December 



1909J 



A' A TURE 



129 



It was some time before this resolution produced 

 much effect, but eventually Great Britain published 

 a map of the United Kingdom on this scale, and 

 commenced the publication of maps of Africa and 

 Asia, while France and Germany commenced the issue 

 and the United States the preparation of maps on this 

 scale. Meanwhile the opinion of experts was coming 

 round to the view that for the map of the world uni- 

 formitv in many points other than scale is desirable. 



At the meeting of the International Geographical 

 Congress at Geneva in iqoS the subject was again 

 considered, and it was decided to recommend for the 

 1/1,000,000 scale map the adoption of a uniform 

 design, i.c, that the projection, methods of represent- 

 ing hills and other details, the conventional signs, 

 amount of detail to be shown, and other points should 

 be similar throughout. The various Governments 

 were asked to prepare specimens on the 1/1,000,000 

 scale to illustrate their views as to style, &c. 



Great Britain then invited the different Govern- 

 ments to appoint delegates to meet in London in order 

 to consider draft proposals, which had meantime been 

 elaborated, for the preparation of this map, and it 

 was the delegates appointed in response to this invi- 

 tation who recently met in London. The principal 

 Powers of Europe, the L'nited States of America, 

 Canada, and Australia sent delegates, and the per- 

 sonnel of the committee was so strong that its recom- 

 mendations must carry great weight. 



Its report has not yet been published, but it may 

 probably be assumed that the recommendations are 

 substantially as given in the Times of November 22. 

 These may be briefly stated as follows : — 



(i) The adoption of the modified polyconic projec- 

 tion, and the division of the map of the world into 

 sheets, each distinguished by a letter of the alphabet 

 and by a name. 



(2) A scale of kilometres, and, if desired, also of 

 feet, to be printed on each sheet. 



(3) .'\ltitudes to be given in metres, and, if desired, 

 also in feet. 



(4) Ground forms to be shown by contours in brown 

 and by coloured layers, as used jn Bartholomew's 

 maps and in some of the more recent maps of the 

 Ordnance Survey. The contours to be at 100-metre 

 intervals in the lower ground, and at greater intervals 

 in the higher ground ; ground forms not to be shown 

 at altitudes abov'e 7000 metres. 



(5) Water to be shown in blue, perennial being dis- 

 tinguished from non-perennial water, also navigable 

 from unnavigable rivers. Obstructions such as dams, 

 locks, &-C., to be shown, also fresh and salt marshes. 

 Depths below the sea to be indicated by blue contours. 



(6) Main roads to be distinguished from secondary 

 roads, railways in running order from those under 

 construction or projected; lines of telegraph, post 

 offices, boundaries, towns and villages, &c., to be 

 shown. A table of conventional signs was drawn up. 



(7) Names to be in Latin character in the form 

 adopted by the country in which the object is situated. 

 Special rules were drawn up for translating names 

 from other languages into the Latin character. 



I think that all geographers will agree that tl^ese 

 proposals, taken as a whole, are thoroughly sound 

 and worthy of the distinguished geographical experts 

 who form the committee ; but there are some details 

 of importance as to which assent to the proposals of 

 the committee is likely to be less general, although 

 probably the views of the committee will be widely 

 accepted. 



The scale of the map, about 1/16 inch to a mile, is 

 sufficiently small to make it difficult to show a great 

 deal of detail without overcrowding, and thereby de- 

 tracting from the clearness of the map. In many 

 countries it will be advantageous and also easy to 

 NO. 2092, VOL. 82] 



show without overcrowding, all the detail contem- 

 plated by the committee, but in closely populated 

 country such as parts of France, Germany, Great 

 Britain, and the United States, it will, at any rate, 

 be very difficult. If one studies the existing 

 1/1,000, coo scale map of England, which has perhaps 

 rather less detail than the scale will admit of, it will 

 be seen that the addition of much detail might over- 

 crowd the map. It is not suggested that the commit- 

 tee proposes to show too much detail, but there seems 

 to be a danger, unless great judgment is used, of 

 overcrowding the map in close country, and it is 

 to be hoped that in the preparation of the map of such 

 districts this danger will be recognised and care taken 

 to avoid it. 



Another point on which opinions will differ is the 

 recommendation that ground forms be shown by the 

 layer system. This system is better suited for country 

 with moderate altitudes, such as England, where it 

 answers well, than for a map of the world, in parts 

 of which the altitudes are great, and many would 

 prefer ground forms to be shown by contours and 

 shading. There is much to be said on both sides of 

 the question, but there are undoubtedly some advan- 

 tages in the method proposed by the committee, and 

 no doubt in the end its judgment will prevail. 



I will only refer to one other point, the only one 

 on which I feel a difficulty in agreeing with the 

 view of the committee. It is proposed to give all 

 altitudes in metres. Now the area of the countries 

 using the foot as a unit is very large, and the popu- 

 lation is large in proportion to the area. To this 

 large population the rendering of all heights in metres 

 would be a great inconvenience. I do not think that 

 on this scale it would answer to show, as has been 

 suggested, both feet and metres. The question arises 

 whelher on this point absolute uniformity is essential. 

 It appears to me that it is not, and that an endeavour 

 might be made to give the heights in metres in 

 countries in which the metre is the unit, and in feet 

 where the foot is the unit. Of course, some give and 

 take would be necessary in parts like the centre of 

 .\frica, so as to avoid numerous changes of unit, and 

 hence some countries would have their heights given 

 in the unit they are not accustomed to ; but this 

 would be a smaller matter than giving altitudes in a 

 unit unfamiliar to all countries using the foot. The 

 loss of uniformity which this would entail would, in 

 mv opinion, be a less evil than that of giving all 

 altitudes over a considerable part of the world, includ- 

 ing some of the busiest countries, in terms of a unit 

 not ordinarilv used in the business of the country. 



I have called attention to a few points in which 

 the proposals of the committee may be questioned, as 

 it seems advantageous that such points should be 

 discussed, but these points sink into insignificance 

 compared with the solid and undisputed value of the 

 work done bv the committee. The convenience of 

 being able to get a map of any part of the world, on 

 a reasonably large scale, uniform in style and execu- 

 tion with any other part, will be great to statesmen, 

 business men, travellers, and to all who use maps. 

 To statesmen they should be of special value. Inter- 

 national disputes and many mistakes have been 

 caused bv working on defective maps of varying 

 scales; when this new map is issued, as no 

 doubt it soon will be, one source of such errors 

 will disappear. It may be wondered now that 

 a uniform map of the world has not been sooner pro- 

 jected. None the less credit is due to those who 

 originated the idea, who persevered in advocating it 

 in spite of some discouragement, and have ela- 

 borated the details with such thoroughness as to make 

 the success of the map practically sure. 



DUNC.4N A. Johnston. 



