192 THE NEW WORLD OF SCIENCE 



large block diagrams of certain territories which it was ex- 

 pected would be the subject of negotiation at the close of 

 hostilities. These block diagrams are with little doubt the 

 most detailed and exact ever prepared for any purpose. They 

 cover the region of northeastern France including Alsace-Lor- 

 raine, the Trentino, the Isonzo-Istria area involved in the 

 Adriatic dispute, Albania, and a large part of the Balkan 

 peninsula. Copies were distributed to commanders in our own 

 and the Allied armies, and served a useful purpose in enabling 

 officers to get a clear mental picture of the salient features of 

 the terrain on which they were operating. Inspired by these 

 diagrams, Dr. Kirk Bryan, a geologist serving in the American 

 Expeditionary Force, prepared a more detailed block diagram 

 of the Argonne Forest region, which was distributed to of- 

 ficers with an annexed explanatory description, as part of one 

 of the orders issued during the Argonne campaign. Thus the 

 geographical diagrams designed especially to elucidate prob- 

 lems of the peace were found to have a practical value in 

 prosecuting the war. 



The Peace Conference was one of the necessary conse- 

 quences of the war; and no account of the role of geography 

 in the world conflict would be complete which did not place 

 upon record the immense service rendered by geography in 

 the task of remaking the map of the world. Every delega- 

 tion to the conference included geographical experts, and 

 there gathered about the green table in different commissions 

 and sub-commissions De Martonne of France, Ogilvie of Eng- 

 land, Cvijic of Serbia, Romer of Poland, Bowman, Jefferson 

 and Johnson of America, and others from other countries. On 

 certain of the International Territorial Commissions constituted 

 by the Great Powers to draw the new frontiers of Europe, the 

 Secretary of State named American geographers to represent 

 the United States and to sit with diplomats of the stamp of 

 Tardieu, Jules Cambon, and Sir Eyre Crowe. President Wil- 

 son and the Commissioners frequently asked and acted upon 

 geographical advice in regard to the more difficult territorial 



