Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-04
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engineer that the sixty additional military
engineers asked under the bill would not
be all that would be needed in the army
in the event'of war. The number needed
then would more nearly approximate the
total number of civilian engineers now EN-
ployed under the military engineers. II was
contended by members of congress that Il
was q better business proposition to con-
tinue the employment of civilian engineers
on this work that they may be available
in time Of war, and. should there be no
war dispense with their services from time
to time when they were not needed, with
out adding to the salary lists of the gov
eminent by carrying a heavier number Of
military engineers on the retired lists.
Opposes Military Engineers.
Representative Slayden Of Texas, a mem
Der of the house committee on military af-
fairs, does not believe the military engi-
neers possess superior knowledge over all
other engineers. II am not one of those
people," he said, who believes that be-
cause a man is a graduate of the United
states Military academy he is necessarily
better equipped for work involving mental
processes than other men equally well
trained in other schools that are more en-
inent In the particular line of work to
which these gentlemen are devoted. We
are not the only government in the world
engaged in great public enterprises of this
sort. There are other governments that
deal with physical and natural problems
difficult, complicated, not easy Of solution
and they manage to get along without
the contributions of graduates of the
United States Military academy.
bill was introduced, that II was going to
do something for the great civil engineer
ing profession of the country; for the grad
yates OF the Massachusetts School of Tech
nology, for instance, which during the reg
ular course gives to its students three or
four times as much attention to the study
of engineering as is done in the military
academy; but 1t was sham and a pre-
tense, and that little has been withdrawn.
1t opened a little way the back door of the
basement for a few engineers to come In
and get the benefit OF the commissions,
but even that has been practically with
drawn and the door shut In their faces"
Chairman Tawney of the house committee
on appropriations fought vigorously against
the proposed increase in the engineer corps.
THE necessity for this BILL" he said us
to give these sixty civil engineers a mill
tary status to the end that they may be
retired when they reach certain age and
draw pay from the government for the
remainder OF their lives. We have civil
engineers in charge of some of the most
important departments in the construction
of the Panama canal. The Pacific division,
which includes the locq at Pedro Miguel
and Miraflores and the excavation at the
south end of the canal, are In charge of a
ciliv lengineer"
The immediate effect of the fight over
the proposed increase in the engineer corps
was the defeat Of bills to increase the signal
corps, to enlarge the corps of dental sur
geons attached to the army, to increase the
judge advocate generals department, to
add over 600 officers to the army, to add
forty-two officers to the general staff corps,
to increase the quartermaster's department.
When 1t WAS found how bitterly the pro-
posed increase in the engineer corps was
fought the proponents and advocates of
these other bills decided not to push them
at this time. Had the engineer corps in
crease bill gone through attempts would
have been made to get through these other
bills, entailing more than 100000 officers
salary increase in the army. ,...