Evening star., 1901-02-02
eountersisn and the adjutant general to r.


neighborhood of 5000 new commissions. in
cluding the ne " commissions of command
Ing generals and all the twenty-one gen
eral officers. excepting the two present
major generals. Indeed. not only will all
the generals. nearly all the colonels and
lieutenant colonels and a majority of the
majors within the next year or two bear
commissions signed by President Mckin-
ley. but large percentage of the entire
army before March 4. 1905. will hold their
authority by his trust and confidence" In
their patriotism. vafor. fidelity and abil-
ity." Never before in the history of the
regular army has any one administration
had so much directly to do with its per-
sonnel. and never before In the history of
modern armies has national war office
had thrown upon 1t so much technical labor
to be performed within such limited,
brief period.
Nearly all the officers of cavalry and in
fantry and many Of the artillery officers
who are to be promoted and assigned to
new regiments as well as the great bulk
of those who are to be promoted In and
transferred to and from the old regiments,
are in the Philippines. Cuba and Porto
Rtco. They. are all more or less remotely
separated into minor garrisons. and the
greatest care will be required to secure ex
pedition and avoid confusion and error
Then, again, the enlisted men for the new
regiments must be quickly enrolled through
out the United States. assigned. uniformed
and organized. under command of suffi-
cient number of officers, who must be some
how found in this country to take charge
OF and conduct the newly formed regt-
ments to the Philippines. All in all, 1t is a
heavy task, especially for the adjutant gen.
erals and quartermasters departments. but
SO thorough is the understanding of all re-
qufrements and perfect the system of
procedure by skilled officials no one doubts
the final successful accomplishment of the
work
No Dread Now.
AS rule army officers in times past have
had little occasion to feel elated over reor-
ganization measures. AS rule. indeed
they have contemplated with dread and
fear any likely disturbance of the military
establishment. They remembered that af-
ter the war of 1924 the regular army,
which had been increased from less than
1000 to about $4,000. was largely reduced
In a manner which cost many officers their
commissions. 1t was so, too. after the Mex
lean war. when the regular army suffered
radical reduction. and especially so during
the whimsical shuff1es before 1861 and after
1850, when the regular army was increased
and reduced. But not so now, and espe-
ciaiiy the younger officers are indeed truly
elated. Under the provisions Of the new
law the average period required to advance
from subalternism to captaincy was from
sixteen to twenty years.
NOW 1t Is less than seven years for some
cavalrymen, less than two years for some
artlllerymen and less than five years for
some infantrymen. The greatest promotion
has been and will be in the artillery, which
mas trebled in size, so that now under the
new law youngsters who were commits
stoned as second lieutenants In April 1898
Will jump the grade Of first lieutenant
altogether and become full-fedged captains
at possible age Of twenty-three-a possi-
bility which in the peace status army of
twenty. or even ten, years ago would have
produced heart failure on the part of old
captains cap who had waited vainly for promo
tloh pe1ore retirement at sixtyfour years
OF age. So great will artillery promotions
be that when all the second lieutenants of
artillery now in the service are promoted in
the next few days to first lieutenants and
first lieutenant
While the cavalry has been doubled In
size by the new law, promotion to the grade
or captain has not been accelerated as In
the artillery Nevertheless, when all the
second lieutenants of cavalry are nromoted
IN the next few weeks there will still be
hfty-fve vacancies for first lieutenant of
caVairy, and the present second lieutenants
VIII ENJOY gain of from five to eight years
over the old regime of promotions, In tbe
infantry the second lieutenants will not all
be so fortunate. OF the total 270 on the LIST
today only 175 are sure of immediate ad-
Nancement to the next grade, leaving about
ninety-fve of those appointed In the past
sixteen months to bide their time a while
longer, unless they succeed in being trans
1erred TO the artillery and cavalry to fill
some OF the 166 vacant feutenancies as
would seem partly right and fair for them.
not Tor the best interests of the service
and the volunteers.
/ Quick Promotions,
These quick promotions of young men will
naturally give roseate hue to army career
But it Is safe to assume that in years to
come history will again repeat itself. and
ultimately the usual stagnation Of military
promotion, which in times of peace always
comes sooner or later, will again prevail.
lew years ago 1t was possible to find
second neutenants serving in their tenth
and twelfth year Of service In that grade
hrst lteutenants drawing at least three and
sometimes four ''fogies" of five wears each
and captains old enough to die in their
twenty sixth year In that one grade But
Whatever comes. such is army life in nearly
every generation. and the man who selects
II usually does so either with or without
good reason, with his eyes Open
While the new army bill will make a bo-
nanza OF quick promotions for the younger
set. such as has never before occurred in
qqasl-peace times, the older set will not
derive near as much immediate benefit. In
dne hne Oh the army, for example, Of the
S60 promotions only fifteen will be of lien
tenant colonies. thirty of majors and but
seVenty-hve OF senior captains. The promo
tion OF fifteen colonies to the grade of
Drlgadler general, and a possible five addi-
tional promotions and retirements of
colonies will make a total of 14O field offi
GERS and senior captains Of cavalry, artil-
lery and 1nfantry-a total of 14O as COM
pared with about 100 promotions of sub
alterns In the several grades of the staff
department the promotions will be much
less than generally imagined, making a
total Of 220. including eight lieutenant
coionels. nineteen majors, thirty-eight can
tains and 155 first lieutenants. The adiu
tant generals department will have but one
promotion of major to lieutenant colonel
uhdef the new law, and the inspector gem
eraIs department but one promotion to
colonel and two to lieutenant colonel, but
the FORMER will have an increase in the
lower grade of eleven officers and the iattar
an Increase Of seven
These figures both for line and staff show
greater advantages and benefits for the
younger set, but the new law holds ont Tn
the older and higher graded officers much
greater hope for future advancement than
10 the younger class. whose time for stag
nation OF promotion is sure to come.
"ALHELMINA'S WEDDING GOWNS.