Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18
AMERICAN MAPS EXCEL
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

The art Of map-making In the United
States from the original cartography,
based on surveys and topographic de-
colors has reached such a stage OF ex-
cellence that the American product now
Is conceded to excel all others. This
progress is evidenced by the facts that
American maps find an increasing sale
all over the world and that foreign map
publishers have decreased their produc-
ton, allowing longer periods to elapse
between revisions. They become fol-
lowers rather than leaders.
American-made maps now are &C
cepted as standard not only when they
depict American territories, but when
they show foreign and distant lands.
The science of geography has been
greatly advanced in the United States
in the last two decades, learned socie-
ties, the United States Government,
business men, and map publishers CO.
operating to this end.
The layman accepts q map as a mat
ter Of course. He knows the outlines OF
the several continents in q general way
and the approximate location in the
world Of the various countries and chief
cities. It Is only when actual travel,
war, or some aspect Of business arises
that maps are closely scrutinized. Then
It often is found that all maps do not
agree in all particulars. Americans
know more about geography today than
they did before the war, especially about
Europe. This Is due to the fact that dur
ing the war and the turbulent postwar
period people studied maps to locate the
scenes OF the exciting events Of the Pc
Rod. It has been said that the greatest
lesson Of the World War was the
geography lesson,
Recent adventurous explorations, es-
pecially those by air, have fastened
attention on the earth's surface and
millions OF people have learned much
about geography they never knew be-
fore. But it Is in modern business that
the most intensive study now Is going
on, and this business demand Is largely
responsible for the remarkable i'm
provement in American maps. With
the United States striving as never
before to extend world trade, and with
the older trading nations Of Europe
o6ering still competition, 1t is i'm
perative for Americans to know the
world geographically.
The bleak port Of vladivostok, closed
by ice in the Winter. Is south Of the
sunny. French Riviera geographically,
tempted to sell white fiannels and
straw hats to Vladivostok Russians and
furs and snowshoes to the people Of
the Riviera would likely 60 bankrupt.
It also is q good thing for the Aneri-
can exporter to know that the west
coast Of South America Is mostly east
| Of the east coast of the United States
and that the thermometer climbs to 90
| and 100 degrees In certain seasons in
| Alaska, while some towns near the
Equator have zero temperatures.
Local Place Names Now Used.
American maps tell this story in de-
tails never before so fully revealed.
The careful reader Of modern map
needs little other data to enable him
to envision the trade needs Of the
various places of the earth.
With competition so keen among the
manufacturing and trade nations Of the
world, the pleasing Of the prospective
customer in every possible way becomes
| q matter Of some consequence. Here,
too, American mapmakers have done
important service, relying in large part
upon the United States Government
for basic data. Proper names are not
spelled alike in all languages. Trans
Iteration into English works many
changes and In the past the English
versions have been used. It Is only
recently that American exporters have
discovered that the customer in Co.