Craig's Accent

When Malin Craig became Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in 1935, he found a military mutual aid society thriving in Washington. Ranking generals excused themselves or were excused from physical examinations. Old colonels were promoted to brigadier general, old brigadiers to major general, on the theory that a long life in arms deserved a good ending with maximum retirement pay. The result, in Malin Craig's opinion, was that the list of generals on active duty included too many inactive crocks.

Generals and lieutenants alike now get a medical going-over once a year. However much he has done to raise the pep quotient, Malin Craig has not been able to do a great deal about age in the upper ranks. He ran into the facts that: 1) it takes a long while to make a colonel; 2) only colonels may be made generals. By last June 30. after two and one-half years of Malin Craig's regime, the average age of 46 brigadiers was down one year (to 59 years, two months): of 21 major generals, down one month (to 61 years, two months).

Last week, Malin Craig, who reaches the mandatory retirement age of 64 next year, took his biggest swipe yet at general age levels. Upon his recommendation, the President promoted Brigadier General Henry H. Arnold.* 52, to be major general and chief of air corps; Brigadier General William H. Wilson, 60. Coast Artillery, to succeed retiring Major General Fox Conner as commander of the First Army; Brigadier General Robert McCandlass Beck Jr., 59, an assistant chief of staff, to succeed retiring Major General Frank McCoy. Also upped were seven colonels to brigadiers. Average age: 53 1/2.

An army flier since 1911, assistant chief of his corps since 1936, lively General Arnold succeeds the late Major General Oscar Westover, who crashed last fortnight (TIME. Oct. 3). Air corps officers esteem Henry Arnold for administrative spunk, his recent efforts to take the kinks out of procurement, his help in developing the substratosphere plane which won the 1938 Collier Trophy (TIME, Sept. 26). To get to Henry Arnold, Malin Craig passed over eleven senior air corps officers. Shortly before this selection was announced. Chicago Daily Newsman Paul R. Leach reported another result of Oscar Westover's death at 55. The War Department, wrote Correspondent Leach, soon will ground all air corps officers over 45.

* Henry Arnold is used to explaining that he is related neither to Traitor Benedict Arnold nor to the several Generals Arnold who have since borne the name with honor.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.