The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-03-24
AMERICAN NEWSPAPER coRRe.
RESPONDENT DECORATED FOR
BRAVERY ON BATTLEFIELD
MEDALS ARE NOT FAVORED
Special Permission OF Congress Neees-
sary for American to Accept Deco
ration From Foreign State-Many
Offered but Few Are Permitted.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

have been given 10 the soldiers OF kais-
er. king, president or sultan. A few
Americans. there are only a few In
the service OF foreign potentates. also
have been decorated. some OF them
for conspicuous personal gallantry.
One non-combatant American newspa-
| per man has been given a decoration
In recognition OF bravery on the Held.
No American who is I'm the employ
OF the government OF the United
States is allowed to receive any deco
ration from a foreign state without
| special permission OF congress. IL
| happened that the newspaper man
who was given the decoration for bra
very on the battlefield is connected
with news gathering association
which has aAraie, o. .itssoMn n ahsts pone
OF its employees shall accept a deco
ration from a foreign government. Be
caus" OF the special circumstances In
the case. this rule was foregone In the
case in hand and the correspondent.
| who had shown courage on battle
field in Poland. was allowed TO re-
medal given In recognition OF his high
conduct in the face OF danger
For All Kinds OF Services.
In the state department there 10 a
case which virtually is filed with all
kinds OF decorations. watches. fobs
and other things which II was the in
| tention OF foreign governments TO pre-
sent TO American officials
The presents OF Kingdoms, empires
or republics which are now I'm the
| care OF the state department were Civ
EN- for all kinds OF services. Most OF
those for whom they were intended
were ambassadors. ministers. consuls.
consular agents. or military and naval
attaches stationed in foreign parts.
! Congress once in while has granted
! permission TO individuals who are In
the state service to receive decora-
! tions and on one or two occasions IL
has disposed OF hundred or so or
the decorations at once by giving gen.
eral permission to take them and
wear them. The gifts now in the pos
session OF the state department rep
resent the accumulation OF a year or
two and there they will stay until
! congress acts
A Little Shop Talk.
Once every four years in Wash.
ington IL is perhaps permissible for
the newspaper men TO talk shop.
There are FIVE Washington chron.
/ iclers now who are having their
| troubles. They are the members OF
the standing committee OF correspond.
ents. Their names and those of the
! papers which they represent are Rich.
| ard V. Oluahan. New York Times Le-
roy r. Vernon. Chicago News; II. r.
| G. Bryant. Raleigh News and Obser.
/ yer: Earl Goodwin, Washington Star.
and William e. Brigham. Boston Tran.
script
There are to be held this year three
| political national convehtions-Demo-
/ cratic. Republican and Progressive.
| While the managers. IL they may so
/ be called. of the conventions have
/ final power in the matter they act in
the matter OF assignment of seats in
concentrations OF the standing com
mittee OF Washington correspondents
I OF course this committee does not at
| tempt TO do anything more than TO see
! TO IL IL IL can that the newspapers and
! the press associations get what they
| are entitled TO in the matter OF seats
1 at the press tables
The standing committee OF CORE
! spondents has other duties TO perform.
! The convention seat duty is only a
matter OF concern once In four years.
The committee has constant work
through the years. A new committee
is elected Just prior TO the convening
OF each incoming congress. The CHIEF
duty OF the members is TO pass on the
applications OF the persons who de-
sire admission to the press galleries
during the sessions OF congress.
Only for the Workers.
IL might be said here that no one
is allowed I'm the gallery either In
house or senate who is not bona fide
newspaper correspondent engaged In
his work OF collecting and sending out
news from the capitol No senator or
representative ever tries 10 get admis-
sion TO the gallery for the purpose OF
hearing the debate. either for himself
or for his friends. IL he should at.
tempt TO get seat in the gallery or 10
get friend a seat there. his desire
would be thwarted. and the proper
committees OF congress would uphold
the newspaper correspondents In their
action in shutting out from the gal
lery even so high a parsonage as a
member OF congress OF the United
States
In the city OF Washington there are
about 220 newspaper correspondents
who are entitled to admission 10 the
press galleries. They represent news
papers located IN towns from Califor.
MIA to Maine and from Washington to
Florida In addition 10 these CORE.
spondents there are hundreds OF 9th.
ers Who are engaged simply In writing