New-York tribune., 1896-03-29
Apply NOTES OF INTEREST.

,,,,o, rewsnaper said few days ago
that freouent complaints had been maue ''
officials urging that the annual inspectio' Os ~.
cers ~ the Army be abandoned. 1t Is omciaiy
..a ,ho, on,v two complaints have been filed. ana
,bat number of letters from presidents OF colleges
are on nle at The War Department wnch strohsis
advocate the continuance OF the inspections. IN
some cases 1t Is urged that there shouio oe a' i'
two inspections year Prepara1ns M are neees nov
made to begin the inspection OF the 100 coeses - 20
which officers are at present detaed as iud ~
in May Eight line S Officers saye
ment in this work. and they Will look alter 1t u,Vs
colleges in the & G ns pGsss Of e the in
specton will be that the oncers VIII De n M
report how much Of ,e an eser professor n of military
science. etc.
The appai ent change Of base of Secretary La
mont as to reviving the grade of lleuenant-genera
is subject Of post and mess discussion Less thah
q month ago the Secretary was quoted as saying
'Afy own views that the commanding gehera
of the Army should have the rank of leutenan-gen-
eral" Two weeks ago he sent letter to the SEN
ate In which he gave adverse opinion on the bill
to revive the grade. 1t Is now reported that this
letter written in obedience to the directions or
the President and 1t has created much comment
II is the general belief among members OF the mill
tary committees of both houses of Congress tha, IN
spite of this opposition. the grade Will be revived
The bill was pending to give General Schofed this
rank that the President opposed to 1t, but ne
a short
There is some speculation as to whether ne % w1ud
veto the bill TO promote General Miles some peilev
ing that he would not because of the dcuy& ut & 10 rec for
oncile such action with his approval OF the Dill LOT
the promotion of General Schoicld
Secretary I.amonts letter TO the Senate Committee
says H. effect that the grade has heretofore been
reserved for Washington. Scott. Grant, Sherman.
sheridan and Schohe!d and that there Is no present
necessity for restoring H. He then cites the record
of the services of Miles Ruger and Merritt by way
Of comparison Exception Is taken to his statement
that Miles never commanded an army, the answer
being that temporary commander OF the second
Corps he had command OF 46O24 on the r9iisLa r2i,
command equal to that of an army. General Mlies
division was the largest in the corps being COM
and a total strength of 1900 men. In Mr. Fox 8
history of the civil War ne says that the Second
GS9g GgSpr T1s p e s pyson Wss the
ghtng division of the second Corps NotwithstandI,,
ing it's engagements were many and loss severe IL
CAPTURED in a single day more batle-nags. cannon
and prisoners of the enemy than 1t lost in the entire
,cur years OF the var.
Mention was made In this column two weeks ago
that Captain John G. Bourke. of the Sd Cavalry,
had obtained leave Of absence to go beyond the
sea- with his father-in-law in search OF health
1t has been since learned that he went TO Cuba and
Will make observations OF the progress OF the revo-
,ution there He is not only military expert. but
n & OF tnT he viii be be Obliged
10 make a report 10 the War Department upon
slider worthy Of official notice
There are forty-one enlisted men who have ap-
pled as candidates for examination for promotion
10 second leutenants. or these. nine are OF the De-
partment of the East. eight each from the Depart
ments Of the Missouri! and Columbia. six from the
Department of the Platte. four from the Depart
ment of California and three each from the Depart
ments Of the Colorado and Texas. An instance Of
the application of the law governing promotion from
iG ne -
C. vesta of the "a Cavalry. The law provides tina,
only those shall be examined who have served hon
orably not less than two years In the Army" In
May. 1891. he appointed a cadet at the Naval
Academy and in June. 1885, he was graduated. but
was honoraby discharged from the service at his
own request and in obedience 10 the wishes or his
parents Military life had charm for him and he
enlisted in the Army with the intention OF trying
for a commission. Recently he applied TO compete
for second lieutenancy basng ms request on nj:
the law operated against him. hence he VIII have TO
wait another year.
One OF the co.ored soldiers has written a long
letter reative to the OF the colored man as
soldier his treatment by officers. etc The author OF
the has had fifteen years of service and AYERS
that 10 the colored man who has no occupation ana
IS not oyerburdened otherwise. there Is no better
occupation than that OF soldier. He adds that
there are colored men now in the Army and many
who have left the service who cannot estimate the
many benefits derived Dy being or having been a
soldier; that "sl3 a month. good food. quarters.
clothing and many other comforts we get could not
be obtained for the asking anywhere. Besides. you
have schools good instructors. and many OF US do
not have time TO attend school IN a cyii me WI.
Of is only Imagination He suggests that the ,s
discipline that is enforced Is necessary ana IS IS
we'll as the colored soldiers; and that he has never
seen any position that could be obtained by the
white enlisted man that was closed to the coiored