Daily camera., 1901-07-05
PRAISE FOR SOLDIERS
Generous Acknowledgement Of In
dividual Merit Not Good,
lndiscriminatc Glorincatfon for
Deeds Of ValOr and Gallantry
Apt to Lessen the Value Of
the Reward,

The disposition to praise the work
of others and to give credit where it
is deemed of merit are qualities
which probably should be commended
as generous impulse, but under
some circumstances this glorification
IN unstinted indiscrimination is
hazardous and apt to lead to results
which are not the most beneficial
The reports which are being received
at the adjutant generals Office from
army officers in the field are laden
with Acknowledgements OF individual
merit and with recommendations of
official reward of officers and men. 1t
is well that every officer or soldier
who does his duty be given full credit
for his worthy service, and il is equal
ly proper that officers and men who
distinguish themselves by conspicu-
Gus acts of unusual gallantry receive
the just reward for ,..cir Caring, says
writer in the Army and Navy Reg
lister. 1t may be considered that
there are many such in the army sent
to the Philippine islands, and in the
army which fought before Santiago,
but there is n danger that this liberal
praise will be without the distinction
giving 1t real value.
If all those who do their duty are
mentioned in reports and dispatches
we may expect that the documents
and messages will be of great length,
and Will contain lists of names prac-
tically, without limit, for when it
comes to question of doing their
duty there will be few exceptions
among the officers and men of the
army, navy and marine corps. The
commanding general who exercises
discrimination in naming those who
have distinguishc themselves will
give greater value to his encomiums
than the officer who mentions every
body with whom he comes in contact
or who has the chance of serving on
his staff or in his command.
The value OF brevet or medal of
honor or an honorary mention is in
proportion to its rarity. and If "A large
number receive the highest recogni-
tion there will be little in the way of
reward to stand for extraordinary serv-
ice. 1t will cheaper a brevet in the
American army to the traditional level
of the Legion OF Honor, the decoration
OF which and death some body has said
were the two things in life no French
man could escape.
The British army seems to be suf-
feriug from this same generosity of
praise. The London Gazette few
weeks ago contained copies of dis
patches reporting the operations of
the naval brigade in South africa, and
there has just appeared from the Brit
ish war office Il batch of military dis
patches describing minor actions in
the Boer campaign. In all these dis
patches there are long lists Of names
of those who are regarded by their
commanders as entitled 30 This special
reference. The services recorded IN
most Instances are OF a central char
acter, such a courage, ""cuolness un-
der fire" and "untiring zeal" qualities
which one would naturally e11,ect from
soldiers and sailors under any circum-
stances in the psesen-c OF an enemy
and where there was military and
naval campaigning. An amusing in
stance i that of the exceptional com
mcndation of Commander i.impus,
who is me entioned with much eordiality
by Capt. Jones, commanding the naval
brigade, for his. service in the opera
sious leading up TO the relief of Lady
smith. Commander Limpus' special
achievement. which gained for him
official advcrtisemsp., was that he
walked a long distance when greatly
iatieued," and "he also kept his eye
glued to telescope as usual during
the hottest fire, when many shells
passed within O few yards of him
II afiioial CONNIE ndation is to mean
anything it must stand for something
unusual, not for merely walking when
tired or the pratracteG use of tele-
scope. The older officers who saw
service through our civil war must re-
gard such occasions as paltry and alb
surd, II Is well 10 be fair and impartial
and generous. but il is disastrous TO be
lavish and indiscriminate, ~~T