The Harrison times., 1919-03-01
CONGRESSMAN TlLLMAN
OPPOSES ABoLlSHlNG
THE SERVICE STRIPES.

Congressman John N. Tillman de
liyered the following speech in con
gress on February Is, in opposition
to the bill designed to abolish all dis
tinctiye service stripes for troops hav
ing seen service overseas:
II strikes me that my amendment is
somewhat in the nature of a limita
ton on the appropriation. At any
rate had hoped the point of order
would not be made. This amendment
will settle the controversy satisfac
torily.
Mr. Chairman, let me present this
matter at some length The military
authorities have provided by order
that overseas troops shall wear gold
service stripes, showing the length OF
service over there and indicating
wounds received in battle, while sol.
siers that remained on this side must
wear white stripes. Evidently the of.
ficers serving on this side are not
satisfied with these distinctive stripes
and have, | assume, caused the Com.
mittee on Military Affairs to insert a
paragraph in the bill to abolish all
distinctive service stripes or chevrons
The original paragraph is clearly sub
ject to a point of order and will &c
out if the point is made, and | shall
make the point of order myself if the
amendment which | Ropose is not
accepted and adopted
My amendment in effect permits
troops who have had service overseas
to wear the gold chevrons prescribed
by the War Department, but leaves i;
optional as to wearing the white chev
rOns by troops who were denied the
honor and privilege of serving abroad
Certainly we should not consent tC
the provision in the bill recommended
and reported by the Committee or
Military Affairs abolishing all distinct
i've markings
The gentleman from California (Mr
Kahn, in advocating this proposition
said:
The committee has seen fit to write
into the proposed legislation a pro
vision to remove all service chevrons
We have seen a great many men walk
ing our streets with silver chevI0n,
and with gold Chevrons We hear G
great deal of talk in this country about
democracy" All soldiers of the Re
public, whether they were fortunate
enough to go to France or whether
they performed their duty in this
country, should be treated alike.
Did you ever hear of a more amaz
ing plea for democracy than this
Many crimes are committed in the
name of liberty and now we have q
member proposing to commit crime
in the name Of democracy The charge
will be proven if the proposition advo
Gated by the gentleman from Caifor
mia is written into the law How un
just, how discriminating, how undemo
cratic that would be. That doctrine
carried to its logical conclusion, would
mean no service ribbons, no gold chev
rons, no medals, no honorable men
tion, no wound stripes. How demo
cratic it would be to call out on the
carpet the members of this House
who did real fighting overseas the
gentleman from Ohio, Captain Heintz
the gentleman from South Dakota, Mr.
Johnson; and the gentleman from
New York, Mr. LaGuardia and say tC
them, Soldiers, in the name of de
mocracy we strip you OF your hard
won badges Of honorable service il
battle because forsooth some sensitiv,
official soul, some swivelchair captain
major or colonel, who has been gal
lantly holding a much.assaulted sector
bere in Washington these bloody
months since April, 1917, objects tC
the sight OF Sam Brown belts, foreign
service caps, and chevrons Of gold. ;
Those trappings are 30 discriminating
Brave as these official, intrepid war
riors are who have held the critical
Washington front from repeated Hur
assault from April 7, 1917, to Novem
ber II, 1918, they actually turn as pale
~ their lily.white service stripes when