The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-01-19
Although before the War It was
limited There Was Some
Scandal with It.

Scandal with It.
PARIS, Jan. 19.-The red ribbon
on increasing numbers Of weather
stained blue jackets, and the fire.
quent appeals to popular imagination
by the military parades behind the
war zone Incidental to the decoration
Of heroes from the front, have CIV
en- a remarkable increase in popular
.ity to the Legion Of Honor This i'm
perial institution, handed down
down through the restoration, the
second republic and the second en-
pire, was not accepted without re-
serve by the more democratic Third
republic and has. gone through some
ylclssitudes since.
Napoleon's first idea was to re-
ward military devotion and gallant
services on the field Of battle. 1t was
only later, when he realized the I'M
portance of making war on Great
Britain's commerce as well as upon
her feet and army, that he used the
decoration to ineite civilian effort.
Warnings were given at the time that
abuses would result. There was no
scandal, however. during the empire
and the first known traffic in the dec
orations was unearthed. The scan
dal Of 1897 was more serious. In thar
case II was n question Of the sale oil
real decorations involving son-'n-
law of the president OF the renublic'
Jules Grevy, and finally bringing
about the latter's resignation. some
less conspicuous cases have developed
since but the suppos'tion put forth
ut different times. that the Legion OF
Honor was always for sale ut nrice.
was certainly exaggerated. Tnere
was. perhaps. more foundation for the
opinion Of the undecorated. that DO
litical influence had a great deal 10
do with the distribution Of the honor
among civilians.
At its origin the Legion OF Honor
com prised grand council. or direc-
tory. comrnsed OF seven grand ohi-
GERS and sixteen cohorts. each cohort
counting seven grand officers. twenty
commandments. thirty officers and 3hO
legienaries named for life by me
grand council The grand council
and the cohorts were suppressed nv a
law of raorganizing the order In 1910
and the. dispositions Of that law WEIR
MOSTLY Incorporated into the present
charter Of the order. which dates
srom March 1s 1882. The president
of tho rennblic Ia the grand master
NJ the LECTION Of Honor. whose afa,rs
are now administered nv grand
chancellor pnmad nv the chief exec
ut;ye, Of the -onuhlte and. and conn.
I'll of the order COMPRISING general
secretary vice president and ten
members. The corns OF dictionaries Is
composed of chevaliers. officers. COM
mandants grand officers and grand
crosses. The membership IS nn,'t'1
70 twenty grand crosses. fftv erana
I of;cars El' commanders. 2.Ohn nti'
cers and 10. 600 cheyaliers or knignts'
Foreigners on whom the decoration
Ia conferred do not figure in TINS NM
tied membership, according to the
rules.
In time OF peace. TO be admitted 10
Tho Legion or Honor one must nave
exercised civilian or military tunc-
,ions during twenty wears with NOE,
or and distinction. To be promoteo
to apv rank superior to that OF Kr''sh,
q 10 INDISPENSABLE to have passeu
tbrough the grade immediately infer-
Tor: the period of four wears as
Snipht two years as an officers, three
wears as commander. five years as
Grand officer. For exceptional cas-
90 of gallantry or extraordinary serv-
ices in time of war or peace these
neriods may be reduced. but IN no
case NAV n knight be advanced 10
tba Grade of commander without hrst
having been promoted to the rank OF
officer. =,
, The decoration of the Legion OF
Honor is Eve douhle-pointea sIar'
with a medallion in the center WI,
tba head of the republic in RELIEF ana
Tho words "French Repuhlic. ~"
IN n circular border. On the otner
aide the medallion bears two trlcolor
aars with the device "Honneur e.
patrie." The star. which is ename,ed
IN white Is Of silver torthe knights
and gold for the officers. The on'V
distinction made in the form OF the
docoration itself for the different
grades is that Of size being one ana
one-third inches in diameter for the
tnights and officers and two and one
Solf inches In diameter for the COM
morders The knights wear the dec
grafton on the left side of the chest
attached to a red molre ribbon. me
n GERS wear 1t on the same Mace
and with the same ribbon. but WIN
. red rosette attached Commanders
wear the decoration around their neck
attached to a red MORE ribbon wider
than that of officers and knights.
Grand officers. in addition to the cross
wear on the left side Of the breast a
FIVE double pointed silver star set
with diamonds. The grand crosses
wear the decoration attached to a
red sash passing over the right Shout
der and also on the left side OF the
chest another double pointed star
\ similar to that of the grand officers.
It is not generally known that the
membership in the Legion OF Honor
carries with It pension to soldies or
officers who have lost member or