8 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [vol.xv, 



I urge you, gentlemen, to give thia matter your immediate consideration, and I trust that you will write freely 

 concerning your own activities, plans, and opinions, for your advice and suggestions concerning all aspects of the 

 problem will be quite as welcome as your vote on the above recommendation. 

 Yours, faithfully, 



(Signed) Robert M. Yerkes, 

 President, American Psychological Association. 



It was deemed desirable by two members of the council that a meeting of the council be 

 called immediately for consideration of the situation and decision concerning desirable action. 

 Such a meeting was called by the president in Philadelphia for the evening of April 21. 



In the meantime the president, in order to obtain pertinent information concerning actual 

 and possible applications of psychology to military problems, and, by request, to advise the mili- 

 tary hospitals' commission of Canada concerning the use of psychological methods, proceeded to 

 the Dominion of Canada and made careful inquiry concerning psychological activities in Montreal, 

 Ottawa, and Toronto. Information obtained from the Canadian authorities indicated the 

 urgent desirability of the application of psychological methods in the selection of recruits and 

 in the studying of incapacitated soldiers. 



While in Ottawa a telegram was received from Dr. George E. Hale, chairman of the National 

 Research Council, requesting a conference in Philadelphia on April 14. In accordance with 

 this request the president of the association met Dr. Hale and briefly reported to him the action 

 which had been taken by American psychologists and the results of observation in Canada. 

 Chairman Hale requested that a psychological committee be organized in connection with the 

 National Research Council and that the president of the American Psychological Association 

 act as chairman of the committee, and as a member of the council. He further invited the 

 president of the association to attend the semiannual meeting of the National Research Council 

 in Washington, on April 19, as a representative of psychological interests. 



At the special meeting of the council of the American Psychological Association, which was 

 held on the evening of April 21 and the morning of April 22 in Philadelphia, the president of the 

 association reported the action taken in Cambridge and the results of his observations in Canada. 

 After thorough discussion of the relations of psychology to the military situation it was voted by 

 the council that the president be instructed to appoint committees from the membership of the 

 American Psychological Association to render to the Government of the United States all pos- 

 sible assistance in connection with psychological problems arising in the military emergency. 

 Twelve committees were subsequently appointed. It was further voted that the secretary of 

 the psychological association be instructed to communicate the action of the council to the mem- 

 bers of the association and to suggest that individuals and institutions offer their professional 

 services to the Government in suitable manner. 



The council made certain suggestions concerning the presentation to the proper government 

 authorities of a plan for the psychological examination of recruits and authorized the president 

 to proceed with such presentation. 



Following this council meeting, and by authorization already indicated, a psychological 

 committee of the National Research Council was organized with the following membership: 

 Messrs. Cattell, Hall, and Thorndike from the National Academy of Sciences; Messrs. Dodge, 

 Franz and Whipple, from the American Psychological Association; and Messrs. Seashore, Wat- 

 son, and Yerkes from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 1 



At the first meeting of this committee it was voted — 



that whereas psychologists in common with other men of science may be able to do invaluable work for national service 

 and in the conduct of the war, it is recommended by this committee that psychologists volunteer for and be assigned 

 to the work in which their service will be of the greatest use to the Nation. In the case of students of psychology this 

 may involve the completion of the studies on which they are engaged. 



It was the function of this general committee to organize and, in a general way, supervise 

 psychological research and service in the present emergency. Problems suggested by military 

 officers or by psychologists were referred by the committee to appropriate individuals or institu- 

 tions for immediate attention. 



1 Subsequently Mr. Cattell resigned from this committee and Messrs. Angell, Baird and Scott were added to the membership. 



