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



8. This showing is wholly in line with the result of the original trial of methods in four cantonments, for at that 

 time the War Plans Division of the General Staff learned by direct inquiry that somewhat more than 75 per cent of 

 the company commanders and other officers who had first-hand knowledge of psychological sendee and its results 

 were favorable to the continuance and extension of the work. It would be remarkable, indeed, if the Army should 

 have changed so radically as the large number of unfavorable reports mentioned above would seem to indicate. The 

 case is, in fact, a perfectly clear one. The War Department has been misled by the confusion of similar terms, and 

 the most serious of injustices to important new work in the interests of military efficiency has been done. 



9. At the present time psychological work is well organized and perfectly established in all cantonments and in 

 10 camps. At least three out of four of these military establishments report favorably concerning the value of the 

 work, and from the commanding officers of several of the cantonments and camps enthusiastic appreciations have been 

 received by this office. 



Robert M. Yerkes, 

 Major, Sanitary Corps, U. S. A. 



Although originally only the rank of first lieutenant was authorized for psychological 

 appointees in the Sanitary Corps, in connection with the plan for the extension of psychological 

 service, the grades of first lieutenant, captain, and major were authorized, and on the basis of 

 this authorization the Division of Psychology proceeded to make preliminary arrangements for 

 the appointment of psychologists of maturity, professional competence, and important position, 

 for whom the higher grades of captain and major were essential. 



The work of the school of military psychology was planned on the assumption that it would 

 be best for the service to send officers there with relatively low grade, with the expectation 

 of recommending them for promotion if their records justified it. In pursuance of this plan 

 several psychologists were sent to the training camp as enlisted men who would otherwise have 

 been commissioned as first lieutenants because of professional qualifications and obvious value 

 to the service. 



Experience during the initial stages of psychological examining in the camps indicated the 

 serious disadvantages of having an officer with the grade of first lieutenant at the head of the work. 

 It was therefore decided that the chief psychological examiner in the divisional training camps 

 should in all cases be an officer with the grade of captain or major. 



In order that a sufficient number of professionally qualified and experienced examiners who 

 had been trained at Fort Oglethorpe might be rendered available as chiefs of the psychological 

 service in various stations, the following recommendations for promotion were made to the 

 Surgeon General in April, 1918: 



For appointment as majors: Capts. G. F. Arps, W. S. Foster, J. W. Hayes, W. S. Hunter, 

 B. F. Pittenger, E. C. Rowe, M. R. Trabue. 



For appointment as captains : First Lieuts. J. E. Anderson, H. C. Bingham, L. J. Brueckner, 

 H. B. Cummings, E. A. Doll, G. O. Ferguson, J. D. Houser, J. T. Metcalf, W. S. Miller, J. J. B. 

 Morgan, J. K. Norton, D. G. Paterson, H. A. Richmond, C. C. Stech, C. P. Stone, T. M. Stokes, 

 H. P. Shumway, C. H. ToU. 



Because of the peculiar importance of these promotions for the psychological service, 

 Maj. Yerkes, by permission of the ranking officer of the Sanitary Corps, presented the recom- 

 mendations to the Surgeon General with full explanation concerning the professional reasons 

 for recommending the promotion of certain men whose ages were under those usually required 

 for promotion in the medical department. The Surgeon General referred the matter to Col. 

 Furbush for advice. Subsequently Maj. Yerkes was twice called in conference concerning the 

 matter, and thereupon the Surgeon General approved the promotions as listed above with three 

 exceptions. Maj. Yerkes was notified by Col. Furbush of the Surgeon General's approval and 

 assumed that the promotions would be made prior to the assignment of chief psychologists in 

 the various divisional training camps. On this assumption, men who had been recommended 

 for grades of captain or major were assigned as chiefs of the psychological service. 



Late in April, and nearly a month after recommendation and approval, Maj. Yerkes learned 

 upon inquiry concerning the reasons for delay in the promotion of certain officers, that the 

 ranking officer of the Sanitary Corps had returned the recommendations for the promotion of 

 psychologists to the Surgeon General, who had disapproved them. This action was taken with- 

 out notification of the Division of Psychology, which proceeded with its personnel arrangements 



