Evening star., 1928-06-03


room at the far end Of the Mu-
nitions Building sits a quiet-man-
4 nered Army officer who Is destined
10 have charge Of the greatest
engineering project Of modern times.
His off1ce, plainly furnished, is small
Ter than the average reception room OF
most bureau chiefs. Many lieutenants
and captains in the same building boast
Of more luxurious surroundings. But
On the shoulders Of this reticent, smil-
ing Army engineer sparkles pair OF
double stars.
He Is MAJ. Gen. Edgar Jadwin. chief
Of Engineers Of the United States Army,
co-builder Of the Panama Canal, chief
Of construction Of the A. e. r., and
author OF the much-diScuGsed Jadwin
plan for food control on the Mississippi
River.
WIN Have Charge of Job.
II is this rniddie-aged me iS 62, but
doesn't look IT. native Of small Penn
gylyania town who will have active
supervision Of the three hundred ODD
million dollar food control undertaking
In the Mississippi Valley--a project
heralded by many engineers as greater
than the building Of the Panama Canal.
When a resident OF the food country
asked Gen. JadWin last Summer, while
the waters gtill were high. If he thought
the Army Engineers could solve the
problem Of the mighty Mississippi, he
replied:
They built the Panama Canal"
A short year has passed since Gen.
Jadwin made this lAconic statement,
and what has taken place during those
somewhat hectic months confirms the
belief that his words, far from boast
- af aRRF1-
rooted and sincere faith In the servics
20 which this officer has devoted his
heart and mind and energy since the
day in 1890. when he left West Point
at the head Of a distinguished class.
In the comparatively short space Of
time since the great food Of 1927 this
man, with the help Of picked corps
Of advisers has completed q cOmpfe-
hengiye engineering survey Of the
Mississippi Valley, drawn up q gigantic
plan for mastery Of the food waters In
that valley, received from Congress and
the President formal approval OF the
of his plan and obtained from them
the authority W proceed With the
tremendous enterprise
ghuns All Publicity.
The man behind this Jadwin plan is
little known ~ the general public.
Undoubtedly this ig due, In large part,
10 the fact that he has no official or
unofficial press agents, gllnng personal
publicity Of aIl kinds and contents him
self with sitting III his secluded 0ffice
and tending ~ his highly important, If.
not ostentatious, jon as chief Of Army
. Engineers.
Even some members ri Congress, who
/ examined Gen. JadWin as 10 his quail
| Gcatb0fs ~ undertake the food control
/ work, were surprised 10 learn the ez-
tent " his experience with large en-
/ gineering projects
| They, Ike many others, were un-
aware Of the fact JadWin went ~
/ Panama With GoethaiG AS one Of the
Army Engineers selected by Col
| Roosevelt " take charge Of construction
of the canal and that he remained
there for four years 10 direct the digging
/ on the Atlantic side ~ the waterway.
/ II had not been impressed upon them
/ That this Wae the SANS JAdWin who, ae
/ Il captain VI Engineers, had super
/ intended TecotlEtr9eti0n of the gea
/ walls, jettIfs and foftifleatiOns at
I Galveston after the great storm
Activities in World War.
/ H0f we're tiiey more than generally
1 familiar with his record In the World
| War when he organized and took ~
. France the 18Th Engineers and became
directing haad cf fhe great congirle-
ton fores et 10000 sfaesrs and nsn