GEOGRAPHIC NAMES-STANDARDIZATION SENATE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00631R000200190007-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 11, 2005
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 26, 1947
• Content Type: REPORT

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ONIDGRANHIC -INEANDAIWIZATION
SEA= CalITFIS ON PUNLIC LANDS
Senate Report No. 205, Pay 26 1947
The Senate Committee on PUblic Lands, to whom was referred the
bill (S. 1262) to provide a central authority for standardizing geo-
graphic names for the purpose of eliminating duplication in stand-
ardizing such names among the Federal departments, and for other pur-
poses, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without
amendment and with the recemmendation that it do peso.
The original Malted States Board on Geographic Names was created
by Mcecuttve order of President Benjamin Harrison to give official au-
thority to a spontaneously organised interdepartmental committee, with
the Object of bringing about "uniform usage in regard to geographic
nomenclature and orthography. * * * throughout the executive de-
partments of the Government" and deciding "all unsettled questions
concerning geographic namil which arise in the departments." At that
early date, it bad become apparent that confusion arising from incor-
rect or contradictory names for places and natural features was costly
to the Government and to the country at large, and that central au-
thority was required to decide upon names and their forms which would
_
be official for the use of the Government.
Two executive orders of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 en-
larged the duties of the Board, changed its name to the United States
Geographic Board and granted it adational advisory powers with re-
spect to map preparation. These latter powers were subsequently trans-
ferred by Uecutive order of President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, to
the Board of Surveys and Maps.
Until 1920 all expenses of the Board under the requirements of the
various Bkecutive orders had been met by the represented bureaus. This
unbusinesslike financing imposed real handicaps upon the work. In re-
cent years the desirtbility of Obtaining permanent legislative authoriza-
tion for the geographic-names work has been suggested by the Appro-
priations Committees of both House and Senate, and the enactment
of S. 1262 would provide the requisite statutory basis for the continuance
of a program which the Congress has considered worthy of Support.. for
more than 25 years, and would eliminate the possibility of a point of
order being made and sustained against a future appropriadon item
for this activity.
Further detailed information regarding this matter is carried in the
favorable report of the Interior Department to the Chairman of the
Senate Public Lands Committees which report is hereinbelow set forth
in full and made a part of this report:
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1. Performance of functions neoeseatY fQ
defense, end for orderly end effielent conduct
2* Centralization of authortty emit niworatiana;
3. Elimination of duplication Of sarsannal load ineVanas
4, Cootinuatioe of services that hare been rendered for mare than
50 years,
fhe bill is identical with** I 155 as animist aid reported out by
U0611120UX favorable vote by'ha louse 'Wile Lends Committee
bill before amemdment het billagiVeh UMMOUVOMO approval by the Ala-
visory Committee of the present Boort on Geographical Bless and nY
all the Federal agonies represented on the coseittee. It is believe&
that tho cmendeemts, incorporated in S. 1262, will be acceptable to al/
concerned..
More then helf a eenturY In 1890, the original Thit.d 8tets0
Board on Geogrephic Elms. wee created, by lbscutive order of President
Benjamin Morrison, to givecft.tcial *Authority to a spontaneously organized
interdepartmental committee object Of bringing about "uniform
usage in regard to geogrephie nomenclature ant orthograEhy* ? ?
throughout the emecutive departments of the Governeent" anti deciding
lall umeettled questions conoerning gengrephis names which arise in the
daVartmenta." It bed become apparent at that ser/V data that marnminn
arising from incorrect or comtradietor/ names for places and natural fee-
tures was costly to the Goverment ant to the country at large, and that
ft central authority was required to decide upon names and their forme
which woult be official for the use of the Goweemnent* Different news
or spellings for the *ems limes were being used on mewl issued by dif-
ferent agencies, or in puhlieations of a stogie ageney, and in some in-
stances even an the as gm. of a publication* la other cases where the
name was net in doubt its spelication variat greatly. One agency, for
instance, might apply a nem to the whole mares of a river, while en-
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other agency applied that name only to a branch of the same r1
such case* references to the feature bV flees were aibiguous s would
require a clarification which only an impartial central Brew vould be
Able to provide from data in its peedession or secured for the purpose.
Persons and business firms in commUnities where the post office name or
raibray station name or both are not the same as the community name
have experienced annoying and expMmAve difficulties and delays in the
delivery of mail and freight.
