The Press., 1903-08-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
washington. August 10, 1903

On August 8, General Nelson A. Miles
commanding general Of the army, retires
from that position, having reached tn
age limit of GA years. In bidding farewell
to the army General Miles issued an elo
quent and patriotic valedictory, but 1t wa
noteworthy that no word Of congratuia
ton or commentator came from tn
president or the secretary Of war, distinc
contrast from the procedure which attend
ed the retirement of General Schofeld
eight years ago, when President CLEVELAND
addressed to the retiring general lette
Of congratulation on his long and success
full career. It was the one unfortunate
incident Of Miles career that he was nevel
able to adjust himself to the peculiaritiei
of his position as general commanding
the army" nor to realize that his position
as such was largely titular. Few mer
have finer military record than Genera
Miles, and 1t is probable that no European
general now living has seen as much act
ual warfare. It was not on the field o.
battle, but In the bureaus of the war de
partment, that General Miles failed to at
tain glory. Nor Is this surprising, for, II
will be remembered that his predecessors
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, although
holding the command Of the army under
less trying circumstances, had grave difh
cultiesin getting along with their cotem
porary secretaries Of war, so much so, In
fact, that General Sherman moved the
headquarters Of the army to Saint Louis
with view to getting as far from the
war department as practicable.
Among we'll posted persons 1t IS moi
charged to any weakness Of General Miles
that differences between himself and the
secretary of war arose. In fact, 1t lie
probable that the historian of the future
will be quick to recognize that such diff
culties as occurred were due to a faulty
system, rather than to the character OF
the man In command. The fault was that
the general commanding had no influence
over the ten heads Of staff departments
who had generally long reigned supreme
and whose self-will contributed no little
to the friction which appears to have been
inevitable. To Elihu Root, the present
secretary of war, attaches the credit of
discovering the serious flaw In the system
and devising and securing the adoption
by congress Of the remedy. It Is, there
fore, matter of congratulation that on
August 10, the position Of general COM
manding will go out of existence, and the
command of the army will fall to gener-
al staff, and the ranking general as chief
of staff may find 1t possible to work In
harmony with the ten staff officers who
perform SO important part In thBsdireo-
ton of military affairs.
General 8. B. M. Young has been ap-
pointed to the command Of the army,
vice Miles, but will become chief of staff
on August Is. He will fill that position
for only six months, however as he retires
on January 9, 1904. 1t Is believed that
General Adna r. Chaffee will succeed
General Young. General Chaffee will
have two years to serve when he will pro
badly be succeeded by General Henry G.
Corbin, and 1t Is the expectation that he
will be succeeded by General Arthur
Macarthur and he In turn by General
Leonard Wood, who will succeed to the
place by right of seniority, with pros
pective service Of twelve years before he
reaches the age of retirement.
The last general order issued by Gener-
al Miles, aside from his valedictory, pro-
hibited the docking or mutilating of any
horse In the army. There has been dis
position on the part of certain officers,
mostly of the younger set, and who buy
and pay for their own horses, to have them
locked, but General Miles order will pre-
vent this practice In the future, and will
doubtless have tendency to abolish the
cruel custom among would-be society
swells.
Grave apprehension Is felt by President
Roosevelt and the officers of the admins
Lration at the news which comes from
Bogota regarding the Panama canal
treaty. The latest reports are to the
effect that the treaty will be ratified only
after being amended, and that means that
the entire fight must be renewed In the
United States senate. Senator Morgan is
still hopeful of securing the adoption OF
the Nicaraguan route and has been spend
ing part of the summer fortifying him.
self with new arguments against the Pana-
ma route, while the transcontinental rail-
way lobby Is greatly encouraged at the
SO much 80 that many of the
lobbyists who had been retained In Bogo-
"a have been permitted to return to this
country In the belief that they have ac-
their purpose, the defeat Of
he treaty In its present form. In this
1t should be said, however,
hat cable communication with Bogota Is
seriously interrupted, and all reports are
with more or less incredulity.
There have been no new developments
q the post-office investigation during the
past week, although there is no lessening
IF the vigor with which the search for
Is being prosecuted. The
district attorney and his assistant, worn
,ut with their labors In procuring their
asst batch Of indictments, are taking a
est and the grand jury has adjourned un-
III the middle Of this week, when 1t Is
hoped they will be ready to report num-
Der Of indictments now pending. III. Ell.
Rand, confidential clerk to the postmaster
general, has disappeared from the de-
ard no, information as to his
Is obtainable, although he
continues to draw his salary. Postmaster
General Payne has returned to Washing
on, and, while he at first appeared much
benefited by his rest and cruise, the heat
md anxiety are now telling on him, and
{ is again rumored that he will be unable,
because OF the impairment of his health,
o remain In the cabinet much longer.