT7K OWJT CORRESPOND EOT.) LONDON, April 10. iSir Thomas Mackenzie returned yesterday from a visit to France and. Belgium. He arrived in Paris on the evening of the 6th, and, after signing, on the following day, the Treaty! respecting Spitzbergen, attended a meetin j; of the Anglo-French. Mixed Committee of the Imperial War Graves Commission, at which many questions were dealt with, especially those relating to the construction and upkeep of ccrcneteries in which British, (including Neir Zealand) and French soldiers are buried and the suggested transfer of tho bodies of British and French soldiers buried in Germany and German soldiers buried jn France.

On the day following the meeting, Sir' Thomas left Paris for a three days' tour of the cemeteries in France and Belgium. Ho is of the opinion that, considering the magnitude of tlio work involved. and the difficulties which have to be surmounted, it must be recognised that on the whole the work is proceeding satisfactorily. He states that graves may be divided into three categories. Firstly localities in which a number up to say 100 graves from which the bodies are to be removed into-, the nearest _ organised cemetery. It is such localities that give rise to criticism, for weeds are growing, and in some instances crosses are dilapidated, bat these deficiencies will be rectified after the transfer of the bodies. Then there are the cemeteries whrdh have been under consider ablb shell fire, and where the ground requires levelling and making up before grass seed can be sown and flowers planted. In such cemeteries' he thinks more care should have been taken with, the crosses. The graves, however, are numbered, and he will request the authorities to re-erect crosses, and he will endeavour to make other arrangements for the care of the graves. The third category consists of cemeteries in which a little weeding is required, but these cemeteries will shortly be taken in hand by the gardeners of the Imperial War Graves Commission, and it is hoped that operations will commence on May Ist. . The High Commissioner saw many cemeteries still • containing wooden crosses which had been taken over by the Commission, and which might lie described as beautiful. The grass is growing well, is nicely kept, and all the graves are. planted with many varieties of flowers. He also visited three cemeteries practically complete, in which the permanent headstones, the memorial cross, and other architectural features had been erected, and was very much pleased with the result. At the conclusion of his visit ,to the cemeteries he proceeded to Brussels, where he attended a .meeting of the Anglo-Belgian Mixed Committee of the Imperial War Graves Commission, at which questions were dealt with similar to those which came up for discussion in Paris.

Mr Bernard Tripp, of Timaru, accompanied the High Commissioner on iii-s tour of the cemeteries.

Illative to wooden crosses, which some people would like to leave untouched oyer the graves in France and Belgium, it was reported by some late-ly-returned grave tourists, who liave seen a of cemeteries, that sometimes when over the graves of It.A.F. men hard wood propellers were placed a-s jjpproprirJte marks, these already are suffering effects of weather. Quite new—being spare parts— and put up oven as recently as 1917, many of theso propeller bfades have split from exposure and are otherwise out of condition. This is taken as a v~mre sign that, wooden crosses could not bo really, permanent though some of them would, no doubt, last in good preservation for several years.