Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-05
.HOOVERANNOUNCES
CHOICE OF CROSBY
Cavalry Officer to Be Named
City Commissioner on Re-
firing to Private Life.
Continued From First Pagel

Gen. Crosby enjoys a wide reputation
in the Army as good disciplinarian,
for inspiring loyalty and promoting
efficiency among the men under him.
Gen. Crosby was represented as getting
results not as driver, but as leader,
and by being fair and loyal to the men
under him he has received fairness and
| loyalty in return. His theory has been
| that loyalty on the part of soldiers
serves as lubricant in making duty a
pleasant task. His World War COM
mand, the 351St Infantry of the 88th
Division, was regarded as well trained
and disciplined organization.
Although some question has been
raised as to the legality In appointing
retired Army officer as civilian Com
missioner, President Hoover was repre-
sented today as being wholly satisfied
that there are no legal entanglements
IN such an appointment. He referred
this question to Attorney General
Mitchell and after receiving his advice
felt satisfied that such an appointment
would be within the law.
Governing Statute Is Cited.
In chapter $50 of an act providing
for a permanent form of government
for the District of Columbia, it states
regarding the appointment of Commits
sioners "the two persons appointed from
civilian 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, during that period, claimed
point involved is whether a retired
Army officer is recognized as a civilian
in the eyes of the law.
Another question that has arisen is
whether Gen. Crosby will be entitled
to draw his $4,000 annual pay as a re-
tired major general as well as $4,000
annual salary as Commissioner, making
total of $4,000.
In his statement, the President men
toned that Gen. Crosby had been a
resident of the District for the past
seven years, but Gen. Crosby, while
discussing the matter of his residence
in the District today, said that he has
been here nearly eight years. He has
served three years and eleven months
as chief of Cavalry and before that
three years as instructor and assistant IS
commandant at the Army War College
and two years as student at the Army
War College.
AS was stated in The Star of Monday
Gen. Crosby was not keen to accept the
offer of the appointment, but made it
very plain to the President that he was
an old soldier and had spent many
years taking orders from his superiors
and was ready to do whatever the Pres
ident requested. That was the only as
surance given to the President during
their first interview that Gen. Crosby
would accept He thought it over, how
ever, and gave the President the definite
answer yesterday.
Brown Promises to Accept.
While President Hoover is known to
have promise from Herbert d. Brown,
chief OF the Bureau of Efficiency, to
accept an appointment as the other
civilian Commissioner of the District,
the President has given no indication
that he will make this appointment
for the present.
The understanding Is that Mr.. Brown
by no means wishes to become a Dis
trict Commissioner and that he pre-
fers to remain in his present position,
and that he agreed to accept the ap-
pointment when formally rendered
merely to satisfy the President.
1t is thought likely that the Presi-
dent may cast about some more for
some one else and If he is successful
in landing the type of individual he
has In mind to name as the second
civilian Commissioner, he will relieve
Mr.. Brown Of his promise and permit
him to remain at the head of the
Bureau of Efficiency. However, in the
event that he is not successful in find
ing some one else, he will want Mr..
Brown to go to the District Building.
The nominations of Gen. Crosby and
the second civilian Commissioner will
not be sent to the Senate until Com
who have promised President Hoover
that they will continue on m office for
month or two, have completed their
work incident to the passing of the
various District appropriation bills for
the next fiscal year.