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67. How many furloughs or passes for more than 24 hours have you had since you have been in the Middle East? None One Two Three Four or more If you have had any furloughs or passes for more than 24 ORIGINAL RETIRED FOR PRESERVATION hours in the Middle East, please answer the following questions about the last two 68. Your last furlough or pass a. How long was the leave? 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 days or more b. Where did you go (towns)? c. About how much did you spend? 3 69. Your next to last furlough or pass .... a. How long was the leave? 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 days or more b. Where did you go (towns)? c. About how much did you spend? 8 70. Regardless of how much you saved last month, how much of your total pay each month do you think you ought to save? (Include in this amount allotments from your pay for dependents, other money sent home, defense bonds, insurance, and other kinds of savings) d - 18 - CONFIDENTIAL now War 71. There are several ways that you can use to save money. Which one do you think is the best one for you to use, Dept (Check one) Buy defense bonds Send it back to the U.S. by allotment and have someone deposit it there for you Deposit it with the Finance Office through your C.O. (to be held for you with 4% interest until discharge) Other ways - - -hat are they? ORIGINAL RETIRED FOR PRESERVATION 72. About how much money last month did you Put into defense bonds? Send Rome by allotment from your pay? Send home by money order or by other means? Pay out for all insurance? Deposit with the Finance Office through your 0,0.7 I} you have any further remarks to make on any subject, write them below as fully as you like: Before turning in your paper, be sure to check back through it to see if you have answered all the questions. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PSF War sept WHAT THE SOLDIER THINKS NUMBER TWO, AUGUST. 1943 Quarterly Report, with Charts, of Research Studies Indicating the Attitudes, Prejudices and Desires of American Troops Franklin D. Roosevelt Library DECLASSIFIED DOD DIR. 5200.9 (9/27/58) Date- 3-17-59 Signature- care & Spicer SPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION RESEARCH BRANCH ARMY SERVICE FORCES, WAR DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFOR- MATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ES- PIONAGE ACT, 50 U.S.C., 31 AND 32, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHOR- IZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. CONFIDENTIAL WHAT THE SOLDIER THINKS NUMBER TWO Quarterly Report, with Charts, of Research Studies Indicating the Attitudes, Prejudices and Desires of American Troops SPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION RESEARCH BRANCH ARMY SERVICE FORCES, WAR DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON, D. C. REPORT NO. 58 August, 1943 COPY NO. 285 CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL WAR DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS. ARMY SERVICE FORCES IN REPLY REFER to SPSPX 330.11 WASHINGTON D. c. (15 Jul 43) 15 July 1943. MEMORANDOM FOR THE COMMANDING GENERAL, ARMY SERVICE FORCES: Subject: Quarterly report to the Chief of Staff on factors relating to morale. 1. This report sumarizes some mjor aspects of recent studies on the attitudes and interests of troops. These studies are based on the statistical analysis of replies made anonymously to questions asked of thousands of soldiers, here and abroad. In the field covered, such factual evidence is more representative, and therefore more generally appli- cable, than the personal impressions of even the most experienced observer. 2. Our studies indicate the satisfaction of troops with many physical factors gen- erally related to norale. The nen like their food; they are appreciative of the medical services: they appreciate their technical training. The picture is not so favorable with respect to factors less tangible but equally important to morale. 3. The first section of the report shows the attitudes of the men toward their role as soldiers. Here we find tant only two men out of five feel that they would be zore useful as soldiers than na civilian war workers. Men with doubte about the Tar or about our Allies are more likely to prefer the role of civilian war worker. This reluctance to be soldiers is grently accentunted nuone those who are married, older, and those with are classified na limited service. The general picture is made worse by the discovery that the longer A private has been in the service, the less he believes he can contribute more as A roldier than as a civilian war worker. Perhaps even more disturbing is the evidence that the longer nen are in the service the less is their pride in their outfite. 4, Such attitudes any well be a hendicap to training and to efficiency in combnt, These studies indicnte the need for unremitting effort to impart to the sen A pride in their service, a sense of personal participation, and a belief In the cause for which they are fighting. This effort will be most effective 1f special attention is given to the older, married, and limited service men, 5. The fect that the great majority of men A.W.O.L. are found at the lower educa- tional levels suggests that the Command may desire to acquaint itself more fully with the special problems of the nen with low education and make clear to then the penalties in- volved for being A.V.O.L. and the rensons for the necessary discipline. 6. The second section of the report deals with general problems of the soldier. n. The favorable reaction of the men to Army technical echoole is highly satis- factory, and A gratifying number are assigned to jobs which maice use of this special train- ing. b. The attitudes of our troops towards our Allies in this War must necessarily reflect a carry-over from civilian attitudes. Yet proper attitudes toward our Allies are essential to tenn-work in the Far, and it is evident from these studies that only the con- stant effort of the Command can improve these attitudes and keep them from deteriorating. F. M. OSBORN. Brigndier General, Director. SPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION, CONFIDENTIAL CONSIDENTIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Page How the Studies Are Made 6 Where Studies Have Been Made 7 PART 1. THE SOLDIER LOOKS AT HIS SOLDIER ROLE 9 PART 11. SPECIAL STUDIES OF SOLDIER ATTITUDES 1. Attitudes toward Noncommissioned Officers 41 2. Job Satisfaction and the Utilization of Skills 47 3. Attitudes of Negro Soldiers 55 4. Health and Food 61 5. The Off-duty Life of the Soldier 65 6. Attitudes toward Our Allies 79 SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS A. Measuring the Effectiveness of Informational Motion Pictures 87 B. Who is the American Soldier? 105 5 CONFIDENTIAL HOW THE STUDIES ARE MADE The staff of the Research Branch of the Special Service Division is composed of Army officers who are specialists in this field, together with a number of civilians from leading universities and from commercial life. Techniques have been developed, tested and adjusted to fit the Army's problems. The basic steps in conducting a study are as follows: 1. The questionnaire 11 prepared in consultation with the War Department Branches immediately concerned. All de- tails are worked out in advance. 2. The questionnaire 15 pre-tested on smaller groups to make certain that the questions are meaningful and understandable to the enlisted men. 3. The project is cleared for action with the Commands in which the study is to be made. 4. The number of men to be surveyed is set sufficiently large to insure statistically reliable findings. 5. The men to be surveyed are selected to insure as true 6. cross-section as possible. 6. The men are assembled in class rooms or mess halls, where they themselves--in absolute anonymity--fill in their questionnaires. No officers are present, the classes being conducted by trained enlisted men. The questionnaires bear no names, serial numbers, or other personal identification. Ordinarily, illiterates or men of very low intelligence are interviewed personally by trained enlisted men. Other techniques, of course, are employed from time to time to fit special needs. e CONFIDENTIAL WHERE SURVEYS HAVE BEEN MADE EUROPE AN NORTH AMERICAN ASIATIC ASIATIC NORTH MIDDLE AFRICAN EAST PACIFIC LATIN AMERICAN SOUTHWEST SOUTH PACIFIC PACIFIC SURVEYS HAVE BEEN MADE IN 100 DIFFERENT POSTS, CAMPS, AND STATIONS IN U.S.A. Shaded sections show the theaters where studies have been conducted or are under way 7 PART 1. THE SOLDIER LOOKS AT HIS SOLDIER ROLE Representative cross-sections of thousands of troops, here and abroad, have been asked the question: "If it were up to you to choose, do you think you could do more for your country as a soldier or as a worker in a war job?" How the men answer this question and related questions, how different kinds of men differ in their attitudes--is shown in the pages following. This material is basic for developing the In- formation Program of the Special Service Di- vision. It may also have implications for other branches of the Army. 9 CONFIDENTIAL SOLDIER OR WAR WORKER? In the United States, 39 per cent of all the enlisted men think they can do more for their country as soldiers than as war workers. In the Middle East Command, soldiers stationed along the Mediterranean from the Nile delta to Tunisia have much the same attitude as those at home. Forty-eight per cent of the men attached to bomber and fighter squadrons and 37 per cent of the service troops in this area are convinced of the greater usefulness of their work as soldiers. What is the significance of such responses? When a man is drawn from civilian Life, with skills in de- mand and wartine wages high, he is making a sacrifice in ac- cepting Army discipline, Army pay, and Army danger. Some men who say that they are less useful as soldiers than as war workers may be expressing a fact, without implying lack of zeal for the war. Such men may, however, be no less a problem to the Army than the soldiers who lack enthusiasm for the war. But--as the next pages show-the average soldier who rates his soldier role as less useful than B. civilian role in a war job is more likely than other men to be apathetic about the war distrustful of our Allies not desirous of going overseas not very proud of his company, battery or squadron not desirous of afighting job if he goes overseas 10 CONFIDENTIAL LESS THAN HALF of the enlisted men believe that they could serve better as SOLDIERS QUESTION.....If it were up to you to choose, do you think you could do more for your country as a soldier or os a worker in a wor job ? TROOPS IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES PERCENTAGE WHO ANSWER SOLDIER UNDECIDED WAR WORKER 39% 12% 49% TROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST PERCENTAGE WHO ANSWER SOLDIER UNDEGIDED WAR WORKER Troops attached to 48% 24% fighter and bomber groups 28% Service troops 37% 19% 44% II CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL MEN WITH DOUBTS ABOUT THE WAR AND OUR ALLIES ARE LEAST LIKELY TO PREFER A SOLDIER ROLE "THIS WAR IS AS MUCH MY AFFAIR AS ANYBODY'S " think they are more useful Among men who HAVE DOUBTS 18% os SOLDIERS Among men who BELIEVE IT 43% think they are more useful as SOLDIERS "WE SHOULD KEEP ON FIGHTING UNTIL ENEMIES ARE CRUSHED EVEN IF THEY OFFER TO GIVE UP COUNTRIES TAKEN OVER" Among men who would be willing, 28% ..... think they are more useful with this offer, to TALK PEACE NOW as SOLDIERS Among men who think we should 45% think they are more useful keep on FIGHTING UNTIL ENEMIES as SOLDIERS ARE CRUSHED HAVE FAITH IN ALLIES" Among men who DISTRUST ENGLAND 32% think they are more useful and RUSSIA os SOLDIERS Among men who have more 46% think they are more useful FAITH in these Allies as SOLDIERS NOTE: Figures are based on representative cross-sections of white enlisted men except for the data shown under "Have Faith In Allies*. Here the figures are based on men in a re- placement training center only, these being the only recent data available. 