Show OF THE ARMY warn ahe of th carl officer are duermit Due rait and Comma cili washington oct 18 A leading ab eject of tn military con to be the 0 gen If appleton alilea to be command of the army nd 0 gen thomas how and ruica to the department of the east etith the other chance thereby occasioned while both of officer have bad of cauree very lone service in the farmr they are more in touch than bome of their fellow of ficere with civilian life gen ailee as is well known was a clerk in etore up to his appointment as a company officer in a volunteer regiment iu 1801 gen ruger had a wet point and crada etine third in bis claie in 1854 joined the corps ot but he resigned the earing in order to in the practice of law at avirl remained in civil life until 1861 ulicee are rather striking fads to record of the two officers now on the active list and it is not to be ex that such will be repeated gen ailee will not be retired for ao until august nearly eight years hence and at eliat time thu very last of the other major generals and of the brigadier generals now on the active list wil have aten retired gen kuger retiree in 1897 gen merritt in 1000 gen breole now the senior brigadier Kc in july a little over vear in advance of gen alilee gen gen otia in march gen forsyth in 1898 gen bliss in 1899 gen coppinger airo in 1809 and not only will general ailee if he lives thus outlast all the other general officer on tho active list but by that time all the really illustrious officers ho achieved a national fame during the civil war will also have ione into retirement it is true that kliore will be survivors of that war detill n the army and many able rold lere but the as renowned thirty yearn ago those of general miles and hie immediate predecessors in his present high ollice will all have disappeared general miles commanded thelara in the army of the Ioto inac and for a period of about a fortnight during thu absence of general humphreys be commanded the second corpa la the next eight years it is possible of course that we may be involved in a great war or in indian or may have other calls for the active service of the army yet it does not beem likely just now that will show an allicer to succeed general miles alio has had eo remarkable a field of experience as his the tort of service in alie army of the potomac and then an extraordinary series of indian which for their number and success may be called unparalleled a source of tion that an officer experience rot only in extent of geographical area of commands but of variety of service ie eo exception has been called to the command of the army it lias recently been implied that a movement was cou by secretary lament to increate the po ars and of the general commanding this however has been positively denied by the ho has repudiated any alleged purpose either to enlarge or to reduce the functions of the general commanding this imaginary project was to give the commanding general some control over the staff departments of the army which he docs not have and in thab cense there would have been an increase of although it would detill have been held under the secretary but the main purpose of the suggestion seems to have been to foster the notion that army headquarters were to be a little different from hitherto and the ollice 0 commanding a little din crent some persons indeed seemed to be bent on not having any command 1 general hereafter although such an is not only recognized in the army regulation but in statutes of Con prees as for example the one that makes him member of the board of ordnance and fortifications it is known that some of ficera were verv anxious not to have gen miles in washington but their ideas and project did I 1 not work meanwhile researches into the subject have brought out some interesting facts in regard to past commands of the army after the war of the revolution the regular forces were mustered out with the exception of a small detachment at west point but with the new constitution and the union there was a little increase and gen II armar gen st clair gen wayne and gen wilkin eon successfully became senior officers the danger of war with france brought in washington in 1708 as lieutenant beener ee ner but his death followed near the end of the following year and glnn for few month hamilton was senior officer until some changes again brought into that place dearborn was senior until some changes again brought wilkinson into that place dearborn was senior during the greater part of the war of brown succeeding him in 1815 and being in turn followed by macomb in 1828 and by scott in 1841 us down to familiar times in 1801 scott eave way to me clellan and the latter to hal leek while grant sherman sheridan schofield and now miles complete the list gen miles wide and varied experience peri ence as a line officer ha been luch a to make him conversant with the views and the needs of the army and also to free him from devotion to any clique or corps |