Evening star., 1915-11-11
ARMY SPECULATES ON
GEN. BLISS SUCCESSOR
High Officer Takes Place of Gen.
Carter, Who Retires No.
vember 10.
ALI Branches Of Service Desire Rec
ognition-How Mr.. Garrison
Will Reach Decision.

Speculation is rife in army circles
throughout the country on the ques-
ton as to who is to be the successor
of Brig. Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, on the
list of general officers of the United
States Army. Several months ago the
War Department announced that Gen.
Bliss would succeed Maj. Gen. William
H. Carter, upon the latter's retirement,
November 10. But up to this time no
announcement has been vouchsafed as
to who Is to move up in his footsteps,
or from which branch of the service he
is to be chosen.
Reports have been presented from
the various branches. each of which
AYERS that the choice should be made
from it's officers. But with a clear-cut
policy as to the only fair way of pick
ing an officer to fill the vacancy which
will be created, Secretary Garrison,
after due consideration OF the opinions
contained in the reports, will reach his
decision along the following lines of
reason:
There are at present twenty-five gen
eral officers, eight major generals and
seventeen brigadier generals. Theoret-
ically these commissions are held by
members of the four com batant branches
of the service-the infantry, the cav
airy and the field and coast artillery
in the numerical ratio these branches
bear to each other. That is, II the num-
Der of men serving in the infantry were
twice that of the number serving In the
cavalry then the number of general Of
f1cers from the infantry would exceed
the number from the cavalry in like
proportion. But here the fly in the
ointment makes its appearance.
Proportion Deranged.
There are at present among the gen.
eral officers several who, in the course
of time, have been made such by other
courses than that of promotion from
the combatant branches of the service.
The proportion is thus deranged. These
officers never served in the United
States Army. If one Of them served in
the volunteer cavalry, the infantry and
the two artillery branches are united
in the belief that his commission should
count as one of those rightfully to be
held by an officer from the cavalry
service The cavalry protests vigorous
ly against any such Interpretation,
claiming that he is not of them, nor did
they benefit by his promotion by any
general advance throughout their
branch of the service.
So it Is in each case where there is
an opportunity to claim that general
officer, not chosen from the combatant
ranks, should be attributed to that
branch in which he may have served
in the volunteers. officers promoted
from the staff list of general Off
GERS likewise have caused an upset in
the ratio of apportionment of COM
missions mentioned above.
Mr.. Garrison's Opinion.
Secretary Garrison believes firmly
that the commission of general Off
Ger should be given only to those who
have served in the combatant branches
of the service. He AYERS that officers
of the staff. having chosen the field
where promotion is far more rapid
in the early years of the service,
should not be permitted to step over
the heads of those who were originally
intended to hold the commissions in
question. And 1t Is safe to conclude
that the choice of the successor to