Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-05-01
MAY HAVE GENERAL
HIGHEST RANK LIKELY TO BE
REVIVED FOR LEADER OF
GREAT NEW ARMY.
w. T. SHERMAN WAS THE LAST
Several Officers Probably Will Be
Made Lieutenant Generals, and Pro-
motion Will Come to Many Others
Selection Is Task for President.
By EDWARD q. CLARK.

BY EDWARD g. CLARK.
Washington.-It is probable that con-
gress soon will revive the rank of lieu
tenant general in the United States
army. and it may he 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 OK
war soon must name the men to lead
the iegions. Who are to be the leu
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 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 I. Sherman died. Only few
men in the history Of the country have
held the rank of lieutenant general.
With an army of a million or more men
in prospect, Washington seems to be-
lieye that the rank of lieutenant gen.
eral at least will be revived.
Wood. Bell, Barry. Sibert, Pershing,
and several other major generals and
hrigadier generals of the army are in
! direct line for promotion. The country
| is to have selective CONSUMPTION. 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. Mr.. Wilson will have long
and notable list of regular army Off
GERS of tried service to select from.
Promotions Coming to Many.
When the existing army is raised to
a war footing of 287, 900 men, perma-
nent promotion, or promotion that pre-
sumabiy will be permanent, will come
to many officers of the service. Briga-
| diers and some colonies, 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 a conscript army Immediately of
100000 men. Before long it is believed
that the number of men in the ranks
will be doubled. There will be in the
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 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
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
GERS who unquestionably could have
performed the same services equally
well if opportunity had come to them
to do 1t.
Selection VIII Not Be Easy.
Promotion by selection is frequently
precarious thing to do. Ranking Off
GERS have their likes and their dis
likes. Personal acquaintance with the
junior officer may affect a superior's
Judgment. One thing can be taken for
granted, and it is that no matter who
is promoted. the time will come. and
shortly, when the proof will be at hand
whether or not mistake was made in
the advancement. By the same token
q Junior officer who was overlooked in
the first instance may have a chance
to prove that he should have been Sc
lected, and be given chance at what
was at first denied.
Already members of congress are be-
ginning to intimate that they would
like to serve. This man was colonel
in the Spanish war, and that man was
major in the same conflict, while an
other man was captain and another
man was a sergeant. and hence, ergo,
and therefore, each one of them thinks
he is competent for high command in
the field today.
Service Behind the Lines.
Men and women all over the United
States are asking today How can
serve my country"
Washington.-Me and women all
over the United States are asking to-
day How can I serve my country?"
1t is one thing to be soldier and
another thing to be helper outside of
the ranks. Frequently the helper Is Of
more Importance than the soldier. No
man can perform field service well un-
less he is supplied not only with the