The National tribune., 1893-06-29
PROMOTIONS BY THE PRESIDENT.

Changes that will Occur in the Army and
Navy During this Administration
President Cleveland will have more appoint
ments Of Major-Generals and Bfigadier-Gen-
erals than any President since the war In
November next he will have a new Adiutant-
General to appoint upon the retirement Of Gen.
Williams Gems. Seheseld aud Howard will
shortly retire. leaving Nelson 4. Miles the
senior Msjor-Gsnersl, which he will remain
until 1908. All heads of the STAFF Corps retire
in the next four years because of age except
Gen Sternberz of the Medical Corps and Gen.
'Fiagler, Chief of Ordnance thus giving the
President the appointment of seven Colonies
to be Brigadier- Generals.
The only BrigRdier of the line who will be
retired before the next Administration is Gen.
Alexander McCo0k. and his time for leaving
active service will be April next. Gen. How
ard will retire Nov. 8, 1894, and Gen. SchOfeld
on Sept. %, 1895. As Gen. Thomas Ruger will
be the senior Brigadier in order Of seniority.
he will probably be advanced Major General
upon Gen. Towards retirement and Gen.
Wesley Merritt promoted to Gen. Schofelds
vacancy. In the Inspector Generals Depart.
ment Gen. Joseph c. Breckenridge retires Jan.
IL 1906 and in the Judge Advocate Generals
Department, Gen. Swain. who had been under
suspension for number of years. and who will
retire before the expiration Of his sentence
goes OF the Active List on Dec. 22 1896. Gen.
John p. Hawkins, head of the Subsistence De-
psrtnIent, retires Sept. "a. 1896. In the Pay
Department Gen. William Smith has until
March 20, 1895. to serve. when he will have to
give way to another officer OF his corps. Gen.
Thomas Lincoln Casey, Chief of Engineers. tho
crack corps Of the service, will be displaced
May 10, 1895. Gen. Flagler, Chief of Ordnance,
remains on the Active List until 1899. The re-
tirements Of all these officers will create vacau-
cies in the lower grades which the President
will have TO confer upon some of the deserving
81 Afal.
of the Adjutant- Generals Department. retires
in August, when the President will have the
appointment of Major from the line to the
corps.
1t is almost sure thing that the Adiutaut-
Generally will not go to any short-teFm officer.
Col. Chauncey McKeeyeE, the senior Colonel
will retire before the vacancy occurs. If the
President thinks, as is likely, that four years is
too short time to have served at the head Of
department OF the Army, all officers above the
selection Of the next Adjutant-GeneTal will ba
limited to these officers mentioned in the order
of their rank, with date Of their retirement:
Lieut.-Col. J. P. Martin, Sept q, 1900; Lieut.
Col. II. G. Corbin, Sept. Is. 1906; Lieut.-Cof. NJ.
Barber, July 81, 1902; Lieut.-COl- N. V. Sher-
idan, May "a, 1901; Maj. T. Ward, March Is,
1903; Maj. w. j. VolknIar, June %, 1911; Maj.
I. Schwan, July 8. 1905; Maj. A. Macarthur,
jr.. June g. 1905; Maj. J. c.. Gilmore. April Is,
1901; Maj. J. B. Babeock. Feb. 2, 1907.
The new Surgeon-General OF the Army stood
number IL in this department.. None Of the
officers above Gen. Sternberg in rank and
length Of service (for Mr.. Cleveland ignored all
claims to seniority in making both appoint
msnts) can hope to attain the SUPERINTENDENT
ship. except in the event of the death Of the
present ineHmbent because they all retire
before he does. Lieut.-Col- Bache Is the only
officer above Gen. Sternberg who will not re-
tire before he does.
Therefore, in the event of his serving Que
his term, the only officers now in the list of Go
C0lonels, Lieutenant II olOnes and Majors, out
side of Lieut.-COls. Bache and Forward, who
will be eligible for promotion to the head Of
the Medical Department are Majs. j. M. Brown,
Smart, McElderry, Dewitt. Pope. kimball,
O Reilly. Hickman, White, A. G.. GirsTd, J. B.
Girard, Even, Matthews, Hall, Harvey, C. B.
Byrne, Winnie tWhO retires % days later. VIII
cox, Harvard, HoE, Adair, 2. r. Brown. Nose
ley, Skinner, De Loire and Maus-or IS In all.
1t will therefore be seen that this particular
appointment is a serious blow to the future
aspirations of large majority Of the senior
officers of the Medical Department. Sarg.-Gen.
Sternberg will retain his present office until
June 8, 1902.
The appointment OF Surg.-Gen. Tryon, Of the
Navy, does not make such difference to his
comrades. lie stood number 20 in bis depart
ment. His appointment shuts out from all
hope Of the same position only those officers
who will retire within the next four years.