work
is already laid out for him. Taking up a course of study leading to the
degree of M.E., or C.E., or E.E., in four years, upon graduating, he can
retrace his way, or the way of his brother, over the battle-fields of
Europe, a constructive rather than a destructive agent now, a
torch-bearer, a pilgrim, a son of democracy once again advancing the
standard in the interests of humanity. He may do this as a mechanical
engineer, as a civil engineer, as an electrical engineer, as a mining
engineer; it matters not. What does matter is that he will be carrying
Old Glory, in spirit if not in the letter, to the distant outposts--the
especial province of the Anglo-Saxon race, anyway, from the beginnings
of this race--and so serving to maintain the respect and affection
already established in these countries by our soldiery. To the writer
the thing looks mighty attractive.

Yet the young engineer's future need not lie in distant places
necessarily. He may stay at home and still have his work cut out for
him. The promised unparalleled activity in the field of engineering on
the other side cannot but enlarge and accentuate the activity on this
side of the water. Plants will be operating full blast to catch up with
the demand imposed by this abnormal activity, and thus the engineer will
perforce bear the burdens of production. He will bear them in all
directions, since industrial activity means engineering activity, and
the work of production cannot go on without him. In the mines, the
mills, the quarries, the foundry, the machine-shop, the pattern-shop,
the drafting-room, the engineering offices, the consulting
divisions--all these, necessitating as they do the employment of one or
more engineers in at least a supervising capacity, will have urgent need
for his services. Constructive work always, he will grow as his work
grows, and because the growth of his work under these abnormal
conditions will be of itself abnormal, his own growth under these
conditions will be abnormal. He will find himself a full engineer before
his rightful time.

Right here it would be well to point out to the young graduate the
importance of getting under a capable engineer. For, much as the writer
dislikes to admit it, there are engineers who are not capable and who
yet occupy positions of great responsibility. The young engineer, fresh
from college and a bit puzzled as to the game as a whole, if he accept a
connection under an engineer, for instance