12 CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL QUESTION If it were up to you to choose, do you think you could do more for your country as a soldier or as 0 worker in a war job? "PREFER OVERSEAS DUTY" Among men who do NOT think they are more useful 22% prefer it as SOLDIERS Among men who DO 55% think they are more useful prefer it os SOLDIERS " "PREFER ACTUAL FIGHTING JOB IF SENT OVERSEAS" Among men who do NOT think they are more useful 25% prefer it as SOLDIERS Among men who DO think they are more useful 57% prefer it os SOLDIERS " FEEL PROUD OF COMPANY, BATTERY, OR SQUADRON" Among men who are NOT 33% think they are more useful very proud as SOLDIERS Among men who ARE 48% think they are more useful very proud as SOLDIERS WHAT KIND OF MEN ARE UNCONVINCED OF THE GREATER USEFULNESS OF THEIR SOLDIER ROLE? HOW DO THEY COMPARE -- BY RACE? BY AGE? MARITAL CONDITION? EDUCATION? HOW DOES LENGTH OF TIME IN THE ARMY AFFECT THEM? BRANCH OF SERVICE? PROMOTION? THE PAGES FOLLOWING DISCUSS THESE QUESTIONS. 13 CONFIDENTIAL DO NEGRO ENLISTED MEN ACCEPT THEIR SOLDIER ROLE? Only 27 per cent of the Negro enlisted men in the United States think they can be more useful to their country as soldiers than as war workers. This compares with 40 per cent of the white en- listed men. Negro soldiers have been divided into three groups according to the answers to three questions on the fairness of treatment of Negroes in the Army. 1. One group consists of Negroes with the most favorable attitude toward Army fairness. Men in this group--a fifth of all Megro soldiers--say the Army is fair to Negroes on each of the three questions. Thirty-nine per cent of the men in this group--almost the same proportion as among whites--say that they are more useful to their country as soldiers than as war workers. 2. The second group consists of men who say the Army is unfair to Negroes on one or two of the three questions. Three-fifths of the Negroes are in this group. Twenty-five per cent of the men in this group feel they are more useful as soldiers than as war workers. 3. The third group, containing a fifth of the Negro sol- diers, says the Army is unfair on all three questions. Only twenty-one per cent of the Negroes in this group feel they can serve their country best as soldiers. . - . Because Negro attitudes are influenced by special conditions, the pages following deal with attitudes of white soldiers, except where otherwise specified. 14 NEGROES ARE LESS CONVINCED THAN WHITES OF SOLDIER USEFULNESS QUESTION +....... If it were choose, de pas think you could de country .. soldier or .. . worker PERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOL White soldiers 40% Negro soldiers 27% EXCEPT those Negroes who feel best about fairness of treatment in the Army PERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIE Negroes most inclined to think Negroes are TREATED 39% FAIRLY in the Army Negroes with MIXED attitudes on fairness 25% of treatment Negroes most inclined to think that Negroes are 21% TREATED UNFAIRLY in the Army 15 CONTIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER AND MARRIED MEN Among the men most likely to feel that they could be more useful as civilian war workers than as soldiers are: 1. The men of thirty and over, whether married or not 2. The younger men who left wives behind when they entered the Army One-fourth of all enlisted men in the Army were 30 and over as of the spring of 1943. That these men have special physical problems in ad- justing to Army life is indicated by a study of six Infantry Divisions in April and May, 1943. Of the men 30 and over, 44 per cent said the physical conditioning program was too tough. By contrast, only 21 per cent of the men 21 to 29 and only 11 per cent of the men under 21 thought it was too tough. The Special Service Division gave a series of physical proficiency tests to a group of filler replacements about to go overseas from a staging area in April, 1943. Among men aged 30 and over about two-thirds failed to meet mini- mun standards of physical proficiency; among those under 30, less than half failed to meet minimum standards. A fifth of the enlisted men in the United States in the spring of 1943 were married before enlistment or induction. Another tenth married after entering the Army. The latter do not, however, contribute the same morale problem as those who left behind wives and, in some cases, children when joining. Men married after entering the Army are about as role, likely as single men to recognize their usefulness in the soldier The men under 30, unmarried when entering the Army, are studied in more detail in the next few pages. 16 CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL OLDER AND MARRIED MEN LEAST LIKELY TO PREFER SOLDIER ROLE QUESTION If it were up to you to choose, do you think you could do more for your country as a soldier of " a worker in a war job? s MEN WHO ARE 30 YEARS OLD OR OVER PERCENTAGE WHO WOULD e RATHER BE SOLDIERS Married before le joining Army 27% 1- 18 le er 21 Single before joining Army I is 28% cy om MEN WHO ARE UNDER 30 YEARS OLD i- 88 Married before 43 joining Army 31% ed he s, ut o Single before er 48% joining Army & in Figures based on white troops in Continental U.S. § Including the few men who were widowed or divorced when joining Army. 17 GORFIDENTIAL HOW LENGTH OF TIME IN THE ARMY AFFECTS ATTITUDES TOWARD SOLDIER'S TASK QUESTION If it were " to you to choose, de you think you could do more for your country as soldler or as a worker in a war job? PERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS PRIVATES 3 months of service, or less 51% NONCOMS NO Over 3 months of service, to a year 41% 50% Over / year of service 37% 61% Figures based on white troops in Continental U.S., under 30 years of age, unmarried when joining the Army. 18 CONFIDENTIAL THE LONGER MEN SERVE AS PRIVATES THE LESS THEY ARE CONVINCED OF THE USEFULNESS OF THEIR SOLDIER ROLE § Among recruits in basic training, 51 per cent think they are more useful as soldiers than civilian war workers. Among privates with over a year of service, only 37 per cent think so, The noncom pattern is the opposite. The longer noncoms have been in the Army the larger the proportion who think them- selves more useful as soldiers. One should guard against confusing cause and ef- fect. The charts opposite may mean (1) that pro- motion is a factor in creating and maintaining attitudes healthy for the Army, or (2) that men with healthy attitudes are more likely to be pro- moted than others. Both may be true to some ex- tent. In any event, these charts demonstrate that a problem exists --GS Long as the training a soldier gets in his first year fails to convince him of the importance of his job as a sol- dier compared with what he thinks he might do as a civilian, SIN order to eliminate confusion with influences traceable to age and marital condition, these data are based only on men under 30 who were unmarried when joining the Army. 19 CONFIDENTIAL CONTIDENTIAL PRIDE IN OUTFIT The men who have the most pride in their company, battery, or squadron are also likely to be men who recognize the usefulness of their role as soldiers rather than as civilians in war jobs. Just as the percentage of men who recognize the importance of their soldier role coes down with increasing Length of service as privates, so does tride in company, battery, or squadron. Among noncome, pride in outfit also decreases slightly with length of service. Pride in branch of service also plays a part in morale. How men rate their own branches is shown on the following pages. 20 CONFIDENTIAL PRIDE IN OUTFIT IS LOWEST AMONG PRIVATES WITH LONGEST SERVICE QUESTION .... "Do you feel proud of your Company, Battery or Squadron?" PERCENTAGE ANSWERING "VERY PROUD" PRIVATES 3 months 54% of service, or less NONCOMS ces Over 3 months 50% 57% of service, to o year Over I year of service 31% 53% in order to eliminate confusion with influences traceable to color, age, and marital condition, the data are based on white men under 30, who were unmarried when joining the Army. 21 CONPIDENTIAL ATTITUDES TOWARD BRANCH AND SOLDIER ROLE Does 8 liking for his own branch of the Army make a man more favorable to his soldier role? The answer is No. Only in the Air Corps is a high degree of liking for branch accompanied by a high proportion of men believing they are more useful as soldiers than as war workers. Excluding the Air Corps, the four branches most liked by their OWN nen are the Signal Corps, the Ordnance Depart- ment, the Quartermaster Corps and the Military Police. Not one of these branches is among the top four in terms of the proportion of men favoring a soldier to a civil- ian war worker assignment. Preference for the soldier role is highest among combat arms. The top four, excluding Air Corps, are the Ar- mored Force, the Corps of Engineers, the Field Artillery and the Infantry. The low standing of some of the ASF-trained branches in recognition of the importance of their service 88 sol- diers is partly due to the attitudes of limited service men, who are mainly concentrated in these branches. The next step is to look at the attitudes of these limited service men. 22 BRANCHES MOST LIKED BY THEIR OWN MEN are LOW in proportion respecting SOLDIER ROLE ... ... EXCEPT AIR CORPS - which is high in both QUESTION ...... If it were up QUESTION ...... If you had a to you to choose, do you think you choice, which one of these branches could do more for your country as a of the Army would you like to be in? soldier or as a worker in a war job? Percentage in each branch who Percentage who would prefer their own branch rather be soldiers Air Corps 76% Air Corps 53% Signal Corps 46% Signal Corps 39% Ordnance 42% Ordnonce 37% Quartermaster 38% Quortermaster 37% Military Military Police 36% Police 26% Medical 35% Medical 40% Engineers 32% Engineers 45% Chemical Chemical Warfore 30% Warfare 35% Field Field 27% Artillery Artillery 44% Armored Armored Force 26% Force 46% Coast Coast 26% Artillery 37% Artillery Infantry 11% infantry 42% The five branches ranking highest in each column are denoted by heavier shading of the bars. 23 COMPIDENTIAL LIMITED SERVICE MEN One in every five of the enlisted men in the Army Service Forces is a limited service man, as contrasted with less than one intwenty in A.A.F. and one in fifty in A.O.F. The chart opposite shows how the attitudes of the limited service men differ from others. This difference: must be taken into account in comparison of attitudes among various arms and services. A special and important problem exists in convincing the limited service men, through better job placement within the Army and through an adequate program of in- formation, that they are more useful to the country as soldiers than 88 civilian war workers. The next section discusses the problem of Army job satisfaction in more detail, for the general service men only. 24 CONFIDENTIAL LIMITED SERVICE MEN in branches trained by A.S.F. LACK ENTHUSIASM for their military job QUESTION ....... If It were " to you to choose, do you think you could do more for your country " soldier or " a worker in 4 war job? Percentage who would rather be soldiers PRIVATES UNMARRIED MEN MARRIED MEN AT ALL AGES UNDER 30 AND UNMARRIED MEN 30 AND OVER General service 49% 26% Limited service 24% 13% NONCOMS ** General service 58% 49% Limited service 36% 19% Figures apply to men in ASF - trained branches with more than three months of service 25 CONFIDENTIAL HOW DESIRE TO CHANGE JOBS IS RELATED TO PREFERENCE FOR SOLDIER ROLE QUESTION ....... If it were " to you to choose, do you think you could do more for your country .. a soldier or .. . worker in a war job? AMONG EVERY TWENTY A.S.F. PRIVATES 5 MEN 00000 ... want to transfer to OF SUCH think they are 41% another Army job in A.S.F. MEN... more useful as soldiers 7 MEN 0...000 """"""" want to transfer to OF SUCH . think they are 53% another Army job in MEN... more useful as soldiers A.A.F. or A.G.F. 4 MEN OF SUCH think they are are undecided 48% MEN. more useful as soldiers 4 MEN - do not want to OF SUCH think they are transfer to another Army job 53% MEN more useful as soldiers Figures apply to unmorried white men under 30, qualitied for general service. 