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



May-July . — Reports concerning psychological service received by the Office of The 

 Adjutant General from commanding officers of approximately 100 cantonments, camps, posts, 

 and other stations. 



The majority of these reports were seriously misleading and wholly unfair to the psycho- 

 logical service. They gradually transformed the favorable attitude toward psychological 

 examining in the Offices of The Adjutant General and the General Staff into one of scepticism, 

 disapproval, and in certain instances, hostility. During this time the Office of the Surgeon 

 General was ignorant of the content of the reports and therefore unable to correct the misin- 

 formation. 



June 10. — Report of Mr. Dorr on psychological service in relation to neuro-psychiatric 

 service submitted to the First Assistant Secretary of War. 



June 18. — Report of Col. Burt concerning psychological examining submitted to the 

 General Staiff. 



June 25. — Chief of the Division of Psychology confers with officers of the organization 

 committee of the General Staff concerning additional psychological personnel and the relation 

 of reports of commanding officers concerning psychological examining to continuation and 

 extension of psychological service. At this time the Chief of the Division of Psychology dis- 

 covered the grossly misleading character of the majority of the reports and induced repre- 

 sentatives of the organization committee to make direct inquiries concerning psychological 

 examining in order that they might correct the misinformation and confusion resulting from 

 failure of commanding officers to distinguish between psychological and psychiatric work. 



July — . — Maj. L. P. Horsfall and Col. J. W. Craig visit Camp Meade to observe psycho- 

 logical examining and inquire concerning its values and needs. 



July 8. — Deficiency appropriation bill passed by Congress and sum of 8384,000 thus made 

 available for use of Medical Department of the Army for construction of buildings for psycho- 

 logical service. 



July — ■. — General orders concerning psychological examining and its conduct prepared by 

 Col. Burt and submitted for approval of the Chief of Staff. Before issuance the content was 

 so changed that it rendered the psychological examining of recruits optional with commanding 

 officers. Thus, by the change in a single sentence, a division of the General Staff completely 

 altered the instructions originally issued concerning psychological examining and rendered the 

 service of doubtful value. 



July 10. — The Surgeon General, for the Division of Psychology, requests authority to 

 proceed with appointments and promotions in the psychological service. 



July 25. — The coordination branch of the General Staff reports to the Chief of the Division 

 of Psychology that the sum of $384,000 was carried by the deficiency expenditure bill and that 

 such amount was therefore made available for construction of special buildings for psychological 

 examining. This information was later verified by the construction department of the office 

 of the Quartermaster General. 



August 1. — Facts concerning appropriation of funds for special construction brought to 

 the attention of the Chief of the Division of Operations of the General Staff. Thereupon the 

 Chief of the Division of Psychology was advised to request special buildings wherever needed. 

 This was immediately done, but no buildings had been constructed prior to the signing of the 

 armistice. 



August IS. — Request of the Surgeon General for approval of additional psychological 

 personnel disapproved by the War Department. It was subsequently learned by the Division 

 of Psychology that this was based upon confusion of psychological with psychiatric work. 



August 18. — Letter issued by The Adjutant General to commanding officers stating that 

 no additional psychological personnel would be appointed and strongly suggesting the desire 

 of the War Department to restrict the service. 



August 14. — General Orders, No. 74, establishing psychological service, issued by the War 

 Department. 



