The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 200 The Educational Screen Maps and the War A discussion of the significant role played by maps in the present war which will enlarge the average reader's conception oi what maps can accomplish. WILLIAM M. GREGORY Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio THE map is a visual tool to present geographical facts graphically. From the earliest date maps have shown earth facts of place, size, distri- bution and ownership. Land survey maps were our greatest interest during our land hunger when we were exploring, expanding and exploiting our re- sources. During our expansion, other nations were exploiting and mapping the world. The superior world maps were made in Germany, just as the best sailing charts were English and the finest as- tronomical charts were French. The Germans were late colonizers and they started World War I to obtain more land. They lost what they had and Haushofer ascribed their defeat to a lack of "global" understanding. The plan for World War II was laid by Pro- fessor General Haushofer as he developed along with the maps a pseudo-science, "Geopolitics," which is a loose combination of geography, economics and world politics. Geopolitics con- sists of half facts and aspirations that are organized to inspire and justify German conquest by might, terror and deceit. Haushofer and his school have used many slogans to inspire and arouse his people. These have been applied to maps in a most effective manner. Such as "Blut und Boden" (race and soil), "Macht und Raum" (power and area), and the more familiar, "Lel)ensraum" (living space for Germans.) In connection with the latter, it should be noted that little Belgium has twice the density of pop- ulation of Germany. Maps have been given great importance by Haus- hofer who considers every political map a propa- ganda weapon and he outlines the following rules for producing the most effective propaganda maps: 1. Each map must have a single theme and point to a single conclusion. 2. The intended effect should be visually obvious without study by the user. 3. Aspirations as well as facts are suitable for maps! 4. Dynamic maps should be distinguished from the static maps. 5. Color is used for emphasis and always red for Germany to give the impression of its strength! 6. The best geopolitical maps are those without labels. 7. The map may be made to show the third di- mension so as to lift the political above the physical features. (This is applying the block diagram to political geography.) The above specifications as suggested by Haus- (1) Small State Threatens Germany, from Survey Graphic, Oct. 1941 —a Typical Haushofer Suggestive Map. hofer are useful to those who use propaganda maps as was done by the German Library of Information of New York. Likewise these specifications should be in the mind of those who use maps for in- struction as an aid in detecting the errors of the geopolitical maps. Such over-simplified maps leave out much of the truth regarding the conditions of many geographical problems. The less of the real geography that a propaganda map shows the more likely will its false ideas be conveyed to the user. The dynamic or "suggestive" map is designed to inspire action by the user. These suggestive maps are regarded by Haushofer as the most effective method of getting the mass of people to accept ideas. The German dynamic maps are made to inspire and encourage many kinds of aggression, expansion, encirclement, penetration, infiltration, missioning, absorption, etc. Repro- duction of such maps in the news and in school books has given wide publicity to many half truths, among the youth and the adults of Germany. To make the dynamic map effective a few simple symbols are used to indicate,action. Of these the arrow is a good example with its heavy barb, double barb, double, curved and broken shank. All these forms, and many others, have been given definite visual meaning on skillfully drawn maps. The simple basic symbols are often united into forms with clear geometric patterns which sharpen and make more clear the intent behind the map. Besides the many small symbols to suggest ideas, the Germans use large mass signs. (1) In the Czcho- slovakia map, Germany is covered with the Czech war planes which threaten destruction of Germany! This map was designed to hide the danger to the Czechs of the vast hordes of German planes. In addition to the simple symbols the Germans have, employed pictographs on their maps. This pictorial method of presenting statistics was "borrowed" from Otto Neurath of Vienna and has been used among the German elementary schools and the masses. An- other clever visual tool is the political manometer which shows the geopolitical condition by combining