The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-02
GENERAL MARSH
SLATEDFOR ACTING
CHIEF OF STAT F
is AMONG THE YOUNGER GEN
ERALS OF THE UNITED
STATES ARMY.
BORN IN PENNSYL LVANIA
General Bliss as Chief of STAFF Proper
win Remain in Europe to Give At
tention to War Councils With Entente
Allies-Better Work Expected.

Washington, Feb. 2.-Major General
1eyton c. Marsh is slated to become
acting chief of staff of the army if
General Pershing can spare him from
mis- present duties as chief of the artil.
lery of the expeditionary forces. No
reply has been received as yet from
General Pershing.
Selection Of General Marsh means
hat Major General Bliss, chief Of stafI
ls to remain permanently in Europe as
American military representative at the
supreme war council.
No official statement was available
aa to the official action contemplated,
but it was said that General Marsh
viii undertake his new duties in the
near future
Permanent assignment Of General
o,iss to the war council may result in
. request to congress for authority to
appoint an additional general. AS Gen
| raj Marsh will be in fact head Of tho
,rmy, it is regarded as probable that
he will be given the rank and title Of
chief Of staff later, General Bliss beinr
'ontinued in similar rank, but relieved
Is chief Of staff to permit him to devote
himself exclusively to his work abroad
Is Expert Artilleryist
General Marsh is iifty-three years old
| md was born in Pennsylvania, from
which state he went to West Point
Military Academy He has been at
| tached to the artillery branch continu-
susy, with the exception of duty as
lajor and later as lieutenant.colonel Of
/ f,,F Ia, e.,
| 2pine service.
General Marsh commanded the AstOr
battery in the Spanish-American war.
| He graduated from the artillery school
| with high marks in 1898, and served on
| The general stan from 1903 to 1909.
! During the Russo.Japunese war he was
military observer for the United states
army with the Japanese troops.
The qualifications Of General Marsh
for duties have been highly spoken
| * by officers Of General Pershing's
| taft Secretary Baker has had under
consideration for some time the urgen'
0,cessitv Of putting 4 younger man
It the head of the staff to coordinate
he military branches Of the army.
'cveral Of the general officers have been
| 'lscuSSed Tor the post.
Gen. BiddIe be Assistant.
| Major General John Biddle, assistant
rhief of staff, and now acting chief in
ne absence Of General Bliss, will con
'mue as assistant so far as is known
Army officers see in the appointment
| 'f General Marsh promise Of a more
thorough uniting Of all war department
agencies than has been possible here
'ofore, owing to the peculiar situation
in which the general staff has found
Itself since the entrance Of the United
States into war When the war began
Major General Scott, chief of staff was
promptly detached for duty in Russia
with the Root commission. General
bliss, as his assistant, took over the
work, but did not succeed to the title
Of chief Of staff until General Scots
| retirement.
Immediately after his elevation tc
hat post General Bliss was in turn de
1ched to go to Europe. It is an open
secret at the war department that there
has been lack Of carefully organized
staff work due to the situation.