The Washington herald., 1908-07-09

1t is generally known that when Presi-
dent Roosevelt issued his "simplified"
spelling ukase to the various executive
departments. a few years ago, he in
cluded with II also the Idea that all off,
cial correspondence and records be
couched in plain English. excluding all
unnecessary foreign words. and that they
be written in language easily read and
understood by everybody.
The two other branches OF the govern
ment have disagreed with the President
on his slmplhed spelling hobby; the
United States Supreme Court and the
Congress Of the United States. including
both Houses, declined 10 indorse his or
der.
! All the departments saw the wisdom OF
Immediately adopting the Presidents
view. and adjusted their official vocabu-
larry. IN keeping with Mr.. Roosevelt's 8
Idea, irrespective Of the Queens English
or the English OF the immortal bard OF
Avon, or the good, old United States OF
our own Noah Webster. OF dictionary
fame
I
President Roosevelt had the support, II
such was needed. OF Andrew Carnegie. OF
skibo Castle. and OF Prof Brander Mat
| thews. and II was said at the time that
the school board trust had hopes that
universal spelling reform would necessl-
| tate the issuance OF new school books.
| printed in the new language. all over the
| Il
and dependencies.
But the Supreme Court and Congress
still cling 10 the English which was
used by Thomas Jefferson when he
penned the Declaration of Independence.
The executive departments, however,
which are directly under the Jurisdiction
Of the President as the Chief EXecu-
! tive OF the country. are faithfully and
! literally carrying out the Presidents or
ders and Ideas as regards the use of
simplifed English words IN official rec
Ords. documents. and correspondence.
A fair Illustration Of the Presidents
English as used in the departments is
given by Wardeii Stiles. chief of the
Division Of Zoology, Hygienic Labora-
tory OF the Public Health and Marine
Hospital Service. In a report on The
common tick Of the Bitter Root Val
| ley"
Ticks and Spotted Fever.
DR.. Stiles introduces the tick by say
ing that some confusion exists relative
to the specific identity Of the common
tick. which has been shown expert
mentally to transmit Rocky Mountain
spotted fever. The learned professor
goes on 10 say that this confusion Is
! due 20 the fact that il is often exceed
| ingly difficult to distinguish one species
OF tick from another Mr.. Stiles says
that after making a careful study Of a
large number OF specimens from Mon
tana, he is now thoroughly convinced
that the tick in question represents
distinct species.
Dr. Stiles has taken great pains 20
dissipate the confusion existing relative
10 the specific Identity Of the tick fam
ily by making il plain IN "simplihed"
English which is which, or who is who.
in the tick family. Prof Stiles conforms
in his report strictly to the Presidents
order 20 use the new English and ex-
clude all unnecessary foreign words
Example of "PIaIn" English.
DR.. Stiles reported TO his chief. Walter
Wyman. surgeon general and chief OF
the Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service. his elucdation on the tick. He
said. in part:
''rhe species with which Il is most
easily confused are DermacentOr occl-
dentalis OF California. d. parumapertus
OF California, and d. venustus Of Texas.
1T differs from D. Occidentalls In hav-
ing short, instead of long, dorso-ateral
prolongations OF the base Of the capltu-
lum. and in having a blade-lke proml-
nence instead Of a prominent spur on
the dorsodistal portion Of trochanter I.
1t differs from d. parumapertus and
ID. venustus In form and size Of stigmal
plate and arrangements OF the 'goblets.'
TN the male OF d. ardersoni the dorso-
lateral prolongation OF the stigmal plate
shows decided tendency to form a
right angle with the body OF the plate.
while IN the female II forms an acute
angle. Further the 'goblets are much
more numerous and crowded than in
either d. parumapertus or d. venustus."
After reading Of dorsO-lateral prolonRa-
tons, and long ones at that the person
who did not before grasp the situation
will now go home I'm peace and eniov him
self in the bosom OF his family His wife
will beam upon him as she notices that
the burrows upon her dear husbands
noble brow are losing their tensity. their |
ill-boding depths.
This Spur Wasn't Lost.
DR.. Stiles speaks Of a prominent spur
on the dorso-distal portion Of trochan- |
ter The spur was always supposed 10 |
have been lost in the wet spring Of 1874 |
or thereabOuts. but Dr. Stiles explains |
in the plainest Of English that II Is really |
on the dorso-distal portion Of trochanter
J. How refreshlngly enllghtenlng,
The scientist Roosevelt. grammarian /
and linguist DR.. Stiles sheds much needed |
light on the question. and again dissipates /
the confusion which he said had always |
obfuscated everybody's understanding. bv |
saying that 1T differs from ~ paruma- |
pertus and d. venustus in form ana size /
of stigmal plate and arrangements Of the |
'goblets. The younger generation, by |
this explanation, will at once realize that /
there must have been lunch or possibly a |
picnic somewhere. because Dr. stiles |
mentions plates and goblets, which are |
plain English words, sure enough.
Sent All Over Country.
The public health reports are issued |
by the Public Health and Marine Hospi- |
tai Service every week. and are distrib- /
uted to the branch Offices in all parts OF |
the United States IN order TO make its
officers acquainted with the latest dIscov- /
cries and results of investigation on |
matters pertaining 10 the conservation |