The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-04-24
Lessons Learned "0Ver There"
to Be Used in Making
of Maps.
WORK NOW WELL UNDER WAY
Plan Worked Out by Which Various
Government Boards Will Coop.
crate in Making Large Scale
Map of Country.

New YOrk.-While drawing I'D
summary of intelligence for corps of
maneuver in France last winter the
officer in charge found himself in need
Of little outside information. Turn
ing To his sergeant, he said: Sergeant,
where is the island of ST. Helena?"
Sir" said the sergeant, Il do not
know; but if the colonel will furnish
me with a car and a hachurcd map
I'll find it,"
Our three armies went to the front
with a supply of maps which contrib
uted nightly to our success. Last
| July, says the New York Post, the en-
| cheering council called President Will
sons attention to the lack of co-Ordina-
ton in the map-making agencies of
this country. The matter was not
piSeon-holed various bureaus were re-
quested to confer and decide upon a
general plan by which the work could
be carried on most expeditiOusly and
without overlapping or duplication.
To Map 100000 Square Miles.
To make large-scale maps of over
three million square miles of territory
is gigantic task. But it is hoped and
believed that it will be achieved. One
danger lies in REORGANIZATION. There
are at present no fewer than clever
mpp-making and three map-uSing
boards operating under government
control. 1t will readily be seen tha
the bureau of soils needs one kind OF
map, the bureau of Indian affairs an
other. But, except for highly special
lied work, the United States geological
survey would seem to be the lOgica
body TO prepare the standard tOpO
graphic maps. 1t has its own photo
photographic and engraving plants. an,
the maps ii has already produced hav
been declared by experts to be tn
equal of any.
Ii is safe 10 assume that ii was tn
excellence of detail of the maps ful
nished us by the allies that led III
conference TO feel that to do the wOr
for the whole country as France G
Germany had done it would take TO
much time. Better a map with fe'
details now than one with all in III
distant future. One-third of the are
of continental United States, eXclusiy
of Alaska, has already been mapped
this fashion. The establishment {
basic horizontal and vertical cOntro
is about half completed. And pla
has been worked out by which the val
Gus boards will cooperate. Making Il
e personnel permanent will do much
u standardize the work.
u Aerial Surveying.
le Revisions are TO be made as fast
% changes due to development occr
K There is to be central information ,
ID fee. not simply for the benefit of q
S. bureaus concerned. but for the gener
t. public as well. The general scale re
IT, commended is go 500; where larger
ut smaller scales are desirable a speci
n, corps will be appointed. Aerial survt
a. ing is TO play an important pa
Graphic scales in English and met
. units will be printed on all maps p
lie pared for general use, as well as d
gram of the control on which the m
er. is based, together with date of surv
and location of all permanent mar
That each map will explain the So
bols used hardly needs TO be point
ur out.
my In modern warfare the map is mi
nts powerful than the sword. Germa
mr. knew this. Prisoners captured fr
ion the Germans could locate any obJ'