LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

Hon. GEORGE H. CARTER,

WASHINGTON, February 7, 1933.

Public Printer, Government Printing Office,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR SIR: Transmitted herewith is the proof of the proposed text of the new Manual of Style. Your Style Board and the Departmental Advisory Board unanimously recommend its adoption and publication.

The draft as recommended comprises certain prior decisions by you, general principles governing each element of style, a few simple rules based upon these principles, and examples illustrating the application of the principles and rules.

In compliance with your request a thorough revision has been attempted. That agreement upon details was not always unanimous is to be expected as long as style usages are in an experimental stage in which basic principles are incomplete or do not fully recognize purpose as the determining factor.

The English language is changing and your advisory groups have not ignored obvious trends in American usages, such as reducing punctuation consistently with clearness; rationalizing word formation, especially of compound words; wider use of the explicit arabic numerals as found desirable in technical text; reduced capitalization of common nouns derived from proper nouns, and liberalization of capitalization in titles where a distinct purpose is served, and other trends.

General principles constitute a novel element in style-manual practice. It was found wise to base rules of style on fundamental principles found or formulated as criteria for case decisions. Established practice, however, may resist change even where the rational decision is clear.

We emphasize the belief that rational principles based upon purpose to be served will bring about an enduring regularization of style to the extent possible in a developing language. It is believed that such principles should eventually replace personal judgment, even of experts, and case decisions based on arbitrary rules. The new Manual of Style hereby submitted will, it is believed, be a step in this direction.

The individual members of your advisory boards in reaching unanimity in recommending the new Manual as a whole necessarily gave up personally preferred usages to gain a more logical basis or a more nearly perfect agreement. It is hoped that all changes in usage will be found clearly in the direction of an improved style.

Respectfully submitted.

PREFACE

Section 12 of the act of Congress of June 25, 1864 (13 Stat.L. 186), provided that—

The forms and style in which the printing or binding ordered by any of the departments shall be executed, the materials and size of type to be used shall be determined by the Superintendent of Public Printing, having proper regard to economy, workmanship, and the purposes for which the work is needed.

The same language was repeated in section 51 of the Printing Act of January 12, 1895 (U.S. Code, title 44, sec. 216), except the title of Superintendent of Public Printing was changed to Public Printer.

In compliance with the law, numerous editions of Style Manuals containing information and rules concerning uniformity in Government printing have been issued at various times during the last half century.

In earlier years of the Government Printing Office, rules of style were posted for the information of compositors and proofreaders. Rules governing the printing of patent specifications, with a list of words and technical terms used by the Patent Office, were published in 1887 by the Government Printing Office. This Style Manual was revised and reissued in 1896. In the meantime, a Manual of Style Governing Composition and Proofreading in the Government Printing Office was prepared under the direction of the Public Printer and published in 1894. This book was the beginning of the regular series of Style Manuals for Government printing.

The Manual issued in 1894 contained 40 pages of rules relating to orthography, capitalization, compounding, tabular work, bills and other congressional publications, and suggestions for compositors, readers, and revisers. The preface to the first Style Manual stated that "clear and positive rules for composition and proofreading are needed in printing offices to prevent confusion and unnecessary delay and expense." Department editors were requested to make their copy conform as nearly as possible to the style presented in the Manual.

The Style Manual issued in 1900 contained 194 pages, the greater part of which consisted of decisions of the United States Board on Geographic Names. It is interesting to note that the 1903 Manual

retained the names of type sizes instead of using the point system, which it prophetically stated "is apparently destined to entirely supersede the old system."

The 1908 Manual of Style was "for use of copy editors, proofreaders, operators, and compositors engaged in the production of executive, congressional, and departmental publications." The list of Geographic Board decisions was omitted from this edition.

The Style Book of 1911 was designated as "a compilation of rules governing executive, congressional, and departmental printing, including the Congressional Record," and this language was repeated in subsequent revisions.

The revision of the Style Manual in 1922 was formally approved by the Joint Committee on Printing and was also approved and adopted by the Permanent Conference on Printing as "the style to be followed in all Government departments and independent bureaus on and after February 15, 1922." Revised editions were printed in 1924 and in 1926.

Heretofore all compilations and revisions of the Style Manuals have been made by a board composed exclusively of members chosen from the personnel of the Government Printing Office. An innovation was undertaken by the Public Printer in the preparation of the present Manual. By letter of September 23, 1929, the Public Printer invited the heads of several Government departments and establishments to appoint representatives on an advisory board to cooperate with the permanent Style Board of the Government Printing Office in a complete revision of the Manual. In acceptance of this invitation, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution kindly designated especially competent representatives to cooperate with the board of the Government Printing Office.

The two boards have worked diligently for many months in assembling data, studying authorities, formulating rules, and making decisions for this comprehensive Manual which, it is hoped, will materially improve the style of Government printing, as well as effect necessary economies in copy editing and authors' alterations.

It is gratifying to note that the letter transmitting the text of the new Style Manual has been signed by all the members of the two boards with a notation of reservations by only one member.

The Public Printer has accepted the report as submitted with the exception of a few modifications which he believes are essential to preserve the necessary uniformity in Government printing and to secure essential economies. The modifications of importance relate to the use of diacritical marks in geographic names and to a definite authority for spelling. The Public Printer believes that diacritical

marks in geographic names are not essential to general printing for the American people and that their adoption would unnecessarily increase the cost of Government printing. The Public Printer is also of the opinion that, following the uniform requirement of all Style Manuals issued in the last 40 years, a definite authority for spelling must be recognized by the Style Manual.

In submitting the new Manual for determining the forms and style in which printing or binding ordered by any of the departments shall be executed, as required by law, the Public Printer desires to express his thanks to the members of the departmental and the Government Printing Office boards whose diligent and efficient efforts made this book possible, and to the heads of the Government establishments who so generously cooperated with the Public Printer in the designation of members of the Advisory Board.

MARCH 1, 1933.

Chorge H. Carter.

Public Printer.