Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-13
QUALtFIEDl HERoIsM
Iss-saving Medal. Oily Granted on Ger.
tain bana2itions
The Rescue nus Es in the. Vicinity
Of a Life-saStngs tation-pro-
posed Change Of Law.

Congress has been called upon to correct
an apparent anomaly n the laws in regard
to the bestowal of medals for heroic efforts
III rescuing the shipWrecked and saving
persons from drowning. The powers of
the Secretary of the Treasury are seriously
circumscribed at present by recent con-
struction of the statutes on the subject
by the Attorney General. That official
has given an opinion that the statutes
authorizing the award Of life-saving medals
apply to the rescue Of those persons only
who in the vicinity Of a life-saving sta
ton, life-boat station or house of refuge,
are in danger of drowning in any of the
waters over which the United States, by
reason Of their right to regulate foreign
and interstate commerce, have jurisdiction,
and that the purpose Of such statutes is to
cause such medals to be bestowed upon
the members. whether regular or volunteer.
and whether permanent or temporary, of
the life-saving crews, and that the terms
"Succoring the shipwrecked" and Saving
persons from drowning" employed in Sec
ton II. act approved June 49, 1873, au-
thorizing the bestowel Of life-saving medals
of the second class. were intended to en-
brace only those persons who were suffer-
ing from the perils of the sea, either by
actual shipwreck or from being upon or
connected with any vessel in distress.
This construction of the laws restricts
the award of lfe-saving medals to members
of life-savng crews and to persons who
may save life lin the vicinity Of life
saving station" limitation, which the
treasury officials including the general
superintendent Of the ife-saving service,
feel was not contemplated in the statutes
bearing on the subject. Life-saving crews
are paid by the government for the per-
torrance of services for which the media Ia
are awarded, and heretofore they have
only been so recognized in Specially meri-
tor1ous cases. Up to the receipt of the
opinion In question the department has
acted OH the theory that medals might he
awarded for any act Of heroism looking TO
the saving of life in the jurisdfctional
waters Of the United States, regardless of
person or place, and many brave citizens
have been so honored.
Could Not Have a Medal,
a gentleman named Lynd recently en-
dargered his life in a fruitless attempt to
rescue shipwreeked party during a storm
on Lake Huron. 1t was admitted that his
conduct merited official recognition, but
1t was found that a medal could not be
awarded him for the reason that he was
not member of a life-saviEg crew and
because the act he performed was not in
the vicinity OF nfe-eav1ng station. In
fact this was the case that drew forth
the opini.n of the Attorney General above
referred to.
Senator Mcmillan of Michigan became in
terested in the case and introduced a bill
in the Senate to amend the laws SO as 10
extend their benefits to citizens generally.
This bill was referred to tine committee on
commerce and by that committee was re-
ferred to Secretary Carlisle for an express
sion Of his views on the subject.
Proposed New Bill.
Secretary Carlisle wrote to the commit
tee today advocating the passage OF the
bill in an amended form, SO that it shall
provide as follows THAT SO much of the
acts relating to life-savng stations and the
life-saving service, approved June 20, 1871:
June IS. 1873. and May 4, 1882 as provide
for the award of life saving medals shall
be construed so as to empower the Sec
rotary Of the Treasury to bestow such
medals upon persons hereafter making sig
nal exertions in rescuins and succoring the
shpwreckcd and saving persons from
drowning in the waters over which the
United States has jurisdiction, whether
said persons making such eXertiors were
or were not members Of 4 life-saving crew
or whether or not such eXertions were
made in the vicinity of a life-saving sta