Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-18
GEN, WOODS NEW RANK
Defense of the Action of the
President.
ARMY OFFICER TALKS
The OCCASION FOR CRITICISM
HAS PASSED.
Should Have Been When he Was Made
rigadier-Case of Funston
is Similar.
ARMY OFFICER TALKS


"There has been more or less criticism
during the past day two of the inten-
ton of President Roosevelt to promote
Brigadier General Leonard Wood to the
grade of major general on the retirement
of Lieutenant General Miles in August.
an army officer said in discussing the pro-
motions to be made during the next thirty
DAYS land ii comes a little hard on the
officers who nave served with Wood and
know what he is and what he has done, to
have to stand arounu and let lot OF peo
pie who know nothing Of the situation give
full vent to their invective. The principal
kick against Wood seems to be that his
promotion will place him above many OIL
Gers who have served much longer in the
army than he has and who have spent the
best part of their lives in the harness.
A Recent Idea.
This seems to have occurred recently to
these critics as there We're few kicks when
Wood was made brigader general In the
regular forces in February, 1901 when ne
was really and actually jumped over the
head of more files than one cares TO
enumerate and was transferred from the
medical corps to the line. OF course. most
d
some such recognition and were content to
let him be a brigahier. But now. when all
those on the list Of brigadiers above Wood
have retired or received promotion IN ths
general course of their service, the KICK
comes that he, the senior brigadier general
when Sumner shall be promoted, will be
jumped over the heads of older officers TO
reach the grade of ma tor general AT pres
en-. Wood is second on the list of brigadiers
Sumner ranks him. Sumner will become
major general when Davis retires on the
26th instant and. of course. it is only nat
ural that Wood should be promoted when
Miles retires.
His Appointment as Brigadier.
"Therefore the whole question If there
is any question at all. hinges on the orig
inal appointment of Wood as a brigadier in
the regular army an issue that has been
raised by some unthinking ones in the cases
OF both Wood and Funston both of whom
became conspicuous by reason Of the high
rank they attained as a result of their serv-
ices during the Spanish war Wood entered
the army a first lieutenant and assistant
surgeon January ), 1856. He was in active
service the most active kind Of service,
during the first few years he was in the
army.
HE became a captain and assistant sur
geon by regular course of promotion in 1891.
Up to the beginning of the war with Spain.
when Wood was appointed a colonel OF vol
unteerS and given command of the Rough
Riders. the general public knew little of
him. After that eventful date. however he
became the center of observation from all
parts of the country. His promotion to
brigadier general of volunteers and his sub
Sequent promotion to major general came
as matter of course Now. there is no one
in the country today who for moment
denies that Wood merited the appointment
of major general OF volunteers. or that his
work governor of the Santiago province,
and subsequently as governor general of
Cuba, was of the highest order He cleaned
ha .eir ~ CO. md tf,nl 11-
stamped out disease. In Havana he per
formed similar service. and his services
We're most valuable. Now. at this stage of
his career. while he governor general
and held the rank of brigader general of
volunteers. the volunteer army was mus
tered out, and every condition and every
class of people In the country demanded
that Wood should have proper recognition
for his great service to the army.
Had He Stayed in Medical Department
When he was made a colonel of volun-
teers he stood sixteen in the list of captains
In the medical department. If he had re-
manned in the medical corps that is If the
President had not appointed him briga-
der general of volunteers. he would now be
80 on the list of majors in the medical de-
partment. with little chance of ever reach
Ing the head of his department At the
time he was appointed brigadier general
every one recognized his splendid ability
and his rare talent for administration and
organization, and every one admitted that
Wood had shown himself capable of COM
manding regiment at least. All We're
willing TO admit that he deserved some
thing more than a majority in the medical
corps, especially as his work had been out
side the medical corps and he would have
been ranked by men who had done nothing
but their routine work in that department.
I do not mean this criticism on the
medical department. / want is understood
that this valuable branch of the service
has done a great deal for the army and for
the human race in general. but Gen. Woods
case demanded something more than Il pro-
motion in his own corps. Some distinctive
mark of public esteem must be shown this
man. and there were but two positions to
which the President could appoint him in
the line without raising rumpus in the
medical corps. Wood could have been
made second lieutenant or a brigadier
general These We're the only two positions
open. If he had been appointed second lieu
tenant there would have been a howl from
the very people who so critical now
The appointment to the brigadier's rank
was. therefore. the only thing to be done.
Case of Funston.
This same proposition holds good with
Funston. only the choice between the two
positions was more narrow than in the
case of Wood Funston had commanded a
regiment and brigade much longer than
Wood had done. and his services had at
tTaCteu attention rom all over the world.
Army Off GERS who served with Funston
are loud in their praises of his conduct,
and this praise comes from officers whom
he ranked when he went into the regular
service, as well as from officers of In
ferior rank The President could only ap-
point Funston second lieutenant or Il
brigadier general under the law and could
only appoint him brigader general in
the face of public opinion. 1t strikes me
that it would lie excellent idea for
critics OF the army To take the trouble to
examine into the causes for certain re-
suits sometimes, and they would probably
be less likely to indulge in invective and