Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-25
GEN. JOFFRE VALUES
GRAND CROSS OF
LEGION OF HONOR
AS Pleased AS Any. Common
Soldier with Frances Most
Priced Decoration--Establish-
ed by Napoleon I-Some Incl
dents in Connection with Its
Bestowal.

ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence
Paris, Dec. 10.-The satisfaction with
WHICH General Joffre received the mill
tary medal recently shows that even
he who might be regarded as having
exhausted all of the official honors that
could be conferred on him, when he
received the Grand Cross Of the Legion
of Honor, values the little silver medal
quite as much as the common soldier.
To receive the military medal 1t is
necessary to have been cited in dis
patches. to have gone through four
campaigns, to have been wounded in
face of the enemy or to have accom-
plished some signal act of courage or
devotion. OF late years the decoration
of the Legion Of Honor has been con-
sidered far more accessible The mill
tary medal Is not exactly a successor
of the medal of the veterans instituted
in 1881, but its purpose is the same
and the qualifications of the men upon
whom it is conferred are in part the
same.
The Legion of Honor, as Bonaparte
conceived it and instituted 1t, was in
tended to reeompense signal services in
both peace and war. and Napoleon Ill
thought there should be a decoration
for military services distinct from an
order like the Legion Of Honor, which
was accessible to everyone.
IT'S not everyone who wills that
shall wear this sign of honor" Napo-
leon said when the. Legion of Honor
was established. and his first intention
clearly was to make ID an incentive to
his men and officers: he himself stated
that the desire to obtain the cross
grew so rapidly that it became spec
les of fury. beginning with Austerlitz
For long time it was only the theatre
cal profession that was excluded from
the Legion of Honor Napoleon himself
established precedent Of according
the decoration in recognition of i'm
portant industrial and commercial ]
achievements by decorating q man who
had built up an enormous industry in
wallpaper. You compete SO vigorous
~ with the English with your wallpa-
per- he said, 81 think you should be as
simulated with the brave officers of my
army, for in your way you are accom-
Pushing the same thing as they"
Canrobert, who commanded the 9Th
Army Corps in 1870. is quoted as say
Ing to young rifieman that he decor
ated with the military medal on the
ASi~ va pdItic. 4NON liltllr ne Is equal
to me-" with less stripes though"
replied the decoratd man. just then
both were upset by a shock from the
explosion Of shell. You see very
well' said Canrobert when he had got
ten to his feet and shaken the dust
from him, that was right in saying
that we were equals. for you see that
shell had the same effect upon both of
us; give me your hand"
Before the war of 1870, $4,000 SOL
diers had been decorated with the mill
tary medal, while during that war
$4,000 new decorations were accorded.
Before the opening of the present cam
paign there were about $4,000 entitled
to wear this decoration.
Among recent inscriptions for the
military medal in the journal Official,
the following exceptional cases are re-
ported:
Conductor Desbrus Of the 57tf1 Artil-
lery. received "a wounds from frae-
ments of shell and had the right arm
broken during the battle of the Aisne.
Sept, II. Taken back to the base not
withstanding his protestatfons, he said
to the doctor who cared for him: Its
far better that 1t be me than the CAP
tain who was hit by that shell, for the
captain is more useful to France than
l." Desbus died from his wounds after
receiving the military medal.
Sergeant Cabour of the 9Th infantry.
installed an observatory in a tree and
remained there three days without re-
lief or provisions, under violent infan-
try and artillery fire, continually CIV
Ing the most useful information on the
enemys movements and position of the
enemys artillery by telephone,
Lieutenant Flag-hearer CAREER of
the 13sth infantry was present the
22nd of August at the moment when,
under terrible fire, several compa-
MES showed hesitation to advance. But
he displayed the flag Of the regiment
and the cry of ITO the flag! To the
flag" succeeded in provoking general
assault Of the entire line.