62

President Wilson and Secretary Garri-
son continue to carry out their excellent
policy of promoting army officers of
merit. On Saturday there were announc-
ed the selections of Brig.-Gens. Frederick
Funston, Hugh L. Scott, and Tasker H.
Bliss for the one existing and the two
coming vacancies among the major-gen-
erals; of Gen. Scott, as Chief of Staff, in
succession to Gen. Wotherspoon, retir-
ed, and of Cols. Henry A. Greene, Wil-
liam A. Mann, of the infantry, and
Col. Frederick S. Strong, of the Coast
Artillery, to be brigadier generals. These
are all worthy officers whose fitness can
hardly be questioned. Gen. Funston has
not, of course, the standing of a regular-
ly trained officer, but his service at
Vera Cruz, with the fact that he has
served thirteen years acceptably as brig-
adier-general, and has for years been the
senior in rank in that grade, makes his
advancement altogether justifiable. The
army will, we believe, agree with us in
asserting that it has had under no oth-
er President so square a deal in the mat-
ter of the distribution of high honors.
The Wilson custom has been to promote
those colonels who are recommended by
a majority of the existing generals, and
it would be hard to devise a fairer meth-
od. For one thing, it wholly eliminates
political pressure. If Gen. Scott's rise
to the position of Chief of Staff has been
rapid, It is merited, for he has served
long with troops and in the field, and
has in addition acquired certain lore,
about our Indians, for instance, which
is unequalled by any other officer. Best
of all is the fact that President Wilson
absolutely refuses to countenance the
promotion of any officers as generals
who have not seryed acceptably as col-
onels.

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