New-York tribune., 1917-12-27

Submitted to an immediate pleoisci'e IN
o,,s,ion would almost certainly be se'tIeu
in the affirmative.
The Allies all have decorations
ard Britain have interchanged theirs u %
not easy to sec how we can navigate grace.
ful course Of negation through TINS sea "
medals and ribbons, neither giving nor YAK
inc Finally. who can fail 10 sympatnlzo
with "our boys" in their human desire 70
win and wear the same little tags o. g.oIy
which distinguish the brave men OF other
rations? There IS even, it will be urged
an uncertain proportion Of ardent youth 10
whom the winning OF personal medal IS
more potent incentive 20 deeds OF vaior ina"
the winring Of an impersonal war;
So much on the side Of decoration IS
there anv argument on the ungraclous sIde
that of non-dccoration? believe there 49,
First. as possibly highest is the unde-
niable splendor of an army which snouid
wage an ideal war like this for no ma
terial satisfaction, as We have set before
ne as nation no material gain. Nothing
could more strikingly affirm the nationai
ideal and attitude. The undecorated SOL
diels Of democracy, known to be vo"eu 70
accept no reward for that conduct wnicn -
freeman's privilege, would be as Clstih-
cuished thereby as our ambassadors IN PLAIN
evening dress are in the glitserng assem-
blies Of Europe. Not too proud to hght pu0
too nroud TO accept a reward for lighting
;s nerhaps the only kind Of pride wholly
consistent with a democratic IDEAL
To present even this high argument agains'
decorations is not easy, having IN NINA re-
membcred pictures Of young, broken iads
living on hospital cots, or creeping Wahiy
about wards. 10 whom the bit OF ribbon on
,boir breasts or the medal hung above their
niIIows made al the personal difference be-
tween gain and loss. l have watched young
sves BRIGHTEN over these until ] was forced
"a turn away my own. Even so, they fur
nished second argument against the deco
ration. for how often in thus turning away
have I encountered the hungry eyes OF otner
lads in other cots, fixed upon their happier
Commanders treasure. It is the look IN the
eves Of these undecorated ones which VIII
haunt me longest.
Many Heroes UnreWarded
There are very few men in this war VINO
have not aburdantly earned medal Some
body has said that its main lesson ls-that
there does not exist such a thing as a COW
ard Many OF the greatest heroes IN the
ranks have never won the award. 1t was
the poilus Of France who most brought home
20 one this injustice inherent in any known
system OF such awards. One came to know
so many who kept their Croix de Guerre
carefully in their pockets, concealed like
crimes: sometimes it was only after long
acquaintance that one learned by chance
they had them. Asked why they did not
wear them, there was for reply, with the
inyariable little shrug: $50 many VINO de-
served them never had them; it is painful to
d;solav ones own" Not infrequently, with
the addition "and, anyway, it is all matter
of n little luck or a little favor"
One man may, with every exercise OF the
soldiefs highest virtues, 90 through years
Of war. yet never meet the little occasion
which serves to turn upon him the limelight
of a "ctation"; another, no braver, may al
most fall across the chance. Moreover, II
Is the undecorated truth that in this war,
as in every other, many and many decora-
ton has been given for slight or diplomatic
reason-and many more viii be.
Ask any soldier of France no, do not
ask soldier OF France; he is the last per-