East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-10-14
D. W. FRANCIS iIl;! i;.-lyl COTTON

This trained corps OF Topographic en-
sineers and scientific men. aggregating 2Ss
officers and Hon-coms constitute most Of the
map ridklng arm OF the American EKpedi-
tionary Forces
The war service record Of the Survey and
especially Of It's topographic branch. tAa per-
sonnel Of which was changed over night
from peaceful citizeps into bustllng men in
khaki is probably unequailedr by any other
bureau OF the federal government.
The topographic branch has been training
its corps for thirty years morefn all parts
Of tho United States. including Alaska and
Hawaii. They have been making topographic
maps. the kind Of maps that are absolutely
necessary on any battle front
The corps has never been large. yet its
members have accurately mapped forty-two
per cent of tine United States. When the
Officers Reserve Corps act became a law. in
the summer of 1916. there were only Isl topo-
graphic engineers and 800 field assistants in
this branch of the Survey, yet ninety-five per
cent OF these engineers applied for and most
of them received commissions before war
was declared Only a very few OF the men
who had some minor physical defect failed TO
receive commissions.
The field assistnnts-rodmen. recorders.
chainmen and the like-went into the service
as prlvateB Many OF these men were college
graduates, and some soon became sergeants
and corporals. while few have since been
commissioned. ilt tt.t tttst
Three-fourths OF these Survey officers are
TO be found close 60 the battle line In France.
One Is major on General Pershins's STAFF.
The remaIEdeE are in the United states under
sne command OF Lieutenant Colonel Robert
d Snnf gsaii. chief geographer OF the Geoiogi-
&M Sp.vNS, who Is in charge Of all military
NGpUAnE bs1Ag done by the Survey for the
NaF peSaFamsnt.
ESa,Sr,,i AArsbau who Is one of the worlds
Kre@fEaG nAAahoritics geography and topo-
TvSphto mapping. has been a member OF the
TopoErapEiI branch fe- iwenty-nine years,
ard fer tho last ten years chief geographer
Of the Survey His work has taken him all
over the United States and even to Hawaii
Its swamps. deserts and mountain peaks are
as familiar to him as the average citizens
Backyard IS TO the latter. Eighteen years OF
Colonel Marshalrs service was in the West.
principally in California. He is a Nirginian
by birth
yeoman service In training green men in the
art of military mapping for Pershins's army
n Captain l.. +. Daniel. Of Washington, u. c..
who Is head OF the School OF Surveying Map
Reproduetion and Ranging al Camp Humph-
reys Captain Daniel Is the grandson OF Pro-
fessor James Daniel. who taught music for
many years in the national capital Before
entering the army he was In the employ Of
tbe survey for twenty-five yebry-R record
for length OF service only exceeded by Colonel
Marshall.
Most Of the field assistants OF the Topo~
Rraphio Branch who entered the army as pri-
yates Joined an engineer regiment and are
now in France. and some OF them. no doubt.
were with Lieutenant Kosta Mudd. OF La
plata. Nd, one OF the Survey officers who
won tha C,roix de Guerre while mapping under
fire This officer. who nearly lost a leg at
the time. was severely wounded. but con-
tinued to direct the work with which he
was charged In the race OF ueVlhsn not IRE
from the enemy.
The existence Of the Survey with a specially
trained body OF topographic engineers and
acientific men has provided the basis for
49,. a,,nnly Of military mappers for the Amer
tcap Army. Although organized for pursuits
Of an entirely peaceful nature their train
ing was such that they could be transformed
.,.r night into military units capable OF
S.raergnr invaluable service TO their country.
Iong years OF training and experience are
-sceasary 70 make the finished Topographic
- SSnaer and five minutes talk with any
snssoned campaigner of the western front
-, ,,ss,ce 10 convince the most skep-
tIcal newspaper man that there are no more
s.sportant men in our army than the engineer
= S,cers who have been commissioned from
a. limited states Geological Survey.
Thc training Of the military mappers Of
- v,odern armies does not differ in prin-
sS-.a from that received by the Topographic,
y cSs.ar, both must be woodsmen. water
sSssrt~~ r,ders swimmers, good shots, fisher
- raKff1ldeFs. living compasses, and
SeTpaI good oonamon sense scientific men,
- N their daily work they may be called on
= AZ aay6hinR frem tho least square adjust
s,,snt 10 fryinE the csh. waShing the clothes
- mAasalAS the muls- ~
srh. ,opoEruphio engineer Is a Jack of all
...ass ana good at most OF them. II he was
i,h ,ha Survey before entering the Amy, he
bss tented all the way from the snow and Ice
~ Alaaxa 70 the swnrnpS OF Florida. Work
,ne Up 70 his neck In mud AID water hanging
~ 10 trees on the side OF a preoipice at the
,iek of his neck or traversing miles of uneK-
ploTod deasrt. has been but one Of many In
nldsnts typical OF tho daily lives OF these
men, who are now engaged in mapptnS the
battle fields from verdun to the sea-
In modern warfare battles are literally
fought on maps They are absolutely indis-f
Densable. because the soldier, whether he be
he platoon leader or the divisional com"
nander, must know where he Is, where the
,nemy is and what's in front and back OF
him. The officer soldier that can MAKE
cad or understand or, best OF ALI remem-
,er what he sees on a Topographic map, has
he enemy at a serious disadvantage II he
annot do the same thing.
A Topographic map OF the world Is almost
q all embrasive as geography itself, which,
q Colonel Marshall points out. is simply
he worlds general term for maps" Such
nap does not show climate or people, but
9th may be Indicated thereon. topo-
ra phlc map is sketch OF a given area which
howH everything on the earth's surface la
heir true relation one TO the other. II eonld
how people or troops too. but u Wouia Dc
seless. as they would probably be gone the
ext day,
Definitions rarely convey an exact idea Of
hat wo mean. Therefore an Idea can prob
bly, best be gained OF Just what such map
J and what IL means in war by stating that
verybody has registered on his mind an
ccurats Topographic map Of the room In
Ihich he sleeps. and IL able TO get up In the
ark and make his way TO any object without
lumbllnR over the intervening tables and
hairs That is how we'll \ general or sub
rdinato officer should know the terrain over
hfn he expects 20 advance or retreat
In MODERN warfare everybody has . map
andy The soldier would no more think OF
owing about even on a ralding party With
= . map than ne would think Of moving
DOuf without q gas mask. II ne did, on
Ark night he would be just as apt 20 find
mself in the enemy lines AZ in his own.