Evening star., 1926-02-16
ESHEROH HON0RS
TOO LONG DELAYED
Ger. RoCkenbaCh Urges I'M
mediate Recognition of
| VaIor on BattIefieIds.

Immediate recognition of heroic
service of soldiers on the field of bat
tie instead of after long. diScouraSlnS
delays was urged by Brig. Gen. sam
uel d. Rockenbach, member OF the
decorations board of the War Depart
ment, last night at the Army ana Navy
Club, at the annual banquet of the
Society of the Army of Santiago de
Cuba. The banquet was attended by
a distinguished group of active and re-
tired generals colones, lieutenants
and other American soldiers VINO
served at the front in the Spanish
American War.
Tracing the long detailed research
necessary for the decorations board to
make in order to deal with justice in
the awarding of medals, Gen. Rocken-
bach said he was urging passage of
law to provide that field officers
may make temporary awards during
conflicts to men who have performed
distinguished and valued acts OF
bravery.
Effect OH Morale Beneficial.
The effect on the morale of the sol
diers would be tremendous, he said
pointing to the system employed by
the French during the last war. Such
awards would be reviewed by board
of the War Department and per-
manent awards made later.
Forty members of the society were
present, including many now high In
the War Department staff. Gen. Jo-
seph T. Dickman, L. >. A. retired
who served with the Sd Army in
France was toaStmaster. The evening
was spent in "reminiscences, and motion
pictures. loaned by the Roosevelt
Memorial Association. were shown OF
the battlefelds in Cuba and of the
Roosevelt memorial which has been
erected by the Cubans.
Gen. William D. McCaw, assistant
surgeon general of the Army, who
was in charge of disqualification dur
ing the Spanish War, described the
terrifying lack of equipment OF the
Medical Corps which was sent to care
for the soldiers in Cuba.
Published Accounts Erroneous.
Protesting that newspaper accounts
Of the plans and movements and vic
tories Of the Army were sadly erron-
eous Cen McCaw said it was malaria
and nor yellow fever that swept the
ranks cf the Army there. Great in
jury was done to the soldiers who did
valiant service through the faulty re-
ports that We're given to the American
public" he said, blaming lack of CO.
operation between Army leaders and
the IeNSlDG PER liz
story that the men had been fed "em-
balmed beef" for instance, he assert
ed. was entirely incorrect. THE meat
referred to-" he said. actually was
good boiled beef Canned-good, but
very poor TO feed sick soldiers
Gen. Dennis +. Nolan, deputy chief
of staff. also declared the press ac-
counts of the Santiago battle placed
the wrong accent on the happenings
int nff Il
a. poor job of informing the cor
respondents. The troops never We're
given the credit for the great victor:
they achieved he said. There
never was such a group of men got
ten together in any army IN any
nation of the world" he said.
Col. G. Fred Cook, president of the
society, vas unable to be present.
The committee which arranged for
the banquet was composed OF Gen.
F. S. FoltZ Gen. j. T. Kerr, Col.
Douglas ,McCaskey and Col. w. {.
Brown. Gen. Charles Mex. Saltzman
also aided in arrangements.