The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-08-30
Movement to Keep Engineers at Work
in the Schools and Colleges of America

aptitude for mathematics, mechanics
or chemistry, to take the technical
courses.
Third. BY discouraging the enlist
ment into the army and navy of all
students in technical institutions, but,
on the contrary, by encouraging them
to remain and graduate, if possible
OF course, those who are drafted will
nave to serve; for it would. manifest
ly, be unfair to the rest of the youths
of the country to excuse a man from
going to the front simply because he
S technical student. Such drafted
students, however, should generally be
sent to the engineer corps, because
their services in that branch of the
army would probably be more effective
Titan in any other and because the
training they would receive therein
would be likely to serve them in good
stead in after years when practicing
n the engineering profession.
Fourth. BY granting government
lid to those youths of evident special
sbility in technical lines who are I'M
sble to raise the money necessary for
course of instruction.
If these four steps be taken, the
nique opportunity referred to will not
be lost; and this country will then be-
come the leader of the world in ac-
ivity, effectiveness and wealth.
Take Technical Course.
Let me, therefore, most earnestly
fmplore all youths who are ready for
college this fall, and who are not in
any way untitled for technical careers,
to take up some branch of engineering
or technology; and let me entreat the
parents or guardians of such youths to
exert their influence so as to induce
the boys to choose that line of study
for their life work Remember, it is
not only for the good of the country
that I make this appeal, but also for
the ultimate benefit of the young men
themselves.
may remark that such an appeal |
would possess more force If it were to |
come from a national engineering So
ciety than when emanating from an |
Individual engineer. Very true! But |
until quite lately there has been no
engineering society which draws its
membership from all lines of technical |
activity; and the one which is now |
IA A m nrin
Academy of Engineers has not yet re-
teived from congress the national |
charter for which it has applied. Were |
that association today fully organized |
and duly recognized by the govern
1lent, it assuredly would make such |
an appeal as this; and, in my opin-
on, that appeal would Immediately be |
responded to by the nation, for the
American people certainly are sensi-
BILE enough to heed seriously any words
of warning coming from select body
of the most practical men in the land. |
1t is true that such an appeal might
readily be made by the old and well
established Society for the Promotion
of Engineering Education; but, if so,
it would generally fall upon deaf ears,
because it would Immediately be re-
marked that the professors were sim
ply trying to recruit their classes and
were roofing" for their schools. On
that account, at the meeting of the
society I refrained from offering a
motion to the effect that it officially
make this appeal. which I then had in
mind. However the society is going
to do what it can to help the profess
sion by publishing and circulating
widely the speeches of Secretary
Baker, Brigadier General Black, and
DR.. Stratton hereinbefore referred to.
These addresses will corroboate what
have said in this letter; and l trust
that they and my earnest entreaty
combined will result in augmenting
materially next September the attend
ance at the technical schools of the
United States.
Respectively submitted by