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



officer personnel. This estimated need is not included in the following tables, because it is deemed desirable that the 

 Division of Neuropsychiatry should make special request direct to the Surgeon General and that if the Surgeon General 

 approve the assignment of psychologists to assist neuro-psychiatric boards the General Staff should be asked to author- 

 ize the necessary increase m psychological personnel. 



Further, the Division of Physical Reconstruction has requested the assignment of psychological officers, one to 

 be stationed in each special reconstructional hospital. 



8. The following table indicates the distribution with respect to assignments and grades of the 77 officers of the 

 Sanitary Corps authorized by the General Staff for psychological service. 



[Two tables, which were included in the memorandum, are omitted here. They were similar to the table furnished 

 The Adjutant General — see p. 47, but were more detailed. They showed the number of officers on duty — majors, 3; 

 captains, 16; first lieutenants. 56; total, 75; and the number of officers required — lieutenant colonel, 1; majors, 25; 

 captains, 46, first lieutenants, 43; second lieutenants, 40; total, 155.] 



9. The following information concerning the history and status of personnel in the psychological service is extsemely 

 important in connection with general staff action on present request: 



When the medical department originally, in September. 1917, undertook to make a thorough trial of proposed 

 methods of mental examining in order to determine their value to the military service. 16 competent psychologists 

 were commissioned as first lieutenants in the Sanitary Corps. This grade was given irrespective of age, professional 

 status, previous military experience or prospective value to the service. Some of the men should have been majors, 

 others captains and a few second lieutenants, but the grade of first lieutenant was the only one made available. 



At the same time, by authorization of the Secretary of War, 24 men were given civil appointment as psychological 

 examiners. This was done because the Surgeon General deemed it undesirable to commission many psychologists 

 prior to demonstration of the military value of proposed methods. Most of these civil appointees were men of pro- 

 fessional qualifications similar to the commissioned officers, and if appointed in the Sanitary Corps they would have 

 been entitled to ranks varying from second lieutenant to major. 



These 40 psychological appointees, 16 in the Sanitary Corps and 24 under civil appointment, have served the 

 Army faithfully and under extremely difficult conditions, working long hours and often 7 days in the week, with almost 

 no reward, for the War Department's disapproval of requests for additional grades and appointments has, with a very 

 few exceptions, prevented promotions. 



In view of these circumstances it seems unreasonable to expect these original appointees and the 35 psychologists 

 who were appointed in the Sanitary Corps during the first three months of the present year to continue to serve efficiently 

 and contentedly. It is clearly the duty of the War Department either to provide for their normal promotion, as in the 

 case of any other military group, or.to order psychological service discontinued and request that these officers either 

 choose other service or resign. 



Approximately half of the officers now in the psychological service have already been recommended by the Divi- 

 sion of Psychology for promotion. Many of these recommendations were made early in April, 1918, but it has thus far 

 been impossible for the division to secure the necessary authorization for favorable action. 



The situation with respect to enlisted psychologists is even less satisfactory. When the School for Military Psychol- 

 ogy was organized it was with the definite understanding that 132 psychologists could be commissioned in the Sanitary 

 Corps in accordance with authorization of the Secretary of War dated January 19, 1918. A copy of this authorization, 

 which was written as fifth indorsement to recommendation from the Surgeon General for extension of psychological 

 work, together with plan of the medical department for securing necessary psychological personnel, is attached to this 

 letter. At the time of the organization of the school, February, 1918, psychologists were being commissioned as rapidly 

 as possible but owing to professional obligations there were many delays in securing competent men, consequently 

 the entire number of 132 was not secured at once, but arrangements were made by which groups of either 25 or 50 com- 

 missioned or enlisted men could be sent to the School for Military Psychology at Fort Oglethorpe. It was definitely 

 understood by the Division of Psychology that these men could and should be recommended for promotion to non- 

 commissioned or commissioned appointments according to their performance in the training school. No definite 

 promises were made to individuals, but the understanding between the Surgeon General's Office and the students 

 involved was perfectly definite and is clearly justified by the assurances which had been received from the War 

 Department. 



Between February and July, 1918, approximately 250 carefully selected men accepted voluntary induction for 

 training in military psychology. Thus far approximately 50 of these men have been highly recommended for promotion 

 to commissioned appointment. They are among the ablest young men in the Army. They came into the service by 

 special invitation and because of special qualifications for a kind of work which the Secretary of War had ordered. 

 They have been cut off from opportunities for promotion and used as privates or noncommissioned officers for work which 

 should be done by commissioned officers. It is so obviously unfair to these young men to have them continue in their 

 present work without promotion that the War Department Bnould immediately authorize additional appointments 

 in the Sanitary Corps, psychological service. 



A further pertinent consideration with respect to psychological appointments is this: suitable candidates for 

 commissioned appointments are available in the psychological service. They are highly trained and it is merely a 

 case of promoting them according to value to the service and merits. It is believed that this is a much more pertinent 

 argument for the creation of additional appointments for psychological work than any other except the urgent need 

 and demand by line officers for various kinds of psychological service. 



