Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18

logne, Germany, is far better pleased
If the letters he receives from American
business houses, soliciting orders are
addressed to Koln, in accordance with
German spelling, rather than English.
Especially since the war there has
been an intensification Of nationalistic
consciousness. AS never before, people
have become insistent upon the proper
spelling and pronunciation Of the
names Of their cities and provinces An
outstanding example has been fur.
nished by Ireland. which has sub
stituted, for example. the old Gaelic
name Of Cobb for the English name
of Queenstown as the designation Of
that important port. Indeed, the Irish
Free State is requiring the Gaelic
tongue to be taught in its schools.
Spain is going through heated con-
troversy over the use of Castilian and
Catalan Spanish. Albania has made
the Albanian tongue compulsory In
most transactions.
American business men are willing
to meet these preferences. Americana.
themselves, would not be greatly pleased
II their letters were addressed to New
Spain instead of the U. s. A., or
Nuevo York instead Of New York.
Geographic Division Aids Business.
Their dificulty has been that they
simply did not knoy the actual names
Of important European cities. The fact
that Rome Is known as the Eternal
City seemed to be accepted as reason
for believing that the name should be
eternally spelled the same. 1t has taken
some time for American exporters to
learn that Italian customers are better
pleased If their city Is given its proper
spelling, Roma. And Florence on the
Arno, the city Of art galleries and cradle
Of the Renaissance, is properly Firenze.
Leghorn is Livorno and Venice VeneZia.
so 1t is all over Europe, from north to
south. Vienna is Wien and HelsingforS
Helsinski; Munich, Munchen.
Turkey very recently has shifted from
Roman, and this has brought about
many changes in transliteration. Here
an actual substitution Of characters in
creases the divergence, and the impor-
lance Of getting names correct increases
In proportion.
The Bureau Of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce maintains q special geo.
graphic division, in charge Of DR.. Helen
NJ. Strong. geographer. for the express
purpose OF informing American business
men Of these changes. Consuls, trade
attaches and various other American
representatives abroad constantly are
sending in corrections Of names Of
towns, cities and provinces, furnishing
correct local spellings. The slightest
boundary changes are reported and the
shifting of city from one political
Jurisdiction to another. Changes in
river courses are noted, opening Of new
canals, dredging of fresh channels, es-
tablishment Of new ports, closing of old
ones. Geography, especially as 1t af-
fects business, Is not static. Constant
change Is the rule.
The departments geographer advises
the commercial map publishers in this
country of every change, however slight,
with the result that every revision Of
aliases or single maps brings detailed
geographic accuracy.
A striking example of the superiority
which American maps now have at
tanned Is furnished by a comparison
of q standard map of England pub
nshed by an American company and
one published by an English company.
While equally accurate as to contours,
boundaries and such fundamentals, the
American map shows, on the same sized
sheet, 80 more cities and towns than
the English map. Conversely, o map
recently published by q famous foreign
firm Of mapmakers, purporting TO show
the City of Chicago, places that me.
tropolis In the State Of Wisconsin.