The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-09
VERITABLE BABEL
AT THE congress
Confusion of Tongues
Where GeOgrapherS Meet.
THE ENGLISH BOTHERS THEM
Learned Papers on ChartOgraphy, Accu-
racy of Instruments, and Photog-
raphy-Diplomatists Present

Confusion Of tongues has early made
itself apparent in the sessions Of the
eighth international congress now meet
ing here.
Outsiders participating at some Of the
conferences have called It a modern
Tower OF Babel"
English is the language adopted as a
standard for the congress. but there are
almost as many European delegates as
there are Americans and Englishmen.
and the foreigners have decidedly
disadvantage Some Of them even gave
up in despair even attempting to read
their papers in English. though they had
I'm some Instances rehearsed IL. and they
read them in their own tongues instead.
Imagine the CONSERVATION IF some who
only knew plain American
Fortunately the scientists are all men
OF wide culture and the ma jority were
not feazed by French or German.
First Time in America.
This is the FIRST time the geographers
have ever met outside OF Europe. which
has caused the pTedominance of the
Eng,ish-speaking delegates TO be par
ticularly trying To- the men who were
accustomed TO using French and Ger
man entirely before foreign audience,
hungarian, Swedish. Spanish. Italian.
Japanese. and even Russian are all on
tap at the conference. and when the ac-
tual business sessions are over, and the
delegates gather in groups for friend
ly converse tion such a clamoT and hur~
ly-buIly OF different tongues has seldom
heen heard. Officially, the accepted Ian
guages at the congress are French, Ger
man. English. Italian, and Spanish. In
all OF these. communications may be adj
dressed in formal manner to the con-
gress. Spanish was specially recognized
81 this congress as 4 matter of courtesy.
in order that the geogra phic societies Of
the New World may fully utilize the
opportunity afforded for establishing
closer relations with the Old World.
Session of Today.
Today's business session began
promptly AT 10 O'CLOCK at the George
Washington University lecture hall.
Commander Robert r. Peary. president
OF the congress, called the meeting 20
order and resigned the chair to G. x.
Gilbert. acting president OF the Ma
uonal Geographic Society.
IA the audience were "a number of
prominent diplomats. Sir Chentung
liaus Cheng. ~ his long robes Of state
occupied "a chair. while a representa-
tive OF the japanese legation. the ItaI-
ian embassy. and other foreign Offices
mere present
The wives and 1aughters Of several Of
The foreign deieg2Ses were also no
4ce2Dle among the spectators. In
handsome European toilettes they &C
companied their husbands TO the con-
ference. many OF them remaining
through the entire morning session. ia
spite Of the teChnicality Of the mat
ters discussed. There were several dis
iinguishcd French women present. They
came with their husbands 10 this coun-
try 20 make the tour Of the United
States. which this years congress in
cludes.
They Use Big Words.
~Ologies~ and Biographies" in all
shades Of pronunciation were handed
backward and forward this morning
ia the discussion of the various papers
read 81 the first general session. and in
the sectional meetings held afterwards
one paper Of particular interest read
this morning was that OF DR.. Albrecht
Penck. a distinguished map maker Of
Vienna. who has devoted years Of labor
uniform scale
Heretofore many different scales for
making maps have prevailed In differ
ent countries. In some cases an inch
represented mile. or half an inch a
hundred miles. IL WAS Impossible FOR
the scientific geORrapher 10 obtain a
map all based on the same scale
Prof Penck $ plan as outlined today
Is 10 make a world map on a ratio Of
one 10 q million. He has already Sc
cured the assent OF France. Germany.
ana Great Britain 10 the scheme. ana
his plea today was for America TO
adopt q uniform scale with the Euro
pean countries. DR. Peuck showed six
ty-two sectional maps already com
pleted according to his plan The en-
a frfH
an acre.
Accurate Instruments.
Or. Adolf Marcuse. a distinguished
German scientist. told Of the wonderful
developments recently made in the ac
curacy OF instruments for making as
Economical observations. Ia Colum.
bus day. he said. the mariner could
calculate no more accurately than hall
n degree Of latitude. Today the instru-
ments have been made which rncssur,
one-twentieth Of a second
Arthur q. Wheeler q Canadian ~.
plorer. who did important work in max
ing the surveys for the Internationa
boundary Commission by which I'M,
United States and Great Britain cam.
= an understanding as 10 the bounda RE.
Of Alaska. told Of the marvellous ait
rendered him in his work BY a camera
IN piercing the trackless wastes a nd
climbing untrod mountains he had beer
able 3y the use Of photography. he said
greatly 10 expedite the work OF sur
veying. photographic the topography
OF the country as he Went along
Prof j. +. Hayford. Of Washington
told Of recent progress I'm geOdetic sur
vey work
p f. Matthies gave views Of expIora
lions along the Colorado canyon.
Carroll -. vi .ght. Commissioner O
Labor In Washington, submitted pape
on Topographic Investigation OF "COun
tries Without Censuses Pc
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