Marshal Foch Made Honorary Member of Engineering Societies

MARSHAL Foch has been made an honorary member of the four national American societies of civil, mining and metallurgical, mechanical, and electrical engineers. The governing bodies of these societies, aggregating 45,000 members, conferred this signal honor in expression of the appreciation of American engineers for the unmatched services of this master of engineering principles. At Engineering Societies Building, in New York City, on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 13, the presidents of the four societies presented one beautifully engrossed certificate of honorary membership in the four societies. The auditorium was filled so that not even standing room was left, more than a half hour before the cere-monies began, and the main entrance on the street had to be closed. J. Vipond Davies, president of the United Engineering Society, made the opening address. Col. William Barclay-Parsons, 'who was commander of the first engineer regiment to go abroad, addressed Marshal Foch in French. Colonel Parsons said: The art of engineering was defined a long time ago as "the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man." No better definition can be found today. Of all the sources of power in nature, the greatest, the most valuable, and at the same time the most difficult to direct, is the energy of man himself. He who can direct human energy and turn it to the service of mankind is a great engineer. You, Marshal, have directed a greater mass of human energy than any other man has ever done. And you have successfully directed this mass for the highest uses of mankind, in that you by its aid have preserved for him one of the most precious of human possessions-liberty-liberty not only for your own illustrious country, but for all the nations of the world. The four national engineering societies, of the United States now desire to make record of their appreciation of this fact and to convey to you an expression of their most profound admiration for the great leader of men by conferring on you honorary member-ship in all the societies, the highest honor in their gift and one hitherto never conferred on a single individual. Four thousand members of these societies were enrolled in the armed service of the United States, the greater part of whom had the glorious distinction to serve the common cause in France under your orders. They heard the voice and they saw the hand of the master as he led them through battle to victory. Now we desire that you will still continue to lead us, but in peace, by permitting us to inscribe your name at the head of our roll of honor, where it will be, as your deeds have been, an example to us to do better work, and where it will remain forever a noble inspiration for all future generations. Marshal, in the name of those members of the societies who served under your orders and particularly .in the name of those who fell on the field of honor in France, I salute you.