The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-26
lOFFRE VALUES
 LATEST MEDAL Cross of Legion of Honor Is Rare and Highly Valued
 Presentation

Paris, December 25.--t Correspondence of the Associated Press 1.-The satisfaction with which General Joffre received the military 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 re- ceived the grand cross of the Legion of Honor values the little silver medal quite ss much as the common soldier.
 To receive the military medal it is necessary to have been cited in dis patches to have gone through four cam paigns. to have been wounded in face Of the enemy or to have accomplished some signal act of courage or devotion. fof late years the decoration of the Le- lelon of Honor has been considered far more accessible. The military medal is not exactly successor of the medal of the veterans instituted in 1881, but its purpose is the same and the quaifica- lions of the men upon whom it is con Nerrth are in part the same.
 The Legion of Honor. as Bonaparte conceived it and Instituted it. was in tended to recompeIlse signal services in both peace and war, and Napoleon III thought there should be a decoration for military services distinct from an order like the Legion of Honor, which was &C., cessible to everyone.
 NapoleOn's Attitude
 Its not everyone who wills that shall wear this sign of honor" Napoleon said twhen the Legion of Honor was estab- lished, and his first intention clearly was to make it an incentive to his men and officers; he himself stated that the desire to obtain the cross grew so rap idly that 1t became a species of fury, Beginning with Austerlitz. For a long lime it was only the theatrical profess VI pn that was excluded from the Legion
 Honor. Napoleon himself established e precedent of according the decoration
 recognition of important industrial and bmmercial achievements by decorating
 man who had built up enormous andustry in wall paper. You compete so vigorously with the English with your wall paper" he said, "I think you should be assimilated with the brave officers of my army, for in your way you are accomplishing the same thing as they
 Canrobert, who commanded the Sixth army corps in 1870 is quoted saying to a young riileman that he decorated with the military medal the field of battle: Now then, he is equal to me" With less stripes. though" replied the decorated man. Just then both were up set by shock from the explosion of d shell. You see very well,' said Canrob ert. when he had gotten to his feet and shaken the dust from him, that I was right in saying that were equals. for you see that shell had the same eff feet upon both of us; give me your hand"
 Before the war of 1870 5s,Oo0 soldiers had been decorated with the military medal. while during that war 15,000 new decorations were accorded. Before the opening of the present campaign there were about 50,0o0 entitled to wear this decoration.
 Exceptional Cases
 Among recent inscriptions for the mil litary medal in the Journel Officiel the following exceptional cases are reported: :: Conductor Desbrous of the Fifty-sev- enth artillery received 24 wounds from fragments of shells and had the right arm broken during the battle of the Aisne September q. Taken back to the base notwithstanding his protestations. he said to the doctor who cared for him. Its Tar better that it be than the captain who was hit by that shell, for the captain is more useful to France than l." Desbrous died from his wounds after receiving the military medal.
 Sergeant Cabour of the Fifth infan- try installed an observatory in q tree and remained there three days without relief or provisions. under violent infan- try and artillery fire, continually giv- Ing the most useful information on the enemy's movements and the position of the enemys artillery by telephone.
 Lieutenant Flag Bearer Carrere of the One Hundred and Thirty eighth infantry ysB present on August 2 at the moment
 kh, under a terrible fire, several com l4nfes showed hesitation to advance. But he deployed the flag of the regiment and with the cry of "To the Flag, To the Flag.' succeeded in provoking general assault the entire line.
 NHJTOENHVSAynCs