South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-14
MAPS PLAY PART
IN PRESENT WAR
France Was Handicapped
During War of 1870 by
Lack of information.
international News Service

international News Service.
BERLIN. Jan. IA. - I'm modern
warfare. and especially in The pres
ent world conflict accurate maps
are the greatest auxiliary OF the
armies and they play far more
important part IN the operations
than the general public knows
without them success IS impossible
These maps are worked out with
Infinite care by special departments
OF the general stans of the armies
or the different countries. only Of
hcers E possessing special training
and knowledge are assigned 10 the
work
The first military Typographical
bureau was established by the gen
eral stan Of the Bavarian army
nea.ly "A century ago under the di-
rection Of Gen. Won Naus who also
became famous as mathematician
and daring mountain climber. other
countries. however. we're slow 90 fol-
low the example of Bavaria. IN
Prussia an exact Typographical sur
vey Of the country was not under
. taken by the general staff until
1882. About the SAME time the
leaders OF the Austro- Hungarian
army became convinced that the
maps then in existence were not
sumcieut for war. The Austrian
Typographical bureau was organized
in 1863 under the direction Of Capt
Julius Won Payer. who later became
famous as an arctic explorer France
waited still longer and as a result.
was badly handicapped i'm the war
. OF 1901 hy the lack of accurate
,naps In this war il is said the
F French officers were supplied with
pnaps OF Germany, but none of
1'rance.
During the last 30 years all coun-
tries are using the same system IN
the production OF the general staff
maps The method seems compli-
GATED. but is simple enough. First
the country is divided into trangles
the corners of which are marked 10y
church steeples. high poles, trees
and other landmarks. Ever one OF
these triangIes then is surveyed sep
.aratefY and again divided up into
EmaHeT strianEles The corners Of
rhese subdivisions are marked 10y
small square granite blocks which
are sunk into the groInd so that
only their tops are visible
After the subdivisions have been
laid out and marked the officers
entrusted with the work draw large
maps OF every one OF them. These
maps show the minuteest details of
together and reproduced ON "a small
er scale by expert draughtsmen. In
this manner am exact Typographical
picture of the largest triangIes. and
finally of the whole country is OBJ
tanned.
The general staff maps speak
language of their own This Ian
guage is very simple. but must of
course. be understood. Every object
in the territory covered by the maps
lis shown by certain signs. Pine
woods are marked 10y little sharp
cones other woods and trees by
groups OF small circles and dots ele-
vations by curves which show the
heights Of the hills. roads by double
and foOtaaths by single lines
There are also certain signs for
church steerles. mills. ponds. brooks.
and isolated farm houses. Nothing
is missing and a man looking al one
of these maps and understanding il
has the impression of flying over the
territory and looking down upon il
from a height
All maps of the general staff nave
10 be absolutely correct. They not
only form the basis for movements
of troops but also have TO be used
by the artillery i'm ascertaining the
distances and finding the range of
the positions OF the enemy. I'm this
respect the German maps have be-
come world famous. as they are
drawn with the proNerbial German
ihorouehness.