(CAN the old Great War battlefields, at the spot where over 200,000 men were killed during the last war, General Viscount Gort, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Forces, accompanied by the Duke of Gloucester, and members of the British Staff, yesterday placed a wreath on the war memorial here in commemoration of Armistice Day. Extraordinary precautions were taken during the ceremony, with anti-aircraft and machine guns placed at various points and motor cars hidden in haystacks.
Severe simplicity marked the ceremony, which lasted only three minutes.
A detachment of fifty six-foot Tommies presented arms, a French priest conducted the prayer, and sixteen buglers sounded the "Last Post."
About half a hundred military spectators stood at attention during the proceedings.
A detachment of only twelve French Gardes Mobile participated.
The ceremony was held in the middle of a huge cemetery containing over 30,000 bodies of soldiers killed there during the last war amidst rows of stone crosses. A huge German cemetery, with 40,000 bodies of men killed in the same battle, was within sight.
The red poppies on the breasts of the British guard of honour were the only touches of colour in the grey, sad scene.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.