191S.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 3a 



REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 



WM. P. BROOKS. 



ADMINISTRATION. 

 Station Staff. 



Most of the changes in the station staff during the past year 

 have been in minor positions. Four men have entered the mili- 

 tary service. To these, indefinite leaves of absence without 

 salary have been granted, with the understanding that the posi- 

 tions given up will be open to them when they are honorably 

 discharged from the service. These men were all doing satis- 

 factory work, and their going creates vacancies which it will be 

 difficult to fill. In very especial degree is this true of Dr. John 

 B. Lentz, who volunteered for the veterinary service of the 

 army, and who is now in France. For nearly two years Dr. 

 Lentz had been in direct charge of the blood test work for the 

 elimination of bacillary white diarrhoea, and in this position had 

 shown a spirit, a devotion to duty and a degree of ability which 

 rendered his services of very unusual value. 



Dr. F. H. Hesselink van Suchtelen, who was engaged in an 

 important line of investigation on the organic matter of soils, 

 resigned his position in the department of microbiology in 

 August to accept a chair in one of the leading universities of 

 Holland, his native country. Dr. Arao Itano, who for several 

 years has been an assistant in the department of microbiology, 

 and in that position shown marked ability as an investigator, 

 has been made assistant professor in the department, and will 

 pursue a line of investigation closely related to that undertaken 

 by Dr. van Suchtelen. 



The staff has been strengthened during the year by the addi- 

 tion of two men for important lines of work not previously 

 adequately cared for. 



