Evening star., 1933-03-30
MARTIN OUTLINES
GEOCRAPHY'S USES
Holder of New Chair at L.
brary of Congress a Ver-
SatiIe Scientist.

Col. Lawrence Martin, geographer
and geologist, who is to hold the new
chair of geography, established at the
Library of Congress by gift Of the late
James BENJAMIN Wilbur, in his leisure
hours may smoke a corncob pipe and
drive a 1907 Ford, but he Is thoroughly
up-to-date in the sciences to which
he devotes his time and principal en-
ergies. He is one of the most highly
skilled map men in the United States,
but is as reticent as hermit IN dis
cussing his talents.
He was born at Stockbridge, in the
Berkshire hills of Massachusetts,. on
St Valentines day, 1880, the son OF
William Proctor and Fannie Maria
Hare Martin, and was educated at
Cornell and Harvard. From 1905 to
1919 he taught at the University OF
Wisconsin, moving up through the
grades in the departments OF geology
and geography and serving as geolog1st
of the State survey. The World War
called him out Of the academic clols-
ter, and he entered the Army as lieu
tenant In 1917. He was captain and
then a major before the end OF 1918,
and since 1921 has been lieutenant
colonel in the Military Intelligence, o.
ficers' Reserve Corps. He was on outy
at general headquarters OF the A.
E. F., was an expert attached 10 tne
American Commission to Negotlate
Peace, was sent all over Europe-ltaiy'
Austria, Hungary, Germany, Eussla,
Turkey, Armenia-on ohclal MISSIONS
incident to the treaty OF Versailles, tne
treaty of St. German, ETC., and was an
adviser to the Department OF state IN
q long list of negotiations.
With Geological Survey.
In the field he served with the United
cNscsx Geological Survey from time
to tirnu between 1903 and 1924, in New
York. PENNSYLVANIA, the Lake Superior
region. and AIassa. He was with the
American Geographical Society party
in Alaska in 1905, and was leader OF
the National Geographic Society expe-
ditions in Alaska in 1909. 1910, l9ll
and 1918. He was drafting ofilcer OF
the Department of State, 192O-l924, ana
Geographic Board since 1921 ana OF
the Board Of Surveys and Maps since
1927. He was geographer OF the In
stitute of Politics. Williamstown, Mass,
1921I927, and was active in the Ma
tional Research Council, 1917-1918 and
l923-1928. An expert assistant In the
Minnesota Wisconsin boundary case,
1917. he had a similar relation to the
Wisconsin, Michigan litigation, 1928
1925, and participated in the prepara-
ton of the Palmas Island arbitration,
1925-1927, and the Great Lakes level
case, 1927-1928. He was chief delegate
of the United States to the first Gen
eral Assembly of the Pan-American In
stitute of Geography and History, Mex
leo City, 1929.
In some unknown way he has found
time to lecture at Johns Hopkins,
GEORGETOWN and Clark Universities and
at the University of California, as well
as to make many maps and to edit a
yeritable battery of studies, surveys,
memoirs and other publications. He
has had his share in most of the i'm.
portant geological and. geographical
enterprises of the past 80 years, and his
points of contact with both sciences
and the professional societies dedicated
to their advancement are multltu-
dinous.
Defines Geography.
Asked to define geography for the lay
reader, Col. Martin said: 1T is the
science of knowing why things are
where they are" A broad smile ac-
companied the remark. "The die
tionary," he added, calls it the science
that describes the surface Of the earth.
with its various peoples, animals and
@,t,,ro1 y,rod,,ctc'
There are several different kinds Of
geography, he explained, including
those known as applied or commercial,
astronomical or cosmical, biological or
organic. botanic, mathematical, phys
ical, political and human, Sthe three
last named varieties being those in
which he is more particularly inter-
ested.
whats the use Of geography?
What practical value has it," he was
asked.
Col. Martin replied, "I will give you
an illustration. Not long ago there
was a disagreement between the States
of New Jersey and Delaware concern
ing the oyster beds in Delaware Bay.
The question was: Are the beds in the
territory of the former or in that OF
the latter? Does the arc which Is the
northern boundary Of Delaware stop
in the middle Of the bay or does 1t con-
tinue to the edge Of tidewater on the
far side? Each State built up great
body of evidence to support its claims,
and the matter came to the Supreme
Court for decision. Obviously, maps,
old and new. we're called for. Alto
gether, several hundred different maps,
some dating back to the seventeenth
century, were wanted. We had rs OF
these in the division of maps OF
the Library of Congress. was sum-
moned to testify regarding them. A
practical point at issue was whether
or not the oyster industry was to be
taxed by New Jersey or by Delaware.
The geographical evidence was an i'm
rcG sant factor in the problem. Every
ci zen of both States Of course. was
in. rested. The problem touched the
pocketbook of each"
Stresses Interpretative Work.
Further instances were recounted to
exemplify the utility of geographical
research and Interpretation. COL Mar
tin stressed the interpretative side Of
the work. 1T is apparent" he said,
that some one must study the maps
available, some one must know what
they mean, must know the history Of
their making, their relation to other
maps. their degree of accuracy and
credibility. Not every one is qualified
to judge the value of map. Here at
the Library of Congress We have more
than million and quarter individual
maps, about 10000 aliases of various
kinds, and numerous geographic books
and periodicals. The lay student is
overwhelmed by the sheer quantity Of