The times., 1897-04-18
THE hRCH|TECTs PROTEST
Too Many Army Engineers En-
plOyed on Public Works.
HOW 1T is IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Little Chance for the Trained Archi-
tect on Government Buildings IL
the Military Engineer Is to BE
Taken From His Regular Duty and
Set to Work as u Builder.

In days gone by the Military Academy
Annapolis, were the only two schools in
America where pupils were educated in the
rudments of engineering. The graduates
of these two institutions together with
few struggling foreign engineers were, in
those days, the oaly persons competen mt and
capable of performing the duties required in
the execution of public works.
This condidon of things obviously ne
cessiJated the employment OF military
engineers But with the growth OF the
country, and through its marvellous de-
velopment the facilities for education,
especially in the higher branches, stead
lily increased, until now we can boast OF
superior polytechnic schools and scientific
academies all over the country. They vie
wish each other IN perfection ana extent
and obviously have produced correspond
ing results. The progress made in the
last few decades is very gratifying, and
augurs well for tic future. Grand bridges
over rivers and gaps have been constructed,
| gigantic water works-ingeniUusly ue-
| viSed-yaSt railroads, canals and jetties
! built great mines opened and steamships
! constructed, which are the envy OF the
world
In one word, astounding progress has
| been made, and the world forced 10 the
conviction that we have outgrown our
| infancy in the science of engineering By
the erection of monster structures in our
| large cities, by the nlagnlicence OF some
OF our Churches school eiifices. libraries,
theaters, grand halls for musical and
| other purposes, and by the astonishing
results achieved at the Worlds Fair in
Clieago, we ha e alsJi ,v4noircon1 ency
to enter the arena with our brother archi-
| tects in all countries
But in striking contrast with this ad-
vancemcnt is the overcautiOn and want Of
| appreciation on the part of the powers that
| be, as evidenced by their inactivity and
sluggishneSs in matters which deeply
| concern these professions, whereby they
| check the progress of art and science in
| stead of encouraging and fostering them
1t is 10 hardship to the Army engineer
to limit his field OF action to duties Of a
| strictly military nature, for which he has
| been especially educated at the expense
| of the nation, butit is a great injustice To
| his civilian brother To discriminate against
| him, nd not even give him the chance to
compete in great Government works with
| the Army engineers, and let merit decide.
| The Academy at West Point does not
| pretend (as its curriculum shows TO edu-
cate its graduates to enter the domain OF
sanitary hydraulic, mining or electrical
engineering, nor does il pretend to teach
them architecture, technically or aCa-
demicHlly. They are taught to be soldiers.
! artillerymen. cavalrymen and masters OF
/ ordnance The science of engineering,
other than what is purely military in
| character is necessarily pTeCluded from
| receiving the tine and attention given to
| il in pulytechnc schools and academies,
| like the Massachusetts, Institute Of Tech
| nology in Boston, and others where civil
engineering, with all its branches, is
| exclusively considered. and where archi-
lecture is thoroughly studied, academi-
cally and scientifically. The graduate Of
| West Point is taught to be an Army officer;
! he is not taught to be a civil engineer. and
| much less to be an architect
| According to the 'Statesmen's Year
Book for 1894 "a conclusive authority =
| France, with an army of $40, ,166, men and
officers had but AIS engineers: Germany,
with an army of Oil, $50, 5SS engineers;
| Italy, with an army of 247 ,s09, $50 engi-
| neers; Austria-H Hungary, with an army Of
| 316942, b52 engineers: Russia, with an
| army of $50 900, 7O5 engineers, white the
| United States, with her microscopic aTmy
| of 2500U has vet 113 of these indus
| trious individuals The following table is
most instructive:
| Army Eng. Proper.
Austria Hungary. ,942 552 574 to 1
Italy ..........247 500 $50 $50 to /
Germany ..511, 1856 5SS S71 TO
| Russia ....7sO, 900 705 1,1O6 to 1
| France $40, ,166 AIS / ,244 to
United States - $4,000 113 221 to l
What is the cause of this amazing differ
| ence in the number of engineers thought
necessary to do the work OF the great
| fighting powers of Europe and our own
! little army Of peace? There is very
| limited amount of military engineering
| going on in this country, and a large pro
| portion OF that is under the jurisdiction of
| the Quartermaster Generals Department
| We build no forts; we undertake no
| great military roads. So far as purely
| military work is concerned, the operations
| going on at Sandy Hook and in connection
with the defcnses of others of our sea-
| board cities constitute II all. linen why
| is the Army engineer so numerous? Be-
| cause occupation is found for him in the
| prosecution of our great river and harhor
| improvements, and in the construction of
| our public buildings In this latter work
| he is unframed, and yet he first displaces
| and afterw ard sobordinates the archi-
| tects who originate the designs, and who
| alone are competent to properly super
| intend their execution. He might rebel
| the Army engineer-at detail SO thor
| oughly outside his sphere, but he does not,
| for the very good reason that the extra
| labor is paid for extra, in one way or
| another, and the only losers are the
| Government and the architects. The Gov
ernment can stand it perhaps, but can the
| architects?
| OF the Army's control Of the enormous
| Deafness Cannot Be Cured
| BY LOCAL APPLICATIONS, as they can
| not 90 to the seat Of the disease. Catarrh
| is q blood or constitutional disease, and
in order to cure it YOU must take internal