Two Exeoutive orders of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1936 en-
larged the duties of the Bowl, changed its name to United States Geo-
graphic Board and granted it additional advisory povers4ith respect to
map preparation. These latter powers were subsequently transferred by
Bxecutive order of President Woodrow' Wilson in 1919, to the Board of
Surveys and Naps. in 1934 President Vtanklin D. Roosevelt by Execu-
tive order abolished the United States Geographic Board and transferred 1
its poweres duties, records, and personnel to the Department of the In-
terior. The Secretary of the interior established a Division of Geographic
Names and =Advisory Committee on Geographic Names and provided
by departmental order in 1935 that these two units, together, should con-
stitute the United States Board on Geographical Names. In 1944 the
Secretary of the Interior provided by departmental order that the United
States Board on Geographical Names should be composed of a Division of
GeograY4Y and an advisory committee, and clarified the duties and rela-
tions of these two units.
Until 1920 all expenses at the Bawd under the requirements of the
Bboscutive orders had been met by the represented bureaus. This unbusi-
ness like financing imposed real handicaps upon the work. The first spe-
cific appropriation for the Board was made for 1920 for the publishing of
decisions. Beginning with 1927 the appropriation also covered salaries
and other expenses. Appropriations then were made continuously to the
United States Geographic Board until the transfer of its functions to the
Department of the Interior. Thereafter funds for the performance of
these functions were provided in the annual appropriations for the Depart-
ment of the Interior through 1947, with the exception of 1 year in which
the work was financed entirely from War Department appropriations. In
1943 the Corps of angina-era of the War Department offered to provide
through transfer the Amide necessary to reorganize and staff the agency
immediately on the expanded scale requisite to meet military and naval
neede. This was done, and other transfers have since been made to meet
like needs.
In recent years the desirability of Obtaining permanent legislative
authorization for the geographic -names work has been suggested by the
Appropriations Committees of both Rouses. The uncertainty as to the
legal authorisation for the work is also illustrated by the action teken
on the appropriation items. 'or 1946 a. request vas made for an appropria-
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tion for tbe DiViSiOU or Geograto enable it to render aid to civilian
agencies requiring information and decisions on disputa.. Mess, the War
Denertment having indicated its willingnesa to continue to finance the
heavy program required directly by war activities. In its report the
HOMO Appropriations Committee stated that it was "impressed with the
importance of the 'fork and the efficiency with which it is being Per-
formed," but to the position that the bier Department Mould continue
to provide the funds until after the oemsation of hostilities. The Senate
restored the item, and the conference committee agreed on a small appro-
priation for the maintenance of basic records and files and for work on
problems of agencies other than the War and Bevy Departments. When
the 1947 appropriation request wee submitted the House Appropriations
Committee granted a very modest sum for like purposes but this Item was
made the subject of a point of order on the floor of the Rouse and stricken
from the bill on the ground that the activity was not authorized by sub-
stantive legislation. The Senate again restored the item, and the amount
originally granted was agreed to in the conference committee, resulting
in an appropriation that can he considered only as a token that the func-
tions are essential in peacetime as well as in wartime.
The enactment of S. 1262 would provide the requisite statutory bails
for the continuance of a program vbioh the Congress has considered
worthy of support for more than 25 years, and would eliminate the possi-
bility of a point of order being made and sustained against a future ap-
propriation item for this activity. Row moot or how little might be made
available for the geographic-names work in aoy given year would be de-
termined annually by the Congress, in accordance with its judgment as to
the current needs for such work and over-all budgetary resources. The
functions provided for are essentially the same as those now being dis-
charged. Its provisions would codify, in statutory form, the duties which
the Division or cloograp4i, as the designated agent of the Secretary of the
Interior, and the Advisory Committee have been performing. Section 2
of the bill establishes a Board on Geographie.lismes to replace the present
Advisory Conmittee with increased duties and powers. The membership
of this Board would consist of representatives of certain Federal agencies
named or designated in the bill together with such representatives from
other Pederal agencies as the Secretary, upon the advice of the Board,
from time to time determined to be desirable.
Enactment of this legislation would not Invalidate decision', directions
and policies now in effect, since these would be affirmed under the new
authority. It should also be pointed out that there are circumstances
under which the use of the standard geographical names determined under
existing procedures, as confirmed by the bill, would be inappropriate,
sucih as in certain historical material*, documents requiring use of official
titles of countries instead or the names by which they are ordinarily
designated, or facsimile reproductions of non-Government material. It
may also be impracticable under some conditions for materials printed in the
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field br the armed forces in vrt1ae, toemploy only standard noses.
Tterpoomisions of the proposed on are sufficiently flexible to
permit each someptions to be determined administratively rather than
being permanently fixed by statute
Somme of the urgency of your request it hes not been possible to
clear this report through the Swam of the 1110det. Therefore, no
commitment can he na4e eeneerning the relationehip of the fOregoing views
to the program of the Pftellemd4
incermlY yours,
OSCAR L.MAMMAS,
Under Secretary ct the Interior.
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