New-York tribune., 1900-05-13
RANK. BUT NO AUTHORITY.
THE GENERAL COMMANDING" THE
ARMY WITHOUT COMMAND.
[RY rELEGRAPH ro rHE rRIBUNE.l ]

pearing gun apparatus again directs attention
to the anomalous relations of the staff bureaus
and the Commanding General of the Army.
While it is true that serious differences can and
do occur between superior and Junior Army
officers, it is not likely that such as this
would have been heard of were the War Depart
ment bureaus directly subject to the Command
ing General. many think they ought TO be-
But they not. as many others think they
should not be-
The so-caIled General commanding" Is in
fact a general without a command. In the
Alger regime in the War Department practice
confirmed the fact, If it had not previously been
settled by law, that the office is superhuous.
one merely adding complexity 10 the American
system Of military direction. without apparently
any corresponding advantage to the officer hold
ing it benefit to the Army. As the case
stands now the office carries neither authority
responsibility; the title is purely orna-
mental.
GENERAL IGNORED BY SECRETARY.
That which befeu Miles under Alger through
bureau Vaccinations had been Scotts fate un-
der Marcy and Jefferson Davis fifty years be-
fore; Sherman's under Belknap after the Civil
War. as well as Sheridan's and Schofeld's un-
der later Secretaries. The passage OF the SEN
ate bill giving the Commanding General the
increased rank of ieutenant-GeueraI. without
y
a burlesque than ever. There is mistaken as
sumption that this proposed higher rank will
somehow cure the old evil 1t not the
prestige of rank that the Commanding General
lacked, but authority of law. If the office was
entirely abolished General Miles would be
the worse off in rank, pay consequence. For
over fifty years irrepressibe conflict OF pre-
| rogative has waged between the Secretary Of
War and the General commanding. It is well
[ hot +ba Of Nov MD he
Army il. all its parts and that the General COM
manding does not. Both Congress and prece-
dent have recognized the Secretary the
Presidents official agent and mouthpiece. so
far the Army is concerned. The President
commands With only exception. all the
later Presidents have also recognized the Secre-
tary of War the superior official, and upheld
his later practice of issuing orders direct TO
officers in the field elsewhere without con-
sulting the Commanding General
Before he became President General Grant
thought the Commanding General should be
such in fact as we'll in name. Nor did his
experience as Acting Secretary of War change
his opinion this subject. After entering the
White House he at once issued orders placing
all the staff bureaus under the direction Of Gen
eral Sherman who succeeded him as General
in-Chef. This put into effect precisely the mill
tary policy which had long been agreed was the
reform somehow failed to meet the Chief Ex-
ecutives expectations. for afterward Gen
eral Grant rescinded his order General Sher
mans supremacy lasted about twenty days, and
then the Secretary of War resumed command.
General Sherman was informed by Grant that
the order was rescinded because people in Con-
gress held II 10 be in violation Of the laws
making provision for the various bureaus of the
War Department That is true. In fact. Grant
r b0t lay
President to pursue a policy which General
in-Chief he had previously condemned He was
perfectly conscientious in both positions; he
probably learned something in the application
on 'T' - as President which he had not perceived
while acting as General-in-Chief When Grants
Secretary Of War, John A. Rawlins. died in the
fail OF 1869 General Sherman temporarily
made Secretary until his successor could be
nominated. In his Memoirs" the General naive
ly remarks that he then realized how much
easier and better II to have both offices
conjoined-that is, the offices of Secretary and
Commanding General. The Army then had
said Sherman 'one constitutional Commander
in-Chief and one actual Commanding General.
bringing all parts into actual harmony" In
other words, the Secretary of War must be Gen
eral-in-Chief or the GeneraI-n-Chief must also
be Secretary of War to secure that desirable
end. In this confession General Sherman really
admitted the soundness OF the policy which
gives the supreme direction TO the Secretary.
THEORY AND PRACTICE
The theory of the Commanding General. who
is always professional soldier, is that he is the
head, the responsible military authority; that
all orders to the Army should be issued by him;
that orders military action affecting the
Army should be issued taken without con-
sultation with him, and, finally that the sew
eral chiefs Of the staff bureaus in the War De-
partment subordinate to him, and only sub
ject TO the Presidents and the Secretary of
Wars orders through him. On the contrary, the
that the Secretary of War is the lawful and di-
rect representative OF the supreme military au-
thorIty. the President and Congress; that the
various staff chiefs are directly subject to him
and not 10 any military officer whatever. Fur
thermore. that each one of them is supreme in
his own bureau and independent of all the 9TH
ers accountable only TO the Secretary Of War,
and through him TO the President. This is also
the theory as well the invariable practice
be staff officers Of the Secretary OF War, and not
OF the Commanding General
Thus with Congress, the President, the Sec
retary OF War and all the staff chiefs tmmovably
arrayed against him, the Commanding General
Is simply not 'in It. and has not been for more
than half a century. General Grant, during the
was not interfered with. Nevertheless, the rec
ords are proof that Mr.. Stanton was none the
less commanding General than was Secretary
Alger during the Spanish war, and that he com
issue an order a staff chief in Washington.
NOT EVEN CHIEF OF STAFF.
The commanding General is often spoken Of
as the Secretarys chief of staff" He knows
and recognizes that he IS not even that be-