The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-04-09
U. s. ADMIRAL TO
 BE DECORATED
Order of St. Gregory, The
 Great, for Admiral Benson.

Ehe ceremony of conferring upon uadmiral Win. .Sh epherd Benson, chair man of the U, s. Shipping Board, the decoration of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, of which he has been made a Knight of the Grand Gross by Pope Benedict XIV, will take 5face in the Baltimore Cathedral on Sunday, April 11th. Admiral Ben son is the first American to receive this highest degree of knighthood in the military division of the Order of St Gregory the Great Cardinal Gib- bons will officiate at the ceremony of investituTe.
 Pope Benedict, in his brief bestow- ing the honor of Gregorian knight hood on Admiral Benson, explains that it is granted as a recognition or the latter's having set for his fellow citizens "a most worthy example of piety and Christian virtue" Admiral Bepson's appoint was made at the suggestion of Cardinal Gibbons.
 The decorations which Admiral Benson will be entitled to wear as a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Or der consist of a silver medal and an octagonal gold cross bearing on a field of red the image of St Gregory the Great The silver medal is worn on the left breast The gold cross is attached to 9 red silk ribbon edged with yellow. There is a, special uni form for Knights of the Order. but is seldom worn
 The Order of Sa. Gregory the Great was founded by Pope Gregory XVI on September 1, 1881. Knighthood in the Order was intended by the Pope as a reward for the civil and military virtues of Catholics upon whom it was conferred The Order was placed under the patronage of Pope (Saint) Gregory - the same that sent St. Augustine to Christiarize the English
 Admiral Beuson's services during the war and since have been of the most important character As Chief of Naval Operations he was respon- sible for the execution of the United States Government plans for war fare against Germany on the seas. These plans contemplated not only offensive and defensive operations, but also the protection of transports on their war to Europe with troops and supplies for the American and Allied armies. He was stationed in Paris during nearly all the sessions of the Peace Conference
 As chairman of the United States Shipping Board, Admiral Benson has the official care of 1900 vessels, more than $3,00O,O 100000 worth of property and several thousand employees These 1900 ships constitute the largest mer- chant fleet ever placed under the d1- rection of a single operator They are sailing in all the waters of both hemispheres.
 The operation of this vast fleet is but a part of the task which Admiral Benson has undertaken The vesssls already built and delivered to the Board represent 10000, 900 dead weight tons of shipping There are under construction 475 additional ship of an aggregate of 5000, 900 dreadnaught tons. Admiral Benson is expected to complete this program of constru ction.
 More than ssoO,ooO, 900 worth of surplus materials remains to be dis posed of by the Board. Admiral Benson will have charge of the dis position of this property and also of 1000 permanent dwellings,, nearly 1000 housekeeping apartments, 102 stores, 94 dormitories, five hotels and six boarding houses3 numerous small marine railways, yards and ware houses
 If Congress determines that the Government shall withdraw from the business of building, owning and op- erating ships, this investment of bill lions will have to be salvaged on the best possible terms This will be most difficult work Admiral Benson has in prospect
 Big jobs are not novelties to Ad- miral Benson. As Chief of Operations for the Navy during the eighteen months of war with Germany he had what is regarded as one of the most important and trying positions under the Government Even before that he had much executive and ad-