The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-27

TIME engineers Of this country
are taking steps to do what
they can to remedy tho sit
uation arising out Of the
nations military unpreparedness.
They have initiated a movement
looking to their cooperation with the
general Government in time Of need.
Tho American Society OF Mechanical
Engineers, the American Institute Of
Mining Engineers. the American So
ciety Of Electrical Engineers. the In
stitution Of Consulting Engineers
and the American Society of Civil
Engineers-the oldest body Of them
all-have appointed committees to
study the best plans by which these
organizations can help 10 form a tech
meal reserve force to be combined
with the regular army in case Of hos
tilities.
William Barclay Parsons Is the
chairman of the committee instituted
by the American Society OF Civil En-
gineers. Mr.. Parsons has been con-
nected with the planning Of New York
subways and other big enterprises and
his explanation OF the object OF the
movement among his professional
brethren is both interesting and in
structive.
1.-THE soldier Is secondary to the en-
gineer in modern warfare he said.
"In the open field numbers count now
as much as ever when the armies are
otherwise equal in equipment. But
once these men have settled into
eemi-permanent Entertainments then
the cunning Of the engineer will decide
the issue. | say this by way Of warm
ing and likewise as a matter of en-
enlargement.
"The lesson that stands out pre-
eminently so far as the struggle In
Europe has gon is the part played
by big constructions. Means have had
to be furnished for the transport OF
enormous weights in the shape Of
siege guns; railway lines have been
built owe night. as it were. to rush
an army toward some strategic point
and the same tracks have again been
torn up as quickly either TO cover a
retreat or to prevent an enemy from
following along swiftly by the impro-
vised route: and bridges capable OF
bearing great loads have been sprung
afresh or reconstructed out of the
shattered remnants of a former span
But this is not all. Tunnels that
have been blocked by seemingly i'm
penetrable masses of debris by one bel
1igerent have been cleared for traffic
by the pursuer In an amazingly short
interval. These are all of them biz
engineering tasks. n as a rule they
have been carried out more energet!-
cally by the Germans than any other
OF the batting nations.
ut Is futile for us to comfort our
selves by the false conclusion that the
warning nations Of Europe will be toe
weak M financially exhausted to he
aggressive when the present struggle
ends. The United States was stronger
when the civil war ended than it has
ever been since. While we may escape
participation In the present conflict
that does not guarantee us from at
tack afterward.
~ wonder how many ~ us realize
hat trouble is brewing for us right al
our front door? II II were not for the
vast conflict abroad the first pages o
all our dailies would be filed with the
storysof Mexican conditions. As a ma.
ton we may not he aroused by tn,
numbering OF our own people in tina
demoralized country and the killing o
American citizens along the Texar
border, but foreign Powers are no
likely to prove so indifferent in tn,
end.
NO hrst class European nation
would put up with such a state o
anairs' and It is my belief that sooncI
or later we shall be forced to pa,
dearly for our lack Of vigor in tina
~ aon. The self-deluding pacifist,