The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-07-07
WASHINGTON NOTES.
Special Correspondenne.

gress has not adopted any resolution
CT bill to extend to officers of the navy
the chance to win and wear the bronze
medal of honor given in the army to
officers and men alike. A special medal
has been ordered for Admiral Dewey
and the officers and men engaged in
the destruction of the Spanish fleet at
Manila and the capture of Cavite, but
while Lieutenant Rowan of the army
has probably won promotion and may
have the bronze medal of honor, En-
sign Willard of the navy, who planted
the first United States flag on Cuban
soil, is prohibited, because he has
commission, from getting the bronze
medal. which may be won by sailors
and marines only. Propositions have
been made to equalize this medal In
the army and the navy, and wonder
has been expressed that the effort was
not Immediately successful. Upon in
quiry of Representative Cummings of
The committee on naval affairs, in the
House, to learn why this refusal Is
made, a prompt and vigorous answer
was made. mo such resolution or bill
prevent II. The army bronze medal
ought never to have been given to
officers. 1t was not intended for them.
but they grabbed 1t after the privates
had been getting 1t for a year. Until
the officers Of the navy are more gen.
erous in their attitude towards the
sailors of the navy they ought not to
have this medal. A private soldier in
the army may become an officer, IL he
30 desires and has the necessary brains
and industry. No sailor can ever be-
come an officer of the navy. The line
between the forecastle and the quar-
terdeck Is an impossible one. AS long
as that is the case let us draw the line
against the officer who wants to share
with the 'jackey the distinction Of
wearing the bronze medal. AS long as
there is something the officers have
that the sailors cannot get, shall in
sist that this honor medal which the
sailors are alone entitled to win shall
be kept from the officers"
Daughters of the American Revolution.
At the meeting last April of the Ma
tfonal Society of the Daughters of the
American Revolution 1t was decided
that it was the duty of the society
to do some work that should be both
patriotic and useful, and, after some
discussion, it was agreed that though
the giving of aid and support to the
families of soldiers and sailors would
be an appropriate duty of the chapters
of the society all over the country, 1t
would be fitting that the national so
ciety should cooperate with national
military and naval organizations on
whose success an honorable termina-
taon of hostilites must depend. The
board appointed a special committee,
consisting of DR.. Anita Newcomb Nc
Gee, chairman; Mrs. Alger, wife of the
secretary of war: Mrs Charles w.
Fairbanks, Mrs. George M. Sternberg,
Mrs. Charles O'Neil and Mrs Charles
II. Alden. This committee set to work
TO formulate plan, and, with the view
OF rendering 1t practicable and availa-
BILE, submitted 1t to the surgeon general
of the army and navy.
The organization, which is known as
the D. A. R. Hospital Corps, consists
OF two classes, corps members, who
must be Daughters, and volunteers. A
number of the Daughters living IN
Washington have formed themselves
into committee to take charge of the
work connected with the hospital corps,
and 1t involves no small amount of la
Dor to answer all the letters, investi-
gate the testimonials of the applicants
and to attend to all the various mat
tiers which come up constantly for con-
sideration. This committee gives It's
services and works as faithfully and as
nard as IL paid for 1t. 1t is in such
ways as these that the Daughters of
the American Revolution convince peo-
pie that the society intends doing some
thing besides investigate gene.Logies
and study American history, and it Will
40 more to make the d. A. r. well
thought of and popular than they can
perhaps imagine.
Not Easy to Get Torpedo Vessels.
Almost everybody favors the bill of
Representative Pearce of Missouri,
providing for an extension of the naval
notilla by the construction of fye ar
mored cruisers and large number of
torpedo boat destroyers and torpedo
boats. If passed, however, none of the
vessels provided fer by the bill could be
built within the time the war with
Spain Is expected to continue. Chief
Constructor Eickborn, who knows
something about the difficulties attend
Ing the construction of large and small
vessels, says that II Is evident from
the remarks made concerning the
scheme of Mr. Pearce. that these diifl-
culties are not fully comprehended by
the public. The arnored cruisers that
are most wanted right away, would
take from three to four or five years
70 complete, after the plans were pre-
pared and the contracts awarded. The
greatest difficulty, however, would be
encountered in obtaining quick bid
ders for the torpedo vessels. Mr.. Hich-
horn says it is evident that the opinion
is too prevalent that any well equipped
blacksmith shop can build torpedo ves-