The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Lieutenant Colonel (Air Service) Cuthbert Powell Stearns, United States Army Air Service, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. As Chief of Staff, Spruce Production Division, Bureau of Aircraft Production, by his loyal devotion to duty, tact, industry, and resourcefulness, Lieutenant Colonel Stearns handled with conspicuous success all the military problems of organizing the division and distributing the troops and supplies, an operation which involved constant and intimate relations with 150,000 civilian lumbermen and over 500 lumber mills, extending over an extensive territory. He rendered services of great value to the Government in a position of great responsibility.