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



In the Surgeon General's Office for administration of psychological examining, development, revision, and 

 improvement of methods, and the analysis and reporting of results, and for the conduct of such examining as is requested 

 in and about Washington, five officers are required. 



The total of the above items is 137 officers. 



5. It is desired that this table of organization be approved in order that approximately 30 enlisted men in the 

 Medical Corps who have had two months' training in military psychology at Fort Oglethorpe may be appointed either 

 as second lieutenants or as first lieutenants for psychological service, and that approximately 30 psychologists not at 

 present in the service may be recommended immediately for appointment in the Sanitary Corps and ordered to Fort 

 Oglethorpe for necessary military and psychological training in preparation for assignment. 



In this connection it must not be overlooked that training in military psychology is absolutely essential for effective 

 work in examining stations. This office is not willing to commission men and assign them to duty as examiners with- 

 out the special training given at Fort Oglethorpe. Since the school of military psychology at Fort Oglethorpe is the 

 only source of officer supply, it is clearly important that this office be authorized to send additional psychologists to 

 that station at the earliest possible moment for training in preparation for assignment to various camps and posts. 



For the Surgeon General: 



R. B. Miller, 

 Colonel, Medical Corps, N. A. 



The above request for permission to increase the officer personnel of the Division of Psychol- 

 ogy to a total of 137, which was only five more than the number authorized in January, 1918, 

 by the War Department, was disapproved early in August, in accordance with the following 

 indorsement, on recommendation of the Division of Operations of the General Staff and, as later 

 appeared, as a result of complete misunderstanding of the nature and purpose of army psycho- 

 logical examining. 



War Department, A. G. O., August 13, 1918 — To the Surgeon General of the Army. 



1. The request of the Surgeon General for additional Sanitary Corps officers for psychological examining duties is 

 not favorably considered. 



2. It is not considered necessary that every soldier passing through divisions, depot brigades, replacement training 

 centers, or recruit depots be given a minute psychological examination. Suspected or doubtful cases should be set 

 aside for special examination and study. 



3. A great part of the work connected with psychological examinations should be performed by medical officers 

 on duty at depot brigades, recruit depots, base hospitals, etc., the expert psychologists being called upon for advice 

 whenever necessary. 



By order of the Secretary of War: 



C. S. McNeill. 



It is perfectly clear from this indorsement that the misleading reports of commanding 

 officers referred to above determined the decision and the specific recommendations. 



Since the disapproval rendered it practically impossible to continue the service satisfac- 

 torily, and since it also did grave injustice to the personnel by rendering promotion impossible, 

 a request for reconsideration, accompanied by detailed statement of the principal facts concern- 

 ing the service, was prepared for the Surgeon General by the Chief of the Division of Psychology 

 and forwarded to the Chief of Staff early in September. This lengthy communication is repro- 

 duced here in full because it gives a connected account of the chiefly significant incidents in the 

 provision of the commissioner] personnel for psychological examining from the beginning of 

 this work .to September, 1918. 



Preparatory to the formulation of this request for reconsideration, the Chief of the Division 

 of Psychology conferred with various members of the General Staff, and thus learned of the 

 surprising misunderstandings and prejudices which had developed as a result of the misleading 



reports from commanding officers. 



August 31, 1918. 

 From: The Surgeon General, U. S. Army. 

 To: The Chief of Staff . 

 Subject: Commissioned personnel for Psychological Section, Sanitary Corps. 



1. On July 10, 1918, the Surgeon General's Office made request through the Adjutant General for additional appoint- 

 ments and grades in the Sanitary Corps, Psychological Section. This request was disapproved by second indorsement, 

 dated August 13, 1918. 



2. Almostsimultaneously with disapproval of request for psychological personnel, General Orders, No. 74, establishing 

 psychological work and definitely providing for its conduct, was approved. These two important actions are so related 

 to one another that it is obviously impossible for the medical department to comply with the spirit of the general order. 

 It is therefore necessary to renew immediately request for additional psychological personnel and grades, basing estimate 



