New-York tribune., 1917-12-27
Bu Grace Ellery Charming

sor who will tell you, unless he IS very
much your friend and trusts you ask IN
-.o.d .bo foreigner Listen 20 The words OF
one young American on the slD!ec'' our 0""
young aviator Edmond Genet, VINO died -or
France last spring. an permitted to ta~e
tbor, from the little record of this gallant
l;ro soon 70 appear and | quote them oe-
cause this is what one has heard over ana
over from other lips. Moreover Genet was
a boy without Crouch" by nature VI
uaeConnell's death, which so shortly pre-
coded his own (Which, indeed, Genet parity
died TO ayonge), ne writes:
What an American Aviator said
..Alac and myself have been proposed FOR
army citations, which will bring me inc
C,oix de Guerre. :. seems a mighty ahght
.bipo 20 get decorated for. considering that
moo. Mac has died to win HIS" Genet him-
sslr had been. wounded in the fight which
Killed MacConncll.) "Id have had cita-
tio, for what / did 81 Champagne II ia
dome as --- some others and asked for
II. But that's not M way OF winning
lsurols. II has been pretty hard to meet
aqain and again fellows wao have been
decorated for service carrying inc
woundcd back OF The lines-fellows VINO re-
turn 70 America after half years service
and are pctted and idolized By every one,
and know that | went through what ! did
with the Legion for year and half in the
very face. of hell, and have nothing 70 dis
play FOR it all I'm not the only American
who has served in the Legion since the be-
ginning, or near It, who is that way, either.
There are two or three others who were
even wounded who never were decorated
Poor Dovd was one of them. He had his
hand badly lacerated at Champagne, which
nut him in q hospital FOR six months. after
which he volunteered to continue his SER
vices in aviation where he was killed in
training. as you know. I've seen so many,
many fellows decorated for very insigniti-
can. wounds and service that it is quite a
sore subject with me-"
Il IS inevitable that this should happen
since there are never medals and ribbons
enough TO go round: inevitable, too, that
there should be a tendency TO distribute
what there are with a diplomatic desire to
crafty, or TO demonstrate genuine friend
Illness, irrespective Of the strictest justice.
lt Is both policy and human nature. Thus
we now see a natural motion 20 decorate the
first Of anything American which sinks or
shells something, "goes over the top" IN
any sense that will allow Europe 20 gratify
our pride or express her own friendship.
Il was Victor Emmanuel l who declared
that "a cigar and decoration we're two
things you could refuse no man. From the
Iron Cross given in carloads, to what is proo|
ably the most iealously guarded award eX-
tant--thc "V. C."-therc is nearly as great a
distance as between the two peoples these eX-
press; yet | doubt not there are still some
deserving Germans whose lives are embit-
tered by the absence of the cross, even as l
90 not doubt that more than one "V. C." has
failed of reaching exactly the rightest among
all possible quarters.
Is there, then, any means 20 preserve what
is noble, assisting and inspiring in the theory
OF the decoration, while eliminating the evils
any means that democratic people can
adopt? believe such means exists.
Decorate the flag.
II is already done, of course, but no. in the
sense or the measure now proposed.
The Fourragere
Every time great deeds of war are done
superativcly great deeds, for mere great
deeds arc of the very stuff OF army lie nova
days-whether by company or a regiment,
decorate the flag of that regiment, that cam
pany. But more, let the act of solitary. sub
lime heroism entitle the hero to earn for his
flag one honor more. I cannot think OF in
centive more kindling, reward more dazzling,