Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-06
Gen. Crosby's Selection.

b. Crosby, now chief of Cavalry of the
Army, for appointment as District Com
missioner upon his retirement has raised
a question as to the propriety, if not the
legality, of such selection. Objection
has already been voiced, in anticipation
Of this appointment, by the Board OF
Trade and the Chamber of Commerce
1t is contended that Gen. Crosby is not
qualified as civilian member of the
Board of Commissioners.
The act of 1878 to provide a perma-
nent form of government for the Dis
trict of Columbia provides as follows
for the administrative body:
The President of the United States
by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate is hereby authorized to ap-
point two persons, who with an officer
OF the Corps of Engineers of the United
States Army, whose lineal rank shall
be above that of captain, shall be Com
misSionerS of the District of Column
bia. The two persons appointed
from civil life shall at the time of their
appointment be citizens of the United
States and shall have been actual resi-
dents of the District of Columbia for
three years next before their appoint
ment, and have, during that period.
claimed residence nowhere else. :
The official term of said Commissioners
appointed from civil life shall be three
years.
1t Is plain that the law of 1878 pro-
v1des for and contemplates two civil
tans' as Commissioners to serve with
one officer Of the Army on the active
list. Gen., Crosby is now an officer of
the Army on the active list, and, it is
pointed out by the critics of this selec-
ton, will not be a civilian in the spirit
II not the letter of the law when he
retireS in March at the completion of
his present assignment as chief of
Cavalry. He will then be a retired Of
flcer Of the Army, subject to call to
duty in emergency, amenable to mill
tary discipline and in receipt Of retired
pay as an officer.
There is no objection to this selec-
ton on the score of the personality of
Gen. Crosby. The objection raised
against his appointment is based upon
missioners of the District should be
identified with the local community, no:
merely by official residence but by
actual participation in its affairs, for
at least three years.
The President is entitled by virtue Of
his power of appointment to choose
whomever he wishes for this or any
other official duty within the law. He
has stated that he regards Gen Crosby
as qualified under the letter of the law,
or that he will be so qualified when he
retires and revertS to what may tech
nically be considered In justification
OF his selection as civilian status. But
there is point to the objection that
has been raised against this selection
that it is prompted by a wish to give
the District the services of a former
Army officer to have particular charge
OF the Police and Fire Departments, one
at least OF which is now in some quar-
ters regarded as requiring a strong
hand In administration.
The law creating the Offices of Dis
tr1ct Commissioner recognizes no dis
trihution of responsibility, contemplates
no particular assignments to duty. It
has from the beginning been considered
that the organic law created a
board acting collectively and not
an association Of three individuals,
each charged with a specific, per-
maps self-aSsigned, line of duty. The
Army officer provided for In the law
OF 1878 as District Commissioner was
to represent the Federal Government
In the administration of District af-
1airs. He was to be an officer of the
Engineer Corps and as such would be
qualified to care for material projects,
constructions and physical develop
ments requiring technical supervision,
but he, with the civilians, would be and
has been responsible for fiscal admins
tration, educational supervision, welfare
management and all of the municipal
responsibilities and duties. If the civil
ian task were to be segregated and then
Subdivided to call for military expert
ence for supervision, as in the case Of
the Police and Fire Departments, the
representation of the local community
upon the Board Of Commissioners would
be reduced to a third
Commissioner Crosby would not mere
ly as a Cavalry officer deal primarily
with supervision of the police. He
would, though Cavalry officer, bear
the burden of one-third of the powers
and responsibilities of executive man.
agement Of taxation, sanitation, educa-
ton and other like municipal functions
in a city Of over half a million people.
He would also be one-third of a body
performing semi-judicial functions in
enacting certain municipal regulations.
There is nc such thing here as Police
Commissioner.
President Hoover has conscientiously
sought for several weeks for the best
possible material for the reorganization
Of the Board of Commissioners which he
regards as desirable. He has, it is
known, rendered these positions to a
number of Washingtonians of high
qualifications and merit who have, how
ever, not felt that the call to duty was
strong enough to overcome their objec-
tons to holding ONCE, and perhaps
these particular Offices, in view of small
compensation and heavy responsibility
and exposure to unjust and relentless
criticism. He has now chosen an excel
lent man, who has announced that hs
accepts his orders as soldier. Tit
question which may be settled by tht