26 CONFIDENTIAL A.S.F. MEN WHO WANT OTHER A.S.F. JOBS ARE LEAST IMPRESSED WITH SOLDIER ROLE The chart opposite is based on privates in ASF-trained branches, after eliminating special problem groups--the married men, the men 30 and over, the limited service men. It shows a picture of dissatisfaction with Army job assignment and its relationship to attitudes toward the soldier role. Five out of every twenty privates want to transfer to another Army job in A.S.F., seven out of every twenty want to transfer to a job in the A.A.F. or A.G.F., and four are undecided. Only four out of twenty say they do not want to transfer to another Army job. Among men who want to transfer to other A.S.F. jobs, 41 per cent think they are more useful to their country as soldiers than as civilians. Among the A.S.F. men who want to transfer to A.A.F. or A.G.F., 53 per cent think they are more useful as soldiers than as civ- ilians. This is just the same proportion as among those who want to stay in their present jobs. A somewhat similar picture would appear if Army Ground Force privates were charted. Even among A.G.F. unmarried men under 30, qualified for general service, one in five wants to transfer to A.S.F. The A.G.F. men who want to transfer to A.S.F. are much less likely to be con- vinced of the importance of their soldier role than are the A.G.F. men who want to transfer to A.A.F. or to another job within Ground Forces. * * * Since rank and education are factors in job assignment, it is impor- tant to note that the same general pattern appears when the better educated and the lesser educated privates and noncoms are studied separately. However, the better educated, whether privates or non- coms, tend to be more convinced of their usefulness as soldiers than the lesser educated, as will be discussed presently. 27 CONFIDENTIAL THE CHALLENGE OF AN EDUCATED ARMY AND HOW IT HAS BEEN MET This is the best educated Army in history, as measured by years spent in school. The change in manpower between World Wars I and II through the spread of public education is as spectacular as the change in machines of war. The following chart shows the comparative educa- tional level of all selectees in World Wars I and II. WORLD WAR I WORLD WAR II COLLEM NEW 5% o or - BOMBOL SPADUATES 11% - NON-GRADUATED 24% É case - - 80% Mr. This great social change was a challenge to the Army. The first survey made by the Research Branch of the Special Service Division, in an Infantry division just after Fearl Harbor, showed that the Army was having difficulties meeting that challenge. Promotion at first was slow--which increased the shock of transition from a civilian life with its rewards for schooling. The better educated were the most frustrated. As the Army grew, through 1942 and 1943, the gates of opportunity for promotion were opened wide. Over two hundred thousand enlisted men, mostly high school and college graduates, have been commissioned from the ranks. The better educated men have fared well in securing non- commissioned ratings as the charts on the page opposite show. In a survey of several Infantry divisions made in the spring of 1943, 55 per cent of the high school graduates and college men said "The Army is giving me a chance to show what I can do," as contrasted with only 24 per cent in the Infantry division studied a little over a year earlier. This proportion has remained quite constant since the summer of 1942. How the nen at different educational levels feel about their soldier role, as compared with what they might do as civilians, is shown next. 28 OF MEN WHO ENTERED THE ARMY AS PRIVATES .... many had received promotions by April 1, 1943 especially the better educated (Each separate education group=100%) Became Officers 15% Become Noncoms 31% 32% 27% 18% Remained Privates 54% 62% 72% 82% College High School High School Grade School Men Graduates Non-Graduates Men .... on January 1, 1942, the relative advantage of the better educated men was not so marked Became Officers Become Noncoms 22% 22% 20% 13% Remained Privates 76% 77% 80% 87% College High School High School Grade School Men Graduates Non-Graduates Men 29 CONFIDENTIAL THE BEST EDUCATED MEN ARE THE MOST CONVINCED OF THEIR USEFULNESS AS SOLDIERS The educated soldier knows more about the war and has greater facility in acquiring further knowledge. § The charts opposite show that among recruits the percentage of college men who are convinced of the importance of their soldier role is more than twice as large as the percentage of grade school men so convinced (61 per cent compared with 27 per cent). At all but the lowest educational levels, the percentages fall off with length of service as privates. At all educational levels, the men who have finished basic training and become noncoms or technicians tend to have greater respect for the importance of their role as soldiers than do privates with comparable length of service. These data are for all white soldiers in the Army in Continental United States. For men under 30 years of age and unmarried when joining the Army, for Negroes, for white men 30 and over, and for white men under 30 who were married on entry, the same gen- eral story can be told. In all these groups the better educated are more likely than the lesser educated to understand the sig- nificance of their Army mission. § on war information tests given to soldiers from time to time in the past year by the Research Branch of the Special Service Division, the better educated always make the highest scores. 30 CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL WELL EDUCATED MEN are most likely to FAVOR SOLDIER ROLE QUESTION ........ If it were up to you to choose, do you think you could do more for your country as asoldier or " . worker in a war job? PRIVATES in Army 3 MONTHS or LESS PERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS College Men 61% High School 50% Graduotes High School Non- graduates 46% Grade School 27% Men PRIVATES in Army OVER 3 MONTHS ALL NONCOMS WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS College Men 42% 55% High School Graduates 40% 58% High School Non-graduates 31% 51% Grade School Men 28% 42% Figures based on all white troops in Continental U.S. 31 CONTIDEATIAL CORFIDENTIAL DOES EDUCATION AFFECT NEGRO ATTITUDES TOWARD SOLDIER ROLE? The better educated a Negro soldier, the more likely he is to believe that he is more useful to his coun- try as a soldier rather than as a civilian war worker. This is true among both Northern and Southern Negro soldiers. Attitudes toward the soldier role are much more closely related to education than to residence in the North or South. At each educational level, Southern soldiers are more likely to express pref- erence for the soldier role. But the North-South differences are small, except among the men with the least schooling. 32 EDUCATED NEGROES, like educated whites, are most likely to BELIEVE SOLDIER ROLE IS IMPORTANT QUESTION If it were up to you to choose, de you think you could do more for your country as 4 soldier or .. a worker in a war job? PERCENTAGE WHO WOULD NORTHERN NEGROES RATHER BE SOLDIERS High school graduates or college men 32% Men who completed 8th grade or high school non-graduates 29% Grade school non-graduates 18% SOUTHERN NEGROES High school graduates or 35% college men Men who completed 8th grade or high school non-graduates 31% Grade School 26% non - graduates 33 NUMBER OF DESERTERS PER 1000 ENLISTED MEN July through November 1942, in Continental U.S. Among 1000 College Men À 0.5 men) Among 1000 High School Graduates Ai (1.7 men) Among 1000 High School Non-graduates ARRAR (5.4 men) Among 1000 Grade School Men (7.9 men) Prepared from data supplied by Machine Records Division, A.G.O. 34 CONFIDENTIAL THE AWOL PROBLEM IS GREATEST AMONG MEN WITH LOW EDUCATION As might be expected from the preceding pages, the problem of absence without leave is least acute at the higher educational levels. This is confirmed by statistics on desertions especially tabulated by A.G.O. and charted on the page opposite, and by several scattering surveys and reports which have been compiled by the Research Branch of Special Service. § Intensive study of 257 enlisted men in a stockade at a staging area, confined for AWOL, shows that only 21 per cent of the men felt that they were more useful as soldiers than as war workers, as compared with 40 per cent among white enlisted men generally. All White Enllsted Men 405 257 AWOL Men In Stockede 215 At Staging Areat TAbout half the AWOL'S in this sample had & grade school education only. Other findings from this study--most of which are paralleled by other reports from the field--are as follows: 1. Volunteers are more likely to go AWOL than Selectees. 2. A considerable number of AWOL's are plainly psychiatric cases, but estimates of the proportion must await further study. 3. Many AWOL's are repeaters. When a cross-section of soldiers throughout the Army was asked why men whom they have known went AWOL, half of the reasons given related to homesickness or desire to see relatives or friends. In this connec- tion, a good many mentioned unfair furlough treatment. § More detailed and adequate statistics should be available later in the summer of 1943. based on B. new system of reporting AWOL's, authorized in AR 615-300. 35 CONFIDENTIAL WHAT TROOPS OVERSEAS SAY ABOUT THEIR DESIRE FOR INFORMATION (FROM A SURVEY IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS) say that o knowledge of current events 97% helps a man to be a better soldier. of those who have heard talks by their 94% officers on what is going on in the world today say these talks help them under- stand the war and their role in it. 95% want to hear regular talks on this subject. RANK ORDER OF TOPICS WHICH MEN OVERSEAS WANT DISCUSSED .... I. What is going on in the United States today 2. What will happen after the wor 3. What is going on inside Germany today 4. What is going on inside the conquered countries of Europe today 5. What is going on in Russia today 6. Air power -- air strategy 7. Individual self protection 8. What we are fighting for 9. German propaganda and fifth column technique IO. Important military compaigns of the war 36 MEN WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WAR AND THEIR PART IN IT The chart opposite, based on n. research survey in the European theater, illustrates this fact. Another example: In the United States, in six Infantry divisions studied in April and May, 1943, only 3 per cent of the officers and 3 per cent of the enlisted men say that soldiers are hearing too many talks on what the war is all about. SUMMARY OF PART I The facts presented in this section outline a difficult problem facing Commanding Officers. They can be summarized as follows: 1. Only 39 per cent of the enlisted men in the United States be- lieve they are more useful as soldiers than they would be 88 civilian war workers. 2. The seriousness of the problem is heightened by the fact that soldiers studied overseas reveal attitudes essentially simi- lar to those of nen in the United States. 3. Attitudes toward soldier role, toward the meaning of the war to the individual, toward Allies, toward pride in outfit and toward discipline are all interrelated. 4. The groups in which attitudes undesirable to the Army appear most frequently are: Men 3° and over Men married before entering the Army Limited service men Men in the Army a Long time as privates Men who want to transfer to jobs in certain branches Men with little formal education Negroes Changes of attitudes of men in some of these classes probably depend onwhether changes are made in Army policy or practice. Even if some changes are feasible, there remains a responsibility for further arming the minds and spirits of the men. Even among the younger noncoms, unmarried, qualified for general service, satisfied with their Army assignment, and well educated, there is a large minority who still are unconvinced about the importance of their role as soldiers. Among these, an among the others, Commanding Officers have 8. task of imparting information and building enthusiasm for the struggle ahead. 37 CONFIDENTIAL PART 11. SPECIAL STUDIES OF SOLDIER ATTITUDES 1. Attitudes toward Moncommissioned Officers 2. Job Satisfaction and the Utilization of Skills 3. Attitudes of Negro Soldiers 4. Health and Food 5. The Off-duty Life of the Soldier 6. Attitudes toward Our Allies 39 CONFIDENTIAL CONPIDENTIAL ATTITUDES TOWARD NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS The relationship of leadership to morale makes it important to study attitudes of soldiers toward their noncommissioned offi- cers. The data reported here are from two surveys: Attitudes toward the selection of noncome were learned from a study of a representative cross-section of white enlisted men in all arms and services in the United States in February, 1943. Material on the evaluation of noncom abili- ties comes from a survey of company grade officers of six Infantry divisions and a representative cross-section of the enlisted men in the same divisions. This survey was made in April and May, 1943. 