Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-07-13
Officials Take Census OF EngI-
neers, Chemists and
Others.
TO use MEN where NEEDED
Uncle Sam VIII Profit by Experience
In Europe Where Many Skilled
Workers Were Sent into
IT. the Trenches.

In which it is claimed large numbers OF
the best engineers, chemists, and metal
lurgists were killed in the trenches De-
fore their value behind the lines ana
In the munition shops had been real
lied, Uncle Sans department Of the
interior through its bureau of mines,
at the request Of the Council OF Ma
tional Defense, began preparedness
census Of the thousands Of expert tech
nical men of. the country. Twenty-Five
thousand letters to the mining engl-
neers, chemists, metal-mining COM
panies, and coal-mining companies
were sent out requesting, as matter
of patriotism, that the recipients state
their qualifications and experience
how and where in case of emergency
they could, in their opinion, be OF most
service to their country and In Wnat
branches of the industry they consider
themselves most proficient.
In this movement the department
had the cooperation Of the American
Institute of Mining Engineers and the
American Chemical society, the letters
to the mining engineers being signed
Jointly by Van 81. Manning, director OF
the bureau Of mines, and Philip N.
Moore of st. Louis, Mo-, president OF
the Institute of Engineers; and the
letter to the 10000 chemists being
signed by the director Of the bureau
and julius stieglitz of Chicago, presi-
dent Of the Chemical society.
According to Director Manning, the
responses will be tabulated In such
manner that, If the time comes when
the military authorities need certain
highly specialized experts for the in
dustrial plants engaged in the manu-
facture of war material, list contain
ing the names Of the most eminent
men In their line in the country will
be at once available, and it will be
possible Immediately to engage their
services as they had previously ex-
pressed their willingness to serve their
country.
Trained Men Are Demanded.
"Warfare today is one Of materials
transformed in the shortest possible
time into terrible weapons of destruc'
ton and Defense" said Director Man.
ming. sit requires an unlimited num-
Der Of trained technical men who know
at once how to fashion these engines
out of the raw materials. In fact so
predominating Is the need for expert
technical assistance that the war IN
Europe has been termed an engineers
war. a chemists war. In this country
we have the technical talent, men OF
vast practical experience and men who
have already supplied such materials
as are needed In warfare. There Is no
question Of the expert ability OF the ma"
ton that gave to the world the ar;
mored battleship, the submarine, the
machine gun, the airship, the tele-
phone, and other epoch-making tnven-
tons. And there Is no doubt as to the
ability Of the technical men to develop
what other devices may be needed II
the emergency comes.
fortunately for US, this country
has unlimited supplies Of the mineral
and other resources necessary for mod
ern warfare. There would be no short
age of materials to harass US and
divert our attention from the real task
in hand. In respect to efficient tech
meal ability and to natural resources
this country is far better equipped
than any of the countries now at war.
"What we have to do now Is to be
sure that we do not repeat the mis-
takes and blunders Of some OF the
countries now at war. When the Eur
opean conflict broke out, France In
particular assembled her available
manhood In the trenches, forgetting
In the moment of national calamity
that experts In various industrial lines
would be direly needed in the indus
tries that prepare the material for war.
When she discovered her error, many
men who would have been Of vastly
greater service to their country In the
industries had been killed. This, IN
derstood-and 1t was not confined to
France-was a most serious handicap
to the allies in their prosecution Of the
war, as materials Jagged behind at
critical times until q new expert force
had been created.
Ready to Mobilize Experts.
"With this preparedness census OF
the technical men, this country will be
ready to mobilize experts in any one
of the fifty different lines at the points
where needed without delay. AS an
instance, in the manufacture Of artil-
lery and guns of all description, the
steel is hardened by the use Of special
alloys. At the request of the war de-
partment, we would be prepared to as
eemble at once the recognized experts
In alloys and send them to their places
OF duty. Or If the war department
needed tunnel builders, explosive ex-
perts, men who know about dixie and
ieyee building, the construction or the
erection Of machinery, or the manu-
fscture Of metals from the ores, the
most representative In the United
Gtatas co,lld be procured at once.