Loved your comment about "Neanderthal relatives." Yes, this practice is indeed antediluvian. My colleague editors will feel vindicated when they see your comments. We're just hoping our customer doesn't go searching in US government surplus warehouses to supply us with IBM Selectrics with correction tape! (We do use left-aligned text in all documents.)

When we first heard about the directive, I went searching online, and found a lengthy blog about the horrors of the American Psychological Association's recent change to its guidelines to put two spaces after periods. Don't know what could have possessed them, and I sure hope AP doesn't follow their lead. But, of course, to us it makes no difference. We have to dance to the tune given to us, regrettably.