The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-04-22
boss SOLDIER BOYS
GENERAL TOM BARRY GOES TO
WEST POINT ACADEMY.
His Appointment to Position Creates
No End of Comment in Army Cir
cles; Wisdom of the Action Is Dis
cussed; Changes Are Made in De-
partment Commanders; Opinion of
Military Authorities.
Especial to The Free Press.l

Washington, April 2O.-Many ina
portant changes i'll army commands
are scheduled incident to the assump.
ton by Major-General Leonard Wood
of the position of chief of staff Ma
jor- General Frederick ID. Grant to-
day takes command of the Depart
ment of the east at New York, and
his place as COMMANDER of the de-
partment of the Lakes ut Chicago is
taken by General c. L. Hodges, who
commanded the Department of the
Dakota General L. a. Smith, until now
in command of Fort ID. A. Russell,
Wyo., takes command of the Depart
ment of the Missouri, position just
vacated by the retirement OF General
Morton. General Walter Howe, on duty
at Fort Hancock, \. j., is designated
as commander of the Dakota. General
Ralph w. Hoyt, just promoted, goes
o Fort ID. A. Russell.
Head of West Point Academy.
Another important change, which
will take effect about Aug. 81, is the
appointment of Ma jor General Thomas
II. Barry TO succeed Colonel Ii. l.. Scott
Military academy. Seldom before
has any appointment created so much
comment in army circles, and officers
are still privately discussing, pro and
con, the wisdom of the action in
placing a general officer at the head
of the institution for training soldiers.
Caused Great Excitement.
There was great excitement when
it was learned that Il major general
had been chosen as superintendent
at West Point. 1T will be the first
time an army officer of that grade
has been detailed to this post, and it
is probable that there will be officers
who will regard the designation of a
major general as not i'll keeping with
the duties devolving ON him as the
pecially as there were officers who
contended it was not, properly speak
ing, brigader generals billet.
Should Be General Officer
AT the same time tie military au-
tEorities have come to the conclusion
that the head of the institution at
West Point, where several hundred
cadets are under instruction for duty
as commissioned officers. should be
Il general officer and, at least the
| oretically, separated as far as pos
sible from the pre- udices which so
often belong to an officer of par
ticular branch of the line or stall,
OF course, an officer, who has served
in an arm of the line and becomes
general officer is usually regarded
as entertaining more or less partial
views toward his former branch ',--s
Will the Infantry Be Pleased
It remains to be seen whether the.
infantry will be pleased with the
designation of Major General Barry.
That officer was originally of the
cavalry arm, then transferred to the
infantry arm when, in 1891 he was
appointed to the adjutant generals
| department, in which he served until
his appointment as Il brigadier gen.
eral by Mr.. Roosevelt, in August,
/ 1903. lie became ma jor general in
April, 1908, his promotion by Mr..
Roosevelt at that time being some
thing of surprise. General Barry
has been so long separated from the
infantry that he may not be regarded
by members of that arm as ''belOng-
| ing" to that branch t