The Washington times., 1917-10-22
ARMY'S GENERAL
STAFF WILL SOON
Be REORGANIzED

Inc IOrthcOmluB AppVAnNhnShh "
Secretary Of War Baker OF an assist
ant chief Of stan to MI the vacancy
now existing will be the firSt step In
q general reorganization OF the army
general stan on a war basis
This officer designated a. assistant
chief Of stan will serve only tenn
porarily in that capacity. He will be
advanced to the post Of chief OF stan,
with rank OF general. on the statu-
tory retirement Of Cen Tasker H.
Bliss in December.
Secretary Baker has opened wide
the competition for the post Of chief
Of stan. When General Scott went
on the retired list MAI. Gen. Joseph
Kuhn, commanding the national army
division at Camp Meade. was slated
for the chief Of stahshIp. But seere-
tary Baker then decided to postpone
the appointment BY moving General
Bliss up from the post Of assistant
chief for the three months interven-
ing until his retirement, planning
when he Allied the chiefs post to nll
all the vacancies IN the general stan
and reorganize the stan on . war
basis.
Many Mentissed.
General Kuhn still Is prominently
mentioned. So is Maj. Cen Henry p.
Mccain, the adJutant general. who
has won the confidence OF Secretary
Baker and the admiration OF the army
by his work in recognising the army
on q war basis.
Maj. Gen. Charles @. Treat. one Of
the artillery authorities Of the army.
Il mentioned as In line for the posi-
tion Of chief Of staff. So are MAJ
Gen. Clarence Edwards, commanding
the New England national guard div
islon, now In France, and MAJ Gen-
Hunter Liggett
The friends Of MAJ Gen Leonard
Wood have been insiStent that all po-
litical considerations should be set
aside and that he should be brought
back to Washington to fill his old
place as chief Of staff. Maj. Cen j.
Franklin Bell, another former chief
OF staff. IL another officer given
prominent mention.
Others to Ne Named.
Secretary Baker has made up his
mind and II expected to bring to
soon as assistant chief Of
staff the officer he viii advance to
General BlIss' post when the latter
retires In two months. When this
change II made the post OF assistant
chief Of staff will be filled by ap-I
pointment Of another officer for the
war cabinet A general officer viii
be named as president OF the War
q post that has been only
filled since General Kuhn
left IL to take command at Camp
Meade
appointment OF several general Of
ficers to the general staff will be
made as part OF the reorganization.
The retirement Of General Bliss and
Maj Cen Hugh L Scott leave two
that will be filled by the
new chief and assistant chief Of staff
There are also vacancies caused by
absence OF Maj. Gen. William A Mann
and Francis J. Herman In the field,
md other changes necessary through
he departure of Generals Niche and
Duncan. and Col. Douglas Macarthur.
New Members Announced
Ten new members OF the army gen
.rd staff corps were announced |
today by the War Department as fol-
ows:
Col. Joseph D. Leiteh, Maj Harvey |
". Miller. and Capts. Andrew D. Chat
in and Merrill E SpandIng, OF the
infantry: Majors Charles II. Hilton
md Percy P. Bishop. and capts.
Francis ]. Behr. and Walter K VIII
ION. of the coast artillery, and Majors
Douglas McCaskey and Joseph R Nc
andrews of the cavalry.