The times., 1901-03-12
THE SANTIAGO AWARDS.
The Medals May Rear the Likeness
of Admiral sampsOu.

of Admiral Sampson.
Secretary Long yesterday instructed the
Board of Rev lrds to report designs for
the medals auti or..ed by Congress to be
bestowed on officers aud men of the navy
and Marine Corps. who participated in
the West Indian campaign Of 1S9>. or per
formed other mcritorious services in the
war with Spain. he medals for the Of
ticers and men who participated in the
Battle of Manila Bay bear a relief like
ness of Admiral Dewey and the Board
on Rewards will consider the question
Of adopting medal bearing the likeness
Of Admiral Sampson II is impossible
at this time to forecast the boards de-
cisiOn and the recommendation it viii
make will be subject to the approval of
Secretary Long.
In its report to the Secretary of the
Navy recommending rewards for officers
and men who distinguished themselves in
China, the Philippines. and Samoa, the
board called attention to the fact that
while medals of honor could be gwen TO
seamen. there was no provision e law TO
so honor enlisted men of the Marine
Corps. a special act correcting this Cmis-
sion was passed in the last hours Of the
Congress just ended, and received the
IItSfutlli approval. All lilt i'e'i itiN''
recommended for medals Of honor by the
board will. in consequence, receive these
highest marks of commendation fer gal
lantry.
The failure of the board to recommend
greater recognition for Passed Assistant
Surgeon q. A Lung for his gallantry
during the Samoan uprising of 1899 than
a letter of cOmmendation has caused
some comment. 1t was the memory of
Dr. Lungs conduct that caused Secretary
Long to direct the Board on Rewards TO
consider reports about the services per
formed by officers and men of the navy
and the Marine Corps in Samoa. DR..
Lung went out with the joint party of
Americans and British seamen and ma
rines which was ambushed by rebels
on the occasion upon which Lieu
tenant Langhorne and Ensign Mono
CHAN of the United States Navy, Brit
ish lieutenant, and a number of enlisted
men were killed. DR.. Lung took charge OF a
little party of Americans and through
holding a position against a large force
of SamOans enabled the surviving mem
bers of the joint expedition to escape. He
was very highly commended in reports
and a great many naval officers believe
he is entitled TO a more substantial re-
ward than that suggested by the board.
The little band OF enlisted men who
helped him are to receive medals of
shonor.
Several other officers who participated
in the Pekin relief campaign are also to
receive letters of commendation merely,
while men who served under them are to
get medals of honor This failure to be
stow higher rewards on some officers is
partly explained by the fact that there
is no authority for awarding medals to
officers of the navy and the Marine
Corps. Only enlisted men of the two
branches are entitled to them. In the
army officers as well as enlisted men are
eligible for the distinction.
Through an oversight of Congress Cap
tain McCalla. Major Waller, and the
other officers of the navy and the Marine
Corps whose nominations for advance
ment on account of their services in the
Philippines and China were confirmed by
the Senate on Saturday. will not be
borne on the naval register as additional
numbers in their grades. and thus the
officers jumped by them will be retarded
in promotion.
In the Naval Appropriation act Con-
gress provided that officers advanced nu-
merically for war services should he
borne on the list additional numbers
and each officer so advanced should be
promoted simultaneously with the officer
Immediately preceding him on the list.
Through this means no injustice would
be done to. the officers jumped, and the
regular, natural promotion of an officer
would not be retarded Unfortunately,
however, this provision was made ap-
plicable only to officers advanced for ser
vice in the war with Spain Secretary
Long said Yesterday that when Congress
reassembled he would seek TO have the
provision made applicable to the war in
the Philippines and the recent campaign
in China.
The Board on Rewards yesterday filed
an additional report recommending that
a letter Of commendation be sent to Col.
Robert L. Mead, of the Marine Corps,
for his meritorious conduct while in
command of the American forces during
the operations resulting in the capture
Of Tientsin, July 13, 1890"