Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1899-03-10
DEWEY OUR HIGHEST
OFFICER.
He Ranks All Others in Both
Navy and Army.

AS aitf1lllal OF thc navy, Au
miral Dewey is the highes
ranking officer of the militar,
service of the United States
army, navy or III arine corps. -
He holds a rank corresponding
with that Of General Gran
when he was General of tbs
Army, aud as such outrank:
Major General Miles, command
ing the army, and all the othel
Major Gcnel ais. including, O.
course, Major General Otis, com
nanding the military forces il
the Philippines. His pay and
allowances will amoant to near
| ly $4,000 a year
Admiral Dewey will be in
structed to hoist his flag as Ad.
miral, wear the uniform OF that
rank, ard perform all the offici-
ais functions pertaining thereto.
The selection of the uniform
will be left to his own judge
ment, except that according to
the regulations his shoulder
stripes will be decorated by four
stars, the end stars being EN-
broidered over foul anchors
seven>eights OF an inch long.
When he hosts the flag of and
Admiral, the ships of his squad
ron will fire a salute of seven
teen guns, and the drum corps
will sound four ruff1es and flour>
ishes in honor of the occasion.
Uuder the terms OF the bill
creating him an Admiral Ad
niral Dewey may continue In
active service until he dies, as
he cannot be retired, except up
on his own application. Inas-
much as naval officers are loath
to admit their incapacity for &C
tive service, it is a safe assump-
ton that Admiral Dewey will
remain on the active list as the
ranking officer of the navy until
his death. But for the action OF
Congress he would be relegated
to the retired list Decem Der 25th
next, on which date he will
reach the age of 81 years. 1t is
possible that Admiral Dewey
may be relieved of his command
at NJ Mia and called to Wash
for the reason that it is
unusual and unprecedented for
the ranking officer in service to
accept a subordinate office, such
as the command OF a signal feet
or station.
If the precedent established
in the cases of Admiral Farragut
and Porter is followed Admiral
Dewey, as the Adm raj CONS
manding the navy, will be as
signed to duty at Washington,
as an advisor to the Secretary of
the Navy, be lding such position
indeper dent of the Bureau Chiefs
and other officials of the Navy
Department.
In view Of the critical condit>
ion of affairs in the PHILIPPINES,
it is not likely, however, that
Admiral Dewey will be relieved
from his present command very
soon, or, at least, not until Amer
ican sovereignty has been firmly
in that quarter. Al
though Admiral Dewey will
r2nk Major General Otis i'll all
Joint operations of the army and
nvay in the Philippines, it is
not at all likely that there will
be any friction or conflict of
between the two
officers, who are Known to be in
through accord in the conduct
of the campaign against the
Filipinos. Major General Otis
will be supreme in comma d
of the military forces when act
ing independently of the navy,
and will only be subject to the
orders of Admiral Dewey when
it becomes necessary to COM
bine in a joint attack On the
enemy.
1t is stated as a singular fact
that there is not an American
Admiral's flag on board a single
ship of the navy, and until one
is provided Admiral Dewey will
have to content himself with a
substitute. The regulation flag
for an Admira! displays four
white stars in each corner of a
blue field Steps will be taken
at once to provide such flags for
the use of the navy, as 1t will be
necessary to have one on each
ship to meet the new conditions.
Washington Star.