guished college presidents of the country, there might be a stretch to the intellect of these young officers which would result in good to themselves and to the military and naval services. And when the young college graduates came under the discipline of experienced and cultured military and naval officers, and learned how to obey as well as to command, there might be a stretch of their usefulness and powers which would be noticed and commented upon by their classmates in civil life.

In bringing the graduates of Annapolis and West Point into competition with the young men from outside life, a healthy rivalry would be created between the two military schools and the scientific institutions. It may be that the academic boards of West Point and Annapolis, as well as the trustees of many scientific institutions, will have very little inclination to encourage extended military training and instruction. If either the naval or military academy has any doubt as to its ability to send forth, for military duties, men superior to those sent out by the engineering colleges, then something is radically wrong with their course of instruction. As the college, as well as the citizen, owes a duty to the nation, a responsibility rests upon the technical institutions to undertake the work; and they would not dare resist public sentiment upon this question.

Great results are thus involved in the question of securing a sufficient and trained reserve for the defence of the nation. It is now recognized that the wars of the future will be largely determined by the character and nature of the training secured by the directing personnel. If the leading scientific colleges can be made to understand that a military duty devolves upon them, then a great impulse will be given to the patriotism of our young men of severe educational and technical lines, since they will be made to feel that the very skill they are acquiring for life-work and peaceful industry will also best fit them to become the chosen defenders of their country in time of trouble.

Within the last three years it has been found necessary to increase the number of cadets at both West Point and Annapolis. Until this increase was authorized, the number of graduates sent forth was not even sufficient to make up for the losses incident to the naval and military services. In fact, the rigidity of the examinations had, if anything, to be lessened, to help in providing a sufficient number of commissioned officers for existing needs. So far as the navy is concerned, it will require at least six years before Annapolis can send forth sufficient graduates to bring the total commissioned personnel of the service up to the number authorized by law. With respect to the army, hundreds of

young men have been commissioned in the regular service during the last four years, there being no graduates from West Point available for existing vacancies. At least two hundred graduates from the scientific institutions have received commissions in the army, and they give promise of developing into exceedingly efficient and desirable officers. As a matter of fact, the military service has been compelled to go to these engineering institutions for commissioned officers; but who can deny that these young men would have been better fitted for a military career if they had had the training and education herein contended for?

The requirements of the army and navy as regards commissioned officers cannot be met by Annapolis and West Point. The work can be carried on only by many technological colleges of the land, under the direction of master-minds acquainted with our military needs and having some knowledge of the power and influence of university work. Under the control of the Secretary of War and of the Navy, there should be efficient and thorough supervision of this scientific and military education; and the maintenance of all such educational courses would be carried on in a manner satisfactory to the Government. If this were done, it would be a step in the direction of coördinating American universities and colleges. It would raise the standard of the inefficient institutions by stimulating emulation and encouraging a comparative study of different methods of instruction. Scientific instruction of a high grade is already provided by numerous institutions in many parts of our country. The range and quality of their work have immeasurably advanced within the last few years, and several now take rank with the best institutions of their kind in the world. These colleges have made wonderful strides along educational lines; and their faculties make the proud claim that their graduates are the equals in culture and intelligence of those sent out by the colleges of liberal arts.

During the last ten years I have discussed this question with distinguished educators, prominent statesmen, and able military leaders, and it seems to be the general opinion that the good of the nation demands that some such action should be taken. One distinguished Southern educator declares that "such a measure would be founded upon patriotism and common sense." The lamented General Francis A. Walker, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was very earnest in his desire to have his institution perform some military duty for the nation, and, in writing to me upon the subject, said: "Whether looked at from the point of view of one interested in the political, military, or naval history of our land, the subject concerns the defence of the country."

At least three-score of college presidents have been consulted in regard to the general work of bringing their institutions to a clearer sense of their military obligations to the state. It is practically their unanimous testimony not only that the work is in the interest of sound technical education, but that the greatest beneficiary would be the national Government. When such conservative forces are aroused to the necessity of this work, it must be manifest that it is of import to the nation. It is of marked significance that this proposition appeals most strongly to those college presidents and professors who were formerly identified with either the military or the naval service. These men, from personal experience and association, realize that mutual benefit must be secured by bringing all scientific institutions in closer touch with each other and with the military and naval authorities.

