Evening star., 1920-01-23
WOULD NOT AWARD
HIGH DECORATIONS
TO "SH|P LOSERS
Admiral Knight Tells Sena-
tors Board Disagrees With
Mr.. Daniels.
EXPLAINS WHY CROSS
SUGGESTED FOR BAGLEY
Performed Seamanship Feat in Res
cuing Crew and Passengers From
Torpedoed Ship.

cuing Crew and Passengers From
Torpedoed Ship.
The knight board is unable to agree
with Secretary Daniels that naval Of
fcers who lost their ships through
enemy submarine action and performed
meritorious service in connection with
such loss should be awarded high dec
orations. the Senate investigating
committee was told today by Rear Ad-
lnlral Austin NJ. knight, chairman of
the board.
Admiral Knight told the subcom-
mlttee that such award was not de-
served unless the sinking was accom-
panied by offensive action against the
enemy or the officer succeeded in saw
ing his ship.
Refers to BagIey Case.
Referring to specific cases Admiral
knight said that in the case of Com
mander d. w. Bagley, Secretary Dan
lelS brother-in-law, who was COM
inandlng officer of the destroyer Jacob
Jones, no medal was recommended for
any circumstance in connection with
the sinking of the Jacob Jones because
commander Bagley did not engage the
enemy. ~
A Navy cross was recommended for
the officer, he said, for good seaman
ship displayed in taking off the crew
and passengers of the torpedoeJ Brit
iSh steamer Drama and was included
by the board in the general list of
destroyer commanders recommended
Tor the cross Commander BasIey
was not recommended by his imme-
date superior, he said, for any deco
ration in connection with the sinking.
OF the Jacob Jones.
Officers whose vessels were tor
pedoed but who, by good seaman
ship and discipline, succeeded in saw
ing their ships, earned the dis
tlnsuished service medal, Admiral
knight declared.
Explains RecOmme ndatfons
1T is true that the board recon-
mender awards for several of the
officers referred to by the Secretary
as commanders of ships which were lost
or seriously damaged by enemy subma-
rines or mines,' Admiral knight said
But in each case there was a special
reason. Capt. Vernon of the Cassin,
Capt. Dismuiles of the Mount Vernon.
Capt. Chase of the Minnesota and Capt
Graham of the Finland saved their ships
by excellent seamanship and discipline
after the ships were disabled"
No information was available to
mendations for Capt Satterlee of
the Tampa and Commander Ghent OF
the Antilles, nor were any circum-
stances known that would justify
such award, Admiral Knight said
Secretary Daniels awarded ID. S. MS to
both officers.
Commander Foote's case is the only
one in which the board recommended
the award of a D. S. NJ. for circum-
stances connected alone with the
tual loss of a Ship" Admiral Knight
said, land this recommendation was
based chiefly upon the recommenda-
tions of Admiral Gleaves and Admiral
Mayo"
As to Capt. Christy.
The award recommended for Capt.
ChriSty was based not only on his
conduct at the time of the sinking of
his ship, the armored cruiser San
Diego, but for his later service in
command of the battleship Wyoming.
Commander Conn was not recon-
mended for award in connection with
the loss of his ship. the yacht Alcedo.
but was recommended for a Navy
cross under the general citation given
destroyer commanders.
Cites Lawrence and Perry.
"The case of a ship destroyed by an
enemy, against which she had no op-
portunity to fire a shot, is in the
opinion of the board. widely different
from the cases of Lawrence and Perry,
cited by the Secretary in his letter OF
January 3 to Senator Page" Admiral
knight said. Lawrence owes his fame
not to his conduct after the loss Of his
ship, when he was helpless and dying.
but to the heroic spirit he manifested
throughout the engagement. spirit
that did not falter. even when he was
fatally wounded. 1t was before-not
after the loss of his ship that he ut
tered the words that have made his
name immortal and which are quoted
by the Secretary as esta bliShing prec-
edent for his action in certain cases.
Perry is remembered in history not
for his gallantry in leaving the wreck
of the Lawrence under fire. but for
the indomitable spirit in which he re-
sumed the fight on the Niagara, ana
the skill and daring with which he led
his almost defeated fleet to victory.
Refers to Cross Requirements.
Referring to the requirements for the
Navy cross Admiral knight said:
"One of the most unfortunate results
o. the controversy which mas grown out
of the liSotf awards recently published
is the tendency to regard the cross as
an award of little value. To correct this
entirely false and mischievous tendency,
il should be sufficient to emphasize the
fact that. as indicated above, the cross
is the only award provided by Congress
for heroism, whether in conflict with the
enemy or not if less in degree than that
which would justify the award of the
medal of honor. 1t is also the only one
provided for distinguished service not In
a position Of great responsibility"
No Policy Furnished as Guide.
Declaring that the board was not
furnished with any policy by Secre-
tary Daniels to guide ii in making
its recommendations and did not ask
that such policy be promulgated
because the boards members did not
consider il necessary, Admiral knight
said that the board itself worked
out policy based on the following
broad general premises: That the
Following groups should be recon-
mended for distinguished service
medals:
Flag officers, including bureau
chiefs. chiefs of staff to flag officers.
commanders of battleships in war
zone. commanders of battleships in
home waters and commanders of mine
LAYERS in the war zone.
Navy crosses: Commanders of de-
ST royers operating in the war zone
for two months or more, command
ers of submarines operating in the
war zone, commanders of subchasers
operating in the war zone. command
ers of escort craft operating in tha
war zone. commanders OF Transports
who made two or more round rrips
through the war zone. aviators re.
ported as having taken active part
in offensive operations. over the
enemy's lines and aids on the staff
of flag officers.
Task Difficult. knight Says.
Great variance in the methods fol-
lowed by commanding officers in
recommending awards made the
boards task extremely difficult, Ad.
miral Knight said. Some group com.
man1ers recommended their entire