UTILIZATION OF BRAIN POWER IN ARMY 207 



merits appear. This fact is strikingly exhibited by Figs. 

 8 and 9, of which the former shows the proportions of 

 high grade and of illiterate or foreign soldiers in the 

 various companies of an infantry regiment. Compare, for 

 example, the intelligence status of C and E companies. 

 The former happens to have received only 3 per cent, of 

 A and B men along with 38 per cent, of illiterates and 

 foreigners, the latter received by contrast 29 per cent, of 

 high grade men with only 9 per cent, of men who are as a 

 rule difficult to train. It is needless to attempt to empha- 

 size the military importance of this condition. The tasks 

 of the officers of these two companies are wholly incom- 

 parable, but more serious even than the inequalities in 

 response to training are the risks of weak points in the 

 army chain as a result of such random or unintelligent 

 assignment. 



Naturally enough the officers of the army were quick 

 to appreciate the disadvantages of a method of assigning 

 recruits which permits such extreme inequalities in men- 

 tal strength to appear and persist. They promptly de- 

 manded the reorganization of improperly constituted units 

 and assignment in accordance with intelligence specifica- 

 tions so that the danger of weak links in the chain and of 

 extreme difference in rapidity of training should be mini- 

 mized. 



That serious inequalities existed in regiments as well 

 as in smaller units prior to assignment on the basis of in- 

 telligence is proved by the data of Fig. 9, which records 

 the differences found in four infantry regiments and three 

 regiments of field artillery. 



Following the demonstration of the value of psychologi- 

 cal ratings in connection with assignment, the experiment 

 was tried in various camps of classifying men in accord- 

 ance with intelligence for facilitation of training. To this 

 end A and B grade men were placed in one training group, 

 C -|-, C and C men in another, and D and D men in 

 a third. The three groups were then instructed and drilled 