It is, therefore, time for a plan to be formulated whereby the engineering institutions can render the important military duty to the nation that is within their power to accomplish, and that ought to be within their desire to perform. As it is to be expected that Congress will be more inclined to follow than to attempt to direct public sentiment upon this question, the matter must be taken in hand by the immovable sanity of military officials and scientific educators. A joint commission composed of two officers of the army, two of the navy, two representatives of the land-grant colleges, and two representatives of other scientific institutions, with some former Secretary of War or the Navy as chairman of the body, should be appointed. Within a year this commission could formulate a scheme whereby the scientific institutions of the United States could supplement the work of West Point and Annapolis, and whereby it would be possible to secure for the future a reserve of highly trained technical men who would receive at least the principles of a military education.

Even to meet the issue of war with Spain we had to increase our army tenfold. It is well known that, despite the enormous advantages that we possessed over our foe, we had to keep our troops for months in camps of instruction. In fact, it took so long to work these volunteer regiments into shape that the army which besieged Santiago was practically composed of a good part of the regular army, and but few regiments of volunteers. Such delay would have been, in part, obviated if our engineering institutions had done the military duty that was within their power, and if the nation had utilized the educational forces that were within reach.

Both the War and Navy Departments can greatly aid this military

educational work by lending to the several scientific institutions such spare implements, models, and machines as are no longer useful to either service. A machine of antiquated design, and no longer efficient, is often the best model for illustrative and educational purposes. That appliance which could be consistently condemned by reason of its want of reliability might be exceedingly useful in the laboratory for imparting instruction, and for illustrating our military development. During the last ten years appliances have been destroyed at the arsenals and broken up at the navy yards which were without value for the original purposes intended, but which would have been gratefully received by the engineering colleges, and would have been of substantial benefit to them. The transfer of such articles ought to be made practicable by a law of Congress; and it is to be hoped that the nation will soon realize the great benefit to be derived by utilizing, for educational purposes, discarded implements of warfare.

War is now a business as well as a science. For occasions of emergency a reserve of supplies, of men, and of officers must be provided. It is not expected that our arsenals and navy yards can supply sufficient material and stores for war purposes. It is for this reason that the national Government encourages private firms to engage in the manufacture of guns and ammunition, as well as in the building of warships. As for the supply of armor, it is altogether secured from outside parties. The national and State Governments expend millions of dollars in training a volunteer force, and the primary purpose of establishing such an organization is to have in readiness at least a partly trained reserve for the needs of the nation. It is, therefore, necessary, as well as logical, to train a reserve of officers; and there seems no better way of securing this desirable result than by utilizing the great resources that are possessed by the educational institutions of the land.

If this proposition were fully understood, it would appeal to the young men of America now receiving instruction in the several colleges of mechanic arts and sciences. These young men are strong in their own self-respect and ambition, and are intense in their love of country; and, if necessary, their conscience will impel them to offer their all for the honor of the nation. Their education should be directed so that the best within them can be brought out; and I know of no better way of training them to become noble men than that they shall be made to realize that they are receiving a military as well as technical education while in the glory and strength of young manhood.

GEORGE W. MELVILLE.

A NEW ERA IN MEXICO.

No more suitable place could have been found for holding the PanAmerican Conference than the City of Mexico, the capital of the Republic which holds the position of a natural mediator between the United States and Latin America. While the sentiments of the Mexican people are still considerably colored by the historic hatred of 1847, their interests have been gradually drawing them closer and closer to the United States. The Government and the leading classes do not fail to recognize the great advantages derived by Mexico from the investments and enterprise of their northern neighbors. They are exceedingly anxious to encourage the capitalists of foreign nations to furnish means for the development of the rich resources of Mexico, and are willing to do their best to remove any obstacles that may be in the way of honest activity in this direction.

Until quite recently Mexico was not regarded as a safe place for commercial and industrial investments. Its potential wealth was recognized, and the possibility of unusually large returns from Mexican investments was well known; but the political conditions were too unsettled. It was difficult to find men of character and standing who had long experience in Mexican affairs; and the methods of the ordinary Mexican promoters were so untrustworthy that Mexico became in the minds of most people the home of wildcat schemes and South Sea bubbles a view which there was much to justify. The promoters whom the Mexicans significantly call filibusteros de banco — were doubly unscrupulous, as they knew the general unfamiliarity of the public with things Mexican, and therefore engaged readily in unsound enterprises without fear of speedy discovery. Harold Frederic, in his story, "The Market Place," recounts the history of an undertaking of this kind an actual venture which came to its ignominious end only a short time ago.

But things have changed and a new era has begun. In political affairs a régime of security and stability has been gradually established by the group of able men who are controlling the Government. Under the