Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-17
LOOK AT THE MAP!
That Ouce.Insistent German Injunction May
Now Be Proftably Observed by Her Foes

TlHOSE excellent map makers, the Ger
- mans, have long been justly proud of
useful talent. Sometimes within the
last four years they have even suggested
their skillfully drawn productions as food
substitutes. When bread ran low, "Look
at the map!" rang like clarion through
out the empire. Handsome specimens of
cartography were displayed. The gen.
eral staff stuck some of the finest speci-
mems full IF pins, while humber but
still carefully wrought copies exhibited
their bulging boundary lines to an
underfed populace.
Just at present those German master
pieces would have for us a particular
charm and interest. If their virtues have
been correctly reported these works are
at once detailed and comprehensive.
The fake frontiers and apocryphal mon
arches which such maps attempt to
define need not bother US. We could
scratch them out. 1t is the genuine facts
revealed which interest us. Teuton land
charts are said to bristle with them, and
in the immediate whirligig of the war,
especially with respect to Russia, any
authentic detail may be of prime import.
Since, however access to the gems of
Hun craftsmanship is at present out
of the question we must fall back on our
own resources, and equipped with them,
the conceit that we have gorgeous
German map of "Eurasia" spread out
hato n1 c+i
lus.
The real task begins in trying to keep
our supposed model up to date Topo-
graphically what was once the Russian
empire will be quite the same tomorrow
as at this writing. Politically and mill
tarily, the dotted lines, arrows and
shaded portions are likely to wriggle all
out of shape in an instant. The safest
plan is to confne ourselves strictly to
the facts of August II, 1918.
Far up to the north and pointing from
Archangel to Vologda, which lies about
half way between Moscow and the
| Arctic, we can insert a little arrow. 1t
represents an Allied army. Drawing a
white circle around the Kremlin city can
indicate that the black stain of the Boil
| sheviki has been effaced here. We
reserve an ink spot for Kronstadt,
alleged present refuge of Lenine, Trotsky
and fleet manifcstoes.
To the east, backed up against the
Uraf rampant, is Ekaterinburg, occupied
by the much-traveled Czecho- Slovaks and
worthy of another significant dart indie
ative of pro-ally sway.
Now take scrupulous glance at that
vast low-lying inland lake, called the
Caspian Sea. The inhabitants of its
shores struggle against climate almost
as irritating as Philadelphia
in summer, bitterly 'frigid in the winter
months. But that circumstance is imma.
terial. The supreme interesting fact
about the Caspian littoral is Baku
center of an oil country second only in
This inland seaport has direct rail con.
nection with the Black Sea and posses.
sion of this vital line virtually insures
control of Baku's chief export. And the
English, dramatically appearing from
the Persian table land, have reached
Baku.
We outline another arrow for another
army. Observe closely that all these
military darts point inward toward Great
Russia, almost the only section of vast
continental domain which has not yet
entirely overthrown the anarchic Soviet
rule.
Outside Muscovy proper it is also pos.
sible to sketch in vivid scenes. General
Otani's army and some Philippine troops
are at Vladivostok, and their presence
warrants still another arrow. Around
Lake Baikal, in Central Siberia, dark
shading can be made to denote the Bol.
sheviki's lingering presence, but threat.
ened by another knot of Czecho- -Slovaks
West Of all our inscribed interpola-
tions one may descry Central Europe
which first gave us the notion of look.
ing at the map. Its Kaisers are now in
session planning rickety thrones and
hypothetical kingdoms, while their west.
ern armies are being pushed back toward
the Netherlands" Time was when, save
for the sea chart, we felt disinclined tc
thrust a map under their infatuated
eyes. There would be some zest in such
an act now, especially if the masterpiece
of drawing were of Teutonic lucidity ant
duly amended by the annotations anc
embellishments herewith suggested.
However remote the victory over bar
barism may be, we are no longer atlas
shy. Map study, once the German spe
cialty, may now be pursued by US will
profit and on occasion with something
akin to glee.
| IIanr,. Enrd Ira q rlIr q b,