officers of the Territorial Force. It is designed to prepare them, to a degree, in their engineer duties. These officers correspond to our militia engineer officers. There is another course for engineers belonging to the Territorial Army of Great Britain, which is also sometimes used as a refreshing course for Special Reserve Engineers. This course lasts one month and must be taken by Territorial Engineer lieutenants before they can be promoted to first lieutenants or captains. PUBLICATIONS AND COURSES OBTAINED. The following books and pamphlets pertaining to the courses at the School of Military Engineering were obtained, and have been filed in the library of the United States Engineer School, being too numerous and bulky to form a part of this report. The Equipment and Economies of Modern Workshops (623.61, G 786), 1 and 2. The Organization of the School of Military Engineering Workshops (623.61, G 786). Notes on Roofs: I. Roof Loads; II. Data for Roof Calculations; III. Timber Roofs; IV. Steel Roofs. (624.9, G 786, N 269.) Notes on Building Materials (691.2, G 786 C). Notes on Timber Trestles and Railway Bridges (623.63, U. S. 84). Manual of Applied Mechanics (621 G, 786 N). Manual of Masonry Structures (693.1, G 786 R. E.). Manual on Roofs (624.9, G 786 N). Coast Batteries and Their Sites (623.3, M 427). Standing Orders of the School of Military Engineering and Royal Engineer Depot, Chatham (623.07, G 786 ST). Abstracts and Synopses of Courses at S. M. E. (623.07, G786 ST). Royal Engineer Directory, Chatham (623.07, G 786 ST). Instructions for Officers Proceeding on Tours Around Engineering Works (623.07, G 786 ST). Courses of Instruction, Various Schools of the British Army (623.07, G 786 ST). Report on Instructional Topographical Survey, 1911 (623.71, G 786 IN). 'Program of Course in Astronomy, S. M. E. (623.71, G 786 IN). Specifications and Regulations for Works in Connection with Water Supply (623.613.9, G 786). Specifications and Regulations for Works in Connection with Gas Supply (623.613.9, G 786). Barrack Synopsis, 1905 (623.61, G 786 B). Text Book of Estimating and Engineer Services (623.610.5,G786) Notes on Courses: Workshops, Electricity, and Construction (18182). Specimen Examinations and Projects, S. M. E. (18184). Notes and Data Furnished Young Officers in Connection wit Construction Course, S. M. E. (18183). MODELS. The model room, School of Military Engineering, is just in the process of rearrangement, and only a few models were to be seen. Each department has its own models to illustrate its course, and these models are kept in the department. They are excellent, ani show more than any drawing could. They are constructed of wood, and to such a scale that they can be easily worked and handled. Models of small parts of machines, works, etc., are frequently of much more instructive value than large models of entire machines. ENLISTED MEN. Recruits. As for the enlisted men, the School of Military Engi neering is one vast trade school for all the R. E. organizations in the British Army. Excepting boys, no recruits are taken who have not a trade, and before acceptance they are tested in that trade. After joining, they are given sufficient drill to make them proficient "on the square," as this class of drill is called. This is usually about twelve weeks. Thereafter they are given a course in field works, usually lasting about sixteen weeks. They are then ready to be sent out to join companies needing recruits. During their recruit instruction and trade test course these recruits are carefully judged, and at the end are assigned according to their proficiency to the various schools in the arts and trades for which they seem best fitted, and are then given the course at the School of Military Engineering to fit them and teach them the military parts of the trade or art in question. If a sufficient number are not available to fill the call for any particular trade, volunteers are called for and the best are chosen to make the class the desired size. The various classes under this head are shown in courses Nos. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, and 20 in Abstract No. 5 of the Abstract of Courses. When they have completed the course satisfactorily, they are then ready to be sent out to the R. E. companies. Non-Commissioned Officers. In addition to these courses for recruits, there are many for non-commissioned officers and qualified privates to fit them for special details. Among these are courses Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10*, 13†, 16, 19, 21, 22, 23 from Abstract No. 5 above mentioned. The instruction in the various trades that is given to R. E. recruits of the British Army is very thorough, and, in addition to this, the non-commissioned officers are forced to keep well posted on their work at all times in order to remain non-commissioned officers as well as to obtain advancement in the various grades that are open to them for promotion. Courses 1 and 3 are for the purpose of testing the knowledge of the non-commissioned officers to decide whether they shall retain their warrants or not. All R. E. non-commissioned officers are compelled to take this examination once every two years. Course No. 2 is a course for candidates desiring appointment as pioneer instructors in the Special Reserve and Territorial forces. Course No. 4 is a refresher course, which must be taken about once every four years by the men who have successfully passed through course No. 2 and obtained the desired appointment. This keeps them up-to-date in their work and insures that the instruction given by them to the militia is correct. Course No. 7 is instruction in surveying, to be given both non-commissioned officers and men who desire assignment to the Survey Companies, and is a step toward advancement for duty in the General Staff offices. Courses 10 and 13 are advanced courses in lithography and telegraphy, and are only given to certain men sent in from their companies on the recommendations of their commanding officers. Course No. 16 is an examination for electrician machinists, and comprises the course that is given to these men as candidates for this position. Before they are allowed to come for the course they are compelled to pass a very stiff qualifying examination open to all R. E. soldiers, and only men who obtain 86 per cent or better are considered as candidates. Of these, the twenty best men are chosen to take course No. 16, and after the course must pass their final examination for the position. Both the qualifying and the final examinations show that the men who finally pass the examinations must be well founded theoretically in the subject of elec tricity and must know their practical work as well. *Advanced courses biennially for men in survey companies. +Advanced courses for men in telegraph companies. Course No. 19 is to provide machinery machinists similar to the electrical machinists just mentioned above. The qualifications for candidates for this position and the final qualification is praetically the same as that for electrician machinists. These two positions are practically warrant positions and are greatly sought after. The objects of courses Nos. 21, 22, and 23 are shown in the abstract, and offer very desirable positions as non-commissioned officers and warrant officers. The qualifications for these positions are very high, as judged by the standard of education in our own enlisted men. A closer examination of the various courses, which are only touched on here, will show that the efficiency or inefficiency of these schools at Chatham will be reflected by the efficiency of the entire enlisted personnel of the Royal Engineers. This fact seems to be fully appreciated, and the work of the trade schools is a matter of deep concern to, and constant attention of, the school staff. During this visit to Chatham every facility was given for the inspection of the post and school, and the greatest kindness, courtesy. and attention was shown by the Commandant, Secretary, and the Chief Instructors of the school. |