The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-15
ARMY AND NAVY CHANGES
Paying Berths for Which There Will Be
a Lively Scramble by Democrats.
Already Is There Demand for Assis' ant Score.
tary of the Navy Soley's Scalp-PrOmi-'
nent Army officers to be Retired Soon.

NEW YORK, Nov. IA The Herald's Wash
ington correspondent says: Although the
army and navy are popularity supposed to
be free from politics. and doubtless are less
affected by q change In administration
than other branches of the government
there will be some new faces around the
two departments and number OF impor-
tant changes throughout the line of the two
services after March 4, next. With the
coming In of the new Secretary there will
doubtless be change of assistant secre-
taries These Offices were created with the
expectation that -partsans would
be selected to fill them and that,
following the practice of the State Depart
ment there would always be permanent
Assistant Secretary. There would then be
some one thoroughly acquainted with the
details to carry the department from one
administration to another, and relieve the
new Secretsry of the necessity of trying
to master all the technicalities and details
during q single term. When Mr.. Solely was
appointed from the navy to his present
orally supposed that he would become q
fixture in his present position. But the
Democrats of Massachusettsp his native
State. have listened TO some of his recent
Republican campaign speeches, and have
him spotted They have learned. too.
that the position pays $500 9 year-a
plum worth having-and; anticipating
that they will get il, Mr.. Solely is
already laying his plans to engage In law
practice after March 4. One ruinor has IL
that he Will become member of the firm
headed by Secretary Tracy. Assistant
Secretary Grant also expects to reiinquish
his office 10 some good Democrat who will
be satisfied with 81, 500 year, and is talk
ing about returning to Minnesota. Being
an OLD soldier, and having so thoroughly
mastered the details of the war portfolio,
it would not be surprising if be was al
lowed TO remain in office for some months
after March 4. AS far as heads of bureaus
are concerned there Will not be many
changes immediately. CAPTAIN Dewey and
Commander Folger are the only navy bu-
reau chiefs whose four years term will ex-
pire during the first year OF the incoming
administration.
I'm tho War Department. with the excep-
tion of the Ordinance and lnspector-gener-
ais departments, 1t will become Mr. Cleve-
lands privilege to appoint successors TO all
the present heads Of War Department. bu-
reaus and. if be selects from the senior OF
the respective departments, he may make
times over before 1897. The first appoint
ment will be that of Surgeon-R general. to
succeed General Sutherland. who retires
next May. In November next Adlutant-
general Williams retires. Quartermaster-
general Bateheldor retires in 1896. Pay
master general Smith and General Casey,
chief of engineers, In 1895 and Judge
Advocate-ReneralS Swain in 1885, all In time
for the appointment of Democratic success
sors. General Dubarry, of the 5 Subsistence
Department.. retires next month. giving
President Harmon his last chance at q
brigadier- general. The selection will
doubtless be made from among the i've
seniors. ell of whom will retire during the
next four years, 80 that President Cieve-
land will also have the appointment of q
ommissary-general'
I'm addition to the above. President
Major generals Schofield and Howard and
Brigadier- generals McCook and Carr. IL
will also fall to his lot to place General
Miles in command of the army, which will
happen Sept 20, 1895. when General Scho-
field will retire. Where politics will figure
most conspicuously with the personnel OF
the army and navy il in the matter Ut
naval commanders. In the navy, after March
4, an entire new set of faces will be seen.
The new Secretary Of the Navy, however.
will be denied the pleasure of assigning
commanding officers to the new ships to be
placed In commission during the coming
year. Mr.. Tracy has forestalled his sue
eessOr by selecting the commanding officers
for these ships and ship-yards to superin-
tend their fitting out, for the purpose or
having the new commanders grow up with
the ships. In order that they may see that
every detail is perfected before they 90 in
TO commission"
Six New Ships to Go Into Commission.
NEW YORK. Nov. 14.-The Navy Depart
ment has decided to pnt six new vessels of
the navy into commission. Orders to this
effect have Just been received ct the various
naval stations. and early in December will
see the first of them flying o commission
pennant The six vessels are the gun boat
Machias. the Naval Academy practice-ship
Bancroft. the sister cruisers Detroit and
Montgomery, the coast defense battle-ship
Monterey ana tho big armored cruiser
New York. The part cular object. as ex-
pressed at the Navy Department. for COM
missioning these ships at 90 early date is
to have them in thorough state of
readiness for the great Columbian naval
As mono of the above ships have
had their government trials, they will
practically be commissioned and accepted
before the rest. OF the ability of the ves-
sells to como up to the requirements OF the
contracts no doubt is entertained There
Is no reason why all the vessels cannot be
tried officially prior to the April rendez-
vous. and they will likely be tried. Just
whers the crews are to come from to man
the six vessels no one seems to know, not
even the Bureau of Navigation of the Navy
Department which has entire control of
such matters. The present number of
men allowed the navy by law 10
$3.50. OF this number $50 are appren-
tice boys. The vessels of the navy now in
commission not only have absor bed all the
available men of the stipulated $3.50, but
are actually short-handed. If the six new
war ships are to have full crews. either the
crews of the present cruising ships will
have to be stripped down to u bare work.
ing force, or Congress-. during the coming
session. will, of necessity, have to author
iZe either a temporary or permanent in
crease in the navy. Among naval officers
occupying prominent positions it is be-
lieved that an increase in the number of
two thousand will enable all ships likely to
be commissioned during the next two years
to be given at least three-quarter compile
mentS.