The Press: Rose-Colored Geography

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Nothing to Say. To stay abreast of the missile era, the Magazine has added to its list of contributors many a starlit name from the ranks of space engineers, e.g., Hugh Dryden and Heinz Haber, remapped the firmament in its monumental Sky Atlas (price: about $1,200), even peddled (for $2) a Sputnik-tracing kit for the edification of backyard satellite hunters. But it remains solidly indentured to the principles laid down by Gilbert Grosvenor years ago, still segregates advertising and editorial copy, runs no liquor, tobacco or real-estate ads, hustles no lagging subscriber, still refuses to say anything controversial or unkind of any individual, race, country or hemisphere. "I was always taught not to criticize other people," said Gilbert Grosvenor.

This rule gives an unrealistic hue to the Geographic's rose-colored world; the Geographic has not carried an article on Soviet Russia for 15 years. "How can we do it," said Editor Melville Bell Grosvenor, "without making it sound friendly?" The Geographic is trying, now has a Russian article in the works.

Editor Grosvenor, 57, happily follows the principles set by his father, believes that "controversy" should be left to other publications. Last week Geographic staffers, their faces solemn and awestruck as any tourist's, legged it eagerly through Jamaica, Yucatan, Cambodia, Hawaii, Chile, Australia, Italy, India and the South Seas. What they sensed and saw would be pleasantly and blandly recorded, at the Magazine's leisure, in some future issue. No rush about it: a magazine whose color inks are mixed to stay brilliant 2½ centuries cannot be expected to hurry.