DISCOVERY 



195 



the nations o£ the world came together and were trans- 

 formed into one harmonious whole. America had the 

 property, it w-as suggested, of altering the new-comer, 

 rounding off his corners, and producing an American — 

 a distinct species, which nevertheless could be manu- 

 factured out of an>i:hing. It appears that Americans 

 themselves seriously doubt this engaging theory, and the 

 doubt gains expression in the book, which describes the 

 results of a methodical study of the intelligence of recruits 

 for the American army during the Great War. The tests 

 employed were of two classes — one for more or less educated 

 individuals who could speak the English language, and 

 one for the illiterate, or those who know no English. 

 The first series, in general, consisted of a number of 

 questions, to which a selection of answers was pro\-ided, 

 only one of which was correct. " How many legs has a 

 Kaffir ? Two, four, six, or eight ? " is an example. The 

 second series consisted of illustrations, containing some 

 obvious error to which attention was to be directed, 

 or of geometrical figures to be Eirranged in a given way. 

 Throughout there was a ver}' strict time limit. 



Tests of this nature invariably amuse all save the 

 psvchologist, who is himself convinced of their value, 

 and is gradually convincing others. They are widely 

 used in this country, both as examination for Civil Service 

 entrants and for industrial investigations, such as the 

 selection of a vocation — draughtsman, fitter, turner, etc., 

 for a young aspirant to a trade. The time limit, in a test 

 of general intelligence, seems out of place, since it is obvious 

 that many occupations tend to produce a type of mind 

 more capable than the majority of a quick decision. 

 Moreover — an objection which the author anticipates — 

 some of the actual questions seem ill chosen. " Denim 

 is an ' ad ' for a drink, revolver, flour, cleanser," is an 

 example of a test which obviously would condemn a 

 recent visitor to America who, wisely or otherwise, did 

 not study the local press. 



Still, just as any method of choosing a Parliament 

 would be as satisfactory as any other in the long-run, 

 so doubtless these tests answer their purpose well enough. 

 They show, as the author saj^s, that " according to 

 all evidence available, American intelligence is declining 

 and will proceed with an accelerating rate as the racial 

 admixture becomes more and more extensive." This 

 is attributed to the effects of immigration. There is a 

 careful analysis of the intelligence of each immigrating 

 nation. The order of merit is Holland, Germany, Den- 

 mark, England, Scotland ; Ireland comes seventh and 

 Poland last, nearly 7 per cent, of her candidates being 

 below the mental age of eight. Of the negro recruits, 

 10 per cent, fell below that standard. 



An interesting relation is showTi between intelligence 

 and length of stay in the country. The longer the stay, 

 the more intellectual was the candidate. The explanations 

 possible are — first, the melting-pot theory ; secondly, 

 that only wise men stay in America ; lastly, that a better 

 type used to come to that country than now does. We 

 note that the French nation is not represented in the 

 figures given ; no explanation — not even that no French- 

 men are wise enough to stay in America — is offered. 



In a leading article in The Times for May 26, the same 

 problem as it affects Canada is discussed. It appears 

 from the work of Dr. C. K. Clarke, of the University of 

 Toronto, that a most undesirable collection of individuals 

 is being sent to that country by immigration societies . 

 The question is certainly a difficult one. The individuals 

 are objectionable, socially speaking, wherever they are. 

 The world as a whole is none the better off for any effort 

 to exclude them from any one quarter. Moreover, it is 

 undeniable that Australia was colonised, in part, by 

 convicts, even though convicts in those days were drastic- 

 ally punished for small crimes. Xone the less, Australians 

 as a whole are among the finest physical types of men 

 living on earth. No solution of the general problem is 

 offered in this book ; but as a record of careful work, 

 yielding most interesting results, it will repay serious 



study. R. J. V. PULVERTAFT. 



Books Received 



(Mention in this column does not preclude a review.) 

 ARCH.EOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY 



The Oldest Letters in the World Tell Us— What ? By 

 Mrs. Sydney Bristowe. (George Allen & Unwin, 

 Ltd., 55.) 



From Stone to Steel. A Handbook to the Cases illustrat- 

 ing the Ages of Stone, Bronze, and Iron in the Horni- 

 man Museum and Library. Second Edition, 1923. 

 (Published by the London County Council and obtain- 

 able from P. S. King & Son, Ltd., or any bookseller, 

 6(f.) 



Tutankhanion and the Discovery 0/ his Tomb. By Prof. 

 G. Elliot Smith, F.R.S., etc. (George Routledge 

 & Sons, Ltd., 4s. 6d.) 



MISCELLANEOUS 



Flying Round the World. By M.\jor W. T. Bl.\ke. 

 (Heath Cranton, Ltd., 125. (>d.) 



The Wheehvright's Shop. By George Siort. (Cam- 

 bridge University Press, 125. 6d.) 



The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences. By Sir 

 Frederick Treves, G.C.V.O., etc. (Cassell & Co., 

 Ltd., 75. (>d.) 



Origins in Place-names. By an Ignorant Student. 

 (London : Privately printed at the Chiswick Press.) 



PSYCHOLOGY 

 Heredity and Child Culture. By Prof. H. D. Chapin, 



M.D. (George Routledge & Sons, Ltd., 65.) 

 Character and the Unconscious. By J. H. van der Hoop. 



Translated by Elizabeth Trevelyan. (Kegan Paul, 



Trench, Triibner & Co., 10s. dd.) 

 Self-healing by Auto-suggestion. Translated from the 



French of H. Dolonne. (J. M. Dent & Sons, 35. (>d.) 



SCIENCE 

 The Wonders of the Stars. By Joseph McCabe. (Watts, 

 3^-) ! 



