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



4. The accompanying plan and diagram indicate the relations which would be established in case the above recom- 

 mendations were adopted by the Medical Department. 



5. This plan is especially recommended because a large part of the information gained in the psychological 

 examining must in any event be referred immediately to the personnel office, whereas only a few individuals exam- 

 ined are strictly medical problems. 



Robert M. Yerkes, 

 Major, Sanitary Corps. 



[The plan referred to outlined specifically a feasible mode of assignment of personnel under 

 the two alternative conditions, viz: (a) With all work organized under the Medical Depart- 

 ment; (b) with work divided between the Medical Department and The Adjutant General's 

 Office.] 



[First indorsement.] 



War Departmemt, S. G. O., 



November 7, 1917. 

 To The Adjutant General of the Army. 



Referring the above plans for conduct of psychological examining to The Adjutant General with request that they 

 be considered by the Committee on Classification of Personnel of the Army and that the Medical Department be ad- 

 vised concerning them. 



' W. C, Gorgas, 



Surgeon General, United States Army. 



The matter was referred to the committee on classification of personnel in the Army. The 

 replies follow: 



November 14, 1917. 

 From: Walter Dill Scott. 

 To: Surgeon General of the U. S. Army. 

 Subject: Plans for conduct of psychological examining as presented in letter from Maj. Yerkes, November 5, 1917. 



1. The psychological examining is now being carried forward in Camps Devens, Dix, Lee, and Taylor. Reports 

 of this work are not as yet complete. Personally I am convinced of the value of this work, and beg to assure you that 

 the committee will be glad to give careful consideration to the plan proposed by Maj. Yerkes as soon as reports have 

 been secured from the cantonments regarding the usefulness of this work in organizing the divisions. 



Walter Dill Scott, 

 Director, Committee on Classification of Personnel. 



December 8, 1917. 

 From: The Committee on Classification of Personnel in the Army. 

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

 Subject: Extension of psychological testing in the division. 



In response to Gen. Gorgas's letter of November 12 and in elaboration of W. D. Scott's letter under date of Novem- 

 ber 14, and in response to the request of Maj. Yerkes, the following resolution was voted unanimously by the committee: 



The Committee on Classification of Personnel in the Army believes that the interests of The Adjutant General's 

 Department and of the Surgeon General's Department would best be served by permitting the committee simply to 

 continue its hearty cooperation with the Surgeon General's Department in developing psychological tests and in mak- 

 ing use of the results of the tests. 



The committee respectfully begs leave to call to the attention of the Surgeon General the advisability of extending 

 the work of psychological testing to all the Army cantonments. The results of such testing, if obtained within 48 hours 

 of the recruits arrival in camp, would be of decided value to The Adjutant General's Office in classifying the enlisted 

 men. 



Walter Dill Scott, 



Director of the Committee. 

 Section 5. — Official inspection of psychological examining. 



On the basis of careful study of psychological examining in Camps Devens, Dix, Lee, and 

 Taylor, Maj. Yerkes from time to time made report to the Surgeon General on the progress, 

 status, and significance of the work. These statements were made usually in connection with 

 regular daily or weekly reports or as reports of special detail. Since they obviously demanded 

 confirmation or correction as well as supplementation by a regular medical inspector, the chief 

 of the Section of Psychology requested in November, 1917, that a medical officer be ordered to 

 inspect psychological examining in Camps Lee and Devens. These stations were selected be- 

 cause in them work was furthest advanced. Thus, as soon as the status of the service justified 

 it, the first step was taken toward decision concerning the future of psychological examining 

 in the Army. 



