Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-09
BUILDING AN ENGINEERS RESERV
One OF the Days Best Cartoons.
by FItEDEItIC =. HASkIN

or course already deliberately planned
on paper covering a line more than
~" miles Ions. In an cmcrsencv. 81.
william engineers who had taien ~,
necessary training and study, such ~
me engineers OF New York are giving
themselves to-day, could take oye,
'hose plans from the army engineering
corps and see that they were carried
ou', leaving the regular army men free
10 go with the troops
1t is hard TO define exactly m.
VI INC engineers preparedness. NOVA
fhcht here in New York 1t is int
! 'hatelF connected with the big national
| hRihecrinE societies. so far as III.
'act goes that many OF tho officers and
nt"'nIneht men OF the societies are
."hinE an active part. but there I. -.
FORMAL connection whatever MANY -,
vi" engineers who have taken up the
~" WORK arc not members of the So
''e'ieS' AS the men behind the moy.
ineht put II themselves. the work VA
H'"r'cu pF self-cOnstituted comn,i,
zee win the purpose OF disseminating
knowledge of military engineering
among civilian engineers and aIsn
WIN tho object OF advertising tho need
i"r engineering preparedness. The idea
Us hnding quick favor with ,cchrtc,.i
men Throughout; the nation Ths 49,,
crs arc bound together by a comma,
sentiment and desire. rather than L.,
a formal organization
! There is strong sentiment anon.
I mem in favor OF national lerislatio,,
ior FORMING an engineering rerervc
| appointed to take the matter nm a,d
secure legislation, IL possible. Tn.
| engineers believe that government,
! recognition would he a big helr, and
| DO real service 10 the country. A.
| present they arc doing most Of ,beir
, 10 TO- I,
! inc regular army and the National
/ Guard
ohirers Delivering Lectures.
Army Officers are taking time TO dc.
! liver the lectures in addition to their
} regular work; the men who drill arc
using National Guard armories and
! ritles. and officers OF tho guard arc
! volunteering their services as drill
masters. The men furnish their owe,
! uniforms For regular encampmen,
| their only chance Is PlattsburS which
comes at an inconvenicnt time for tho
average engineer. Hence they feel
that their usefulness would be Ereatly
| Increased by government recognition
/ which would put them on an indie
pendeh, footing. give them guns
ana tents and allow certain officers TO
devote all their time to the speciaI
training of these men, who are nlready
| technically trained.
| The local organization is attracting
/ a good deal nf Interest. and the Officers
( get stream OF defense suggestions
! from people who have worked out thu
! problem TO their own satisfaction. All
! the old ideas have cropped up. includ-
! ing the man who wants to build sea
| board railroad from Maine TO Florida
! mount big guns on fiat cars and run
/ them UP and down, ready 70 meet the
! fleet OF the invader at any point IL
| chooses 10 land This sort OF sugges-
| ton brings out in sharp relief tho
! great feature Of the engineers society
/ the feature that some OF the privat-
! preparedness plans which are spring
! ing up everywhere obviously lack
| That feature is its hard-headed prac-
! ticality
No one can come into contact with
! these men withelt going away en-
| courased as 10 the spirit OF the coun-
| try. They are no dreamers or dilet
tantes; they are busy men, successful
i'm the most practical OF profe ssons--
men who have built railroads and sub
ways and canals. They are taking
their time to do this work. becaus.
they realize that il has to be done, and
that they are the only men who can
do IT,