The herald., 1897-05-12
To Assume Command Of
the U. S. Army
AN HONOR UNPARALLELED
SINCE THE DAYS OF THE WAR OF
THE REVOLUTION
The Brigadier General Hopes for Ear.
ly Promotion-so Also Do Sew
eral Other oMcers

CdlCAGO, May ll.-BTlSdQleT GeH-
eral John r. Brooke, commanding the
Department Of the Missouri, is absent
from his post. He is In. Washington by
order Of the Secretary of War and 1t is
said to assume the command of the
army.
No such distinction has ever been be-
slowed upon an officer of his rank since
the days after the revolutionary war
when, for a year, lieutenant was in
command of the remnants Of the Conti-
mental Army.
eral is off for Europe to get sight Of
war abroad. and General Merritt has
been granted leave of absence to cross
the seas. This leaves the army without
a Major-General. as MajorGeneral
Wheaton was retired last Saturday un-
der the longevity rule. General Brooks
not being ranked as a Major General,
is ordered to Washington as Brigadier-
General, presumably to take command
Of the army.
General Brooke is the senior Brigadier-
General of the army and his selection for
the command of the army In the alb
senceS of Generals Miles and Merritt
abroad would indicate that he will be
the next Major-General, the successor
OF Major-General Frank Wheaton. In
army circles in this city there has been
no doubt of Gen. Brooke's promotion.
It has been believed that he would fol-
low in the precedent established year
ago when for q month General A. Med.
McCook was given the preferment over
Gen. T. H. Ruger, to be succeeded by
the latter. The promotion Of Wheaton
over Brooke about thirty days had all
the features about 1t that characterized
the advancement of McCook for month
over Ruger, entitled by rank to the pro-
motion. 1t is said in army circles that
General Brooke's claim to the promotion
at this time Is to be disputed by two
of his juniors in years Of fservice-Briga-
dier-General J. w. Forsyth. TONY" for
merly of Gen. Phil Sheridan's staff. and
Brigadier-G General Bliss, only recently
appointed from Colenelcy.
They submit that If General McCOok
Ruger year ago because
he would retire in a month and Wheaton
the same this year, one Of the others
should be preferred over Brooke at this
time, as he retires In 1902, while Bliss
goes out in 1893 and Forsyth in 1899.
General Miles, who ranks them all,
will not be retired until 1906.
IN ARMY CIRCLES.
WASHINGTON, May 11.-General
Brooke, commander of the Department
Of the Missouri, is in Washington. He
ic etn ;v,ur Of he n OfG Go a tnr
When seen in regard to the report that
General Brooke Is to assume command
Of the army during the absence of Major
General Miles in Europe, General Rug
giles, the Adjutant-General of the army,
said that no such order had been issued
by the War Department. When asked,
however, IL such an order was incontem-
plation, he said it was matter which he
preferred not to discuss for publication.
The army at present is without COM
General Miles is on the ocean
and does not expect to return to this
country for several months. Secretary
Aiger is nominally in command, although
orders are being issued by the Adjutant-
When General Miles received
permission to go abroad it waei believed
that the army would get along during his
absence without commander, though
the Secretary Of War expected to trans
fer General Merritt 10 Washington is
case the services Of commanding Off
Ger were needed About the time Gem
eral Miles decided to go abroad, General
Merritt, the commander of the Depart
ment of the East, asked for leave of abb
sence and permission to go beyond the
seae.
This was granted. 1t is believed by
army officers that General Brooke has
come here on matters of much more i'm
portance to himself than the temporary
command Of the army. General Wheat
on retired Saturday, and the President
has now under consideration the ap-
of a Major-General. Brooke
is justly entitled to this honor He was
the senior officer a month ago, when
General Ruger retired, and was then en-
titled to promotion. Brigadier-
Wheaton was to retire SO soon, however,
that 1t was decided to promote him, so
that he might retire with the highest
rank. II was tacitly understood then that
General Brooke should have his pro-
motion when General Wheaton retired.
General Forsyth, however, who COM
mands the Department of California,
and General Bliss, who commands the
of Texas, have now both
applied for the vacant Major General
ship, on the ground that they will retire
before General Brooke, and that they
should be permitted to enjoy the honor
Of higher rank for the same reason that IT
was a month ago given to General
Wheaton. While General Brooke s.
friends saw that 1t was we'll enough to
adopt this plan in the case of General
Wheaton, who had only a month to
serve. 1t would not be fair to apply it to
General Forsyth or General Bliss.