Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-01
THE NEXT ADJUTANT GENERAL.
Are Army Officers With Long Active Terms
Alone Eligible?


Are Army Officers With Long Active Terms
Alone Eligible:
The next important vacancy in the army is
that of adjutant general This will result from
the retirement of Adjutant General Williams in
November next The President has made but
two bureau appointments IN the military serv-
ice during his presen; term. One was surgeon
general of the navy and the other was surgeon
general of the army. In both instances the
President ignored all claims of sesiorty and
gave the appointment to officers far below the
top Of the list.
THE SURGEON GENERAL OF THE ARMY.
The new surgeon general of the navy was
number 20 in his grade, and the new surgeon
general Of the army stood number IL in his
department. None of the officers above Gen.
Sternberg in rank and length of service can
hope to attain the surgeon generalship, except
In the event of the death of the incumbent.
Tor the reason that they will all be retired
before him. Therefore in the regular course Of
events, Coils. Page, Smith, Irwin, Alexander,
baliy and Alden and Lieut.. Coils. By-ne, Wright
ana Town are forever barred from the surgeon
generaiship Lieut. Col Bache is the only
ofhcer ahead of Gen. Sternberg who does not
retire before he does. Lieut. Col Greeulcaf,
however, who was next in line to the successful
candidate, retires six months before the latter
Other officers below him in number who also
retire before he does are Lieut. Coils. Forward.
Mcclellan, Wolverton and Hartsuff and Majors
Middleton, Janeway, Tilton. Horton, Happier
sett, Woodruff Billings. Gibson, Huntington,
Waters. Hubbard, Brooke, Gardner, Cald-
well, Vickery, Koerper, Bartholf Crouphite,
Lauderdale, Corson, Mum and Woodruff As
a matter of fact, Lieut. Col Bache and Lieut..
Col Forward are the only officers Of his grade
that do not precede Gen. Sternberg in retire
ment, and the former has but fifteen days and
the latter but three months advantage OF him
on the active list.
ELIGIBLE FOR PROMOTION.
Therefore. in the event Of his serving on. his
term, the only officers now in the list of sixty
SIX colonies, lieutenant colonies and majors,
outside Of Lient Coils. Bache and Forward,
who will be eligible for promotion to the head
of the medical department are Majs. J. NJ.
Brown, Smart, McElderry. Dewitt, Pope. Kim
ball, O'Reilly. Hickman, White. A. C. Girard,
]. b. Girard, Even, Matthews, Hall, Harvey,
c. B. Byrne. Winnie (who retires twenty-five
days later, Wilcox, Harvard. Hoff. Adair, p.
X. Brown, Moseley, skinner, De Loire and
Maus-or twcnty-six in all.
1t will therefore be seen that this particular
appointment Is a serious blow 70 the future
aspirations OF large majority of the senior
officers of the medical department Surgeon
General Sternberg will retain his present Office
until June s, 1902, unless sooner removed by
death or disability, or by court-martial for
cause.
IN THE NAVY.
The appointment of Medical Inspector Tryon
as surgeon general Of the navy is not nearly 30
serious to his associates in the corps His APP
pointment merely shut out from all hope Of
possible promotion TO the head Of the depart
ment only those officers who retire within the
next four years. That is the length of his term.
The majority of those in the grade above him
will. howeN OF, retire before the expiration Of
that period.
THE PRESIDENTS COURSE
In these two staff appointments the President
has clearly demonstrated his purpose of not
promoting officers who are near retirement
No special time limitation has been fixed, how
ever, except in the case of staff appointments in
the navy. In that branch of the service no
officer who has not four years more of active
service to his credit need aspire to a bureau po-
sition. There is more uncertainty with regard
to staff appointments in the army. In the only
appointment of that kind yet made in the army
the officer selected has to his credit over nine
years of active service. Many officers senior to
him. and having four years more of active ser
vice. we're passed by completely.
Therefore, it would appear that the only
thing certain with respect TO the prospective
vacancy in the adjutant generalship is that sit
will not go TO any short term ofiicer." Col
be left out of consideration altogether, for the
good reason that he will retire before the va
cancy occurs.
OTHER COLONIES.
The three other colonies in order Of seniority.
with the date OF their retirement, are Col. G.
ID. Ruggles, September IL, 1897; Col. I. Nice.
Vincent, November Is. 1886, and Col. o. ID.
Greene, January 25. 1897. If the President
considers that four years is too short time for
an officer to serve at the head of a department
of the army, the officers named stand no chance
whatever Of promotion. Lieut.. Col. S. Breck
and Lieut.. Col. II. C. Wood, who stand at the
head of their grade, would also have to be
eliminated from consideration on the same
score. Such course would necessarily limit
the selection of the next adiutant general of
the army TO the following named officers of
that department, who mentioned in the
order Of rank. with the date of their retirement,
viz: Lieut.. Col. J. p. Martin. September %.
1900; Lieut.. Col. II. C. Corbin, September Is.
1906; Lieut. Col. NJ. Barber. July 81. 1892;
Lieut. Col. NJ. V. Sheridan, May "a. 1904: Maj
I. Ward, March IS, 1908; Maj. W. J. volkmar.
June 20, 1911; Maj. T. Schwan, July 3, 1905;
Maj. A. Macarthur. jr.. June 9. 1905; Maj. ]. C.
Gilmore. April is, 1901; Mai. J. b. Babcock,
I'll