190 



The Journal of Heredity 



archistic temptations. The racial ele- 

 ments in the make-up of Russia are 

 mainly Slavic. They are of the Alpine 

 or brachy cephalic type. The true Rus- 

 sians constitute nearly three-fourths of 

 the population of Russia, the rest are 

 chiefly Letto-Lithuanians, Poles, Jews, 

 Finns, Turco-Tartars, and Mongols. 

 They have indulged in much anarchy in 

 the past. Historical evidence strongly 



suggests that there is something inher- 

 ent in the temperament of the Slav 

 causing him to yield much more easily 

 than his Nordic neighbor to the tempta- 

 tions of mob violence. Let us hope 

 that now is another time when nature 

 will assert itself as stronger than 

 nurture and that Bolshevism will find 

 itself delimited on the Anglo-Saxon 

 frontiers. 



Army Tests Reveal the Vast Differences in Mankind. 



The comparison of negro with white 

 recruits reveals markedly lower mental 

 ratings for the former. A further sig- 

 nificant difference based on geographic 

 classification has been noted in that the 

 northern negroes are mentally much 

 superior to the southern. 



In a certain training camp 221 inapt 

 soldiers, belonging to a negro regiment 

 of pioneer infantry, were referred by 

 their commanding officer for special 

 psychological examination. Nearly one- 

 half (109) of these men were found to 

 have mental ages of seven years or less. 

 The army nevertheless had been attempting 

 to train these men for military service. 



In another instance some 306 soldiers 

 from organizations about to be sent over- 

 seas were designated by their command- 

 ing officers as unfit for foreign service. 

 They were referred for psychological 

 examination with the result that 90 % 

 were discovered to be ten years or less in 

 mental age, and 80 % nine years or less. 



The utilization of methods of 

 mental testing by the army has at once 

 increased military efficiency by the im- 

 proved utilization of brain power and 

 demonstrated the applicability of the 

 group method of measuring intelligence 

 to educational and industrial needs. 

 The army methods, although not 

 adapted to the usual educational or 

 industrial requirements, can readily be 

 modified or used as a basis for the 

 development of similar procedures. 



There are abundant indications that 

 the future will witness the rapid develop- 

 ment of varied methods for improv- 

 ing scientific placement and vocational 

 guidance. It is highly probable that 

 grading in the public schools, in col- 

 leges and professional schools will shortly 

 be based in part upon measurement of 

 mental ability instead of exclusively on 

 measurements of acquisition. — Science, 

 March 14, 1919. 



