The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10

YltLb congress insult foreign SOW
wv 4 ereigns who confer decorations
80 and gifts upon our federal office
ISGSSI holders if it declines to allow
the latter to accept? Will its
refusal be a reflection upon the integrity
of the men so honored?
These two questions are bothering our
national legislators. The State Department
has transmitted to the Capitol various lists
of federal officials offered decorations and
presents by foreign rulers. The Constitu-
ton provides that person holding a gov
eminent office shall, without the consent
of Congress, accept any present. emolu-
ment, Office or title" from any king. prince
or foreign state" The State Departments
lists have accumulated until about fifty
cases remain without action. Until 1881
our lawmakers were not so precise upon
this point. Our officials brought home their
gifts and decorations and kept them,
whether Congress ever gave its say so or
not But now all such proffered honors
must be transmitted by the recipient to the
State Department and locked up there in a
big safe until Congress acts upon them.
AS soon as one arrives the secretary of
state makes application to the two houses
for authority to deliver Either the Senate
committee on foreign relations or the cor
responding committee of the House must
then consider the applications, and, APP
proving. introduce a bill authorizing ac-
ceptance.
OF course if the Akhoond of Swat. for
example. wishes to decorate plain citizen
John Doe with the Order of the Double
barreled Rhinoceros, John may bangle the
orda he
fit. and it is no business of the govern
ment's so long as Mr. Doe is not federal
hireling
SEVEN DOUBLE DRAGONS"
Seven magnificent decorations of the
Order of the Double Dragon from the En-
peror of China are among the treasures
locked up in the State Departments safe.
Five of these. just arrived. are offered to
officers of our Ninth Infantry in reward for
guarding the Forbidden City within the
walls of Picking during the Boxer war and
consequent invasion by the allied troops.
These officers are: Captain John NJ. Sig
worth. First Lieutenant c. c. Kinney and
Second Lieutenant p. NJ. Goodrich, Allen
Smith. jr. and Robert Clark. Another
Double Dragon is offered to Capt. Andre
w. Brewster. our military attache at Pc
king, who has the Emperor's admira-
ton since accredited TO his court soil
another TO Mr.. II. II. ID. PIERCE, third as
sistant secretary of state
The order of the Double Dragon was
instituted in 1881 by the Emperor Tsai-
T'ien, who established two categories-One
to be reserved for distinguished Chinese,
which carries with it certain gems, pea
cock feathers and silk rooes; the other, re-
served for foreigners. divided into five
grades. the first three of which are subdi-
Nided into three classes.
The order consists of gold medal, about
the size of a soda biscuit, having a round
hole in the center and surrounded by
fligree border interviewer with Chinese
characters and surmounted by ring fas
tening it to a ribbon. Upon the medal
proper are two eght-footed dragons, form
ing a biateral design about the circular
opening. which incloses a gem. The grades
and classes are designated by the ribbons.
Thus Mr.. Peirce, who is given the second
grade, first class, may wear violet rib
bon, embroidered in yellow dragons, while
the six army officers, who are offered the
third grade must be satisfied with blue
ribbons. embroidered with red dragons. An
older order conferred by the Emperor upon
foreigners is the Dragon of Merit" insti-
tuted in 1863 for the French who took part
In the repression of the insurrection of
Tai-Pings. This is far less elaborate, how
ever, than the Double Dragon With the
latter was sent TO the State Department
seven diplomas. about yard square.
Double Dragon" was conferred upon
the late Hub Smith. secretary of the COM
mission of the United States to China,
but he died before the necessary legislation
was passed. Another was recently offered
to Commercial Agent Greener at Vladivo-
stok. in reward for services to Chinese in
Siberia and to the Shansi famine sufferers,
but the latter has not yet arrived at the
State department
TWO RED EAGLES"
Two orders of the Red Eagle" offered
by the German Emperor. also repose in the
State Departments big strong box. One
Capt. q. II. McCalla of the navy, who in
1900 led 112 of our men to relieve the lega-
tions at Picking BY his bravery in that
engagement Captain McCalla won the adj
miration of the Kaiser, who lately offered
the decoration a testimonial of his
esteem. The same decoration is conferred
of foreign mails of the Postofice Depart
ment, who won the esteem of the Emperor
through his work in the recent international
postal congress.
The order of the RED Eagle" was found
ed in 17O5 by Prince George William of
Anspach under the name of the "Order of
Fidelity" In Germany it is the second
order of the realm. Captain McCalIa's
decoration of the second class, bearing with
it the title of grand officer" that of Cap
tain Brooks. the third class, with the title
Commander" Each decoration is accom-
panied by a diploma setting forth these
details. The decoration itself is a Maltese
cross, with the red eagle in the center,
the whole fastened to the breast with a
white ribbon striped with orange on the
edges.
Germanys oldest and most priced decora-
ton is the ''Order of St. John of Jerusa-
lem" established in 1882. Its other notable
orders are 1.-The Military Cross of Merit -
civil Cross of Merit" BLACK Eagle"
Iron Cross" "Order of the Prince of the
House of Hohenzollern" and Royal
Crown" The Emperor confers two orders
upon women exclusively that of Louise
and the Gross of Merit"
The Kaiser has also offered many gifts
TO our officials. and these are reposing with