NO. I ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC BOARD — BENNETT 37 



completeness, were all consistent with the primary purpose of the 

 Board. The roster was available to all agencies, both requests and 

 consultants received personal attention, and the service was rapid 

 and accurate — all important factors in wartime Washington. 



The service was good, but a fair estimate of its effectiveness is 

 impossible. What use was made of the many lists which the stafif 

 prepared, either on its own initiative or on request? Presumably the 

 Navy, Army, or some other agency wrote to the individuals or in- 

 terviewed them, but the quantity or quality of this follow-up is not 

 available in the Board's records, and probably never will be. The let- 

 ters of acknowledgment are polite enough. For example, the Sources 

 of Photographs Reports I-IV were acknowledged as follows by a 

 Rear Admiral : "The Navy Department is very appreciative of the 

 time, work, and effort of the Ethnogeographic Board in preparing 

 these valuable lists, compiled from your World File of Regional 

 Specialists, and especially wishes to compliment you and Dr. Fenton 

 for the excellent way the studies have been prepared." This shows 

 genuine appreciation of the service, but gives no basis for evaluating 

 the results. There is some indirect evidence that useful photographs 

 were obtained, but it is not a matter of public record owing to the 

 confidential nature of the material. 



It is unfortunate, although understandable during the war, that 

 the Ethnogeographic Board was not allowed to assist in the inter- 

 viewing. The representatives delegated to examine the Area Roster 

 were not always of the highest caliber, and it is probable that the in- 

 terviewing was not always in the hands of those skilled in this tech- 

 nique. The Board might have been able to make a real contribution 

 by selecting the interviewers. Few area specialists would be able to 

 answer the questions about beaches as framed by the Army instruc- 

 tions : "Degree of slope, both above and below high tide level ; nature 

 of adjacent terrain . . . ; currents, tides and surf — seasonal varia- 

 tion ; offshore obstructions. ..." However, some of this informa- 

 tion might well have been obtained by a trained interviewer who 

 talked about sailing, fishing, swimming, and picnics. 



Even in those cases where the Board sent out circular requests it 

 is difficult to judge the results because the materials were sent di- 

 rectly to the Army and Navy. However, some of the replies are in 

 the office files from which it can be ascertained that the quantity re- 

 sponse was good, but that quality was often sketchy. Many of the 

 individuals had already been approached by the Office of Strategic 

 Services or some other war agency. From the small amount of ma- 

 terial that the Board received directly, and from the liaison officers' 



