60 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. ivol. xv. 



in accordance with good business principles with all preparations necessary for bringing the plan into effect at the 

 earliest possible moment. 



7. The prospective psychological work is not what has been done. Instead it provides for more varied and 

 important applications of the methods of psychological examining and of their results. For this reason the inference of 

 the General Staff that this work can very well be done, at least temporarily, in base hospitals is incorrect. As a matter 

 of fact, even were base hospital space temporarily devoted to this work, it would have only a fraction of the value to 

 the Army which would result if the work were done as planned in special building adjacent to division headquarters. 



8. Psychological examining is not a temporary bit of work but. as planned, continuous throughout the period of 

 use of a divisional training camp. The results of the work are especially important in connection with those of the 

 personnel office in each camp. The strictly medical reference and significance of psychological reports are quite over- 

 shadowed by their military significance. All psychological records for this reason should be conveniently accessible 

 to company, regimental and other co mm anding officers, and the psychological staff should be centrally located in the 

 camp for purposes of consultation with line officers. The work obviously is related most directly and importantly to 

 division headquarters. It has no special or necessary connection with the base hospital, and even if most adequately 

 housed in or about the base hospital, it could not be conducted there without sacrifice of certain of its most important 

 values. Maj. Yerkes. of the Division of Psychology, has stated that in his judgment this sacrifice would probably 

 amount to one-half of the prospective value. 



9. It should further be emphasized that the proposed psychology building is to provide not for the examining 

 of an occasional individual but instead (a) for general psychological and psychiatric surveys of all enlisted men and 

 company officers in every divisional training camp; (6) for thorough psychological or psychiatric examination of each 

 man for whom such study is indicated as desirable for military, medical or social reasons; (c) for conferences between 

 psychologists and line and medical officers concerning problems of human behavior and mental characteristics which 

 directly affect military efficiency; (rf) for such instruction concerning the relations of psychology to military activities 

 as is deemed desirable by the division commander and his staff; (e) for discussion of problems of reeducation and 

 rehabilitation, nervous instability or liability to shock, feeblemindedness, malingering, etc. In brief, the psychology 

 building is planned as a center for the study, under the direction of the division surgeon and the commanding general, 

 of all problems of human behavior and mental fitness which arise within the camp community. 



Without such a building most of these proposed purposes provided for by the plan originally approved by the 

 General Staff can not be achieved. The medical department therefore submits that since this work is important to 

 the efficiency of the Arm)', and should, in accordance with the opinion of the General Staff already forcibly expressed, 

 be conducted for the entire Army, the important provision of special psychological buildings is an imperative necessity. 



10. The General Staff, having approved an extremely carefully prepared plan in which only essentials were asked 

 for, subsequently and after a period of nearly a month disapproves one special and fundamentally important item of 

 aaid plan. The medical department must direct attention to the result. This partial disapproval practically 

 destroys the value of the original plan for the extension of psychological examining. Had special building been 

 disapproved originally a new plan would have been prepared by the Surgeon General's Office for consideration of the 

 General Staff. 



The Division of Psychology stands ready to do its utmost to assist the Army whatever the difficulties or inconven- 

 iences, but unless the psychological building can be provided immediately the success of this work, in accordance with 

 reasonable predictions of the medical department and expectation of the General Staff, is jeopardized. The medical 

 department has been placed in the false position of being forced to attempt to carry into effect what it considers an 

 excellent plan, which after initial complete approval has been emasculated. 



11. Finally, the medical department is compelled to disapprove recommendation of the General Staff that 

 psychological work be conducted at base hospitals. The plan for provision of special psychology building is urged as 

 necessary for achievement of results which the Army has a right to expect and demand in view of expenditures 

 already made for psychological service. These results are briefly such as the following: (a) the discovery and discharge 

 of those who are seriously mentally defective; (b) the proper assignment within the Army of men of low-grade intel- 

 ligence so that the time of officers in attempting to train them beyond their capacities shall not be wasted ; (c) assign- 

 ment of men so that organizations shall have adequate mental strength and similar organizations, as for example regi- 

 ments of infantry, approximately equal mental strength in order that there shall be no seriously weak points in the 

 line; (d) assistance in selection of men intellectually competent to command (officer material); (t) selection of men for 

 special kinds of military service, as for example service which requires unusually good vision, hearing, quickness of 

 reaction, etc.; (/) the special study of individuals referred to psychologists by camp officers and of any psychological 

 military problems which are formulated by divisional officers and presented to the psychological staff. 



12. This work is new as was pointed out by the War College Division of the General Staff. The medical depart- 

 ment in originally undertaking to test its value accepted a risk. Having obtained adequate evidence of remarkable 

 military value, it presented a definite and extensive plan. It now submits that there is every reason to believe that 

 this plan should be carried out to the letter and that the prospective value of psychological work is so great as to justify 

 deficiency expenditure for psychological building in each divisional training camp. Every division that goes abroad 

 without psychological survey and without thorough individual psychological examination of intellectually weak 

 individuals carries with it many men, perhaps even as many as»one per cent, who are riot worth their transportation for 

 military purposes. 



