Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-05
Mr.. Diggins' Views.

Tie description and cut of the proposed
medal in The Star and the cuts on the
cover of the new bylaws received last
week, have caused NE to do great deal of
thinking on the subject, and l hope you
will pardon me for intruding upon you
some of my views.
1T has been the custom of the men of
the navy who received a medal of honor
to follow the well-trodden path of the men
of the Srmy in matters pertaining to leg
islation, and we have found no trouble In
getting through the naval committee that
which has already been granted through
the military committee of Congress in re-
gard to the medal of honor. l now find
that all the naval medal men that l have
heard from are in favor of retaining the
old medal, and if this be the case there
will be two kinds of medals of honor is
sued by our government for the same rea
soEs. We do not see the virtue and Signfi-
canoe in the new that there is in the old.
The five-pointed American star with the
trefoil of good luck and prosperity at the
points: the oak leaf signifying bravery,
hospitality, independence; the laurel,
glory. ambition, perseverance, and with
which the maidens of old crowned their
victorious lovers; but the most beautiful
and significant feature is the center piece,
Minerva, bred from power and wisdom,
typifying both, so perfect a maiden that
she could not be mated, the patronesS and
protectreSs of heroes who were distinguish
eQ lot tnelT WlSuOHl dS wen dS tucI Ndioi.
She truly represents America driving out
treason and discord; the American shield
in one hand, while the other rests on the
faSceS representing authority, justice, law
and order. Around this beautiful picture
are thirty-four stars--stars that many
thought were reduced to twenty -one-Stars
of the times we had to do with; stars we
helped to restore, the stars of ls61-lS6o.
The Old Medal.
"The old medal was on the designing
table of the best known artist for nearly
a year the die is held by the government
at the mint in Philadelphia. 1t has been
pronounced by experts perfect in work
manship and design. The fact that it has
in some respects been initiated is the
more evidence of it's merit. 1t is original
artistic modest and we'll worthy of what
it represents. In the new medal can
only see composite of limitations First
there remains the star and oak leaf of
the old medal; the wreath resembles corn
huSks and is not half SO artistic as the
wreath on a one-cent piece or a nickel;
then the knight head in the center Is one
of the most commonplace figures in use,
especially among cheap 5ewelry. What
reIa ton does such figure bear to Amer
lean history? 1t surely does not repre-
sent Minerva, who is always pictured in
a Spartan tunic, loose cloak, helmet.
shield and lance. l have not been able to
ma any meaning LOT the SuIfDurSt lndL
flares from the cuts of the star. If 1t
means a sunburst, the sunburst is al
ready adopted on the national flag of Ar
gentine, and on the revolutionary flag Of
Ireland.
THE word 'valor' is a little too much;
modesty is the nearest living relative to
heroism. Here modesty dies; it would be
but a very short step to replace it with
hero. The suspension ribbon is the blue
of the navy, though the stars are lined
gable, they are equal distant and the
effect is plainly the union jack. So dis
tinctly naval flag that it is draped over
their dead Blue is the color of the navy
as indicated by the Secretary's flag and
the flags of all ranking admirals. Red is
the color of the army. as indicated by the
flag of the Secretary of War and the flags
of all the commanding generals Then
what claim have the men of the thirty
four states to the honors due to men of
the thirteen stars? Surely the times Of
the thirty-four stars were eventful
enough to us to prefer them
My dear general. 1 hope you will ac-
cept the above as I intend it; an honest
family criticism, with the hope that the
new medal may be more extensively dis
cussed among ourselves before it is
adopted