The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-01-13
WILL PROBE
ARMY MEDALS
Massachusetts Congressman
Charges D. S. M. Has Been
Cheapened and RidiCuIed.
GEN. MARCH ATTACKED

Washington, Jan. 13.-After spir.
tied debate, the house today ~ a
vote of 1872 to 1923 adopted a = olu :
ton by Representative GalIivs iem-
ocrat, of Massachusetts, cal j on
the war department for the Sl1es OF
all officers and other, vs. were
awarded the distinguish service
medal for their services S.rina the
war. Most of the dem .Sats voted
against the resolution. KS
1T is common talk z 'the army"
said Mr.. Gallivan. "thf~ our present
chief of staff and onG : his assist
ants, colonel, who's duty it was
to escort and dine foreign missions
in Washington, have no space left
between their belts and their collars
to display the medals that have been
given them as a result of this
service"
Congress should investigated all
awards Of medals and crosses, Mr..
Gallivan said, so as to determine why
some recommendations We're acted
upon favorably and other disre-
garded.
'The distinguished service medal
has been cheapened and certainly
ridiculed by the bold and brazen
manner in which it has been passed
out to those who belong to the elect"
said Mr. Gallivan. 1T has been used
as a reward for friendship; it has
even been used to placate those who
have been removed to make way for
some one else
THE reading of the sum total of the
citations In awarding the distinguished
service medal to several chair officers
of the general staff who never left
Washington during the war, If believed,
would certainly impress one that the
war was fought with red ink at ma
hogany desks near the shadows of the
Washington monument.
INDUCES Bitter Comparison.
"Surely. the lounge lizards of the
second army of the Potomac can have
no quarrel with their comrades, the
lobby lanciers of the capital as to the
number of Distinguished Service med
ais these two valiant units received
for heroic service during this war.
LAS for France. wherever the COM
mander-in- chief sent a commissioned
messenger boy on an errand, the Dis
tinguished Service medal was sure to
be the reward.
I'm Washington we had four differ
ent chiefs of staff during the war and
every one who knows anything at all
about the workings of the war depart
ment knows that the predecessors OF
the present high priest of Prusslanism
Gen. Peyton c. March. were considered
unequal TO the task. Through one pre-
tense or another, they We're removed.
Ordinarily Nhen a. man has failed
IN the performance of any specific task
he is removed without reward. These
men have on the other hand been re-
warded in the name of the president
of the United States by the bestowal
upon them Of the d. S. NJ"
"The kaiser" continued Mr.. Gallivan.
with some spark of appreciation for
consistency yet alive, said: Me und
Gott.' Not so your chief of staff. U. S.
A., Peyton c. March, who sees no rea-
Me- with him.
OF International Noterlety.
I'm France there was a board of
awards of medals that sat in Chaumont
and looked with easy favor on giving
awards to their friends and with blind
eyes and deaf ears to recommendation
of those without the pale"
The failure to send Maj, Gen. Leon
ard Wood overseas in command of
troops was a case OF international
notoriety," Mr.. Gallivan said adding
tnAJ ten. WOOu was never gwen an
important active command during the
war" but ito placate public opinion
something must be done"
THE bestowal OF the d. S. NJ on
Gen. Wood" he continued, us heartily
approved by the entire military service,
l am told, but the reason for such be-
stowal looks like an interrogation point
in the minds of every one who has a
knowledge of Gen. Woods treatment"
"Junk Men" Decorated
Inquiry also should be made into
cases of civilians who received medals.
declared Mr.. Gallivan. who charged
that "Eisenmann, of Cleveland, who was
mixed up in the clothing and shoddy
graft and also in the rag picking graft.
appears to have gotten a medal"
1T has been whispered that other
junk men have been so honored."
said he.