Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-12
CURRENT ARMY GOSSIP
sPEcULA11Na ON THE EFFECT OF
RECENT Legislation.
Coming Retirement Of General Officers
-Appointment of Majors From
isS Civil Life.

3
There Is considerable speculation In mill
tary circles as TO the effect of the proposed
consolidation of, the adjutant generals de-
partment and the record and pension office
and the establishment Of the Office of mill
tary secretary in charge of the new bureau.
The relations of the new bureau to the ex-
listing general staff are not clearly defined
and some officers are of opinion that the
new military secretary will relieve the chief
Of staff of some of his important functions
as the principal link between the President
and the Secretary of War and the army.
AS Is well known, Brig. Gen. F. C. Aims
worth. chief of the record and pension office.
Will be the first military secretary. with the
rank of major general and Col. w. P. Hall,
senior colonel Of the adjutant generals de-
partment. and acting adjutant general will
DC assistant chief of the new bureau with
the rank of brigadier general Maj. Gen.
H. G. Corbin is not affected by the pending
measure and he will remain in command of
the Atlantic division. The office of adjutant
general held by him will expire on his re-
1905.
Coming Retirements.
Lieut. Gen. Chaffee, chief of staff, will
retire for age in April, 1906, and the popular
impression In the army is that Gen. Corbin
Will succeed to that office for the few
months then remaining of his active service.
The proposed promotion of General Aims
worth to the grade of major general with
long period of service ahead of him is
likely to make him a formidable competi-
tor with Major General Wood for the lieu
tenant generalcy on the retirement of Cen
eral Corbin in 1905. General Ainsworth is
an off1cer of acknowledged ability and he
has many strong and influential friends.
He Will reach the retiring age of sixty
four years in 1916, eight years ahead of
General Wood, who does not retire until
1924, so that even in the event of the prior
selection of General Ainsworth as chief
of staff General Wood would still have
chance to serve at the head of the army
for a period of eight years. OF the major
generals now senior to General Woods,
General Macarthur retires in June. 1903;
General Bates in August, 1905; General
Wade in April. 1907. and General Sumner
In February. 1906. General Macarthur
and General Wade have longer to serve on
the active list than General Corbin. and
each would be eligible for appointment to
succeed him as chief of staff, and then re-
tire in turn in time to permit of the sue
cess1ve appointment of Gen. Ainsworth and
General Wood General Gillespie, the only
other major general, will retire in October,
1905, while General Chaffee is still in Of
flee.
Appointment Of Majors.
An interesting feature of the legislation
providing for the consolidation of the adju-
tant generals department and the record
and pension Office is that it affords an op-
portunity for the appointment of one or
more majors from civil life or from the
army. The extent to which this NAV be
done Is the subject of speculation at the
War Department Some officers hold that
the bill as now framed permits the appoint
ment of but one major, while others hold
that by a system of appointment and re-
tirement an indefinite number of appoint
ments may be made through the opening
afforded by the language of the bill.
Although there IS some doubt on that
point there seems to be none to the pur-
pose of pr omotins Maj. John C. Tweedale.
at present assistant chief of the record and
pension office, lieutenant colonel in the
reorganized adjutant generals department
where a. vacancy will occur through the
promotions resulting from the advancement
of Col. Hall to the grade of brigader gem
eral The promotion of Mai. Tweedale will
which is said to be open to appointment
from civil life, just as was done in the case
of the original appointment of that officer.
1t is understood that Capt. Henry A. Bar
Der, 2Sth Infantry. will be appointed to the
vacancy and then be retired on account of
physical disability. and that the permanent
appointment will be given either to a for
mer member Of the Rough Rider regi-
served most efficiently as chief clerk of the
War Department for many years. Maj.
Tweedale was chief clerk of the depart
ment when appointed to the army and MIR.
Scoffeld succeeded him in the civil office
In the event of Mr.. Sconeld's selection
Secretary Taft will have hard time in de-
Gliding upon his successor as chief clerk
from among the numerous active aspirants
for that office. inside and outside of the de-
partment. The leading candidates In the
department are Mr.. Jas. c. Churchill, prin-
cipal assistant to the chief clerk and Mr..
Robert E. Parker. chief clerk of the assist
ant Secretary'S Office The result Ia a mat
ter of great interest to the large force of
employees in the War Department.