The sun., 1902-12-30
WHEN GEN. NILES RETIRES.
OLD MAJOR-GENERALS LOOKING
FOR PROMOTION.
II 10 Said TO he the Intention 70 Retire
Several Of Them With the Rank and
Paw Of Lieutenant.G cnerai--Gen. Miles
May Voluntarily Retire Ahead Of Time.

Several Of Them With tho Rank and
Paw Of Lieutenant.G cnerai-Cen. Miles
May Voluntarily Retire Ahead Of Time,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29-Heretofore the
Presidents established policy Of rewarding
veterans Of the Civil War has been mainly
| confined 70 promoting old Colonels and
retiring them as Bigadier Generals. There
are now over 100 Brigadiers on the retired
list. each drawing a i?5 year.
There has recently becore current in
military circles some gossip to the effect
that when Gen. Miles retires it is the inten-
tion to rotate several old Ma jor Generals
upon the retired list with the grade ard
pay Of Lieutenant General, viz, $3.50 per
annum. The retired pay Of Major-Gen-
eral Is S5,825, a difference in favor Of tie
higher grade of 81 ,825. In itself very good
salary for an ordinary citizen.
The belief is gaining ground that an
understanding has been reached by which
Gen. Miles will voluntarily retire some time
prior to the date of Lis compulsory retire.
rnent by law, viz. Aug. 8, 1903. to make way
for Major.Gen. George ". Davis, who is a
great favolite ia the War Department
But his retirement a. al 9I.ieutenant- General
willingness to retire before July 20 next
the date Of Davis's compulsory retirement
for age. As that Is only thirteen days ahead
Of Miless date those Interested believe
that the latter will voluntarily yield few
weeks Of active service and pay In behalf OF
his brother veteran.
Rut this new gossip goes further than
this, 1t is whispered that Gen. Miles will
voluntarily retire as soon as the Genreal
staff bill becomes a law, which It must,
If at all, before March I, when the present
Cor grrss falls. II he does so, 1t will afford
the President opportunity TO also promote
and retire Major-Gen. Hughes as Lieut.
enant- General a. well as Davis The COM
pulsory date Of Gen Hughes is April II
Then Gen. Young lis TO come In and serve
as Lieutenant General until jan. Q, 1904,
only few days over year hence. when
he too compulsorily goes upon the retired
list as a Lieutenant General.
1t has already been semi-off1cially an
Young, but there are still persistent rumors
that Gen. Corbin is to be made Lieutenant
General and Chief OF STAFF, for which posi-
tion he is said to be well equipped.
All this gossip is based on tenable
grounds. 1t is wholly in accord with the
it by Secretary Roots unexpected stand
for deferring the operation of the General
STAFF bill until after Gen. Miles's retirement,
purely out OF Difference for Gen. Miles's
feelings. But the whole is rendered some
what improbable by the well-known an
tagonism Of Miles and Davis. Unless the
chasm has recently been bridged over
the two are bitter enemies. Gen. Davis,
then a Major, was on detail in the War
Department throughout the last Cleve-
land administration as Secretary Lamont's
military adviser. A letter was sent to the
War Department by one of the military
committees OF Congress inquirinR II Gen
Miles's military services in the Civil War
warranted the revival Of the grade OF Lieu
tenant General for his benefit.
Major Davis drafted a reply which very
distinctly asserted that Gen. Miles's Civil
War record was not commensurate with
such rank, and the Secretary adopted
pavis's draft and sent il to the committee
War. His reply was made the pretext
for killing the bill. Miles did not reach
the grade Of Lieutenant General until
six or seven years afterward.
Gen. Miles and his friends were well
aware at the time to whom he owed this
bitter disappointment, and those In q posi-
ton to know say that he was violently ex-
asperated at Daviss part in the business
holding that Secretary Lamont would have
made no such report OF his own volition.
In the circumstances, therefore, II seems
unlikely that Miles will now be willing to
yield up any Of his time to permit the man
who struck him such a blow TO be placed
upon the retired list with the same rank
and pay as himself.
The active pay OF Lieutenant General
is 81 900; that Of Major General $500.
Ii can be figured that Secretary Lamont's
letter deprived Gen. Miles Of abou, S25, 900.