Evening star., 1934-08-18
COL. SULTAN GETS |
|. POST Of GOTWALS'
New Engineer Commissioner
to Assume His Duties
at End of Month.

The Districts Engineer Commits
sionsr for the next four years will be
Col. Daniel I. Sultan of the Engineer
Corps, U s. A. At present Col. Sultan
is in Galveston, Tex, on an inspec-
ton tour, but he Is expected back in
the city to relieve Engineer Commis-
sioner John G. Gotwals at the end Of
this month.
Announcement Of the appointment
was made at the White House late
yesterday. Mai. Gotwals' term had
expired June 20 and he Is to be re-
tired from Army service September
80, with q months leave Of absence.
Sultan has been on detail in Wash
ington since July "A. Col. and Mrs.
Sultan's Washington residence Is 2036
o street. Mrs. Sultan and three
daughters, Devin, 23; Sheila, II, and
Linda, Is, are in the city.
Appointment Is Surprise.
The date at which Col. Sultan will
take once will be fixed later by the
Chief of Engineers. Maj. Gotwals
will carry out the duties of the once
until his successor takes the oath.
Announcement Of Sultans appoint-
ment came as q surprise to in
siders" who had freely predicted the
appointment Of Maj. Brehon Somer-
veil, a former engineer for the Wash
ington district.
The job Of Engineer Commissioner
is highly priced in the Corps Of En-
gineers, rs It carries q salary Of
SO 900, considerably higher than the
Army pay. Friends Of both Somer-
veil and Sultan had been active In
their respective interests for some
months before the vacancy occurred.
Early in the contest 1t was be-
lieved Sultan was the choice. Later,
however, Somervells star rose in the
ascendancy. When the President re-
turned from Hawaii, Somerven was
assigned to join his train In the West
to guide the President on some Of the
engineering projects he visited on his
return trip. Politicians here regarded
that as confirmation Of their views
that Somervell would get the job.
Assisted by Harrison.
Sultan's choice was attributed IN
part to the interest Of Secretary Ickes,
who had observed Sultan's work in
his home district In Chicago, and In
part to assistance from Senator Har-
rison, who successfully sponsored
George e. Allen for another vacancy
among the civilian Commissioner.
Harrison and Sultan are fellow Miss
issippians.
Allen and Harrison are now In Mex
leo on vacation.
Mrs. Sultan, the former Miss Flor
ence Braden, saw her future husband
for the first time at foot ball game
at West Point during the days (1903-
190D Walter Camp was picking him
for his All-America center. The i'm
preston that she carried away was
that he was the most ud-bespattered
individual she had ever seen. The
game was on a sloppy field.
She did not meet him, however,
until he went back to the Military
Academy as an instructor in mathe-
mates in 1915. Their marriage fol-
lowed.
Mrs. Sultan made her debut here In
1908 at the home of Mrs, Armistead
Davis, 1725 I street. She is fond Of
Washington and particularly happy to
have at least another four years here
after an Army life which has taken
her to the Philippines, Nicaragua and
many points in the continental United
States.
Col. Sultan, who was born in Mis-
sissippi in 1885, has distinguished
himself in many fields as an
Army engineer, his most conspicu-
Gus duty being while he was
in charge of a Nicaragua canal sur
vey from 1929 to 1881, for which
service he received the Oak Leaf
Cluster of the Army, representing the
second award Of the Distinguished
Service Medal.
More recently Col. sultan was in
charge of the Army Engineer once
In Illinois as well as serving as civil
works administrator Of Cook County.
For several months he has been de-
tailed at headquarters Of the Engineer
Corps in this city.
Col. Sultan was graduated from west
GO11b LII 4SOt hA1A Wuo ns,oASAAG0 80
second lieutenant IN the Engineer
Corps.
Captain I'm 1914.
He was made q captain IN 1914, q
major in 1917 and lieutenant colonel in
1880. He Is q graduate Of the Engineer
School, an honor graduate of the Com
mand General Stan School, Fort
Leavenworth, Kans., and graduate
Of the Army War College, this city.
During the World War Col. Sultan
was commissioned colonel In the En-
gineer Corps Of the National Army,
from which grade he was honorably
discharged in 1920.
AS an engineer, Col. Sultan has
been on duty as district engineer, Sa-
vannah, Ga; in fertilization work in
the Philippines; lock and dam work
on the Ohio River; member Of the
Board Of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors, Office Of the Chief Of En-
gineers; instructor IN engineering at
the U. 8. Military Academy at West
Point and at the Engineering School,
Fort Humphreys, Va.
During the World War, Col. Sultan
was member Of the War Depart
ment general staff. For his services
NTe MEeTT III