The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-08-21
AFTER GEN. WOOD.
Army Officers Will Attempt to
His Confirmation as Major

His Confirmation as ma1or
General.
Washington, Aug. 1S.-Army off1cers
who are preparing to a secree
campaign against the conlarmauon 81
General Leonard Wood, the presidents
| friend, as major general have been
looking up the records and nave Sc
| cured some ammunition which they
| will use when the senate takes up
Woods promotion.
Prior to the present administration
all army promotions We're mace io5
seniority. Secretary Root commended
that this was a bad practice, as 1t
might put an incompetent officer at the
head of the army, and he the
passage of a law making advancement
to any grade above colonel a matter
Of selection by h president.
Since the widespread opposition 10
the further elevation of his friend, Cen
eral Wood, has developed the president
has defended himself on the ground
that there is no other course open TO
HAN, as General Wood is the ranking
brigadier. The policy of selection,
which the president and Mr.. Root so
warmly advocated in securing the new
army law, is ignored, n an effort Will
be made to force confirmation OF Cen
eraI Woods promotion for the reason
that, through favoritism in the past, he
Is now the senior ~brigadier.
Workings of Favoritism.
The records show how favored ones
have been advanced. On January 1,
1901, James C. Wade was the senior
brigadier. Next to him in seniority
| We're H. c. Merriam, S. B.. M. Young,
Arthur Macarthur and William Ludlow.
On February 2, 1901, there was a va
cancy in the ran Of major general and
Young was promoted to it, jumping
Wade and Merriam. On February 4
there was nother vacancy. 1t was
filled by Adna r. Chaffee, who was
made a brigadfer only two days before.
He jumped all others on the list. The
next day Macarthur was made a major
general over the heads of Wade and
Merriam. This was repeated on March
30, 1901. when Lloyd Wheaton was
made a major general, and again on
April 1. 1902, when Robert P. Hughes
was promoted. Both Wheaton and
Hughes were at the foot of the list OF
brigadiers n were jumped owe all
of them.
These facts will be presented to SEN
ators as a refutation Of the claim OF
the president that General Wood is en-
titled to promotion because he Is at the
top of the list of ~brigadiers.
The fight against General Woods
promotion is gaining strength every
day. Senators Hanna and Quay are
strongly opposed to Wood and are re-
lied on to take an active part in OPP
posing his confirmation. Hanna be-
leves that Wood prosecuted his friend.
Estes 6. R~athbone, director of posts in
Cuba, and Quay has accused him Of
undermining General Brooke. who is q
friend Of the Pennsylvania senator.
Corbin Again on Top.
The assignment of General Corbin to
be assistant chief of staff means that
tina officer soon will be again installed
as the active military genius of the war
department, in which position he was
Eecently displaced by Brigadier General
Carter through the friendship Of Mr..
Root. The influence of General Carter
with Mr.. Root, which was supreme for
a time, is waning fast. Their is now
no doubt that General Carter soon will
cease to be a factor in army affairs.
the assignments to the general
stan were made W months ago 1T was
stated that General Carter would go to
the philippines in December, and would
the be succeeded on the staff by Gen
eral Tasker H. Bliss, now president of
the war college board. It is now stated
that General Bliss probably will re-
place General Carter on the staff in
about a month. which is taken to mean
thai Carter will be forced out. It is
said that General Carter does not now
want to go to the Philippines. where his
old enemy, General Wade, is in COM
mano, but it is predicted that he will
have to 60.
General Young will retire in January,
and 1t is expected hat he will take a
very deep interest in affairs for the
few months hat he will be chief of
staff. With General Carriers loss Of
power this will again make General
Corbin the active head Of the war de-
partment. He will continue to hold the
title of adjutant general for the pres
ent. but all the duties of the Office will
be performed by Colonel Hall.
The regulations which will govern
the genera staff were made public to-
day. The rules prepared by General
Carter. which provided for an enor-
nous amount of red tape, were almost
entirely discarded by Mr.. Root. Sec
ton 10, which was written by Mr.. Root
himself, covers the duties of chief of
staff and his relations with the secre-
tary Of war. This states that hereafter
the command Of the army will rest with
The constitutional commander in
chief, the president" In case of
emergency the president may place the
whole army Under a single commander
subordinate to him, but under ordinary
conditions there will be no second IL