Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-29
A New Assignment

DY GIVING a new assignment to Admiral William d.
d Leahy, President Roosevelt has created function
that is entirely historyhe office of chief
Of staff to the commander in chief
Heretofore the title chief OF STAFF has belonged
strictly the army and has been strictly military N AL
It's connotatons
The chief of stan of the United states Army has
been the actual MILITARY commander reporting md
rccty the President through the secretary OF war as
the CIVILIAN, or political head OF the department
The arrangement was similar in the navy with the
chief of bureau of naval operations actually command
Inc the floating forces and reporting to the President
through the CIVILIAN secretary Of the navy
ONCE our entry IN this the navy has had IN addi-
- ton An admiral Of the United States feet in charge
Of combat movements the entire navy but there has
been no similar supreme military command for the army
everywhere other than General Marshall. the present
chief az staff of the army at Washington.
Mr. Rooseyelts announcement of Admiral Leahys
new duty said have puzzled army and navy officers
at the capital
The Constitution makes the President commander
in chief of the armed forces.
But his authority as such has always been regarded
as that of the CIVILIAN head of the government Just
as Congress in creating the ships Of and the
navy established CIVILIAN political officials over the
two departments
These institutions were obviously designed to safe
guard democratic or civilian, government
A CCORDlNGl4N military or naval experience mas
"A never been considered qualification for either of the
two secretaryshps has been legal qualhca
ton for the presidency
In fact only few former generals in the army have
ever elected the presidency and no former admiral
ever has.
The public disposition always has been to keep the
CIVIL and MILITARY functions from merging.
Furthermore, during all in the past the
president and his cabinet officers have conducted the
POLITICAL affairs of the nation leaving the conduct of
actual MILITARY affairs to the trained army and navy
being the coroary the principle that
army and navy officers on active duty are excluded from
political activity.
And our civilian presidents in the past have been
successful in their by letting the generals and the
admras formulate the strategy and execute the tactics
of the armed forces.
IN THE Civil War, Abraham Lincoln made Grant the
| commander in chief fact and merely told him TO win
the war.
In the last World War Woodrow Wilson appointed
Pershing as the fighting commander in chief and per-
mitted no interference with either his authority his
decisions
In both instances the army had its chief of staff at
Washington and the navy had its chief of the bureau of
naval operations there but there such thing as
chief of staff to the president under any name
The new arrangement has not been well explained.
The President told his press conference that his chief
of staff would do 'cg work" index work and summary
work for him, which sounds like minor details
This could that the President intends as the
CONSTITUTIONAL commander in chief, to plan our
future strategy abroad and to tell the generals and admir-
ais what to do in the presence of the enemy.
THIS plan and policy, while new in America is not out
of line with the methods pursued in the present
ct by the heads European supreme authority
Momentous decisions are being made in Washington
the nature of which it not thought necessary to explain
10 the populace-
That too is a idea in American government
Whether not it is good idea events will determine