Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-13
Stab at Nations Heroes
-Boston Transcript

II may not be generally known that the last
democratic congress enacted, practically in secret,
law placing under suspicion every union veteran
holding medal of honor, and so rigid IN IT'S
terms that on techncality this coveted prize
could be torn from the breast Of its possessor
and he become criminal under the law Tor
wearing il. In fact, the act is so framed that
a wholesale cancellation of medals OF honor
awarded TO the men who fought the south in the
civil war is possible, if not contemplated, con-
cevably under penalty of court.martial tor the
military commission created by the law If it tails
to carry out to the letter its extraordinary pro-
visions. The legislation which thus attempts to
pass discredit upon the most glorious hgures
of the civil war was sneaked into the national de-
fence act in conference. 1t never has been made
a subject OF debate in either branch, nor was
the existence OF the amendment known until the
report OF the conference was before the senate
and it was then too late to defeat the amendment
without endangering the whole bill.
For several years military men in congress
had tried to induce that body to establish an
army and navy medal of honor roll, with an in
creased pension Of $40 month for the men whose
names appeared upon it, and April u, 1910, the
president signed bill to this end. This measure
was designed especially TO exclude from the roll
the .Twenty-seventh Maine infantry, whose mem
bsrs were the possessors OF special medals. The
law provided that upon written application to the
"
soldiers or sailors holding medals OF honor and
attaining the age OF IS years should be cerheated
for the special pension. The law went away be-
yond every other enactment OF its kind IN the
past, however, in prescribing that holders OF med
ais should not be entitled to the new pension
benefit unless the medal should have been awarded
"for having in action involving actual conflict
with an enemy distinguished himself conspieu..
ously by gallantry or intrepidity, at the risk OF
his fife, above and beyond the call OF duty" The
act empowered the secretaries of war and the
navy to decide whether such applicant, in his de,
partment was entitled to the benefit of the act and
to so certify to the commissioner OF pensions the
certificate constituting "ful and sufficient author
ity to the commissioner of pensions Tor the pay
rnent by him to the beneficiary named in each
such certificate the special pension herein pro-
vided for"
This amendment, slipped into the bill in the
dark. directed the secretary of war, within sixty
days after the approval of the act, to convene
board to consist OF FIVE general officers on the re-
tired list of the army "for the purpose OF investi
eating and reporting upon past awards or issues
OF the so-called congressional medal OF honor by
or through the War department; this with a
view to ascertain what medals of honor, If any,
have been awarded or issued for any cause other
than distinguished conduct by an officer or en-
listed man in action involving actual conflict with
an enemy or such officer or enlisted man or BY
troops with which he was serving at the time OF
lhuch action" The amendment further provided
that in case the board shall find that said medal
was issued for any cause other than that herein
before specified, the name of the recipient shall
be stricken permanently from the medal OF honor
list. II member OF the army he shall be re-
quired to return the medal to the War department
for cancellation; and the law even goes so far
as to provide that If union veteran is found in
possession of medal condemned by this board,
lit shall be misdemeanor for him to wear or
publicly display said medal"
Secretary Baker, upon the passage of the army
bill (the navy bill contains no such provision and
the medals issued to naval heroes have not been
made subject to cancellation, promptly appointed
board OF general officers to investigate the med
alists, of which Major General Nelson A. Miles
is chairman. This board held one meeting and
Immediately found itself in the midst OF legal
mess which, It may be presumed, is as disgusting
to its members as it has proved to be to the few
outsiders who are aware of the facts. The board
informally scanned the provisions Of the special
pension law and was at once moved to inquire,
in its own consciousness, what possible service
a soldier could render that would be, as the law
phrased it, above and beyond the call of duty"
Fortunately the board Of which the former
commanding general OF the army is the head is
composed Of thoughtful and intelligent gentle
men, who have known themselves what it is to
expose their bodies to hostile fire. They may
have discovered, what is patent to others who
have read the law, that although the national de-
tense act requires them to report on the medalsts
and to disgrace them upon technicalities If they
can that it constitutes standing insult to the
union heroes OF the civil war and that the most
respected officers of the military service are re-
ouired BY its terms to do the dirty work for the
southern brigaders-they may have noticed that
the law does not fix time when they shall re-
port and prescribes no penalty for failure to
make a report As stated, the Miles board has
held one meeting without reaching any coneu-
sions, and 1t may hold good many more before
il fulhlls its instructions Meantime, the heroes
whom the country intended and delights to honor
may draw their special extra pensions during the
brief remainder of their days.