356 THE NEW WORLD OF SCIENCE 



times and in various directions almost impossible. A few lines 

 of work progressed from the start smoothly, steadily, and even 

 rapidly. Others, equally deserving of success, met obstacles 

 which were either insurmountable or wasteful of precious time. 

 In many instances there were discouraging disapprovals and 

 heartbreaking delays, misunderstandings and opposition, which 

 wasted time of officers who should have been engaged in in- 

 creasing military efficiency. 



As a fitting introduction to the chapter on achievements a 

 brief statement may be made concerning the psychological per- 

 sonnel for the three principal lines of service which have been 

 mentioned. 



For psychological examining, the War Department first au- 

 thorized a preliminary trial of methods. In order to make this 

 preliminary experiment about thirty well trained psychologists 

 were given either military appointment in the Sanitary Corps or 

 civilian appointment to work in National Army cantonments 

 or in the office of the Surgeon General of the Army. After 

 this preliminary work had satisfactorily demonstrated the prac- 

 tical value of results, psychological examining was rapidly ex- 

 tended to the entire army. For this purpose a large number 

 of military psychologists were needed. A school for military 

 psychology was promptly established at the Medical Officers' 

 Training Camp, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, where properly 

 qualified psychologists might be given intensive training in 

 military drill as well as in army methods of psychological 

 examining. During the existence of this school approximately 

 one hundred officers and more than three hundred enlisted men 

 were trained. At least two hundred of these may fairly be 

 listed as professional psychologists. Many of these men served 

 in the army either as civilian appointees or as soldiers for from 

 one to two years. By some they have been stigmatized as 

 " non-combatants " and have been subjected to the unfair 

 criticism of choosing a safe service. It is only just to point 

 out that a considerable number of the psychologists of the 

 country preferred combatant service and were kept from such 



