NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 
527 
2. Modification of Stature Requirements. — The present minimum require- 
ments of stature, in any branch of the army or the navy, is 5 feet, 4 inches. 
In the case of mountain artillery it is 5 feet 8 inches. 
The minimum for the English infantry and some other branches of the serv- 
ice prior to the present war was 5 feet, 2 inches, and it has since been reduced. 
On the Continent the minimum differs with the nationalities, but is as a rule 
lower than that of the United States. In many of these nationalities the aver- 
age height of the adult male does not reach, barely equals, or only slightly 
surpasses the minimum requirement for the soldier of the United States. 
Many of these nationalities are well represented in this country. They 
include the Italians, Greeks, French, Mexicans, Spanish, Swiss, the Russian 
and Austrian Jews, many of the Slavs, the Magyars, Roumanians, Lithuan- 
ians, and even Germans. Should the present minimum in stature for the 
United States Army and Navy be rigidly adhered to, from one-fourth to one- 
half of the men belonging to or descending from the nationalities mentioned 
would be excluded by this rule alone, thus resulting in serious disadvantages, 
the chief among which would be that of placing a disproportionate burden in 
the formation of the army on the naturally taller native American. 
In view of the above facts, and as small stature in a large majority of cases 
signifies normal fluctuation and not any weakness or degeneration, as has been 
repeatedly proved by the 'bantam' regiments of England and other short 
stature troops of European countries, the Committee recommends that the 
minimum stature requirement for the new United States army be reduced, 
for all branches of the service, to 60 or at most 62 inches; and that correspond- 
ing with this, the minimum weight requirement be reduced from 128 to 120 
pounds. 
3. Further Anthropometric Work for Statistical and Scientific Purposes at 
the Concentration Camps. — The sixteen or more concentration camps will afford 
a unique opportunity for anthropometric observations, one object of which 
would be to obtain data regarding the normal physical conditions of the Amer- 
ican people of different descent, admixture, education, social class, occupa- 
tion, and environment. 
To utilize these opportunities the minimum requirement would be the selec- 
tion of six of the camps representing the northeast, southeast, the northern 
middle states, the south, the southwest, and the northwest; and placing in 
each a specially trained young medical officer who would devote his time to 
the anthropometric work. 
The investigations, reduced to the minimum, would consist of the measure- 
ment of stature and height sitting; of the three principal dimensions of the 
head; of two diameters of the face; of two diameters of the chest; and of more 
precise observations on the color of the skin, eyes, and hair than are practi- 
cable at the recruiting stations. 
The training and equipment of the six medical officers would be undertaken 
by the Department of Anthropology of the United States National Museum. 
