184 THE NEW WORLD OF SCIENCE 



tiveness of artillery operations. It was, therefore, necessary 

 to make new surveys back of the front, and up to the limit of 

 observation of the terrain held by the enemy, in order that both 

 at that time and in case of a future enemy advance the enemy 

 would be on ground of which the Allies should possess accurate 

 maps. 



The section of Cartography, with its subsections on Draw- 

 ing, Photography, Engraving, and Printing, handled the gigan- 

 tic task of publishing the incredible "quantities of maps needed 

 by every branch of the French and Allied armies; for the 

 Service Geographique served not merely the needs of its own 

 armies, but placed its facilities at the disposal of its Allies 

 whenever this would contribute to the success of the common 

 end. The magnitude of the cartographic work performed by 

 the Service Geographique could only be appreciated by one 

 who saw day after day, great auto-trucks being loaded with 

 maps to be despatched to the various army headquarters. Map 

 printing establishments throughout the country were comman- 

 deered by the army, and it was practically impossible at that 

 time to get a map printed anywhere in France without an army 

 order. All of this work was, of course, in addition to the large 

 number of maps of all kinds prepared and printed by the 

 different army headquarters at the front. 



Maps of foreign countries were purchased or reproduced 

 under direction of the section of " Cartographic Etrangere." 

 In addition there was a section to handle the geographic equip- 

 ment (field glasses, surveying instruments, instruments required 

 in the artillery service, etc.), a Printing Section, a section to 

 prepare geographic monographs of countries where the Allied 

 armies might operate, and a section to construct relief models 

 of all the battle fronts. Those who have imagined that the 

 fighting forces of our Allies paid little heed to the geographer 

 and his science, may well stand amazed at the scope of the 

 organization of the French Service Geographique. 



Across the street from the main headquarters of the Service 

 was an ordinary French apartment house of the older type, 



