New-York tribune., 1906-08-17
A NEW ORDER OF KN1GHTHooD

France is about to create new order of knight
hood which is 10 be called the Order Of Merit and
20 consist. like the Legion Of Honor of five classes
namely Grand Crosses Grand Officers. Command
ers. Of1cers and Chevalers. The ribbon Is to be
blue and the cross will be somewhat simpler than
that Of the Legion OF Honor owing to the absence
OF the laurel leaves encirclng the branches Of the
cross. It is to reward Frenchmen and foreigners
who have deserved well Of the departments of For
eign Affairs and OF Colonies At present the French
the number OF Knights of the Legion Of Honor be-
yond certain statutory figure is obliged to make
use Of the orders Of it's vassal Eovereigns such as
those Of the Bey of Tunls and OF the rulers Of An
nam, Cambodia, etc. in order to reward military
naval and civilian services in the colonies and
abroad. OF course these orders, being conferred
by the French government, through the Grand
Chancellor and Council OF the Legion of Honor
are essentially French government distinctions
In fact, the soveregns TO whom these orders nomi-
nally belong cannot confer them without tbs
sanction Of the French government. But It is felt
that France should have an order Of its own 10
recognize services now rewarded by these Tunisan
and Cochin-Chinese distinctions. and that Is
why the new Order Of Merit is being created II
Is by no means improbable that IT may be con-
ferred upon all the holders OF the so-caed Colonial
Orders. in substitution for the latter
OF entirely French orders. France has now only
three, namely the Order OF the Legion of Honor
the ribbon Of which is red the Order Of Public In
struction and Of the Academy, the ribbon OF which
is violet and the Order of Agricultural Merit with
a green ribbon. popularity known as the "Ordre du
Poreau' (the Order OF the Leek). in memory OF
its founder. Premier Meline, the Protectionist
whose abnormaIly long neck and queer SHAPED
head won for him the nickname Of Poireau, or the
Leek. The Order Of Merit Will be the fourth
Perhaps I should have added the Order Of the
Medaie Militaire, which is conferred upon non
commissioned officers and prvates for acts OF con-
spicuous gallantrv for which it is impossible 10
grant them the Legion of Honor II is also he
slowed upon generals who have commanded armies
in the field and by them is valued as an even
higher distinction than the Legion or Honor
France formerly had four other orders namely
the Order OF the Holy Ghost, which was the French
equivalent Of the English Order OF the Garter the
Order Of ST. Louis which a thoroughly military
order. and the minor orders OF St Michael and OF
ST. Hubert These orders passed out of existence
with the abdicaton of King Charles X in 1880. and
with the overthrow of the senior line OF the Bour
bons The last surviving Knight OF the Holy Ghost
King Louis Philippe's son. the old Due de
Nemours. who died just ten years ago True the
present Duke of Orleans had the audacty to don il
on the occasion OF the marriage of his sister to the
Duke OF Aosta. on the pretext that he was de lure
If de facto. King Of France the heir of King
Charles X a pretension which is disputed But
he encountered so much opposition on the part of
his older relatives, and much ridcule from the
public that he has ventured repeat the ex-
pertinent.