Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-21
WILL CLOSE ACTIVE CAREER
GEN. BURLINGTON WILL RETIRE
TOMORROW.
1t is Expected That Capt. CrOxier
VIII Be Selected as Chief of
the Bureau of Ordnance.

Brigadier General A. R. Burlington, chief
of the bureau of ordnance of the army.
will close his active career in the army at
noon tomorrow when he will reach the age
of sixty-four years The officers Of his staff
gave a dinner in Ibis honor at the Chevy
Chase Country Club last evening.
Owing to the Importance of the office, it
will be necessary to fill it without delay. 1t
is expected that the appointment will be
made tomorrow, and unless current reports
are at fault, President Roosevelt and Sec
rotary Root have agreed upon Captain VIII
liam Crozier for the office. Captain Crozier
is recognized as one of the ablest and most
progressive ordnance officers In the army,
but owing to his subordinate rank he is
meeting with considerable opposition IN
connection with the proposed appointment
He Is outranked by twenty-eight officers,
who fear that his preferment will cut them
out entirely of all chance of promotion
Notwithstanding this determined opposition
from the army, it is said that the President
has practically decided upon the appoint
ment of Captain CrOzier. His decision In
the matter will probably be known tomor-
row.
Gen. BufanEton's Career.
Gen. Burlington is a native of Virginia
and was graduated from the Military Acad-
envy in May. 1851. He was brevetted ma
the ordnance department during the war
of the rebellion. He became colonel in Feb
ruary, 1889, and was appointed chief of
ordnance with the rank Of brigadier gen
eral in April 1899 His administration of
that important office has been marked by
extraordinary developments in ordnance.
Although the close of the Spanish war left
the United States with large and efficient
volunteer army the coast defenses were
still incomplete and inefficient. 1t has re-
quired the past three years to bring the
armament up to its present high state of
efficiency. During that period Gen. Buff
fington has equipped large volunteer
force for service in the Philippines, and
also the reorganized regular army, includ-
ing a large number of field batteries. In
addition to the equipment and stores pro-
vided for the army in China the ordnance
bureau has accumulated large reserves Of
modern ma gaZine rifles and smokeless pow
der cartridges.
Field Gun and Service Rifle.
The thirty-caiber service rife. now used
by both the army and navy, is recognized
as one of the best in the world. Gen. Buff
fington, not satisfied with that arm, has
made further advance in the development
of a small arm. said to be simpler and
stronger than the present magazine rifle
and giving an increase of velocity from
1900 feet of the present arm to 1900 feet
per second in the new.
Several years ago Gen. Burlington recon-
mended the adoption of a rapid-fire system
of field artillery. Though the recommended
ton was not approved at that time, he
proceeded to profit by the delay afforded
and dispatched ordnance officers to Europe,
with the authority of the Secretary of War,
to study the best types of field artillery.
Some of these were purchased, and with
others designed by his department and con-
structed in it's arsenals, are now being tried
at the Sandy Hook proving grounds. AS
result the country will be provided at an
early date with a rapid-fire field gun OF
the best type.
The question of smokeless powder for
field siege and seacoast guns has been in
diligently handled by Gen. Burlington, and
as a result the powder depots are filled with
large accumulations of smokeless powder
and projectiles.