The log cabin Democrat., 1916-02-02
MAKING WAR MAPS
Only Officers of Special Training
 Assigned to Work.
Every Object in Territory Covered Must Be Shown With Accuracy Maps of Vast Importance in
 Modern Warfare.

Berlin-In modern warfare, and fict, accurate maps are the greatest auxiliary of the armies and they play far more important part in the opera tions than the general public knows. Without them success is impossible.
 These maps are worked out with infinite care by special departments of the general staffs of the armies of the different countries. Only officers pos sessing special training and knowledge are assigned to the work.
 The first military typographical bu- reau was established by the general staff of the Bavarian army nearly a century ago under the direction of General yon Naus, who also became fa- nous as mathematician and daring mountain climber. Other countries, however, were slow to follow the ex- ample of Bavaria. In Prussia an exact typographical survey of the country was not undertaken by the general staff until 1862. About the same time the leaders of the Austro-Hungarian army became convinced that the maps then in existence were not sufficient for war. The Austrian typographical bureau was organized in 1863 under the direction of Capt Julius von Payer, who later became famous as an Arctic explorer. France waited still longer. and as a result was badly Handicapped in the war of 1S70-71 by the lack of accurate maps. In that war it is said the French officers were SUD- piled with maps of Germany but none of France.
 During the last forty years all coun- tries are using the same system in the production of the general staff maps. The method seems complicated, but is simple enough. First the country is divided into triangles, the corners of which are marked by church steeples, high poles, trees and other landmarks Every one of these triangles then is surveyed separately and again divided up into smaller triangles. The cor ners of these subdivisions are marked by small square granite blocks, which are sunk into the ground so that only their tops are visible.
 After the subdivisions have been laid out and marked the officers in trusted with the work draw large maps Of every one of them. These maps show the minutest details of the land scape and are then joined together and reproduced on a smaller scale by eX- pert draftsmen. In this manner an exact typographical picture of tho larger triangles, and finally of the whole country, is obtained.
 The general staff maps speak a lan- guage of their own This language is very simple, but must. of course be understood. Every object in the terri tory covered by the maps is shown by certain signs. Pine woods are marked by little sharp cones, other woods and trees by groups of small circles and dots. elevations by curves which show the heights of the hills, roads by double and footpaths by single lines.
 There are also certain signs for church steeples, mills, ponds. brooks and isolated farm houses Nothing is missing and a man looking at one of these maps and understanding it has the impression of flying over the ter ritory and looking down upon it from a height.
 All maps of the general staff have to be absolutely correct. They not only form the basis for movements of troops, but also have to be used by the artillery in ascertaining the dis tance and finding the range of the po- sitions of the enemy. In this respect the German maps have become world famous. as they are drawn with the proverbial German thoroughness.