Evening times-Republican., 1920-10-13
VICTORY EMBLEMS AWAITING
REQUlsiTioN BY WORLD
WAR VETERANS.
ADJUTANT GENERAL URGES
IMMEDIATE REQUEST
Can Be Procured by Filling Out
Blank Form-6lanks May Be Pro-
cured From Patriotic Organizations
or From Recruiting Officers
Works Of Art, Not Baubles.
by E. G. Dougherty.l

Washington, Oct. 13.-Former SER
vice men, living in Iowa who have
not yet received their victory medals
were urged today by Adjt Gen. Peter
G. Harris to Immediately apply for
the mementoes either thru applica-
tion to war department1pr commun-
icating with the officers In the state
who have charge of the distribution
of this emblems.
It is estimated that 3,757,624 men
who served In the army are entitled
to the medal. but to date only 379.214.
or about 10 per cent Of the number.
have applied. Applications are COM
ing in at the rate OF $500 a day.
which is far below the capacity for
issue of the working force in the
Philadelphia general supply depot,
which forwards the medals to those
entitled to them.
1T is mo more difficult to make
out form for the victory medal"
General Harris said, than 1t Is to fill
out money order blank This form
|verifies the recipients service and
his present whereabouts. 1t will pre-
vent the medals from falling into the
wrong hands. The governments gift
is a work Of art, not a bauble. and
has intrinsic as we'll as sentimental
value. It can not be sent out to un-
verified addresses. any more than
liberty bonds or war insurance
checks, many Of which have been lost
before reaching the adoressee, In
spite OF all possible care.
The ex-service man has only to
apply at the nearest army post or
recruiting officer In his home town,
or thru any patriotic society, such as
the American Legion or the Veterans
Of Foreign Wars. Here he will be
shown how to All out his blank, and II
his discharge papers are correct, the
application will be forwarded direct
to Philadelphia and the medal
mailed within a week"
For service in the United States
177,194 medals have been ISSUED to
date. and 1902 for service in foreign
countries. There have been o6,O05
medals with three battleships issued,
and $3.50 with two battle clasps.
These are the largest numbers Of
all with battleships, which range
from one to eleven. There have been
f1fty-two medals issued with nine
battleships. nine with ten clasps, and
two with eleven clasps.
The American Legion makes no
distinction between members and
non members in the Victory Medal
distribution. There are also special
blanks for the next of kin, in order
that the relatives may OBTAIN the
decorations for those who were killed
in action, or who died in line OF duty.
Iowa Rate Decision Soon.
The right Of the Iowa state rail-
road colnission to AK intrastate
rates and fares may be determined
this week by the Interstate Com
merce Commission, which hears ar
guments presented by the National
Association Of state commissioners in
support of their contention that the
Cummins- Esch transportation bill
does not give the federal commission
authority over local" territories. The
case in point comes from New York
state, but the question involved is
the same as the ones from Iowa and
other states where the railroads have
asked the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to grant them relief refused
by the state commissions
The charge Is made by the state
commissions that the railroads in
seeking to lodge complete authority
over rates in the federal commission
are manufacturing cases to show
that determinations do not relate
to persons or localities prejudiced
but to variation in rate scales
only" Carriers are taking this
| course the State Commissioners
Association alleges, "in the hope to
establish a precedent which will de :
stroy the rate making power not only
of state commissions but Of the leg
! islatures Of the states as WELL"