The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-26

| WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
| On August 15 the date on which the order
| of Secretary of War Root assigning Liei-
| tenant General s. NJ. L. Young as Chief Of
| Staff of the General Army Corps will go
| into effect. the office OF commanding Gem
T, eral of the Army will pass intohistory with
the llustrious men who have. from The be-
| ginning. held that high position.
| The recent enactment under which the
| army will in the future be governed makes
| the Chief of Staff all-powerful person,
| giving him the authority exercised by the
! commanding General under the old law and
the power heretofore vested in the Adjutnnt
| General.
| The Chief of Staff will direct the issu-
| ance of all orders to the army and staff
bureaus: he will have supervision OF the
troops of the line, and will direct military
| operations.
| It IS stated that he will be the most pow
| erful officer that ever held position in the
| army in time of peace.
This Is in marked contrast to the limited
| powers enjoyed by the commanding General
| Of the army in years gone by and the anoui-
| alous position held by him.
| The commanding General was frequently
in conflict of authority with the Secretary
| of War.
| Notable instances of this condition of af-
L
General Sherman and Lieutenant General
| Miles.
| During the 120 years. dating from 1ISS
when Washington resigned his command
| of the Continental Army. the position of
| commanding General has been held by only
| four officers who had the full rank OF Cen
| eral.
They We're Washington, Grant. Sherman
| and Sheridan.
schorield and Miles, their immediate sue
cessors, were Lieutenants General. while
Knox. st. Clair. Wayne. Hamilton, Dear.
Halleck We're Majors General. Wilkinson
was a Brigadier General, while Harmer was
a Lieutenant Colonel of infantry, with the
| brevet rank OF Brigadier General.
Without exception all saw service in at
least one OF the wars in which this country
engaged. and all came out of the army with
| regulations of honesty and records for
| bravery.
When peace was declared in 1883. Wash
inston resigned the command of the Con-
Brevet Brigadier General Josiah Harmer
commanded the s, army from September. 1884
He was succeeded by Major General
Arthur St. Clair. Governor of the North
west Territory. One year later Major Gen.
Mad Anthony an affectionate appellation
| Of his soldiers. became the commanding
| General.
WASHINGTON AS CHIEF.
After the death of General Wayne the
command was assumed by Brigadier Cen
eral James Wilkinson. December Is. 1886
| The army at that time consisted of 1900
| men, In 1888. when war with France seemed
| inevitable, Washington was taken from re-
| tfrement at Mount Vernon to command the
! army that had been increased to LEGO men.
His rank was Lieutenant General but by
| abolished and the commanding officer was
designated General of the Army of the
| United States" Washington died Decem-
! her II. 1893. and AIajo~ General Alexander
Hamilton became senior officer of the
! army.
From 1915 to 1898. during which time the
! army was under the command of Major
General Jacob Brown. the country passed
through comparatively uneventful and
| peaceful period. Although OF Quaker par
entage. General Brown was born soldier
and his career brilliant
Soon after the outbreak of the War Of