The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-25
MANY OFFICERS NEEDED
FOR ENGINEER CORPS.
panama Canal Will Require Serv-
ices of rs Engineering Omcers.


panama Canal Will Require serv-
ices of rs Engineering Officers.
Col. James B. Quinn. chief of United
states engineers for this division, is
much interested in the bill which has
lust been presented to Congress, ask
ing that some means be devised to Sc
cure the appointment of more men to
the United States Engineer Corps, to
supply a deficit in the number of Off
GERS. The bill is heartily Endorsed by
the Secretary of War and by the lieu
tenant general and chief of staff.
In his letter accompanying the bill Sec
retary Root states that there are at
least twenty-five more officers needed
in the Engineer Corps. If law were
passed authorizing the appointment of
the ten class leaders of each gradu-
ating class from West Point to the En-
gineer Corps, the proper number of Of
fcars would be secured in 1909 This
makes no allowance for deaths of Off
GERS. but simply for retirement in the
usual order 1t is probable that the
roll of officers would not be completed
in less than ten years.
1.-THE engineering department has in
creased wonderfully in the amount of
work which has been DONE" said Col.
Quinn, land we are now short of engi-
,eer officers. During thirteen years
the department has expended $27S, 49,
967 in different kinds of work. In 1890
the total amount expended was $13,-
$4,000. In 1908 the total amount ex-
nended was 24,152000, showing an in
crease of nearly 100 per cent. in thir-
teen years.
"This increase of work has necessi-
lated more officers than we have at
present. Civilian engineers who are
employed by the department are paid
more than regular officers, as their po-
sitions are not assured, and even if
they live until retiring age, no pro-
vision is made for them after that.
With officers just the reverse is the
case.
"Then every civilian engineer en-
ployed is a direct loss to the military
department of the government. III
case of war the practical engineer Of
ficers are invaluable, in that they COM
bine military and engineering knowl-
edge, with more or less actual expert
ence in both lines. For we have mill
tary duties to perform besides our reg
ular engineering work.
THE Panama canal will require en-
gineers there; just how many no one
can say. ln6y Will De TeQulTeu " act
in different capacities and to lend their
assistance in all lines. The fortifying
of the Philippines viii also require
many engineering officers-in fact, it
is improbable that any others could
serve, as military knowledge will be
essential there. Then the work within
our own boundaries is very great and
we need men.
"A comparison of our corps with that
of France will serve to show the con-
ditons under which we are working
and the great amount of work each of
ficer has to do. We have $50 Off
GERS in our corps and last year car
lied out work amounting to more thar
$24, 900 900. France has TAI engineering
officers, and yet the work done by them
amounted to only 100000. From These
figures it can be seen we are doing
nearly four times as much work as the
French corps, with only about one
fifth as many men.
II hope that the bill will go through
Our work is among the most impor-
tant of any being done by the govern
ment, and they should give us some
attention"