New-York tribune., 1907-10-03
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS.
Brig. Gen. DuUaU and Lieut.. Col.
WOtherspoOn AdUanced.
From The Tribune Bureau.I


Washington. October >
NEW GENERAL OFFTCERs-The army ap-
pointments to the grades OF major general and
brigadier general will be a great surprise 10 the
military personnel members of which have been
waiting with keen interest the filing the vacan-
cies caused by the retirement of Major General
w. S McCaskey October and Of Brigadier
General (. S. Godfrey October ?, The most in
Crestiug circumstances connected with appoint
ments is that Brgadier General Frederick Funston.
who is the senior of his grade has been jumped as
Brigadier Generals Carter. Bliss Barry. Mills
and Edgerly. by the appointment OF Brigadier Gen
eral W. p Duvall. assistant chief of staf TO be a
major general vice McCaskey. General Duvall is
of the abest officers of the army. He retlres
for age January 13. 1911 before which date there
Will vacancies in the list of major generals
for retirement-those OF Greedy in March 1898 and
Weston in November, 1909-affording an opportunity
OF advancement TO the grade OF major general Of
these brigadiers. who comparatively old men.
In other words. the appointment of General Duvsu
does not block the promotion Of the officers who
a year younger.
The rapidity with which General Duvail has ad-
vanced the army since 1S9S-from first neuten-
ant 10 major general-presents q strong contrast
to the slowness OF his promotion during his first
twenty-nne years OF service. which ne passed as a
subaItern.
He is a native OF Maryland and was appointed 70
the United States Military Academy from that state
I'm 1865. when he was eighteen years old He
graduated in 1863 and commissioned a second lieu
tenant in the 5th Artillery. He was promoted 10
first lieutenant in 1871. and remained twenty-one
years In that grade. He had just been made cap
tain in March. 1895. when the with Spain broke
out. and in May he appointed major and In
spector general OF volunteers.
Two months later he promoted lieutenant
colonel and chief ordnance officer Of volunteers and
in n days less than a year thereafter was com
mssioned lieutenant colonel of the 26th VOlun-
teer Infantry. then stationed at Pattsburg. y. Y.
There he attracted the notice of President McKtn-
ley. who selected him for the colonelcy of the 4Sth
Volunteer Infantry tnegro) in September In two
months Colonel DuvaI had drilled his regiment into
"a fine state of discipline Fort Thomas Kentucky.
and by January. 1890 it doing active duty in
the Philippines.
Colonel Duvan was promoted to major in the
regular army in 1891. and OF the first off
GERS selected serve the General Stan. one
week after reaching the grade of lieutenant colonel
in Eel ruary. of last year. he appointed brig
adler general by President Roosevelt and advanced
to the post of assistant chief of staff.
General Duval is a of vigorous personality
Of proved executive ability and is known for his
upright character and studious habits, having com
riand Of three foreign languages He does not
reach the retiring age until 1911
The appointment OF Lieutenant Colonel William
W. Wotherspoon. 18th Infantry. to be brigadier
general will meet with some criticism as that Of
hCer jumps IL colones and 50 lieutenant coonels.
He retres on November l6. 1914 Colonel wother-
spoon is chief of the Third Division of the General
stan. and head of the Army War College. He was
chief of staff in CUBA and his work there and later
in Washington in connection with the military oc-
cupaton OF Cuba attracted the attention OF the
President. with whom General Wotherspoon has
been intimately associated.
General Wotherspoons first service in the
navy. where he was masters mate from 1870 to
1873 He was then appointed a second lieutenant in
the 12th United States Infantry, and was promoted
TO first lieutenant 1873 captain in 1898 major SOth
Infantry in 1901 and lieutenant colonel 18th In
fantry in 1904 He transferred 10 the 18th In
fantry in 1905
When Brigadier General Thomas H Barry
placed in command of United States Army of Paci-
hcation in Cuba last spring Lieutenant Colonel
Wotherspoon was relieved from duty in the island
and appointed 10 succeed General Barry (actingl
president Of the Army War College. He is native
of the District of Columbia and is hfty-seven
years old
The other appointment to the grade OF brigadier
general that of Colonel Charles S. Smith, of the
ordnance department, in command OF the army
proving grounds at Sandy Hook. is recognition of
that officers valuable contribution to the science of
gun making upon which subject he the recog-
nized authority in the army ordnance department.
He retires in December next and he is OF
khs old colonals Of the star there will be no fault