The Monticellonian., 1917-05-03
MAY HAVE GENERAL
HIGHEST RANK LIKELY TO BE REVIVED FOR LEADER OF
 GREAT NEW ARMY.
w. T. SHERMAN WAS THE LAST
Several Officers Probably Wii Be Made Lieutenant Generals, and Pro- motion Will Come to Many Others Selection Is Task for President.
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

By EDWARD B. CLARK.
 Washington.-Iti is probable that con- gress soon will revive the rank of lieu tenant general in the United States army, and 1t may be that before many months have gone by the armed land forces will have as their leader a gen. eral, which is the highest rank which can be given any man in the military service.
 War Is here and the department of war soon must name the men to lead the legions. Who are to be the lieu tenant generals or the generals if such high ranks are to be revived? Today the only lieutenant generals in the army are few officers on the retired list. Miles is a lieutenant general and so is Young, but they have passed the years of active service, and the rank which they hold died when they re- tired.
 There has been no man to hold the rank of general in the army since William T. Sherman died. Only few men in the history of the country have held the rank of lieutenant general. With an army of million or more men in prospect. Washington seems to be- heve that the rank of lieutenant gen eral at least will be revived.
 Wood, Bell, Barry, Sibert, Pershing, and several other major generals and brigadier generals of the army are in direct line for promotion. The country Is to have selective censcription. There is selection, also. and always has been, for all the army ranks above that of colonel. The president has the last word to say in the naming of men to star rank. MT. Wilson will have a long and notable list of regular army off, cers of tried service to select from.
 Promotions Coming to Many.
 When the existing army is raised to a war footing of 2S7, ,o0O men. perma- nent promotion. or promotion that pre- sumably will be permanent, will come to many officers of the service Briga- diers and some colonels, and perhaps officers of lower rank, will become ma- jor generals, while the brigadier ranks will be filled by men of known merit taken from any of the lower grades which the president may elect to search for commanding material.
 The United States probably Is to have conscript army immediately of 500000 men. Before long 1t Is believed that the number of Ren in the ranks xrfn ho F. ix, near future about as many men wear ing the stars of general rank as there were in the Northern army at any one time during the progress of the Civil war.
 President Wilson is going to undergo trial when the hour comes to appoint men of high rank. As a matter of fact, there Is comparatively little to choose between many officers of the existing regular army. Hundreds of men who through the years, slowly under the operation of law, have obtained field rank are to all intents and purposes equally well qualified to lead brigades, divisions and corps on the field of battle. Under an existing regulation, army officers are forbidden to press their own cases.
 Promotions for juniors will come largely through the recommendations of their superiors in office. The rec ords of the juniors will be studied. Virtually every record of conduct is perfect There are some officers who have had an opportunity to perform conspicuous service in lines of peace. and it may be that these officers will be given preference over brother off eers who unquestionably could have performed the same services equally we'll if opportunity had come to them to do it.