The Ypres Times.
47
NOTES BY THE SECRETARY.
IN view of the restriction of space in this issue,
these notes must necessarily be curtailed.
Three important movements of the League
that Eire receiving my earnest attention just
now are the Hostelry at Ypres, Club Rooms for
our ex-soldier members, and the opening of the
London branches.
The Hostelry is referred to elsewhere, but
it is too premature to give details of the important
arrangements that are being discussed to make
it a very great success.
The provision of Club premises is not one
of the Objects of the League, for the League is
not an ex-soldiers' federation, but as No. 6 of
our Objects provides for the comradeship and
re-union of Salient veterans, we are endeavouring
to create the amenities for re-unions in those
large centres only where we have many ex-soldier
members who do not also belong to one of the
ex-soldiers' federations. In towns where most
of our members also belong to the British Legion
or some other club, our efforts in this direction
are not necessary. Hon. Secretaries of branches
are invited to correspond with me on this subject.
Within a few days only of the Annual General
Meeting, when the subject of London branches
was briefly discussed, two London branches,
one at Hornsey in the North, and one at Streatham
in the South-West, have been started. In the
former case, through the energy and uncommon
abilities of a League member, Mr. Herbert Sinclair,
progress has assumed such rapidity that within
a few days a Committee with an Hon. Secretary
and Hon. Treasurer, a fine meeting room, projects
for a dinner, dances, a procession with a Guards'
band to a local memorial, and other activities
have all but been achieved The Secretary is
most anxious that volunteers from other parts
of Greater London would come forward and do
likewise. There are thousands of'members in
Deptfordalso in East Ham also in Hammer
smith.
GRAVES OF THE FALLEN.
In response to the appeals of widows and
mothers of those who fell in the war, it has been
decided that in future headstones on battlefield
graves shall state the age of the soldier whenever
this is desired by relatives.
Engraving will be done at the expense of the
Imperial War Graves Commission.
Hitherto the rule hsis been for this to be paid
for by the next-of-kin, the Commission bearing
the cost only when the relatives could not afford
it.
This system, however, has led .to misapprehen
sions on the part of some of the relatives, who
will now in each case, as soon as the Commission
is ready to erect the headstone, be expressly
invited to say whether they desire the age to
be inscribed.
There will be widespread satisfaction at this
decision, which was officially announced recently
by the War Office.
Owing to the youth of so many who gave their
lives in the Great Warthousands were boys
who went, practically, straight from school
into the Armyparents will welcome this simple
method of marking the sacrifice of those who,
to them, were still but children.
There are nearly 3,000 cemeteries in France
and Belgium containing British graves. Of these,
some 1,200 are sufficiently large to require Eirchi-
tectural treatment. 264 are now under con
struction, 32 being practically completed. In
addition, the Great War Cross has been erected
in 102 smaller cemeteries, and is in process of
erection in 52 more. About 40,000 headstones
have been" erected on the graves or are in position
awaiting erection. Some 1,300 gardeners are
employed.
The principal cemeteries completed or nearly
completed are
Calais Southern 720 graves.
Terlincthun 3,040
Les Baraques 919
Hopstore Military Cemetery 248
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery 1,173
Brandhoek 666
Dainville 135
Wanquetin Communal Cemetery 221
Haute Avesnes 138
Cinq Rues 228
Borre 369
Le Peuplier Military Cemetery 105
Lillers 1,013
Hospital Farm 116
Le Grand Hazard 305
Morbecque 104
Other important cemeteries now under con
struction are
Etaples 11,000 graves
Boulogne Eastern 5,579
Wimereux 2,847
Lijssenthoek 9,887
MISSING OFFICERS AND MEN.
93,800 Still Unaccounted for.
Sir L. Worthington-Evans (Secretary for War),
in answer to a Parliamentary question, states
that the number of missing officers and men still
unaccounted for is approximately 93,800. In
approximately 6,100 cases of officers and men
originally reported missing evidence of death has
been obtained as the ïesult of the work of the
exhumation parties and other searches by the
Imperial War Graves Commission.
MONEY DUE TO DECEASED OFFICERS,
SOLD ERS AND AIRMEN.
In pursuance of the Regimental Debts Act,
1893, Notice is hereby given that certain sums of
money due to the estates of deceased officers,
soldiers and airmen, are available for distribution
amongst the next-of-kin, or others entitled
thereto. Lists of the moneys, together, with
the names of the officers and men to whom they
