New-York tribune., 1905-07-05
Kings ORDER OF MERIT.
founded By Ed1card III on the
Occasion Of His Coronation

A'n'1eh Nins Edward Is extremely up TO date
an h many respects modern in his ideas vat bis
grant 81 lhe order or Merit 70 George N5erea,tb
must rct be looked or as a token ~ sovero, -
lroval ~ TIE plan recently suvpastaa -. az, ~.
famous novelist to marry for a stated ,s--, A.
sieao q -or Alt ana 10 render the matrimonial 81
siifalion a mere leasehoid arrangement instea, q,
permanent and lasting contract u - -. =
mark Of imperial recognition OF his nerit as 49,,
OF letters. token compared 10 which ~, -,
ughihoods conferred on Sir Gilbert part.~ ca.
tonan hoyle- etc, seem small indeed In g..
the appointment OF George Meredith as n,ernbs-
0i me Creef OF Merit indicates that in The ave
o. the crown and OF the government of his .c,,
uy ae IS far and away the mos. -,
English writer Of his day and he NAV he So
20 nave succeeded IN the order 70 the place 1ef,
Vaa,J'i 'y tae death Of The historian L.eck, t,st
II ''e sans way THAT Sir Laurence Alna-Taderna
tahes me place OF the late George Frederick zra,+
The p@-fate.- like himself a Roval A,s,7a,,io,.,,
The order Of Merit instituted by King Ed
"aIo as q memorial OF his coronation in 1902 and
ahoush me statutes provided that the membership
siloa oe united 10 twenty-four the King bestowed
p az THAI time only twelve Of his mos. dis
tinEuished subjects three of whom have si,c 4io5
namely Lecky. Watts and the Admiral Of the Fleet
Sir Harry keppel. the two nominations inst made
bringing the actual number Of knights up TO eleven,
Among them are Lord Roberts and Lord WolseIev
both Of them field marshals. Sir Edward Seymour.
Admiral of the Fleet the Right Hon John Morley
the Liberal statesman who was in this country last
year and the principal lieutenant of Gladstone in
his Home Rule campaign. Lord Lister the great
surgeon and author OF The autiseptic treatment in
surgery; Lord Kelvin, the grand old man Of sci
ence. who is also knight Of the Prllssan Order OF
Merit; Sir William Higgins the president OF the
Royal Society and Prime Minister Balfour's broth
er-in-laW. Lord Raylegh. professor OF physical
science Al Cambridge University and of natural
philosophy al the Royal Institution well as the
discoverer OF argon. the newly revealed constitu-
ent Of the atmosphere. The youngest member Of
The order OF Merit is General Lord Kitchener, now
commanding the British forces in India.
The insignia Of the order consists Of cross OF
red and blue enamel of eight points. having within
a laurel wreath centre OF blue enamel the
words for merit in letters of gold. and on the
reverse the royal and imperial cipher in gold. The
cross is surmounted by the imperial crowns enam-
elec in colOrs. and suspended round the neck by a
ribbon IN which garter blue and crimson run par
allel with each other. The crosses worn by the
naval and military members OF the order are fur
ther adorned with silver swords with gold hits
placed saliirewise between the angles Of the cross
Until now king Edward has refrained from con-
ferring this order on any member OF his family,
and II shares with the Victoria Cross and the
Albert Medal. which is the civilian counterpart Of
the Victoria cross. the distinction Of not having
even tho sovereign among its members. the King
being determined that. in the same way that the
Victoria Cross and the Albert Medal are restricted
exclusively 10 recognition Of acts Of heroism the
order Of Merit shall be confined who have
rendered exceptionally neritorious service 10 the
nation. either soldiers sailors or in the ad-
vaucencnt OF art, literature or science. The Order
of Merit carries with IT title. but its members
have the magic letters 20. NJ appended 10
their names. and are authorized suspend a
representation Of the ribbon and badge OF the order
from bottom of the escutcheon containing their
a-morial bearings The Order Of Merit is organized
On the same lines as the Prussian Order Of Merit
founded by Frederick the Great the only dstinc-
tion which Thomas Carlyle cOndescended 70 accept
from the late Emperor William after having de-
eIined the Grand Cross Of the Order Of the Bath
and the peerage that were rendered TO him by the
late Queen Victoria