The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-15
DUTIES OF GENERAL STAFF.
ORDER DEFINING THEM PRO- MULGATED BY SEC. ROOT.

The ssaR Comes Into Real Existence
 To-day Under the Act of congress-An
 Important Feature of the War secre-
 tary,s Order is That Relating to the
 Selection and Duty of she Chief of
 sfafE E... .- ..~-5. -...-
 Washington, Aug. A.-Secretary Root fo-morrow will promulgate an order de- lining the duties of the general staff of the army, under which the law goes into effect August 15. The most import ant feature of the order is that in rela- ton to the selection and duty of the chief of staff. On this point the secre- tary says: @
 Under the act Of February IA, 1903, the command of the army of the United States rests with the constitutional commander-in-chief, the president. The president will place parts of the army. and separate armies whenever consti- tuted. under commanders subordinate to his general command; and in case of exigency seeming to him to require it, he may place the whole army under single commander subordinate to him: < but in time of peace and under ordinary conditions the administration and con- trol of the army are effected without any second in command.
 .'The presidents command is exer- cised through the secretary of war and the chief of staff. The secretary of war is charged with carrying out the poli- cies of the president in military affairs. He directly represents the president and is bound always to act ill conformity to the presidents instructions. Under the law and the decisions of the supreme court his acts are the presidents acts, and his directions and orders are the presidents directions and orders.
 The chief of staff reports to the sec retary of war, acts as his military ad- wiser. receives from him the directions and orders given in behalf of the presi- dent and gives effect therto in tn man ner hereinafter provided.
 Exceptions to this ordinary course of administration may, however, be made at any time by special direction OI lllG$ II 4lle 5S6C6 u Cetli upon the chief of staff to give inform ation or advice, or receive instructions, directly.
 "The chief of staff is detailed by the president from officers of the army at. large not below the grade of brigadier- general The successful performance of the duties of the position occupies what the title denotesa relation of absolute confidence and personal accord and sympathy between the chief of staff and the president and necessarily also between the chief of staff and the secretary of war. For this reason, with out any reflection whatever upon the officer detailed, the detail will in every case cease, unless sooner terminated, on the day following the expiration of the term of office of the president, by whom the detail is made; and if at any time the chief of staff considers that he can no longer sustain toward the presi- dent and the secretary of war the rela- tions above described it will be his duty to apply to be relieved.
 "The chief of staff is charged with the duty of supervising, under the direc- tion of the secretary of war, all troops of the line, the adjutant- generals, in spector- generals, judge advocates -gener- aIs, quartermasters subsistence, medi- cal, pay and ordnance departments, the corps Nof engineers and the signal corps He performs such other military duties, not otherwise assigned by law, as may be assigned to him by the president"
 This paragraph and subsequent para graps confer all authority in the war department on the chief of staff under the direction of the secretary of war.