The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-16
GEN. YOUNG WAS
TOO PREVIOUS
Scene Upon the Retire ment oil
Lieutenant General Miles.
CoRBIN'S HOPES CRUSHED
LATEST CONCERNING PosToF-
FICE SCANDAL.
Especial to The Herald.)

Especial to The HeraId.)
Washington, Aug. 1.-THE principal
gossip in Washington during the mast
week has hoen in SASard to the retire
saent OF Lieutenan' General Miles and
the creation Of tES general staff. which
vent INTO effect the 18th. The order re-
flring General Miles was as brief as If
eould be made and convey the inforna-
eOln II was signed by the secretary Of
war. This was caused a great deal OF
comment the friends Of the general being
very indignant at what they term a slight
pul upon nm by the president. 1t IS
explained at the adjutant generals Of
nee that an order issued by Secretary
Lamont stu STANDS to the effect that no
words of commentator should be used
IN writing the order for the retirement of
an oIIicer Of the army. OF course, this
order could not be binding upon any suo-
Scguent secretary, nor upon the presi-
Dent himself, and there are recent prece-
cents Tor ignoring IL in the cOmmenda-
IONS bestowed upon Shafter, Brook and
Gus, when they retired. Even the friends
on president Roosevelt rather deplOre
the fact that the occasion was not utilized
70 make some reference TO the long and
brilliant career of the general. from the
earliest days of the civil war To say
nothing more. it is looked upon impOliuc
ana rather ungraciOus-
Breach of Good Taste.
At the reception held by General Miles
the morning of the 8th of August. the day
ne retired. there were many warm per
fonal tributes paid TO the commanding
EtItldl nN MS comrades IN arms, ana the
hundreds of clerks who have been in the
war department throughout his admins
tratoin- The scene was rather dramatic
IN that General Corbin. who had not
spoken to General Miles for over a year
was one of those who came in for a final
nandshake de accompanied General
Young. the new lieutenant general and
cnet of staff. and the latter aStOunded
the notable group of military men present
by appearing at the reception with the
three stars of iiteuenant general upon
his shoulder straps This. TO say the
least, was gross breach Of good taste.
General Miles term of office did not eN-
plre until " clock at noon The recep-
ton was held at H. The law provides for
but one lieutenant general The real
lieutenant general Miles. received his
visitors IN undress uniform. with no in
sigma of rank upon hfs coat excepting
the coat or arms of the United States.
luouBh ne was Sull Lieutenant general.
comT,a nding the United States army. and
entitled 10 wear three stars upou his
shoulder. General Young was really rot
lieutenant general when ne appeared IN
General Miles office. and had no right
10 wear the insignia Of that rank; and.
Us one or me military OFFICERS present re
marked, ~ would have been decent. at
least. TO have awaited the death of the
king before his successor assumed the
royal robes.
Corbin's Future.
Much curiosity is expressed as to the
possible future career of General COrbin.
Had President Mckinley been alive when
the general staff was created, Corbin
would very probably have been appointed
chief Of stair, the position now held by
General Young. With the death Of the
late president. Corbins star went into
decline. He ceased his daily visits to the
White House, and in fact during the past
few months has seldom invaded the
ueighbOrhood of the chief executive. The
office of adjutant general ceased to exist
unue rthe PROVISIONS OF the new starr law.
II is understood. however. that general
Corbin has been instructed to continue
70 exercise those duties as before until
HNnr.
have been moved from their immediate
proximity to those Of the secretary Of
war. and the chief of staff has been as
signed 10 those rooms. where he VIII nave
easy access to the secretary. COrbn adj
vocated the bin creating the general
staff. and thereby hangs a tale.
He realized some time ago that a staff
bin would in time become law and that
IN all probability he might be made the
chief This. of course. was during Nc
kinleys administration and Corbin
hopes were then well founded 50 he put
his shoulder TO the wheel and. with the
rather formidable congressional influence
he was able TO command through previ-
GUS favOrs bestowed, he was able to as
Eist materially in its enactment into law
With change Of administration. how
ever came change IN the Corpln Tor
tunes. The wheel turned and the ball
rolled in anOthC~ direction. The Franken-
stein he had created now threatens to
swallow him. and il is freely predicted
that by easy stages he will be allowed
TO disappear into the body Of the staff
personnel thar others of equal rank.
A Sleek Politician.
Corbin is shrewd politician. the
shrewdest the war department has seen
FOR many day He has secured FOR him
self practically everything available and
hv his clever distribution of patronage
during the Spanish war secured his pro-
motion to n major generalship. To has
been persistently rumOred that President
Roosevelt offered to retire him as lieu
tenant general II he would accept the
immediate retirement condition. though
this story denied upon apparently good
authority. He may still hope to succeed
Young and Chaffee as chief of staff. as
he does not retire for several moHths.
three years hence. after Chaffee has been
retired. If there is no change Of admin
istration. however, il is doubtful whether
COrbin succeeds even then. though. as an
army officer who has been closely assoc
Ciated with him for many years recently
said: III COrbin can ever get close enough
10 Roosevelt he will take him into camp.
The presidents only safety lies in keep
ing him at arms length
Press Gang Coming West.
The long contemplated trip Of a picked
crowd of Washington newspaper CORE
Epondouts through the western country.
as guests of the Union Pacific railroad.
has been definitely arranged for. Be
tween twenty and thirty of these gentle
mon Will leave Washington Sept. on
special cars furnished by the Union Pa
cific and equipped with everything TO
make them comfortable and happy A
large part of the time to be occupied by
the trip viii be spent in Colorado and
Utah. The party is due at ogden Sept.
10. and viii spend two days attending the
sessions Of the Irrigation congress. From
Ogden the party viii go north through
Idaho and Montana, returning TO Chicago
via Wyoming and Nebraska. The leading
newspapers OF the united States will be
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