41 PROMOTION AS THE SOLDIERS SEE IT A high percentage of enlisted men--3 out of 5--say that the noncoms they know are about as good as could have been picked from their outfits. Privates are almost as favorable on this point as are non- coms. Two-thirds of those who approve the selection of non- coms or are doubtful on this point say that noncoms win their stripes through ability. Many of the men who do not believe their noncoms were well chosen believe that bootlicking is the main way to get promotion. . . . Two men out of every five think methods of selecting non- como can be improved. The most frequent concrete sugges- tion is to require examinations before promotion. Well educated men are the most often critical of promotion methods--in spite of the fact that the well educated have the best chance for promotion (See page 29). Privates with long service are more critical of promotion methods than are new recruits. Even among noncoms, there is slightly less respect for promotion methods as service lengthens. 42 CONFIDENTIAD MOST MEN APPROVE CHOICE OF NONCOMS QUESTION: "Do you think your noncoms are about as good as any that could have been picked from your outfit?" PERCENTAGE ANSWERING NO DON'T KNOW YES PRIVATES 25% 17% 58% NONCOMS 24% 9% 67% ALL ENLISTED 25% 14% 61% MEN The 25% who answered "NO" and the 75% who answered "YES"or "DONT KNOW" were asked "HOW DO YOU THINK MOST OF THE NONCOMS YOU KNOW WERE SELECTED FOR THEIR JOBS?" THOSE WHO ANSWERED THOSE WHO ANSWERED "YES" "NO" SAID OR "DON'T KNOW" SAID. ABILITY 67% ABILITY 12% LUCK 18% BOOTLICKING 56% 10% LONG TIME IN ARMY 4% OTHER BOOTLICKING LUCK 9% 9% LONG TIME IN ARMY 4% 11% OTHER 43 CONFIDENTIAL WHAT MAKES A GOOD NONCOM? Officers and Enlisted Men Disagree on The Importance of Various Abilities Some of the criticism of the choice of noncoms may arise because officers and men honestly disagree on the relative importance of specific abilities which noncoms need. This situation was observed in six Infantry divisions stud- led in April and May, 1943. The principal findings of this study are charted on the opposite page. Nost officers believe that the two most important abilities e noncom needs are the ability to carry out orders promptly and accurately and the ability to think for himself, Privates put a much greater stress on the noncom's abilities to help and advise the men under him, to explain things clearly, and to pain the personal Lik- ing of the men under him. Noncoms' ratings of these abilities fall between those of the officers and those of the privates. The personal abilities are stressed most by privates who have been in the Army only a short time. This fact may be interpreted in several ways. It may indicate merely that rookies have naive ideas of the role of noncoms. It may, however, indicate that cadremen picked to train recruits should have somewhat different abilities than those needed by noncoms in veteran outfits. 4% IMPERSONAL ABILITIES are stressed by OFFICERS Percentage rating each ability first or second in importance ABILITY TO CARRY ABILITY TO THINK OUT ORDERS PROMPTLY FOR HIMSELF AND ACCURATELY 87% 60% 44% 75% 44% 23% Officers Noncoms Privates Officers Noncoms Privates PERSONAL ABILITIES seem important to PRIVATES Percentage rating each ability first or second in importance ABILITY TO HELP ABILITY TO EXPLAIN ABILITY TO GAIN AND ADVISE THINGS CLEARLY PERSONAL LIKING THE MEN TO THE MEN OF THE MEN 22% 41% 49% 9% 22% 35% 7% 33% 49% Officers Noncoms Privates Officers Noncoms Privates Officers Noncoms Privates From a Special Study of Officers and Enlisted Men in Six Infantry Divisions 45 CONFIDENTIAL JOB SATISFACTION AND THE UTILIZATION OF SKILLS Proper job assignment is important to morale as well as to efficiency. This fact has been demonstrated by nu- merous studies made by the Research Branch of the Special Service Division since Pearl Harbor. The material presented in this section is based on surveys of representative cross-sections of white enlisted men in the Continental United States in the spring of 1943. 47 CONFIDENTIAL JOB SATISFACTION OF MEN WHO GOT THE ASSIGNMENT THEY CHOSE ... compared with other men JOB SATISFACTION Percentage of men in each group who have high, medium, and low satisfoction HIGH MEDIUM LOW MEN WHO GOT THE JOB ASSIGNMENT ASKED FOR 74% 22% #(4%) MEN WHO DID NOT GET THE JOB ASSIGNMENT ASKED FOR 19% 40% 41% OR HAD NO CHANCE TO ASK Based on a cross-section of men in the Army over 3 months, April, 1943 QUESTIONS forming JOB SATISFACTION SCALE 1. On the whole, do you think the Army is giving you a chance to show what you can do? 2. Would you change to some other job if given a chance? 3. Do you feel that everything possible has been done to place you in the Army job where you best fit? 4. Do you think your ability and experience fit you better for some other job or duty? 5. How satisfied are you about being in your present Army job instead of some other job? 6. How interested are you in your Army job? 48 CUNFIDENTIAL MEN LIKE THEIR ARMY JOBS IF THEY GET THE JOBS THEY ASK FOR Men come from civilian life with thousands of special- ized skills. Only a fraction of these can be used by the Army. Even if classification and assignment worked perfectly in matching men to Army jobs, many men would have to be placed in jobs they would not choose. Surveys of the Research Branch of the Special Service Division show that a man's job satisfaction depends in great measure on his success in securing a job he chooses for himself. Men who are given no choice of job and those who ask for a job but fail to get it are usually much less satisfied with their jobs. These facts are charted on the opposite page, and the questions used in establishing relative job satisfaction are presented. It is obvious that classification and assignment cannot be so arranged as to meet every soldier's desires in the matter of job choice. Under the time pressures of war, decisions must be made quickly, and mistakes will sometimes be made. Where reassignment of dissatisfied men is impossible, explanations of the reasons for the present assignment may be helpful. Job dissatisfaction is a more acute problem in some arms and services than in others. Details on this point appear on the following pages. 49 CONFIDENTIA JOB SATISFACTION VARIES WITH ARM AND SERVICE The Air Corps has the highest proportion of men who were given the job they asked for. This branch also contains the largest proportion of men with high job satisfaction scores. Infantry is at the opposite extreme. It has the smallest percentage of men serving in jobs they chose and the small- est percentage of men with high job satisfaction scores. Further study will be required before the reasons for the sharp difference between the different arms and services can be ascertained. A study of classification, assignment and job satisfaction in selected ASF-trained branches is now in progress. BRANCH DIFFERENCES IN JOB SATISFACTION EXIST OVERSEAS About one man In five in the Middle East Command expresses dissatisfaction with his job assignment. Men in ASF-trained units are twice as likely to be critical of misclassification as men in bomber and fighter squadrons. The latter, however, are more critical of excessive routine duties and failure to utilize skills than are ASF-trained men. 50 CONFIDENTIAL AIR CORPS LEADS, INFANTRY TRAILS in job choice and job satisfaction PERCENTAGE OF MEN PERCENTAGE OF MEN IN EACH BRANCH GETTING IN EACH BRANCH WITH JOB ASSIGNMENT ASKED FOR HIGHEST JOB SATISFACTION SCORES Air Corps 54% 53% Ordnance 39% 44% Signal Corps 38% 44% Medical 32% 41%, Engineers 32% 33% Field 26% Artillery 41% Quartermaster 25% 40% Coast Artillery 25% 34% Armored Force 24% 33% Chemical Warfore 23% 33% Military 19% Police 33% Infantry 11% 17% From a cross-section survey of men in the Army over 3 months, April 1943 51 CONFIDENTIAL JOB SATISFACTION IS GREATEST AMONG MEN USING THEIR TECHNICAL TRAINING Nine Air Corps men out of every ten trained in Army technical schools report that this training is being used in their present assignments. In other arms and services, seven out of every ten say they are using their Army technical school training in their present jobs. Half the men who say their technical school train- ing is wasted score low in job satisfaction. Only one man in six who says his technical school training is used scores low in job satisfaction. Men want to attend Army technical schools. Nine out of ten graduates of Army technical schools (a number which includes many men who feel they are not now using their training) are glad they at- tended. Six out of ten men who have not attended these schools say they wish they had been sent. 52 CONTIDENTTAL 9 OUT OF 10 AIR CORPS TECHNICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES ARE USING THEIR TRAINING not so high for other branches NOT USING SKILLS USING SKILLS LEARNED IN SCHOOL LEARNED IN SCHOOL AIR CORPS INFANTRY FIELD ARTILLERY ARMORED ENGINEERS SIGNAL CORPS QUARTERMASTER MEDICAL EACH SYMBOL REPRESENTS 10 % OF THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES 53 CONTIDENTIA ATTITUDES OF NEGRO SOLDIERS Early this year the Research Branch of the Special Service Division was in- structed to survey the attitudes of Negro enlisted men in the Army. This study, completed in March, 1943, covered 7,000 Negro enlisted men who formed a representative sample of Negroes in 46 different Army organizations from Coast to Coast. Comparable data were obtained at the same time from a representative sample of white enlisted men. The material reported here covers two of the several subjects studied. They are: a) Negroes' preferences in officers. b) Attitudes of Negro and white troops toward separation of the two races in the Army. 55 CONFIDENTIAL WHAT KIND OF JUNIOR OFFICERS DO NEGRO SOLDIERS PREFER? Negro soldiers, expressing their opinions in an atmosphere of anonymity, leave no doubt as to the answer to this question. They prefer Negro lieutenants to white lieu- tenants. They prefer Morthern lleutenants to Southern lieutenants. A considerable minority of the Negro troops feel it makes no difference which type of officer they have, but the percentage favoring Southern or white lieutenants is insignificant. The percentage saying it makes no difference is largest among the Southern Negroes, but even this group has a substantial majority favoring Northern and Negro lieutenants. 56 CONFIDENTIAL N NEGRO SOLDIERS PREFER NEGRO LIEUTENANTS PERCENTAGE CHOOSING NO WHITE NEGRO LIEUTENANTS DIFFERENCE LIEUT QUESTION ..... Suppose your company could get its lieutenants from the North only, but they could be either WHITE or 57% 33% 10% NEGRO. which would you rather have? QUESTION ..... Suppose your company could get southern officers only. If so, would you rather have WHITE or NEGRO 73% 22% 5 lieutenants? NEGRO SOLDIERS PREFER NORTHERN LIEUTENANTS PERCENTAGE CHOOSING NO SOUTHERN NORTHERN LIEUTENANTS DIFFERENCE LIEUT. QUESTION Suppose your company lieutenants were all white officers, but they could come either from the NORTH or 80% 17% 3 from the SOUTH. which would you rather have? QUESTION Suppose your company lieutenants were all Negro officers. would you rather have them cone from the 54% 38% 8% NORTH or from the SOUTH? 