No. l.] PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. 29 



5. Use of results of psychological examination: The principal purposes of psychological examination will be: 



(a) Discovery of men of inferior mentality who should either be discharged from the Army or assigned, in the light 

 of their mental characteristics, to special organization. 



(6) To discover men of superior or special abilities who should be assigned to regular organizations or special 

 branches of the service in accordance with psychological findings. 



(c) To furnish approximate measurement of mental capacity which may be used in connection with the assignment 

 of men to organizations to the end that companies and regiments within a given arm of the service may be of approxi- 

 mately equal strength mentally and therefore actively. 



In order that the above purposes may be achieved it is proposed that report be prepared of psychological 

 examination of every enlisted man and every newly appointed officer and made available in connection with such 

 other official papers concerning him as are utilized in connection with assignment. That further special report of 

 all men of very low intelligence or of abnormal mental constitution be made to the proper medical officer. 



It is clearly desirable that the results of psychological examination be properly correlated with those of other 

 medical examinations and with the occupational and other inquiries conducted under the jurisdiction of The Adjutant 

 General by the Committee on Classification of Personnel in the Army. 



\V. ('. Gorgas, 

 Surgeon General, United States Army. 



This plan was submitted to the Surgeon General for approval on January 3, 1918; was 

 forwarded by him to the Chief of Staff, and by him to the Training Committee of the War 

 College Division of the General Staff for consideration and report. Upon favorable report 

 of this committee was based a fifth indorsement: 



[Fifth Indorsement.] 

 War Department, A. G. O., January 19, 1918. — To the Surgeon General. 



With the information that in accordance with directions given him under date of December 24, 1917, he is hereby 

 authorized to establish in his office a division in psychology for the purpose of making psychological exami- 

 nations of all company officers and candidate officers in officers' training camps, and also of all the newly drafted and 

 enlisted men. The commissioned personnel for this service will be secured by recommending for commission in 

 the Sanitary Corps selected men skilled in psychology. Where possible, men over the draft age will be recom- 

 mended, but authority is hereby granted also to recommend men within the draft age, provided a sufficient number 

 cannot be secured over the draft age. 



The enlisted personnel will be secured in accordance with section 150 of the Selective Service Regulations, 

 providing for the induction into the military service out of order of specially qualified men. 



Authority is granted for the establishment of a school for special training in psychology in connection with the 

 Medical Department Training School at Port Oglethorpe, Ga. 



The Quartermaster General will construct the necessary building at each cantonment for the examining board 

 in psychology, and furnish the necessary plain furniture for these buildings, in accordance with plana and speci- 

 fications submitted by you. 



By order of the Secretary of War: 



John S. Johnston, 



Adjutant General. 



On the basis of this approval the Division of Psychology, which had been created by the 

 Surgeon General in accordance with authorization of the fifth indorsement, initiated on Jan- 

 uary 20, 1918, the necessary preparations for the proposed extension of psychological examin- 

 ing. This was done on the assumption that the War Department had unconditionally approved 

 such necessary provisions for work as the essential personnel, suitable housing in camps and 

 required examining materials. It was further taken for granted by the staff of the Division of 

 Psychology that The Adjutant General would issue to commanding officers all orders necessary 

 for their guidance and for the free and effective conduct of psychological exarnining. It is to 

 be noted at this point that no general orders were issued until August, 1918, and that in conse- 

 quence this new service was attempted in divisional training camps and in various other 

 stations under decidedly disadvantageous conditions. The chief of the Division of Psychology 

 has especially inquired of officers of the General Staff as to whether the division should have 

 requested the issuance of orders by The Adjutant General and has been informed that it 

 was not the duty of the Surgeon General to formulate or request the necessary orders, but 

 that The Adjutant General of the Army should have prepared and issued them with the ad- 

 vice of the Surgeon General and in accordance with the expectations properly aroused by the 

 fifth indorsement. 



