The Washington times., 1902-12-30
kaleidoscope CHANGE
IN TREATMENT OF MILES
Said to Be Outcome of Deal
for Army Promotions.
BRIEF TERMS FOR OFFICERS
Effort Well in Hand to Give Veteran
Officers Higher Pay After
Retirement.
BRIEF TERMS FOR OFFICERS

! poiCg Oh IeNdFulnB veterans OF the civil
war has been mainly confined to pro
noting old colonels and retiring them
as brigadier generals. There are now
over Zoe brigadiers on the retired list,
each drawing &4,l25 per annum.
When General Mites retires it is the
! intention to rotate several old major
/ generals upon the retired list with
the grade aud pay OF lieutenant
general namely. S. $50 per annum. The
retired pay OF a major general is S5.625.
a difference in favor Of the higher grade
Of S2.625. in itself 4 very good salary for
an ordinary citizen
An understanding has been reached by
which Miles viii voluntarily retire some
time prior to the date OF his compulsory
retirement by law. which would be Au-
/ gust S. 1903. to make way for Mai. Gen.
/ George W Davis. who is a great IA
vorlte in the War Department. But
/ his retirement as a lieutenant general
| is nov wholly dependent upon General
| Miles willingness to retire before July
/ 26 next, the date Of Davis compulsory
retirement from age. As that is only
/ thirteen days ahead OF Miles date. the
latter viii voluntarily yield a few weeks
} or his active service pay in behalf Of his
I brother veteran.
March Probable Date.
! Il is whispered that General Miles will
| voluntarily retire as soon as the general
| staff bill becomes a law, which it must
/ II at all before March :, when the pres
ent Congress falls. II he does so it viii
afford the President opportunity TO also
I promote and retire Major General
! Hughes as a lieutenant general as well
as Davis. The compulsory date Of Gen
eral Hughes is April IL Then General
Young is 70 come In and serve as lieu
! tenant general uatil January 9. 1904,
only few days over a year hence. when
! he. too. compuisorily goes upon the re-
| tired list as a lieutenant general
II has already been semi officially an
nounced that General Chaffee will sue
I ceed Young, but there are still persist
ent rumors that General Corbin is 20 be
made lieutenant general and chief Of
staff
Color is given TO these stories by Sec
retary Roots unexpected stand for de-
ferring the operation Of the new general
stan bill until after General Miles re-
tirement, purely out OF Difference for
General Miles feelings Up TO the time
General Miles was permitted TO 60 out
TO the Philippines with a rowing com
Q mil I'd D.
tiveness apparently interfered very lit
tie with the plans OF the War Depart
ment Only a few months ago. for some
alleged indiscretion, he was threatened
/ with arbitrary retirement under the
Presidents prerogative a year ahead Of
his date
Secret Of Pleasant Relations.
The recent Kaleidoscope change and
unusual complaisance OF the higher au-
I thorities toward General Miles is, there
FORE with some reason deemed very
singular. and keen onIsokers see in 81 a
deal whereby Miles is to willingly mSZe
way FOR a run OF high promotions al
ready planned which otherwise must
fail
Miles and Davis are bitter enemies.
General Davis, then a major. was on
detail In the War Department through
cut the last Cleveland Administration as
Secretary LamOnt's military adviser A
formal letter was sent to the War De-
partment by one OF the Congress mill
tary committees inquiring II General
Miles military services in the civil war
warranted the revival OF the grade OF
lieutenant general for his benefit
Davis Offended Miles
Major nov generaD Davis drafted a
reply which very distinctly asserted that
General Miles civil war record was not
commensurate with such rank, and the
Secretary adopted Davis draft and re-
turned II 10 the committee with the sig F..
nature Of the Secretary OF War. His /.
reply was made the pretext for killing
the bill. Miles did not reach the grade .
OF lieutenant general until six or seven 4
years afterward
General Miles and his friends we're /
well aware at the time to whom he owed /
this bitter disappointment. and those In 1
a position 20 know say that he was eN- |
asperated at Davis part in the business. |
holding that Secretary Lamont would /
have made no such report Of his own .
volItion. The active pay OF a lieutenant /
general IS $11 900; that Of major gen
eral $500 II can be figured that Sec /
retary Lamont's action deprived Gen I
eral Miles Of about $4,000.