The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-11-11
MEDALS
GIVEN HEROES
Long Deferred Honors Passed
Out on Second Anniversary
of Armistice.
BY +. A. STETSON.

by II. a. SIEl Sun.
Information News Service.
The Navy today celebrated the sec
ond anniversary Of the signing OF the
armistice with Germany by confer
ring long deferred honors on its he
roes Of the world war.
MEDALS PRESENTED.
With fitting ceremonies the navy
medals awarded to the officers ana
men OF the navy for services rendered
the country during the world war ac-
| companied by the citations. were
presented to ALSO members OF the
navy. seventy-nine members OF the
armed guard and 2s5 members OF the
| marine corps
All the formalities of the occasion
| were observed for the purpose or the
presentations. Commanding officers
/ OF ships and stations had been fur
nished with registered packages con-
| tanning the medals and citations to be
Ipresented to those under their COM
i mand with instructions, Not to be
opened until directed by the Secre-
tSry OF the Navy" Yesterday the In
structions were sent to make the pre-
sensations today.
Noh
There are three high ranking Of
fcers OF the Navy who though
awarded the decorations. will not re-
ceive them today. They are Vice
Admiral william S. Sims who COM
manded the Naval Forces in European
waters during the World War; Rear
! Admiral b. $. Decker and Capt. Ray
mond ID. Hasbrouck. The medals
awarded these officers remain In the
custody of the Bureau OF Navigation
because, according to Secretary Dan
| iels. these officers have publicly an
nounced that they would not accept
them. The medals are at disposal OF
, the officers and will be sent them II
they indicate their acceptance was the
explanation at the secretary's office
today.
The award OF the navy medals to-
day marks the close Of one of the
bitterest controversies in the history
of the navy. A board of officers,
called the board OF award, headed by
Rear Admiral Knight. was appointed
by Secretary Daniels on March O. 1919,
to consider all recommendations made
by various commanding officers COW
erlng the award Of medals to officers
| and men under their command. This
report was reviewed by the secretary
and a partial list OF awards made
| public in December last. This list
was bitterly assailed by Admiral
Sims.
On January 8. 1920. the board Of
awards was reconvened, and later 1t
| submitted it's report. Secretary
Daniels. after reviewing this report,
today made public his final awards.
DANIELS REPORT.
In making his final awards. Secre-
| tary Daniels stated that he had ad-
| hered to his first award except that
in certain cases upon further consid-
Grafton a higher award has been
made than shown in that list. There
tons from that list but certain
clerical errors have been corrected.
In addition a large number Of new
awards have been made as a result
of new recomme ndations made in
other cases and further consideration
of all reports.
The final awards show eleven
Medals Of Honor as compared to six
In the first award; $50 Distinguished
Service medals against 1928; 1852
Navy Crosses against 1000; 637 Let
tiers Of Commentator against $3.50.
with a grand total of 2,16O against
IL IN the navy alone.
In the Marine Corps FIVE Medals OF
Honor against two: fourteen Dis
tjnguished Service medals against
five: 341 Navy Crosses against thirty
two: twenty-five letters of Com
mendation against three, and a grand
total of 3S5 against forty-two.
In the Armed Guard there was one
Distinguished Service Medal; sixty
seven Naval Crosses and eleven let
ters of recommendation, n. total of
seventy-nine.
SOME OF THE CHANGES.
Some of the important changes in
the awards by Secretary Daniels were
the following: 1t. Com. Joel T. Boone.
Distinguished Service Medal changed
to Medal of Honor, and Ensign Charles
II. Hammann, Navy Cross, changed to
Medal of Honor; the following 0Sfcers
changed from Navy Cross - Dis
tinguished Service Medal: Rear Ad-
mirals Philip Andrews William II. G..
Billiard. william Il. Caperton, Hilary
p. Jones, Austin NJ. knight, Andrew
r. Long, Clarence S. Williams; Cap
tains Frederick b. Bassett, jr., Mark
l.. Bristol, william c. Cole. Hutch 1.
Cone, Lyman A. Cotton, Thomas T.
| Craven, Louis r. DeSteiguer, Thomas
c. Hart, Arthur ]. Hepburn, orion p.
Jackson, Charles d. McVay. Thomas
p. Magruder, Montgomery NJ. Taylor;
Commanders Ellis Lando, Louis b.
Porterfield; 1t. Commander Godfrey
De Chevalier and Ensign Or. F. Ma
clear Jacoby.