in 1910, following a spate of in-house acrimony between the cmc, major general george f. elliott, and the adjutant and inspector, the colorful colonel charles h. lauchheimer, elliott opted for retirement. most observers -- including butler -- assumed that the venerable waller would gain the corps' highest post. however, in a private meeting with secretary of the navy george von meyer, president william h. taft bowed to pressure from the powerful pennsylvania senator boies penrose and appointed his constituent, philadelphia's william a. biddle, to the post.