Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-06-19
TOO MUCH OFFICIAL PRAISE.

4OO Hull IOc = xO1AL FKAlSk.
Genercsity in Commentator That En-
Not for the Good Of the
Army.
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 glorifcation
in unstinted indiscrimination is
hazardous and apt to lead to results
which are not the most benencial.
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. It
is we'll that every officer or soldier
who does his duty be given full credit
for his worthy service, and it is equal.
~ proper that officers and men who
distinguish themselves by conspicu-
Gus acts of unusual gallantry receive
the just reward for .~-eir daring, says
writer in the Army and Navy Reg
lister. It 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 danger that this liberal
praise will be without the distinction
giving it a 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 a
discrimination in naming those who
have distinguishes: themselves will
give greater value to his encomiur.s
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 a brevet or a medal of
honor or an honorary mention is in
proportion to its rarity, and if large
number receive the highest recogni-
ton there will be little in the way of
reward to stand for extra ordinary serv-
ice. 1t will cheaper a brevet in the
American army to the traditional level
of the Legion of Honor, the decorat ton
of which and death somebody has said
were the two things in life no French
man could escape.
The British army seems to be suf-
fering from this same generosity of
praise. The London Gazette a 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 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 to this special
reference. The services recorded in
most instances are of a general char
acter, such as courage" Goodness I'M
der fire." and "untiring ZEAL" qualities
which one would naturally expect from
soldiers and sailors under any circum-
stances in the presence of an enemy
and where there was military and
naval campaigning. An amusing in
stance is that of the exceptional COM
mendation of Commander Limpus,
who is mentioned with much cordiality
by Capt. Jones, commanding the naval
brigade, for his service in the opera
tons leading up to the relief of Lady
smith. Commander Limpus' special
achievement, which gained for him
official advertisement, was that he
"walked a long distance when greatly
1atigued." and che also kept his eye
glued to telescope as usual during
the hottest fire, when many shells
passed within few yards of him.
If official commentator is to mean
anything it must stand for something
unusual, not for merely walking when
tired or the protracted use of tele-
scope. The older officers who saw
service through our civil war must re-
gard such occasions as paltry and alb
surd. 1t is we'll to be fair and impartial
| and generous, but it is disastrous to be
lavish and indiscriminate.
Price List for Hands and Fingers.
According to scale of value fur
nished by the miners unions and
miners accident insurance companies
Oh Germany, the loss of both hands is
valued at 100 per cent, or the whole
ability to earn living. Losing the
right hand depreciates the value of
an individual as worker 20 or so per
cent, while the loss of the left hand
represents from 60 to 20 per cent. of
the earnings of both hands. The
thumb is reckoned to be worth from
20 to 80 per cent. of the earnings. The
first finger of the right hand is valued
at from IA to IS per cent, that of the
left hand at from to 1879 per cent.
The middle finger is worth from 10 to
16 per cent, the third finger from 2
to 9 per cent. and the little finger
from to IL per cent.-London