Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-16

of all military posts to I'LL In time
OF emergency Is that Of an ofhcer IN
the engineers. 1t takes long time
to train a soldier, and longer still to
train an officer of the line. But as for
making a man into an engineer-it
simply can not be done in less than
years, unless you take an engineer to
start with.
1t is this fact that makes the big
preparedness movement among Ameri-
can engineers of frst importance. The
trained technical men of the United
States are one of our biggest
military resources. once they are
put in a position where they can be
called on when needed. The en-
gineers have set out Of their own &C.
cord to learn something of the mill
tary side Of their business, so that
they will be ready in case Of war to
do the work that has to be done.
The European war has shown the
Importance of the engineering arm
more clearly than ever. The Ger
mans have always laid stress on this
branch, and went into the conflict
well supplied with engineering COM
panies; yet since the war began the
proportion Of engineers to total troops
has almost been doubled. 1t is easy
to see where field engineers are essen.
tial, in a war of trenches. Of bridges
quickly built and destroyed, of big
guns continually being moved and dis.
mounted, of mines and counter-mines,
of wire entanglements and bomb proof
dugouts-a war. in word. such as all
modern war bids fair to become.
In any sort of war worth men
tioning. the United States would have
to call for half million troops, wheth-
er these troops were actually called
upon for active service or not At
present it is estimated that the
strength of the engineering troops
should be about six per cent Of the
total strength. Thus the army of half
million would call for thirty thou
sand engineers, and these thirty thou
sand engineers would need twelve
hundred officers. At present the army
possesses about 240 engineer Officers.
and only a few more than half Of
these men are engaged in actual mil
itary work The rest are employed
on government projects such as the
degree Of engineering skill. but are
really civilian engineering work. ex-
cept for the small portion dealing with
the construction Of works of defense,
The, engineers preparedness move
ment had its beginning in New York.
The engineers work as a rule Is such
that he lives, or at least makes his
Headquarters in big city. Hence the
idea as it spread went from one me-
tropolis to another, until the list now
includes such places as Chicago, Pitts
burgh, Philadelphia, Detroit and Buf.
falo. The latest recruit is San Fran
CISCO
About .one-fifth of all the engineers
in the United States either live or
have their headquarters here In New
York. The headquarters Of the nation
al engineering associations-the civil
mechanical, mining and electrical en-
gineers' societies-are also located
here. Thirty-hve hundred men are
enrolled in this city alone for the lee
lures. readings and conferences on
the duties of military engineer
Like many another of the prepared
ness movements which are sweeping
the country, the project has for Its
basis the idea Of making known q
need that would confront the country
in case of war. The engineers took up
the scheme with an enthusiasm that
surprised even the men who con.
ceived It, The lectures which were
the first step in the program were de-
livered under the sanction Of General
Wood. who himself addressed one Of
the meetings. General Wood asked
for an assurance that at least hun
dred men would attend the first meet
ing. Over two thousand we're present
and it was necessary to turn seven