New-York tribune., 1903-03-17
PROMOTION FOB RETIREMENT,
Nearly Every Colonel in the Army Seeking
o Brigadier Generslship.
TyY TELEGRAPH 70 THE TRrBUNE.l

washington. March 16-There has not been IN
long time such clamor IS has now oeset the =" IL
Department and the President for appointment ~S
brigadier general In the army. There van Do
vacancy In that GRADE in few weeks, and It is one
Of the last chances which most OF the senior colo
nels OF the lire and staff Will have for advancement
to q higher grade. On the failure OF Congress TO
provide promotion on retirement of army officers
who saw service in the Civil War, Mr.. Roosevelt
arranged with leading members OF the Senate that
the principle Of such advancement could be carried
out as has been the practice all along oE pi oi
ing those veteran colonels when they reacheo the
age of retirement or retiring them prematurely on
occasion with a higher rank. The result has beeh
q general appreciation throughout the army OF tnls
svstem, and. consequently, colonies OF the stan
CORDS and the line have sent applications TO " ASH
Inston offering to 20 the retired list before fhae
time If they are promoted to be 6rigadleF generals
Every colonel Of infantry, artillery and cavalry
has expressed his desire to accommodate the gov
ernent this extent. and the unantrnty pfeValis
in the staff corps to the extent that among those
who have so applied and who are destined to be on
ths Iizt ~ those transferred from the active list
with hiRher rank are Colonel John B. Baocock'
adjutsnt generals department; Colonel Peter l..
Vroom inspector generals department; colonel D.
". Groesbeck Judge advocate generals depart
ment: Colonies E B. Atwood, John Simpson, ,. D.
Wheeler F. H Hathaway and J. ". Jacobs. Of the
euartermAsters department: Colonel c. A. Wood
run, OF the subsistence department: Colonies
Charles Smart P. J. A Cleary and Calvin Dewitt
OF the medical department. COLONEL r M CoAe' VI
the pay department. Colonels Peter c. Hams. G.
R. suter and J. A. Smith, of the corps Of engi-
nesrs and Colonels Alfred Mordecaf and ]. P. Far
ley, OF the ordnance department.
Some Of the more conservative army officers are
solcitous lest this wholesale system OF promotion
and retirement shall operate to the disadvantage of
the retired list OF course. this privilege Of promo
ton retirement for the veteran is accorded to
officers, but in that service the authority Is
granted by the statutes, while in the army there
are many more officers affected despite the refusal
of Congress to make such provision The large
number OF retirements in the army in the last few
years and the number Of retirements in prospect
under the project Of Kidding the naval service Of
older officers suggest to some apprehensive minds
in the military service the possibility Of attack
being made on the retired list, which Of the
officers think is being overladen- The only thing
which preserves the system of the retired list thus
expanded from attack is that the in Congress
most likely to offer objection those who re-
gponsible for these retirements which usually
made at the insstence Of or on request from Repre-
sentatives and Senators, although the officer
favored must, Of course. have record which tusti
he