57 RACE SEPARATION IN THE ARMY ... AS THE NEGRO SOLDIER SEES IT In response to each of three questions on separation of Negroes and whites in the Army, a minority of Negro soldiers--but a sub- stantial minority, from 38 to 48 per cent--say they consider some form of separation a good idea. About half favor separate service clubs; four in ten favor separate post exchanges. Thirty-eight per cent believe that Negro and white soldiers should be in separate outfits; 36 per cent believe Negro and white soldiers should be in the same outfits; the rest are undecided. Many of the Negroes and some of the whites who favor separation in the Army indicate by their comments that they are opposed to segregation in principle. They favor separation in the Army to avoid trouble or unpleasantness arising from race prejudice. This point is most often made in connection with service clubs, where social relations are most important. Negroes who oppose segregation in the Army indicate most fre- quently that their reasons are related to the idea that we are fighting for democracy and equality. . The longer a Negro has served in the Army, the less likely he in to favor separation of the races. Most favorable to racial separation in the Army are the Southern Negroes with least education. Least favorable are the better educated Northern Negroes. The chart at the right presents the answers of Negro and white soldiers to the three questions on racial separation in the Army. 58 NEGRO OPINIONS DIFFER ON RACE SEPARATION QUESTION "Do you think it is a good idea or opoor idea for Negro and white soldiers to have SEPARATE SERVICE CLUBS in Army camps?" PERCENTAGE SAYING UN- GOOD IDEA DECIDED POOR IDEA NEGRO 48% 13% 39% SOLDIERS WHITE 85% 6 9% SOLDIERS QUESTION "Do you think it is a good idea or a poor idea for white and Negro soldiers to have SEPARATE PX's in Army camps?" UN- GOOD IDEA DECIDED POOR IDEA NEGRO 40% 12% 48% SOLDIERS WHITE SOLDIERS 81% 9 10% QUESTION. "Do you think white and Negro soldiers should be in SEPARATE OUTFITS or should they be together in the SAME OUTFITS?" SEPARATE OUTFITS NO DIFFERENCE SAME OUTFITS NEGRO 38% 26% 36% SOLDIERS WHITE 88% 9%3 SOLDIERS t Includes men who are undecided 59 HEALTH AND FOOD Good food and good medical care are gen- erally recognized 88 important to the morale of any Army organization. Numerous studies by the Research Branch of the Special Service Division have found essentially the same attitudes on these points. They are: 1. The men speak well of their medical care. 2. The men believe their food is of good quality. 3. Many of the sen are critical of the preparation of the food. 61 CONFIDENTIAL CONEIDENTIAL MOST MEN VOTE MEDICAL SERVICE GOOD QUESTION ... How do you feel about medical attention in the Army?" It is very good 30% It is fairly good 39% Undecided 8% 15% It is rather poor 8% It is very poor Data from a cross-section of white enlisted men in Continental United States 62 CONTIDENTICL SOLDIERS SAY THE FOOD IS GOOD, BUT disagree on the cooking QUESTION "How do you feel about Army food?" It is good quality 35% and well prepared It is good quality 44% but poorly prepared Undecided 13% It is poor quality 5% but well prepared It is poor quality 3 and poorly prepared Data from a cross-section of white enlisted men in Continental United States 63 CONFIDENTIAL THE OFF-DUTY LIFE OF THE SOLDIER The soldier's use of his leisure time is a matter of prac- tical concern to the Army. The right off-duty activities promote health, efficiency, morale. The wrong activities are reflected in AWOL and VD statistics, and can be re- flected in lowered efficiency of training during hours of duty. Many men have difficulty in finding satisfactory off-duty activities. In England, for example, the men were asked: "Do you have trouble finding interesting things to do in your free evenings?" The distribution of answers was: YES NO NOST OF MUCH OF THE TIME THE TIME NOT VERY OFTEN NEVER 241 20% 415 155 The proportion reporting difficulty was larger in small, isolated camps, and in camps lacking Special Service offi- cers or "A" and "8" recreation kits. Facts on men's use of their leisure time are presented on the following pages. 65 CONFIDENTIAL WHAT MEN DO OFF-DUTY American soldiers in England report a different use of their leisure time than do our men in the United States. Men stationed in the United States are more likely than those abroad to: Write letters Listen to the radio Read magazines See a movie Men stationed in England are more likely than those at home to: Drink beer or liquor Play cards Date a girl Two-thirds of the drinkers on a typical evening in England drink only beer. In the United States, four-fifths of the drinkers drink only beer. Off-duty activities are influenced in Large measure by the availability of facilities. The difficulty of obtaining radios and magazines, for example, is a factor limiting listening and reading in England, It should be borne in mind that the chart opposite does not indicate the amount of time spent on various activities. For example, letter writing is reported by more men than any other activity, but it does not necessarily consume as much time as the other things men do in their off-duty evenings. What men do off-duty is not always what they most want to do. Pref- erences in leisure-time activities are discussed on the following pages. 00 CONFIDENTIAL OFF-DUTY ACTIVITIES DIFFER HERE and ABROAD Percentage of men off-duty saying they take part in each activity on a typical evening. 62% In United States WRITE LETTERS 49% In England 47% LISTEN TO RADIO 11% 41% READ MAGAZINE 21% 31% SEE A MOVIE 24% 23% DRINK BEER OR LIQUOR 36% 15% TAKE PART IN SPORTS 15 % 11% READ A BOOK 10 % 11% PLAY CARDS 25% 9 % DATE A GIRL 21% 6% GO DANCING 8% The total percent is more than 100, since many men reported more than one activity. 67 PREFERENCES IN OFF-DUTY ACTIVITIES American Soldiers Are Movie Fans In the United States One enlisted man out of every four in the United States rates attend- ing movies as his favorite leisure-time activity. (See the chart on the opposite page.) Participation in sports and athletics is the favorite off-duty activity of one man in every five. One man in every seven says he likes most to go dancing. One man in every ten gives top rating to listening to music. In England Movies are the favorite diversion of our men in England, if they are spending a free evening in camp. On a free evening in town, more men prefer to go dancing. When asked to name their preference, from a list of activities, the men responded as shown in the table below: PER CENT PREFERRING EACH ACTIVITY FOR A. FREE EVENING ..IN ..IN CAMP TOWN ACTIVITY $ $ Movies 41 21 Dance. 26 37 Stage show or play 25 19 Party or sing. 4 5 Concert. - , visit to British home, I 15 Total per cent 100 100 Details on men's attitudes toward the use of leisure time are pre- sented on the following pages. 68 SOLDIERS PREFER MOVIES FILMS are the FAVORITE off-duty ACTIVITY of a quarter of the enlisted men in the United States PERCENTAGE NAMING EACH ACTIVITY AS THE ONE THEY LIKE MOST Seeing a movie 25% Taking part in sports or athletics % 20% Going dancing 14% jd Listening to music 10% Seeing a play 5% Spending time 5% on hobbies Other activities 6% These bars add to only 85% since 15% of the men expressed no preference. 69 BASEBALL IS STILL THE NATIONAL SPORT Percentage of enlisted men in the United States naming each sport as their favorite BASEBALL 39% OR SOFTBALL FOOTBALL 18% BASKETBALL ..... 11% SWIMMING 6% BOXING 4% OTHER 16% OUTDOOR SPORTS. OTHER INDOOR SPORTS 6% 70 CONELDENTIA ATHLETICS AND THE SOLDIER Baseball (or softball) is the favorite sport among enlisted men stationed in this country. It is also the sport most commonly engaged in by American troops in England. Foot- ball stands second in both ratings. One man in five names sports and athletics his favorite off- duty activity. One man in seven takes part in sports and athletics on a typical off-duty evening. This holds true both in the United States and England. Many Men Criticize the Army Athletic Program Four enlisted men out of every ten in the United States say that they are not given enough opportunity to take part in sports and athletics. Three out of ten say their outfits do not have enough ath- letic equipment. Three out of ten say the sports and athletic programs in the outfits are poorly arranged. Men's attitudes toward recreation facilities are discussed on the pages that follow. 71 CONFIDENTIAL THE SOLDIERS' CLUBS Much of a soldier's non-working life revolves around his clubs. His dayroom, his service club, his USO (if he is in the United States) and his Red Cross club (if he is overseas) provide facilities which his barracks cannot supply. Service Clubs One man out of four in the United States visits a service club on a typical day. One man in twelve visits a service club more than once in a typical day. The chart opposite shows that the usefulness of a club depends on how close it is to a man's barracks. Privates use the service clubs more than do noncoms, and better educated men use them more than the less educated. When asked to choose which of three facilities they most want, en- listed men in the United States say: First: Another service club on the post Second: Another dayroom in the battalion area Third: Another USO club in town USO and Red Cross Clubs A third of the men in the United States say they visited a USO club in a two-week period. In England, a quarter of the American enlisted men say they visit Red Cross clubs once a week or oftener, and another fifth say they visit Red Cross clubs several times a month. Dayrooms Most soldiers in the United States report that their dayrooms have magazines, good lighting, books, radios, and adequate furniture. But about half the men say their dayrooms lack phonographs and records. Radio-phonographs are the most needed recreational facilities in England, according to our enlisted men there. Two-fifths of our men inEngland say they need dayrooms (See the chart opposite). 72 LOCATION influences USE OF SERVICE CLUBS QUESTION Did you visit o Service Club yesterday?" PERCENTAGE OF MEN WHO SAID DISTANCE MEN LIVE FROM SERVICE CLUB YES NO 40% 60% ...... 5 MINUTE WALK 26% 74% ****** .... 10 TO is MINUTE WALK À 20% 80% 15% 20 MINUTE WALK OR MORE MEN IN ENGLAND WANT RADIO-PHONOGRAPHS QUESTION Of the following list, which items do you feel are bodly needed or need to be improved?" PERCENTAGE NAMING EACH ITEM Radio-phonograph 53% Magazines 47% Dayroom 40% Books 33% Writing tables 28% Indoor games 26% Other items named less frequently were: Basketball equipment (by 13%), Baseball equipment (by 10%), Football equipment (by 8%), and Volleyball equipment (by 4%). 73 5 out of 6 of our MEN IN ENGLAND read "YANK" each week PERCENTAGE OF MEN IN ENGLAND WHO Have read Never Read weekly but only one or sow o Subscribe to "Yank" don't subscribe two issues copy 35% 48% 16% 1% "BEST SELLERS" are the SOLDIER'S CHOICE in books QUESTION "If you were to spend on evening in camp reading, what type of book would you prefer?" PERCENTAGE OF MEN IN ENGLAND NAMING EACH TYPE Recent novels of the best seller type 26% Mystery and detective novels 25% Adventure and romance stories 14% Historical novels 13% Western novels 10% Non - Fiction 7% Classics 5% Number expressing o preference for these types equals 100 per cent 74 THE SOLDIER IS A READING MAN ARMY NEWSPAPERS Five out of every six American enlisted men in England say they read "YANK" every week. Only one man in a hundred says he has never seen it. Seven out of eight men in England rate "YANK" as either "excellent" or "good". Only one man in a hundred calls it "poor". "STARS AND STRIPES" is read by a slightly larger proportion of the men in England than read "YANK", but is not quite 80 well liked. Three-fourths of the American soldiers in England want to see more news about the United States in "STARS AND STRIPES" and "YANK". The best liked features in "YANK" are its pictures, war news, and news from home. The least liked feature is poetry. POCKET GUIDES TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES The overwhelming majority of men in the Middle East Command who have received POCKET GUIDES say these booklets have helped them understand the country and the people. But only one man out of every three in this Command had received a Guide as of June 1, 1943. BOOKS "Best sellers" and detective books are the soldier's choice for an evening's reading in English camps. Nonfiction and the classics are favored by the smallest proportion of the soldiers. (See the chart opposite.) On the pages that follow are presented some data on soldier reactions to V-mail. 75 CONEIDENTIAL SOLDIER REACTIONS TO V-MAIL V-mail is not popular with our men in the Middle East. One very important reason for this is that most men report that V-mail is no faster than regular mail. The great majority of men prefer regular mail because it is more personal and be- cause the letter may be as long as de- sired. About a third complain that V-mail is not clear and is hard to read. 76 MEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST 4. 