NO. I ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC BOARD — BENNETT 75 



the situation. After a number of conferences the following memoran- 

 dum was dictated on June 8, 1943 : 



The Ethnogeographic Board is to start at once to prepare an orientation 

 and survival manual for the Navy (and possibly the Marine Corps) covering 

 adaptation to the ocean, tropic, desert and arctic environment. This is to be a 

 straight, highly condensed text, with irony or natural humor if fitting, but 

 primarily factual. It will refer to a concluding section on all matters of technical 

 medical care, and as the text is written these questions will be segregated for 

 transmission to . . . the Bureau of Medicine. The work will be farmed out 

 between members of the Ethnogeographic Board and the Smithsonian Institution. 

 It will also include an index and a brief bibliography referring to such specialized 

 survival manuals as that of Merrill, etc. Illustrations will be prepared by the 

 Navy Department, and a list of desired illustrations and maps (for the covers) 

 should be submitted ... as soon as possible. In addition to the concluding 

 section on medical care, the Navy Department will provide a section on 

 "Navigation Without Instruments." 



With this clear-cut mandate, calling for one booklet rather than 

 three, the Board was able to proceed freely. The memorandum was 

 sent on June 8. On July 21, a bare 6 weeks later, the Board and the 

 Smithsonian had completed their part of the manuscript. This is re- 

 markable speed when it is remembered that 15 members of the Smith- 

 sonian staff were contributors (see Appendix E), and that many of 

 the extant survival manuals had to be consulted. 



The manuscript was submitted to various branches of the Navy and 

 to a selected number of civilian scholars for criticism and suggestions. 

 The Navy added its sections, illustrations were prepared, and the first 

 edition was in print by December 1943. Six months for a finished 

 job of this type is a remarkable record. 



The manual was well received. A naval captain wrote from the 

 Central Pacific (June 26, 1944) : "All officers who have read it are 

 enthusiastic about the book. It should be gotten in the hands of every 

 enlisted man and officer, and one copy put in each life boat and raft." 

 The Director of Naval Intelligence wrote as follows (November 30, 

 1943) ■ "It is, I believe, the most successful treatment of this difficult 

 subject which has appeared thus far in the war.' As such it may well 

 be a determining factor in saving the lives of many men." 



Conference on Bolivian Indians 



At the first meeting of the Ethnogeographic Board in August 1942 

 the research function was discussed at length. Among other things, 

 it was felt that various universities might be willing to sponsor certain 

 problem conferences and to prepare special summary reports. Al- 

 though requests for such services might come from a Government 



