New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-07
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
IRON THE TRIBUNE BUREAU


Washington. November s.
ARMY VACANCIES FOR CIvILIANS-The sew
eral hundred young men in civil life who want to
get into the army and who cannot get commits
sion as second lieutenant by way of West Point or
through the ranks. now have the last chance in
many years OF appointment There fifteen
vacancies in the grade. will be after two can
uidates from the ranks shall have been appointed.
These fifteen places existed before July l. and all
vacancies occurring since that date will be kept
TOT the members Of next years class at West
Point There rs men the first class at
the Military Academy and there is prospect
that more than eighty ninety Of them can he
commissioned most Of the graduates will have to
60 into the army as "additionals" There is every
chance that each years class from West Poin- viii
be accommodated in the army additonaIs. ~
which there were many in former times. 1t has
been decided that after July Of each year the
vacancies occurring shall be kept for the West
Pointers who graduated the following June.
and L any are left. for the who come from
the ranks. What still left may go 70 civilian
candidates. who are numerous and persistent In
VII decrease and the graduates will be provides
teen places stiIi vacant to the credit Of the fiscal
year ended June 80 last likely to be the last
The War Department people are not anxious
advertise the fact that fifteen places are awaiting
CIVILIANS. Tor there are enough Applications on
file Ore Of the two army candidates Is Manfred
Countess Isnsa and sPe rrandon o the late Gem
eral W. Hammond once surgeon general OF TIE
5
Of o4 at West Point Lama has some slight physi-
cal defect which will probably be waived. Cr0n
cannot be appointed until his old class has gradu-
young men at the academy who in other years
sometimes saw a former classmate who failed at
going into the ranks and so taking precedence on
subo r1iif3i III file % HIT" ""o
PROSPECTIVE GENERALS.-whHe the junior
grade in the army is exciting interest in quar-
o is
attention within the service With the retirement
Of Lieutenant General Young in January there will
be promotions OF Chaffee and Leonard Wood
probably TO lieutenant general and major general
respectively Woods advancement is destined to
invoke much comment. especially IN the House.
where some officers expect to hear attacks on the
retired list distended abnormal degree
by the premature advancement and immediate re-
tirement OF many colonies in succession. There
is hope among the older colonies that the President
will continue this policy Of wholesale promotion
and retirement and that he may not lack for
material nearly every colonel Of the line and the
senior colonies OF the staff have applied him for
advancement and retirement. He has also heard
from officers who are not colonies Among those
who have expressed willin gness to be considered
as suitable Tor brgadier general are Colonel Car
! ence Edwards. who was Lawton's adjutant gen
eral, and was with the latter when he was killed
who is captain when he is with his regiment ami
colonel while In charge OF the insuiar bureau;
secretary OF Lieutenant General Young although
npess1t any antain PsrbT Tbo rsrrs
his service in Mlndanao as warranting the reward
Colonel Greene makes his application provisional
and says ne does not wish TO be considered in
receptive mood unless the President considers thu
names Of officers who are junior to him The only
objection TO be raised to any OF these three officers
| appointment would constitute a hump in the
/ army compared with which the notorious stagna-
officer expressed it. giddy merry go-round. OF
GERS VINO care 70 iook INTO the future realize mat
army win appeal for relief The older officers have
been retired before their time and the senior grades
/ are being filed by young men, who sometimes jump
seniors. with the effect OF causing distress and
creating discomfort The material result is m the
/ lack Of vacancies in few, years. the failure OF
promotion and the dry rot OF long. tedious service
/ In grade
| SENIORITY VERSUS SELECTIONS.-Some warn
! ing OF this is given in letter written to the War
| Department recently by General Theodore Schwan.
| retired, officer who here years ago from
Germany. enlisted in the army and worked his way
/ UP to brigadlershp. He best known as the
author Of the army canteen and had much to do
/ with the creation Of the General staff scheme.
! General Schwan says brlgaders should be made
| from coonels who have seen much service as regi-
/ system Of seiecton-by which he proftedEwhich
! recognizes rank as far down captain in line or
aniable campaign under Miles in Porto Rico and
6 Ta1 R t fomsd o t M %ia ' b
/ is one held by many conservative officers whose
personal and political connections give them the
right to hope for promotion ahead OF time and out
OF their turn 1t is rea lzed that the promotions
/ day produce no special inducernent and that the
SL4gTADOn IN AL arms VIII De hopeless ana en-
/ during.
/ NAVAL OFFICERS NEEDED.-The navy. too
/ is having its troubles over the personnel. not in
/ the form the army. but in equal measure
/ Of menace. The complaints continue the lack
of officers discharge the ordinary duties at sea-
and especially Of officers with engineering training
! and experience. There are those who insist that
there is no occasion for disturbance Of mind over
the situation. and that all demands are fully met
by a system which exaCIs Of line officers n knOWI-
edge Of engineers duties. Nevertheless the reports
l received at the Navy Department are urgent in
their representation Of the conspicuous absence OF
| competent engineers, whose duty IS largely
performed by warrant maChinists, who. in turn,
are realizing their increasing Importance and in
tend 10 seek legislation which shall give them legal
status They want form the nucleus Of a new
engineer corps, and this invasion of the commits
stoned personnel is considered so imminent that
board has been detailed TO devise a plan for edu-
eating line officers engineering duties. 1t is
first acknowledgment OF the failure Of the Naval
Personnel bill, say the older officers who a
/ rniraI G. A. Converse who succeeded Rear Admiral
I n q Bradford chief Of the Bureau Of Equip
neut is head Of the board, but he has not had
time TO call any meetings 50 that the relief IN
hat direction quite as remote as. in another
sense is the realization OF the plans Of a General
staff for the navy
NAVAL, GENERAL STAFF.-There is more than
one scheme for such advisory body for the
navy the more PLAUSIBLE being that which does
not ostensbly. impair the executive influence. au-
tborfty and responsibility the Secretary Of the
Navy and does not still ostensibIy. encr0ach upon
or do violence 10 the privileges and prerogatives
brreau chiefs There is element in