Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-03
Gen. Corbin Declares the Re-
ports Unfounded.
EXPRESSES PLEASURE
ASSIGNMENT TO COMMAND AT
NEW YORK HIGHLY AGREEABLE.
Regards It as a Great Compliment
Will Succeed Chaffee as Chief
Of Staff in April, 1906.

Adjutant General Corbfn. who has just
completed tour of inspection of military
posts In the west and northwest, including
the Pacific coast, was in his office at the
War Department today for the first time in
several weeks. He had a large number of
visitors. both military and civil, who called
to talk with him over his assignment to the
command of the Department of the East.
which involves his removal from this city
to New York. He was in excellent spirits,
and expressed his qualification at the ac-
ton of the President
The order said General Corbin was
not wholly unexpected. but had not been
determined upon before l left the city for
the west. TIE command of the important
Department of the East is more than
agreeable to me, SO that on my return to
washington l was naturally very much
gratified to learn that the President had
concurred in my wish and the recommen-
dalton OF the lieutenant general and the
Secretary of War in that respect l feel
that can render better service to the gov
eminent In command of that department
under the new order of things than l could
by remaining in Washington.
lille, of course, l do not like to leave
Washington, l feel that 1 am hardly doing
so in going to New York, as the places are
SO near together and it is not like going
far away.
Denies Report of Ill-Feeling.
The suggestions that have appeared In
some newspapers that the change was born
OF some ill-feeling is not. founded on the
truth There was nothing behind it but the
kindliest feelings and the most cordial rela-
tons. Personally. 1 appreciate the high
compliment the President has paid me in
this matter, as / regard the command of
the Department of the Ea st at this time as
tunr hot
me-
1t is expected that the change will go into
effect in short time, but 1t will require a
week or two for the officers concerned to
perfect their arrangements. Gen. Chaffee,
who succeeds Gen. Corbin as the principal
assistant to the chief Of the general staff
will occupy the quarters in the War De-
partment vacated by Gen. Corbin.
In accordance with the present plans Gen.
Chaffee will succeed Gen. Young as chief of
staff in January next. when the latter re-
tires and Gen. C0rbin will succeed Gen.
ChaHee as chief of staff on the latter's re-
tirement in April 1906 AS Gen. Corbin will
retire in September of that year he will be
able to serve as head of the general staff
for only five months. The two most promi-
nent possibilities for the succession on Gen.
Corbn's retirement are Maj Gen. Wood.
now in command of the department of Min
danao. and Gen. Carter of the general staff.
Giving Commands to Staff Officers.
At the suggestion of the President Judge
Advocate General Davis recently examined
the records Of the army for Information in
regard to cases where the President had
exercised his prerogative Of assigning off,
GERS of staff departments to line duty in
command of troops. In his report on the
subject Gen. Davis said there were a large
number of such cases. and he gave short
history of each one.
The principal instance Of the kind was in
AaH xx,bn hn rn1i
Gen. Thomas 8. Jessup, quartermaster gen.
eral of the army. of his duties at the head
of that department and placed him In COM
mand of the troops organized to suppress
the hOStilities in Florida caused by the
uprising of the Creek Indians. General
Jessup assumed command of the expedition
at Fort Mitchell, Ala, and remained in
active command until relieved in 1893. An
other similar case was that of Adjutant
General Gushing. who commanded troops
al Mobile during the war of 1912
During the civil war Adjutant General
Thomas was temporarily relieved from duty
at the War Department and sent to the
western states to organize colored troops.
In 1857 Lieutenant Reno of the ordnance
department was assigned by the President
to the command of a battery Of artillery
in the Utah expedition.
General Davis says there are innumerable
other instances of similar action in the
cases of junior officers of the staff depart
ments. These precedents accepted at
the War Department fully juStifying the
Presidents action in assigning Adjutant
General Corbin to the command of the mill
tary Department of the East.