1 / DO NOT LIKE V-MAIL Percentage preferring 95% regular mail to V-mail Percentage who say V-mail is no faster 63% than regular mail BUT even speed wouldn't change most men's preferences Percentage who still would prefer regular mail Even if V-mail were one week faster 79% than regular mail Even if ..V-mail were two weeks faster 55% than regular mail 77 CONPIDENTIAL ATTITUDES TOWARD OUR ALLIES Facts on soldiers' attitudes toward our Allies are essential to the Special Service Division in the development of its program of infor- mation for troops. It is clear that atti- tudes toward Allies may relate closely to attitudes toward the war. Information on these attitudes has a further interest to commanders who now or later may be operating in close contact with Allied troops. The data presented on the following pages are based on surveys of the officers and enlist- ed men of six Infantry divisions in the United States, made in April and May, 1943, and of the enlisted men in the Middle East in May, 1943. 79 CONFIDENTIAL CONPIDENTIAL ADMIRATION OF ALLIES' FIGHTING QUESTION...."Do you agree or disagree with these statements?" PERCENTAGE WHO AGREE 98% AMONG THE OFFICERS "Considering everything, the Rus- sians are doing as good a job as possible of fighting this war." 93% AMONG THE ENLISTED MEN 86% "Considering everything, the Brit- ish are doing as good a job as possible of fighting this war." 81% - BUT SKEPTICISM OF THEIR POST-WAR AIMS PERCENTAGE WHO AGREE "Britain ismore interested in don- 26% .... AMONG THE OFFICERS inating or controlling the world than she is in building a truly democratic world." 32% AMONG THE ENLISTED MEN *Russia is more interested in dom- 30% inating or controlling the world than she is in building a truly democratic world." 31% Bosed on a survey of company grade officers and a cross-section of enlisted men in six Infantry divisions in the United States. 80 CONFIDENTIAE OUR ALLIES Officers and Enlisted Men Share Both Admiration and Doubts Almost all officers and men admire the job which Russia and Britain are doing in fighting the war. But about three out of every ten--officers and men alike--believe that these countries are more interested in dominating the world than in build- ing a democratic world. About 24 per cent of the officers and 18 per cent of the enlisted men believe we will have to fight Ruasia after this war is over. What soldiers in an overseas theater think of our Allies is shown next. 81 CONFIDENTIAL WHAT AMERICANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST THINK ABOUT OUR ALLIES Our troops in the Middle East contain a substan- tial minority doubtful of our Allies' post-war co- operation. Service in close contact with the British does not seem to have increased confidence in this respect. On the contrary, 71 per cent of the American enlisted men in the area say there is much ill-feeling between Americans and British. Some 72 per cent say the British soldiers do not 80 out of their way to help the American soldier and show him G good time. And 39 per cent of our enlisted men say they do not like the British. Men who have been overseas a long time are less likely to like the British than are new arrivals. 82 DOUBTS OF OUR ALLIES ARE COMMON IN THE MIDDLE EAST ATTITUDES TOWARD ENGLISH QUESTION "Do you agree or disagree 51% AGREE with the statement that the English can be de- pended upon to cooper- ate with us after the wor?" 28% UNDECIDED 21% DISAGREE ATTITUDES TOWARD RUSSIANS QUESTION "Do you agree or disagree with the statement that AGREE 44% the Russians can be de- pended upon to cooper- ate with us after the war?" UNDECIDED 40% DISAGREE 16% Survey of o representative cross-section of enlisted men in Middle East Theoter, from the Nile Delta to Tunisia, May 1943. 83 CONFIDENTIAL SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS Supplement A Measuring the Effectiveness of Informational Motion Pictures Section I Orientation Films, "Why We Fight" Section II Film Feature, "The War" Supplement B . Who is the American Soldier? 85 CONSIDENTIAL, Supplement A MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMATIONAL MOTION PICTURES A Report on Methods and Findings of Research Studies on Effect of Special Service Division Films To increase soldiers' knowledge of the war and its back- ground, and to build healthy attitudes toward the war and our Allies, the Special Service Division produces motion pictures, radio programs, "Yank", the Army weekly newspaper, Newsmap, a daily news service and other ma- terials. The orientation films of the "Why We Fight" series and the bi-weekly film feature, "The War" have been sub- jected to careful analysis. The research studies have supplied the Special Service Division with facts on the strength and weakness of the films, and afford a basis for continual improvement in them. This work has been conducted by the Experimental Section of the Research Branch over a period of sixmonths. Dis- cussion of findings on the first four films of the "Why We Fight" series is presented in Section I of this Sup- plement. A report on three films of "The War" is pre- sented in Section II. 87 SECTION I ORIENTATION FILMS, "WHY WE FIGHT" General Marshall indicated the purpose of the "Why We Fight" series in his introduction to the first film. He said the aim was # to acquaint members of the Army with factual information as to the causes, the events leading up to our entry into the war and the principles for which we are fighting. A knowledge of these facts is an indispensable part of military train- ing. This definition of purpose suggests that the effectiveness of the films should be measured in terms of two basic factors: (1) gains in factual information, and (2) changes in attitudes related to the principles for which we are fighting. How the Effects of Orientation Films are Measured The procedure used is that of controlled experiment. The design is simple. Two groups of soldiers, an experimental group and a control group, are chosen in such a way that they are closely matched with respect to age, education, region of origin and other characteristics. Normally about 1,000 men at a replacement train- ing center are used in a given study -- half in the experimental group and half in the control group. The experimental group is shown the film as part of their regular training program. The control group does not see the film. About 8. week later, the at- titudes and factual information of both groups are measured. Specially designed questionnaires are used to ascertain factual knowledge and the nature of attitudes held by the men. The same questionnaire is given anonymously to those who saw the film and those who did not, and the former group is not told that the ques- tionnaire has anything to do with the film they have seen. The differences between the answers of the two groups reveal the ef- fects of the film. The procedure just outlined is the one most frequently used. In some cases a variation in method is introduced by giving a pre- liminary questionnaire to both groups, then showing the film to the experimental group, and subsequently retesting both groups. 88 CONFIDENTIAL Although this method shows essentially the same results as the simpler one, it allows some refinement to be introduced by making allowance for any slight initial differences in the attitudes of the two groups, and also permits determining how specific indi- viduals in the experimental group are influenced by the films. How the Films Increase Factual Knowledge The questionnaire used in studying each film contains an informa- tion test covering factual material emphasized in that film. FILM 1: "PRELUDE TO WAR" Showing the background of the war from the Jap attack on Manchuria through the conquest of Ethiopia by Italy 49% Average percentage of questions 35% answered correctly MEN WHO WEN WHO HAD NOT HAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM Percentages of men answering each point correctly NEW WHO MEN WHO Examples: HAD NOT HAD DIFFER- SEEN FILM SEEM FILM ENCE $ $ $ Japan's plan for conquest of Manchuria: outlined in the Tanaka memorial 7 24 17 Significance of the date Sept. 18, 1931 (beginning of the war In Manchuria) 19 31 12 Jap boast of dictating peace terms in Washington 62 85 3 89 FILMS II AND 111: "THE NAZIS STRIKE" AND "DIVIDE AND CONQUER" Film II pictures Nazi militarization and appression from 1936 through the Polish compaign. Film III pictures the Nazi conquest of Norway, the Low Countries and France. Films II and III were studied as a unit, by comparing questionnaire an- swers of men who had seen both films with those of men who had seen neither film. 52% Average percentage of 32% questions answered cor- rectly MEN WHO NEW WHO MAD NOT MAD SEEN FILMS SEEN FILMS " AND 111 = AND III Percentages of men answering each point correctly WEN wio WEN - Examples, Film II: MAD NOT HAD DIFFER- SEEN FILM SEEN FILM ENCE $ $ $ Hitler's excuse for invading Sudetenland: minorities of German descent living there ... 45 63 16 Warsaw surrendered only when food supplies ran out 44 55 11 Nazis' advance through Poland atopped when they net advancing Russian troops 31 42 11 Geopolitics: Name of German science for military control of the world 33 36 3 Examples, Film III: Germans bombed Rotterdam after the Dutch had surrendered 17 62 45 Namis blocked Allied advance by herding refugees onto the roads 34 68 34 Nasis prepared for attack on Eben Emael by building & model of the fort and re- hearsing in advance 24 51 27 90 CONFIDENTIAI FILM IV: "THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN" Showing the Nazi air attack on England, 1940-41 50% Average percentage of 29% questions answered correctly MEN WHO MEN WHO HAD NOT HAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM Percentages of men answering each point correctly MEN MID MEN WHO MAD NOT HAD DIFFER- Examples: SEEN FILM SEEN FILM ENCE $ $ $ Relative size of Nazi and British air forces 21 54 33 Extent of British materiel after Dunkirk. 5 17 12 Extent of German plane losses in attacks on Britain. 43 45 2 91 CONFIDENTIAL How the Films Influence Attitudes A tacit assumption in the formulation of the policy concerning informational films is that increased knowledge of facts about the war will be accompanied by changes in the interpretation of events related to them. This is very reasonable in the present instance. If, for example, a man learns for the first time (from Film III) that Rotterdam was bombed by the Nazis after the Dutch had surrendered, this may make him think of the Nazis as brutal and ruthless. Or, if he learns from a film the fact that the Nazis built a detailed replica of Fort Eben Emael, and used it for careful rehearsal of each move in the attack on it, this fact may make the man more aware of the thoroughness and efficiency of the enemy. Other facts, such as the name of the head of the Ger- man Air Force, may have little effect on opinions about the enemy. Examples of the effectiveness of the films in changing attitudes hinging on interpretation of events are presented below: FILM I: "PRELUDE TO WAR" NAZI THREAT TO OUR FREEDOM Nazi oppression and persecution of religion in Germany was vividly depicted in the film. Seeing this convinced a number of men that the Nazis would abolish freedom of religion in America if they were to win the war. 83% 75% Percentages of men saying the Nazis would abolish our freedom of religion if victorious MEN WHO MEN WHO HAD NOT HAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM 92 ENEMY MILITARY STRENGTH The film presented a lengthy account of the scale of Axis prepa- rations for war and showed the impressive array of armaments they had built up. The Axis nations were described as the "haves" and the democracies as the "have nots", militarily speaking, and the Luftwaffe was characterized as being, at the outbreak of the European war, "the world's largest air force." The chart below illustrates the influence of this presentation on men's ideas of the present military strength of the Axis. 56% Percentages of men rating 44% the Luftwaffe as one of the two strongest air forces in the world MEN WHO MEN WHO HAD NOT HAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM 54% 47% Percentages rating German Ground Forces one of the two strongest MEN KHO MEN WHO MAD NOT HAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM 32% Percentages of men rating 26% Japan's Ground Forces as one of thethree strongest MEN WHO MEN WHO HAD NOT HAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM 93 CONFIDENTIAL FILMS 11 AND 111: *THE NAZIS STRIKE AND "DIVIDE AND CONQUER* NAZI THOROUGHNESS AND EFFICIENCY Films II and III showed several instances in which the Nazis had worked out careful plans and preparations for their attacks long in advance. Instances were shown in connection with the strategy of the Polish campaign, invasion of Norwegian ports, the assault on Fort Eben Emael. These sequences and others had the effect of increasing men's respect for the general thoroughness and effi- ciency of Nazi planning, as is shown in the following chart. 