Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
STEWART
ON RETIRED LIST
CONTINUED from First Paseo

events he would have remained ranking
colonel until retired on reaching the age
limit five years hence.
In appearance Col. Stewart is far from
would imply. His eye is clear and pierre
ing and his step as elastic as many men
Of half his years.
Loves Sound Of Bugle.
The trouble is with Col. Stewart he
doesn't want to go anywhere away from
the sound of reveille and taps or Ia
change the blue and khaki Of the service
for the pepper and salt of civil life. Fol
more than forty years he has followed the
flag and, under normal conditions. would
have five years to serve. And those five
years he wants to add to his forty-odd, to
live, hilt on hip and straps on shoulders
until he is automatically retired for age
with the routine reward. a promotion to
a brigadier generalship. which he thinks
ne has earned and deserves.
With the extremely limited resources Of
an officer of the army. Col. Stewart fought
bitterly against retirement. When first
it became apparent that his superiors
even his commander-in-chief, the Presi
dent of the United States. wanted him
voluntarily to erase his name from the
retirement Col. Stewart protested. ano
in vain. He has been protesting. like
wise in vain. ever since.
Under force of authority and circum-
stance. and with this charge of "tempera-
mental incapacity," Col. Stewart has beer
tunlbIe-down. abandoned military posi-
in the far south. and winding up with
that arid and isolated dot on the Ameri-
can desert, Fort Grant. Col. Stewart
with the eagles of his rank on his Shout
ders. and with no recognized charge
against his name on the army rolls. has
been in command of naught save all
and scenery.
Case Unparalleled.
Yet he hung on. So it isn't strange,
then. that every word printed about the
unique, the unparalleled case of this
army exile has been read with interest
and with wonder
Col. Stewart denies the temperamental
incapacity and the valvular disease Of
the heart. That is. he says If anything is
the matter with his heart now, then he
has had the same trouble for many years.
It hasn't incapacitated him before. 1t
doesn't incapacitate him now. And he
insists. with a simple straightforwardness
that is pathetic. that he doesn't think it
would incapacitate him for duty If he
were left to serve the last. fast-fying
months of his lifelong service on the
active roll.
So certain was Col. Stewart that his
heart trouble wasn't worth worrying
about that he offered to make the ninety
mile presidential test ride and then. i'm
mediately on top Of 1t. the other ordi-
narily optional tesla fifty-mile walk.
But the retiring board declined to con,
slider such an unusual proposition. They
hadn't the authority.
That didn't worry Col. Stewart. He
said he'd be happy without authorize
ton to ride the ninety miles and walk
the fifty. making mixed performance
Of $40 miles. IL only the board would
be inclined to weigh the fact against his
heart trouble. This coast artillery officer
could not understand how he could be
incapacit for duty merely by the high
sounding name of disease when the dis
ease itself didn't prevent him from ac-
complishing two exacting tests. one right
On top Of the other.
And the President Approved!
But the retiring board couldn't see it
that way. There's a lot Of red tape
wound around such affairs, anyhow. So
the report on Col Stewards valvular dis
ease Of the heart went in regular course
to the Secretary Of War and the Secre-
tary carried it 10 the White House in per-
son to be approved. 1t was.
So Col. Stewart is retired on three
fourths pay. He is free for good OF the
tumble down barracks in the south and Of
his arid post on the Arizona plains. But
those who know the colonel best those
who. equally with him. do not understand
what his temperamental incapacity
means. say that he'd rather remain on
the active list alone. in exile, at the head
Of a phantom command and come, at the