Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-02
TO EXCHANGE PLACES
Orders Affecting Gems. Chat
fee and Corbin.
FORMER TO COME HERE
WILL SUCCEED YOUNG AS CHIEF
OF STAFF IN JANUARY.
Latter Given Command Of the Depart
ment Of the East in Recognition
Of Eminent Services.
FORMER TO COME HERE

| Orders were issued at the War Depart
ment today assigning Maj. Gen. Henry c.
Corbin, adjutant general of the army, to the
| command of the military Department of the
| East, with headquarters at Governors IS
| land, N. Y, and relieving Maj. Gen. A. R.
| Chaffee of that command and assigning
| him to duty at the War Department as as
| sistant to the chief of staff, position held
| by Gen. Corbin since the Organization Of the
general staff, August 15. last. This change
| has been under consideration for several
weeks past. and is regarded by those IN
power as being to the interest of the serv-
ice. Gen. Chaffee was in Washington last
week In conference with the President and
| Gen. Young in regard to the matter, but
final action was delayed until it was as
certained that the change proposed was en-
tirely agreeable to Gen. Corbin.
Recognition of Eminent Services.
The following statement in regard to the
| matter was posted at the War Department
today:
with view to enable Maj. Gen. Chaffee
to become familiar with the duties vested
by law in the chief of staff and to ascer-
tain the present condition of the military
establishment before entering upon their
active performance, the President has di-
rected that he be ordered to duty in the
War Department as assistant to the chief
Of staff and that Maj Gen. Corbin be
signed to command the Department of the
East. This assignment, which is in ac-
cordance with the wishes of Gen. Corbin,
ls intended as a recognition of the eminent
services rendered by him in the important
Office OF adJutant general during the war
With Spain and the subsequent operations
in China and the Philippine Islands and
is made with view to obtain the benefit Of
his great administrative and executive abi-
ity in the command of the largest and
most iCportant military department in the
United States. Advantage will be taken
of the assignment to secure the close, har-
monious and intelligent cooperation of
officers commanding troops in carrying into
effect the new methods of administration
which have been made necessary by the
establishment of genera staff"
Transfer in a~Fe Days.
Gen. Corbin has just tmpleted an in
spection of military posl in the middle
west and Pacific coast, a Is expected to
return here tomorrow. a'he change will
take effect in few days TT the convenience
Of the two officers. Ger. Chaffee has al
ready made arrangements 70 bring his fam
lily to this city. His assignment assist
ant chief of the general ttaff is understood
to be simply preliminary 20 his appointment
as chief of staff on the statutory retire
From being the most important staff de-
partment In the army, the adjutant gen
erals department. since the establishment
of the general staff system, has become of
comparative unimportance, the duties now
being chiefly the transmission of the or
ders of the general staff TO the army 1t
was on account of the routine character
of the duties of the adjutant general so it
is stated, and because the position was not
considered of sufficient dignity for Major
Gen. Corbin, that the President concluded
to exercise his constitutional prerogative as
commander-in -in-chief Of the army and navy
to assign him to the command of one of the
geographical departments of the army a
command usually exercised by officers Of
the line. Ea- =,
Although Cen Corbin sis the adtutant
general of the army andsonly as such has
the rank of major general, the military au-
thorities hold it Is clearly within the gem
eral authority of the President to assign
him or any other officer of the army
whether of the line or staff, to command
duty. During and since the Spanish war,
owing to the rupture between the Secre-
tary of War and Lieutenant General Miles,
the command of the army, While not actu-
ally vested in Adjutant General Corbin by
specific orders, was in fact exercised by
him to all intents and purposes the d-
rect military representative of the Presi-
dent and the Secretary of War.
The Adjutant Generals Office.
The transfer of Gen. Corbin will not
necessitate any special change in the ex-
listing status of officers OF the adjutant
generals department. Gen. Corbin will
continue to serve under his present COM
mission as adjutant general of the army,
but while he is holding the command of the
department of the east the duties of adju-
tant general will continue to be performed
by Col. William P. Hail. the next ranking
officer in the adjutant generals depart
ment, who has been acting as adjutant
eral staff.