83% 71% Percentages of men saying Nazis work out details of their plans to perfection MEN WHO MEN WHO HAD NOT HAD SEEM FILMS SEEN FILMS 11 AND 111 " AND III WEAKNESS OF DEFENSIVE STRATEGY Film III particularly emphasized the reliance of the French on defensive strategy as represented by the Maginot Line, and con- trasted this static defensive policy withthe insistence on attack represented by Foch. A number of the men who saw the film drew the inference that defensive fighting is outmoded: 71% 58% Percentages of men saying defensive fighting is old-fashioned MEN MHO WEN WHO MAD NOT HAD SEEN FILMS SEEN FILMS " AND III " AND III 94 REASONS FOR RUSSIA'S PACT WITH NAZIS Film II showed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in connection with a general pattern of appeasement followed by the nations subsequently forced intowar with the Nazie, and explained Russia's agreement to the Pact as an attempt to gain time "to prepare for the fight they knew was coming." Although the percentage saying they recalled the Pact was about the same for men who had not seen the film BB for those who had seen it, seeing the film had a significant effect on men's ideas of the reasons for Russia's making the Pact. 71% 60% Percentages of men saying Russia made Pact with Mazis in order to gain time for defense MEN WHO MEN WHO HAD NOT MAD SEEN FILMS SEEN FILMS " AND III 11 AND 111 FILM IV: "THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN WAS PART OF REAL ATTEMPT AT INVADING ENGLAND This film showed details of a Nazi strategy for the conquest of Britain, in which the destruction of the R.A.F. and softening up by bombing would be followed by invasion shock troops and Panzer divisions carried across the Channel. Men who saw the film tended to change their ideas as to what the Nazis 'air blitz was intended to accomplish. 66% 52% Percentages of men saying bombing attacks were part of an actual Invasion attempt NEW wo NEW WHO HAD NOT WAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM 95 THE NAZIS WOULD HAVE WON THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN EXCEPT FOR THE DETERMINED RESISTANCE OF THE BRITISH In showing the Nazi air blitz over Britain as part of a real Nazi attempt to invade and conquer England, the film stressed both the weakness of the British after Dunkirk and the determination of the British during the aerial bombardment which they underwent. British stoicimm under incessant bombing, Britons fighting fires and clearing away rubble after the raids, Churchill's "We shall never surrender" speech, and the defense by the R.A.F., "out- numbered ten to one," all served to document the idea that the British resisted valiantly in the face of great odds. Seeing the film convinced many men that only the determined resistance put up by the British prevented the Nazia from invading and conquer- ing Britain after the fall of France: 70% Percentages saying Britain would have been conquered 46% except for determined British resistance NEW WHO NEW WHO MAD NOT HAD SEEN FTL# SEEN FILM THE R.A.F. DESERVES THE HOST CREDIT FOR SAVING ENGLAND This idea was fostered by the film's stress on the part played by the R.A.F., by statements such as Churchill's "Never ... was 80 much owed by BO many to so few", on the inability of the Royal Navy to operate in the Channel and on the weakness of Britain's ground defenses after Dunkirk. 745 Percentages saying the 45% R.A.F. was the most in- portant factor in saving England from Nazi con- quest MEN WHO WEN WHO HAD NOT MAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM 8 CONTIDENTIAL AMERICAN INDEBTEDNESS TO THE BRITISH A number of elements in the film--for example, the portrayal of the reality of England's peril, her resistance to the Nazi attack, and the showing of a German master plan for attacking the United States once Britain was out of the way-combined to produce the inference that American shores would have been subject to Nazi attack had British resistance failed. Many of the men who saw the film were convinced by it that Britain's fight against the Nazis saved our own cities from bombing. 77% 58% Percentages saying British resistance saved our cities from bombing HEN WHO MEN WHO MAD NOT HAD SEEN FILM SEEN FILM A number of men indicated their increased admiration for the British by deciding that the British had stood up under bombing better than Americans probably would. 415 Percentages saying "British stood up under bombing bet- 28% ter than Americans probably would" MEN WHO MEN WHO HAD NOT HAD SED FILM SEEN FILM 97 Basic Attitudes Are More Difficult to Influence While asingle film may change attitudes toward the British or in- crease resentment toward the enemy, it is not expected that the presentation of a single film will produce significant shifts in men's basic attitudes such 88 those toward personal participation in the war. Examples: Films II and III emphasized the ruthlessness of the Nazi methods shown in the bombing of Rotterdam, herding of refugees onto the roads toblock the Allied advance into the Low Countries, breaking of promises and treaties, violation of neutrality, and abrogation of civil liberties in Nazi-dominated countries. The films in- creased expressions of hatred for the Nazis but did not increase desire for aggressive action personally against the Germans or vengeance against the German people. Film IV, on the Battle of Britain, considerably increased respect for the British war effort, but only slightly increased the num- bers who were favorable to such ideas as sending food to England even at the expense of reducing our own supplies. Evidence Indicates That the Men Who Like a Film Most Are Most Influenced by It A recent study gave evidence that the men who like a film are more influenced by it than are men who do not like it. The overwhelm- ing majority (over 80%) say they like the films in the series "Why Ne Fight". An example of the lowered effectiveness among the small minority who disliked a film in this series is shown from a supplementary study of Film IV, "The Battle of Britain." In the areas in which the film effectively changed attitudes, the percentage of answers favorable toward Britain changed 16 per cent (from 52 to 68 per cent) among men who liked the film; the change was only 6 per cent (from 44 to 50 per cent) among those who did not like the film. Because of the importance of adapting film content to appeal to the men, special research techniques have been developed for meas- uring accurately the minute-by-minute interest in the film as it proceeds on the screen. This work is described in the next section. 98 CONFIDENTIAR SECTION II FILM FEATURE, "THE WAR" The bi-weekly film feature, "The War", is designed for pres- entation with commercial films at showings for which men pay admission. In such a situation, "The War" must supply ma- terial of real interest and entertainment value. The technique which has been found most useful for measuring interest is the use of the Program Analyzer, supplemented by personal interviews and short questionnaires. This method involves having the men indicate the parts they like by pressing one push-button and the parts they dislike by press- ing another while they are viewing the film. The responses of the men are electrically recorded and can then be cumu- lated and analyzed. The interviews and questionnaires serve to bring out the men's reasons for their interest or lack of interest in the various parts of the film. An example of the type of data obtained is illustrated by the study of men's reactions to Issue #5 of "The War," the results of which are shown on the two pages following. The content of the various parts of the film and men's re- actions to each part are summarized on page 100. On page 101, opposite the summary of the episodes, the record of in- stantaneous "likes" and "dislikes" obtained by the Program Analyzer is graphically presented. 00 FILM MAGAZINE "THE WAR", ISSUE +5 Summary of Each Episode and Men's Reactions The first episode of the film, "FINISHING SCHOOL*. showed Ranger training in invasion tactics, with embarking and disembarking and advancing under live 11- munition. This episode was received with a high degree of immediate interest, as shown by the Program Analyzer chart, and two-thirds of the men who filled out questionnaires after the end of the film rated it as the best part of the pic- ture. The second episode, "BACK HOME". which showed machine tools produced by a small family shop in Connecticut which was awarded the Army-Navy "E" for its contribo- tion to var production, was very unpopular with the men. The reasons they gave for their indifference or dislike centered about the affected speech of the com- mentator, the propagandistic flavor of the material and the fact that it vas "old stuff." The low point on the Program Analyzer curve W&B during the speech and presentation of the '8'. (In this and other films studied, speech-making on the screen generally proved unpopular with the men.) "I WAS THERE* featured an Army nurse's eyewitness account of the bombing of Manila, and the fall of Corregidor, with action shots to illustrate part of her commentary. The action scenes were moderately interesting to the men but inter- est dropped off sharply during the two periods when close-ups of the nurse talk- ing were shown. The commentary was disliked especially because the speaker's manner was regarded as stilted and her voice as difficult to understand. "FIRST BIRTHDAY". reviewing the founding and first year's activities of the VAAC and depicting the induction, training and duties of WAAC's, was received without much enthusiass. Opinion voiced in interviews and on questionnaires were di- vided: some men found the material informative and fairly interesting. but more of them criticized it as dull and thought that the presentation gave an un- warrantedly "glamourized" depiction of the VAAC. The last part of the picture was "SNAFU". an animated cartoon showing the mis- adventures of "Private Snafu" whose complaints about his Army routine and duties lead to his being magically put in charge and allowed to run the camp according to his own ideas. After he has virtually transformed the camp into & pleasure resort, enemy raiders arrive and the resulting chaca points up the "moral" that Army routine and discipline are essential. Most of the men enjoyed the humor, se suggested by the high level of "like" reactions on the Program Analyser, but the cartoon vas rated lower in retrospect. Reasons given for liking "SNAFU" focussed on the "moral" and the relaxation provided by the humorous presentation. Some of the men, however, objected to the cartoon an trivial or not in keeping with the rest of the picture: others would have preferred comedy unrelated to the Army. 100 CONFIDENTIAL PROGRAM ANALYZER RECORD Film Magazine "THE WAR", Issue #5 At each successive six-second interval during the showing of the film % of men pressing % of men pressing "DISLIKE" button "LIKE" button in 20% 10% 0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 1m- t, ot C- "FINISHING SCHOOL" (Training of PRACTICE Amphibious Troops) UNDER FIRE 11 1- /e :- is "BACK HOME" h (Harry Powers' SPEECH n Machine Shop) f NURSE TALKING BOMBING OF MANILA "I WAS THERE" $ (Army Nurse from Corregidor) NURSE TALKING HELP ON THE WAY "FIRST BIRTHDAY" (WAAC) "SNAFU" ('Gripes') 101 Studies Evaluate Techniques This method of testing has potentialities as a means of in- proving the product, One can determine, for instance, on the basis of continuing tests of a series of films, which method of combining narration and pictures of action is most interesting to the men. Three examples are given below from the three films 80 far studied: 1. Straight narration all the way through, illustrated only by pictures of amarine who had been on Guadalcanal telling his story. 