The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-09
WORRY CAUSES
HIS BREAKDOWN
He Leaves Post at Governors
Island as Commander of East
ern Division of Army, and
1t Is Not Likely He Ever
Will Return to
Duty.
Ispecial 70 zinc rlmes-pi,patch.l


| New York, April S.--Major- General
Frederick Dent Grant. United states
Army. commanding the Eastern Divis-
ion OF the army, with headquarters on
Governors Island. who for several
weeks has been absent on leave. will
not return to Governors Island to
resume command of tho division,
; which next TO the position Of chief
of star in Washington and that of di-
vision commander In the Philippines,
is considered the most responsible
command that an American army Of
| ficer can hold. The big house In the
northeastern part of the island, which
hae been General Grants home since
he succeeded Major General Leonard
wood In command at Governors Is-
land two years ago. has been dis-
! mantled OF General Grants effects, and
they are packed and ready for re-
movai.
Rumor of Cancer Denied.
That General Grant has suffered an
almost complete breakdown In health
is admitted By many Of his army
friends. but that he is suffering from
throa; cancer, the same disease that
killed General Ulysses S. Grant, his
father, ia denied by those close TO him
From high authority. however It can
be stated that General Grant did feel
ar ono time. and that very recently,
his father, and 1t was worry over the
uncertainty that had much TO do with
the undermining Of mis- health For
many weeks only few OF General
Grants friends knew of the terrible
suspicion that he harbored in his rnind,
but now IT Is quite generally known
In army circles.
Several weeks ago Generai Grant
made tour OF inspection of tho coast
artillery posts between Galveston and
Portland. Me. all OF which are In
cluded within the Jurisdiction OF tho
Eastern Division On the completion
of the tour he returned to Governors
Island. and once more took up the
active direction OF the division at
fairs. which in the last year has in
Guided for the first time both the De-
partinent of tha East, tho headquarters
Of which is al Fort Totten. y. y, and
the Department OF the Gulf, which is
directed from Atlanta. Ga
General Grant RENAME ON duty but
short time. and as soon as he had
disposed IF the Official work that de-
rnanded his personal attention hs APP
piled to the War Department for
leave OF absence. which was !mme-,
diately granted. 4 few days later. ac-
companied by Mrs. Grant. he quietly
left the island, his destination being
kept secret from all but few close
hnu cin
discreet silence concerning General
Grants health or his present wh,re-
abouts.
When General Grant left. Brig adler
General Tasker H. Bliss, the depart
inent commander at Fort Totten. trans
ferrcd his headquarters 10 Gov ,rnor's
island and took over temporarily the
command of the division. lie is stu
in command. but tho understanding is
that IN a few weeks a major general
Will be assigned there, nd th.re is
a weli-founded rumor that the officer
who Will be sent to New York is
Major General Arthur Murray, now IN
San Francisco as commander OF the
Western Department.
Great outburst of sympathy.
The Illness of General Grant has
caused IA great outburst of sympathy
in the service. General Grant Is
famous for the reverence In which
he holds the memory of his famous
father and It is no secret that the
great sorrow OF his life was the ter
rible agony that his father suffered
in his last days.
Friends closest to him declare that
General Grant was probably wrong
in regard to the nature of his own
Illness. and that with long rest and
good care. both Of which he will get.
there is reason to believe he will
eventually regain his strength. That
CONTINUED on Second PagcD