Evening star., 1901-03-29
THE REWARD FOR FUNSTON
OBJECTIONS TO MAKING HIM A
BRTGADIER GENERAL.
Il In Believed by Some, However,
That the Appointment VIII He 4
Made by the President.

The question as to how General Fun
ston shall be rewarded for his valuable
services In capturing the head and front
Of the Philippine insurrection continues to
be widely discussed in official military cir
cles. In view of General MacArthur's spe-
cffic recommendation, indorsed by General
Wheaton, that General Funston be ap-
pointed a brigadier general in the regular
army, and the almost universal demand
on the part of the people of the United
States to the same effect, it Is regarded as
hardly conceivable that President McKin-
ley would offer him less digniied posi-
tion.
At the same time It is true that some of1-
an appointment would be out of proportion
to the services rendered by the gallant
Kansas volunteer. That opinion is pretli-
Gated on the theory that the difficulties of
Aguinaldo's capture were very much ex-
aggerated. and that, in fact, the fnsurgant
chieftain willingly contributed to that end.
Notwithstanding these efforts to minimize
FunstOns achievement, there seems to be
no doubt in well-informed quarters that the
President will promptly meet the popular
demand in this matter and appoint Gen.
Funston to one of the existing vacancies in
the list of brigadier generals
Objections to the Appointment.
The only objection made to such action
was that It would shut out all officers OF
the army below the grade of brigadier gen.
eral from possible appointment to the head
of the army. 1t was stated that that con-
dition of affairs would be due to the posst-
bility that General Funston might have
command of the army until after all his
present military associates had retired for
age. Although such contingency Is pos
sible. 1t is extremely improbable. In case
of his appointment Funston would be the
youngest general officer in the army, and
If promote ions were made by seniority would
eventually become the lieutenant general
and hold that Office for many years.
But the fact is that the promotion OF all
general officers is made by selection. Un-
der the law the President selects all the
general officers and Is not even confined to
the army In making them. Although a
brigadier general would naturally be Sc
lected for promotion to vacancy In the
list Of major generals. the President might,
If ne chose, appoint civilian or any Of
ficer of the army, regardless Of his rank.
The same wide range of selection applies
also to the lieutenant generally. notwith-
standing the popular impression that the
senior major general Is legally entitled to
the promotion. The Presidents wide dis
cretion in such appointments was recently
Illustrated In the cases of Generals Chat
fee, Wood and Bell. all of whom were
jumped over many Of their seniors in the
army. e "a" go
The Command or the Army.
There was nothing obligatory in the ap-
pointment Of General Miles to the command
Of the army. If the President had so pre-
ferred, he might have placed Generals Otis,
Brooke or any other officer in command of
the army. 1t therefore appears that Gen
eral Funston's appointment as a brigadfer
general would not necessarily mean his en-
forced promotion to the head of the army
in consequence Of the retirement Of officers
now his superiors in rank.
Whether his advancement weuld be slow
or rapid would depend altogether upon the
wishes Of the chief executive, and while
AgufnaldO's captor might soon reach the
exalted grade of lieutenant general, 1t is
equally possible that he might never reach
that grade. and, in fact. never be promoted
above the grade of brigadier general. His
future military advancement would depend
altogether upon the views of the chief ex-
ecutive as to his fitness for increased rank
and the necessities Of the service.