The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-22

FeKatioUs problem, imposed upon him by
the new Army Reorganization act, which
forces upon him the delicate necessity OF
making a choice between Generals Miles,
Brooke. and Otis, for appointment as
Lieutenant General commanding the ar
my. Under the new law. the moment it
is signed, General Miles ceases to have
the rank. and allowances of a lieutenant
general, which he has held since last
June. and the President must nominate
to the Senate an officer for that position.
Ordinarily. to the lay civilian. it would
be presumed as a matter Of course that
General Miles would receive the appoint
ment, but that army officers and others
think otherwise is manifested by the tel
egrams and letters that are coming into
Washington, especially to the White
House and the Capitol, as well as 10 the
War Department. urging the claims of
Generals Brooke and Cts for the com
par1tively short-Iived honor of active
command of the greater military organt-
zation, and, what is much more TO the
point, to proyide for their retirement in
the advanced grade of lieutenant general,
with its increased pay and emoIuments
for life.
The opening section of the new .'Act
to increase the efficiency OF the military
establishment of the United States pro-
yides for zone lieutenant general This
is the first time that rank has been per
manently put upon the statutes the grade
appearing formerly in law only for the
use of some particular officer. as in the
case of Generals Sherman, Sheridan, aud
Schofeld This provision replaces and
repeats the clause Of the act of June 6,
1860, under which General Miles is now
entitled to the assimilated rank of lieu
tenant general. the clause being as fol-
IJws:
Thai the senior major general of the
line. commanding the army, shall have the
rank. pay,-and allowances Of lieutenant
general. sld dis personal STAFF shall have
the rank, pay, and allowances authorized
for the staff of lieutenant general"
Under this clause the rank OF lieutenant
general was confined ID General Miles.
Who was the senior major general, but
under the new section. adopted by both
houses Of Congress. and therefore not sub
ject to modification in conference, the aC-
Iual rank OF lieutenant general which
must be filled by Presidential appointment
and Senatorial confirmation, is not con-
lined TO any senior officer. but is open 10
the service. and therefore as much to be
s-4i-DiGA -CA any CS4AGA E'4-S EJFEA-iCAR
by selection that exists in the military
establishment.
If seniority. which has now been direct
~ stricken from the law, were alone to
count. General Miles could nave no Oppo-
sitiOn. as ne became a major general On
april ., 1886, General Brooke following on
May %, 1897, and General Otis on June Is.
1900
There are at least two other elements,
however, which seem 10 be regarded by
army men and others as Of essential bear
ing upon the selection as well as several
Influences which, while Of some impor-
lance at other times, may be neglected
in the present competition, among the
latter being the possession OF any rank
above that Of captain, together with nota-
bic qualifications for command, such as
would fit the cases OF Generals Leonard
wood or William Ludlow or q number of
Spanish war generals The two which inl-
and which are being used on the Presi-
dent and Congress, are those of length OF
service and date OF retirement, both of
which are relatively Instantaneous 20
General Miles. whose service is only four
days longer han that OF General OJis and
just III days shorter than that of General
Brooke.
The compulsory retirement dates, when
;hese officers become sixty-four years old,
are as follows:
EIweu s. Otis. March %. 1902; John R.
Brooke. July 4. 1862, and Nelson A.
Miles. August S. 1868
Al IS pointed cut by the antagonists Of
General Miles that If he were made lieu
1enant general at this time both General
Otis and General Brooke would be forced
OF the active list next year as major
generals. with annuities Of $5.625. while
=: they could each retire as lieutenant
generals heir annual retired pay would
re 81. 250 each
This statement is not strictly accurate,
for on August 8 this year General Miles
will reach the age Of sixJy-two. and at
taat time section 1874 OF the Revised
Statutes would become operative in the
discretion OF the President who would
awe authority 10 summxrily retire Gen
eral Miles and thereby create vacancies
IN turn for Generals Otis and Brooke, who
are both already eligible for retirement
under the same statute. There IS more
than mere impression existing IL high
army circles that 3 recourse TO this sell
dom employed statute has been within the
contemplation Of the C0mmander-in-C Chief
Of the army for several months and IL
this is well grounded one OF the strong
est arguments in favor of the immediate
promotion OF Generals Otis and Brooke -
materially weakened.
But even this weapon IN the battle for
.ae highest grade Is calculated TO force 2
:. npromise, II nothing else. by which
General Miles NAV. CT his own accord, and
IN order to win give same satisfactory
assurance that he viii voluntarily retire
next fall or winter, il time 10 give Gen
eraI Otis chance at the place before he
IN turn would siEe-way 10 General Brooke
As far as the fight has developed all in
Huences that might be expected from va
rious motives TO aatagonize General Miles
are apparently concentrating in favor of
General Otis, who is first to retire. and
who has recently had the most arduous
service in the most responsible position
that has fallen TO an army officer since
the civil war. His candidacy is pressed
ON these grounds regardless Of any pcpu-
lar criticisms that were made of his dis
charge of those high responsibilities.
The claim is made that he has had the
approval of the President in whatever he
did, and that he is entitled to reward He
IS a New Yorker by adoption a graduate
Of Rochester University in 1853. and en-
tered the service as captain OF the 10th
volunteers These facts are counted on to
give him the active support of the New
York Senators and that of Secretary Root
General Brooke, whose influences are
supposed to be in favor of General Otis as
we'll as his own, is a Pennsylvania, and
IS said 10 have the support of that State
TCrite in New England and the Middle
West. and he has for nearly six years
been in command of the army. He won
The brevet of major general in 1867. while
Generals Brooke and Otis rose no higher