The San Francisco call., 1896-05-11
PLACES FOR YOUNGSTERS,
Old Army Officers Must Retire
Under Paragraph
No. 73.
Seventy.Two West Point Graduates
This Year Must Be Provided For
in the Service.

The leading topic of discussion IN army
circles at the Presidio, Angel Island, and
in fact throughout the various garrisons
of the country, is the recent letter of the
Secretary of War asking for recommends
tions for retirement under paragraph 70 OF
the army regulations.
This paragraph provides that when an
officer becomes disabled by reason of
wounds or sickness, his immediate COM
mander will report the facts to the depart
rnent commander, for the action of the
War Department. The report in each case
will contain specific statements and the
names of witnesses by whom they can be
substantiated.
A board of officers will. it is expected,
be assembled in the near future at the
War Department for the purpose of exam
ming officers for retirement. The board
is another feature of Secretary lamont s
programme to create vacancies for this
years graduating class at West Point.
There are at present only eight vacancies
in the line of the army to which graduates
can be assigned. Secretary Lamont is said
to be remarkably firm in his determine
tion to make as many vacancies as possible
for this years class of seventy-two mem
bers. He has therefore sent letters to the
department commanders and chief of staff
corps, other than medical corps, asFing
them if there are any officers under their
command who are incapacitated from
active service and who ought to be retired.
No doubt everv honorable influence
possloIe will be brought to bear on the
Secretary to prevent widespread applica-
ton of the order. Indeed, this influence
may procure modification of the order.
The names of all the officers recon-
mended for retirement will not be made
known to the public until the officers are
directed to report to the board for ex-
animation.
sit is probable" said well-known and
well-informed army officer yesterday,
'that board will be convened on the Pa
cific Coast, yet it is within the range of
probability that the board will assem- bic at
Fort Leavenworth. The chances, how
ever, are that the board will meet here,
vet if there should be more officers of the
Department of Columbia than of the De-
partment of California recommended for
retirement then the board might be called
to meet at Vancouver"
The duty devolving upon commanding
officer of recommending a fellow-officer for
retirement is by no means agreeable.
MANY 3eHeTdIS anu COlOIlelS NOulQ prefer
that the authorities at Washington should
not depart from the time-honored and es-
tabiished custom of retirement under the
limitations of age. An officer as he nears
that age. begins to make provisions for his
changing customs of life. In q sense, he Is
prepared to enter upon some agreeable
work to engage the autumn energies of his
career and no great hardship ensues. The
forced retirement, however, upsets all of
his plans.
at the post library. at the clubs in town
and at the social hops, retrenchment
under Secretary Lamont's suggestion is
the engrossing subject. 1t is strongly de-
MED that General Graham has recon-
mended Major Darling of the Fifth Artil-
lery for retirement.
At Angel Island many officers declare
that Colonel Shafter is less fitted physic-
ally to undergo the hardships of an active
campaign than the officers whose retire.
ment he mas recommended.
General Graham, the Post Commander
at the Presidio, is at sea. He sailed for
Santa Barbara channel on the battle-ship
Oregon Saturday and will not return
until the speed trials of the ship have
taken place.
Colonel S. B. NJ. Young is now we'll on
his way to the mountains with four troops
of the Fourth Cavalry. The summer tour
OF duty in the SeQuoia and Yosemite Ma
tional parks will not be all play. Last
summer General Forsyth, the department
commander, visited the United States res
ervations of the Sierra and saw that much
work was necessary other than that of
guarding the forests against fires and the
trespassing proclvities of sheepherders
He saw that old roads should be repaired
and new trails should be opened SO that
the troopers might patrol larger areas of
the reserved region than had been pa
troled. Accordingly he reported,to the COM
manding general of the army at Washing
ton, recon mending that the usual force OF
two troops of cavalry for guard duty should
be increased to four.
Friends of General Graham and Colonel
Young deny emphatically that any un-
pleasant incident occurred at the Presidio
wherein Colonel Young was taken to task
by General Graham for performing mill
tary duty on a wheel. The assertion is
made that Colonel Young neve- rode on a
bicycle
During the coming week Colonel A. s.
kimball, chief quartermaster of the de-
partment. will receive proposals for build
ing new stables and filling in a vast space
of marsh land at the Presidio. The
swamp will be filled to the eastern bound
ary of the reservation. Owners of private
property adjacent are cooperating with
the Government, and the result is sure 20
be great improvement in that section of
the City.
Major G. L. Edie, surgeon, q. S. A.. has
been ordered from Washington to the Pre-
sidio.
General James w. Forsyth, command
ing the Department of California, visited
San Jose last week.