The San Francisco call., 1898-01-08
Changes in the Army and the Navy During the
 Present Year.
Five Brigadier-Generals Win Soon Reach the Age
 Limit.
Among Others to Quit Active Duty Will Be Four Gray-Haired
 Captains.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

w dSHluBlOnp U. O., JttH- '-
 There will be great many import ant changes in the army during the present year, although the prospects for promotion are not quite so good as they were at the opening of the last calendar year, during which there were more retirements and promotions in the higher grades than any other year since the war of the rebellion. Five Brigadier- Generals will be trans ferred to the retired list on account of age during the next ten months. Of these two officers of the line, General John J. Coppinger and General Will liam H. Graham, each in command of military department, retire October Il and Septemeber 2S, respectively. The other three general officers who will re- linquish active service are General William H. Bell, Commissary- General Of Subsistence, who only reached his present rank a few weeks ago. He will retire January 2S, and will be followed Tn turn by Quartermaster-G General George Il. Weeks. who retires Febru- ary 5, and Adjutant-General Samuel Breck, who will retire February 25.
 There will be the usual scramble for appointments to these prospective va cancles, and the friends of the numer- ous candidates are already making preliminary arrangements to bring about their preferment.
 IL IS practically settled that Colonel Ii. C. Corbln, the senior colonel in the Ad1utant Generals department, will succeed General Breck at the head of that department. There is considerable uncertainty, however, in regard to the other vacancies. In addition to the gen. sixteen of of he army, two colonels, three lieutenant colonels, four majors and seven cap- ldlnS VIII sever their active connection With the military service this year
 Four or the captains are now nearing their siXty-fourth birthday, a state of a1alrs that Is said to be unprecedented m the history of any foreign army It is considered remarkable that gray ha1red men who are grandfathers in several instances, should, after thirty or forty years of service, still be eXer- clslnS no higher command than that of a company of forty or fifty men.
 Many prominent officers of the navy Will also be relegated to the retired list on account Of age during the present year. Rear Admiral L. A. Beardslee. who recently commanded the Pacific station, and who is now on duty in this city as president of the Naval Examin- Ing and Retiring Boards will retire on the nrst prom, and Commodore c. & Nor ton will become rear admiral. Six days later, Rear Admiral T. O. Sel- fridge Jr., commanding the European squadron, will be placed on the retired llst, thus presenting the unprecedented spectacle of two officers of the same name-father and son, being on the re- tired list in the highest possible grade at the same time.
 Rear Admiral T. O. Selfridge Sr., re- tired, is a resident of this city. He is over 90 years of age, and is in good health for his years.
 Other line officers who will be taken from the active list during the year, named in the order of their retirement are; Commander $. Beiden, Rear Ad- miral w. A. Kirkland, the senior officer of the navy, commandant of the Mare Island navy yard; Rear Admiral M. Sicard, commanding the North Atlantic squadron; Rear Admiral E. O. Mathew, chief of the bureau of yards and docks; Rear Admiral J. N. Miller, commanding the Pacific station at Honolulu, and Commodore J. N. Bunce, commanding the New York navy yard. The last named officer will have reached the grade of rear admiral before the date of his retirement.
 Staff officers who will retire during the year are: Medical directors, B. H. Kidder, E. H. Boagart, E. s. McMurtrie and G. H. Cooke; Pay Director A. J. Pay Inspector w. w. Wood hull; chief engineers, F. A. Wilson E. Farmer, F. Inch, A. Adamson, J. H. Chasmar and J. w. Stivers; Professor J. F. Eastman; Naval Constructor J. B. Hoover and Civil Engineer A. G. Meno- cal. Captain k. B. Rose will be retired April 15.