2. Introduction with pictures of the "on the spot" narrator followed by action shots from the sinking of the Hornet illustrating his experience, with only a brief return to pictures of the narrator at the end. 3. Introduction--close-ups of narrator--action shots from the Philippines--close-ups of the narrator--more action shots, ofmateriel on its way toour men overseas. The charts opposite illustrate the Program Analyzer pattern for these three examples. These results with the Program Analyzer and the interview comments and questionnaire data clearly indicate that men show considerably more interest in action shots illustrating the narration than in pictures of the narrator telling his story. Further studies should serve to indicate the optimal method of combining narration and illustrative scenes. 102 LIKES AND DISLIKES OF FILM NARRATIVES os Shown by Program Analyzer At each successive six-second interval during the showing of the film episodes % of man pressing % of men pressing "DISLIKE" button LIKE button 20% 10% 0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% ISSUE PICTURES OF Meet 0 Gyrene NARRATOR from Guadalcanal" PICTURES OF NARRATOR ISSUE 3 "I Was There" SCENES OF ACTION (Hornet) 5 PICTURES OF NARRATOR SCENES OF ACTION PICTURES OF NARRATOR ISSUE +5 "I Wos There" SCENES OF ACTION (Army Nurse from Corregidor) PICTURES OF NARRATOR SCENES OF ACTION 103 Supplement B WHO IS THE AMERICAN SOLDIER? This information on characteristics of the Ameri- can soldier is based, in the main, on tabulations of a five per cent sample of enlistment cards for all enlisted men in the Army as of March 31, 1943, made by the Machine Records Branch, A.G.O. Certain supplementary data were supplied by surveys made by the Research Branch of the Special Service Di- vision. The Machine Records Branch sample is believed to be representative of the entire Army, and the Re- search Branch data are believed to be representa- tive of the white enlisted men stationed in the Continental United States. The Research Branch is responsible for the analysis of the data. All data are from the Machine Records Branch unless otherwise noted. 105 Characteristics of the American Soldier Soldiers' attitudes toward their military role are closely related to personal characteristics. Age, marital condition, race, and educa- tion are important in this problem. Physical capacities of the men are closely related to age. A commander seeking to improve the mental and physical stamina of his des is in need of information on such characteristics in his own com- mand. These will frequently differ widely from the Army norm, and the norm is therefore useful as a yardstick of comparison. The charts and tables presented in this section give the latest avail- able figures on the over-all characteristics of the Army. TRENDS IN CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUCTEES (August 1941 - March 1943) PERCENTAGE OF INDUCTEES so 40 RAY INE BT# EDUCATION OR LESS 30 a 10 YEARS as 0 I : 20 MARRIED 10 STAFT of BRAFT If PEARL MARRIED a a MARSION NEW YEAR as 0 AM SEP OCT NOV DEC. JAN FEB was are - AM AA - MP OCT NOV DEC - FEB MAR (94) 1942 1943 The nature of the Selective Service process is such that the charac- teristics of the men inducted fluctuate violently from month to month. The percentage of men inducted in a given month who are 30 years of age and over had increased from 0.4 per cent in the period from August to September 1941 to 35 per cent in the fall of 1942, and then dropped to 12 per cent in February 1943. Large changes are also noted in the proportions of men that are poorly educated and the proportions that are married. 106 Variations in Composition of Outfits Recent surveys by the Research Branch indicate that a tactical unit, such 88 a division, tends to be composed largely of men who entered the Army at about the same time. Such units are likely to reflect the characteristics of the inductee group at a certain period. Two divi- sions in an early stage of training and two divisions in a late stage of training were recently sampled on a cross-section basis. In the divisions in an early stage of training, most of the men had entered the Army in 1943. Most of the men in the divisions in a late stage of training entered the Army in 1941 or the early part of 1942. Inevitably, therefore, the changes in the composition of the inductee group shown in the chart on the preceding page are reflected in the composition of the divisions. The early stage divisions were made up largely of men recruited after the 18 and 19 year old draft began; the late stage divisions, on the other hand, were made up of men recruited before this draft and before the induction of men 30 years old and over had become heavy. AGE COMPARISON OF TWO GROUPS OF DIVISIONS TWO DIVISIONS IN AN TWO DIVISIONS IN A EARLY STAGE OF TRAINING LATE STAGE OF TRAINING 19 YEARS OR LESS 435 25 20 YEARS 235 35 21- YEARS 125 391 25-29 YEARS 115 385 30-34 TEARS 6 131 35 YEARS AND OVER 5 5 ITOTAL 100$1 (TOTAL 100%) This chart compares the age distribution of the two early stage divi- sions with that of the two divisions in a late stage of training. Of the men in an early stage of training, 66 per cent are 20 or under, but only 5 per cent of the men in the late stage divisions are 20 or under. The contrast between these two groups of divisions may be more extreme than would normally obtain; nevertheless, it is probably in- dicative of important variations in the. composition of divisions. Such differences in characteristics of outfits may affect not only attitudes of men, but also the type of training which would be most effective. 107 The Over-All Picture AGE DISTRIBUTION OF ENLISTED NEW PERCENTAGE OF MEN IN EACH AGE GROUP 18-29 YEARS 4 20-24 YEARS 425 25-29 YEARS 295 30-34 TEARS 145 35-37 TEARS as 38 TEARS AND OVER 65 ITOTAL 100% This chart presents a percentage distribution of enlisted men by age groups as of March 31, 1943. It is possible that by July 1 the pro- portion of 18 and 19 year olds may have increased to as much as 8 per cent. EDUCATIONAL LEVEL OF ENLISTED MEN PERCENTAGE OF MEN AT EACH EDUCATIONAL LEVEL GRADE SCHOOL WEN 331 HIGH SCHOOL MONGRADUATES 281 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES 261 COLLEGE MEN 131 (TOTAL 100%) The American Army is the best-educated army in history. Two-fifths of the enlisted men are high school graduates, and one man in eight has attended college. In general, Northern men have ad more formal edu- cation than Southern men. 108 The Over-All Picture (continued) RACE DISTRIBUTION OF ENLISTED MEN PERCENTAGE OF MEN OF EACH RACE WHITE 90% MEGRO 85 OTHER 25 (TOTAL 100%) Nine out of ten American soldiers are of the white race. The bulk of the Negro soldiers come from the South, and the bulk of soldiers of other nonwhite races come from the West. ;e LOCALITIES FROM WHICH ENLISTED MEN COME ir PERCENTAGE OF MEN FROM... EACH GEOGRAPHIC REGION SIZE OF HOME TOWN (Whites only) 615 (TOTAL 100$) 40% (TOTAL 100%) 30% 305 295 105 NORTH SOUTH WEST RURAL 2,500- OVER 100,000 100,000 f The distribution of enlisted men by region of origin and size of home 3 town, as shown above, accurately reflects the distribution of the male - population from 18 to 44 years as reported by the Census. 109 The Marital Picture MARITAL STATUS OF WHITE ENLISTED MEN PERCENTAGE OF MEN IN EACH MARITAL GROUP MARRIED fafore Induction 215 After Industion 91 DIVORCED. WIDOWED, SEPARATED , ITOTAL 10081 SINGLE 571 Thirty per cent of our enlisted men are married. Almost a third of the married men married after induction. Almost all old Army men were single when they entered the Army. In the last year the proportion of men married at the time of induction has increased sharply. As the chart below shows, more than a fourth of the men who have been in the Army a year or less were married be- fore induction. MEN MARRIED BEFORE INDUCTION: By Length of Service PERCENTAGE MARRIED 11 EACH LONGEVITY GROUP ) MONTHS OR LESS 295 OVER 3 MONTHS TO 6 MONTHS 271 OVER 5 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR 251 OVER 1 YEAR TO 2 YEARS " OVER 2 YEARS 6 Data are for while am only 110 The Marital Picture (continued) The reverse tendency is noted in connection with men married since in- duction. Very few men who have served a year or less have married since entering the Army, but two-fifths of the men with more than two years service who entered the Army single have since married. These facts are brought out in the chart below, which is based on Research Branch studies made in March, 1943. NEX MARRIED AFTER INDUCTION: By Length of Service PERCENTAGE MARRIED IN EACH LONGEVITY GROUP 3 WONTHS is OR LESS OVER 3 MONTHS 35 TO 6 WONTHS OVER 6 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR 91 OVER 1 YEAR 225 TO 2 TEARS OVER 2 YEARS 395 Data are based only on white men who were single when inducted III This is The Army - as of April 1, 1943 (Percentage Distribution by Region of Origin, Race and #ducation) WHITE NEGRO OTHER TOTAL NORTHERNERS 5 $ $ 1 College graduates. 1.9 . . 1.9 College non-graduates. 6.0 0.1 0.1 6.2 High school graduates. 17.4 0.4 0,1 17.9 High school non-graduates. 17.3 0.8 0.1 18.2 Grade school men 16.0 0.9 0.2 17.1 TOTAL NORTHERNERS 58.6 2.2 0.5 61.3 SOUTHERNERS College graduates. 0.6 0.1 . 0.7 College non-graduates. 2.1 0.2 . 2.3 High school graduates. 6.2 0.5 0.1 5.8 High school non-graduates. 6.1 1.1 0.1 7.3 Orade school men 8.9 3.3 0.2 12.4 TOTAL SOUTHERNERS 22.9 5.2 0.4 28.5 WESTERNERS College graduates. 0.8 . . 0.3 College non-graduates. 1.2 . 0.1 1.3 High school graduates. 2.6 . 0.2 2.8 sign school non-graduates. 2.4 0.1 0.2 2.7 Orade school men 2.7 0.1 0.3 3.1 TOTAL WESTERNERS. 9.2 0.2 0.8 10.2 ALL REGIONS COMBINED College graduates. 2.8 0.1 - 2.9 College non-graduates. 9.3 0.3 0.2 0.8 Righ school graduates. 25.2 0.9 0.4 26.5 High school non-graduates. 25.8 2.0 0.4 28.2 Orade school men 27.6 4.3 0.7 32.6 GRAND TOTAL 90.7 7.6 1.7 100.0 eless than 0.05 per cent Regional divisions follow U. 8. Census divisions. Northerners are mes from New England, Middle Atlantic and East and West North Central states. South erners are from South Atlantic and East and West South Central states. West- erners are from Mountain and Pacific states. 112 INDEX Page Page Age, Education, (Cont.) and attitude toward physical conditioning and Negro attitudes toward race separ- program 16 ation in Army 58 and choice of soldier role 16-17 and opportunities for promotion 28-29 and choice of soldier role, among ASF men 25 changes in trend among inductees 106 and physical proficiency 16 distribution of enlisted men 108 changes in trend among inductees. 106 levels in World Wars I and II 28 differences in two groups of divisions 107 percentage distribution of enlisted men 112 distribution of enlisted men 108 Enemy, Allies, attitudes toward effect of films on attitudes toward 92-94, 95 among enlisted men in United States 79-81 influence of Why We Fight films on among officers in United States 79-81 attitudes toward 92-94 among troops in Middle East 82-83 influence of Why We Fight films on and choice of soldier role 12 factual knowledge about 89-91 effects of films on 95-97 England, (See Allies) Army, composition of 105-112 England, troops in Athletics, attitudes toward Yank 75 as off-duty preference 68-71 attitudes toward Stars and Stripes 75 criticism of program 71 desire for dayrooms 72-73 AWOL, desire for information 36 and choice of soldier role 35 features liked in Yank 75 and education level 34-35 participation in off-duty activities 65-66, factors associated with 35 preferences in off-duty activities. 68 Battle of Britain, (See Why We Fight) reading of Yank 74-75 Books, reading of Start and Stripes 75 desire for, among troops in England 73 recreational facilities and equipment reading of, as off-duty activity. 67 most desired 72-73 types preferred in England 74-75 types of books preferred 74-75 Branch of service, use of Red Cross clubs 72 and job assignment of choice 50-51 Experimental Section, Research Branch and job satisfaction 50-51 methods 88,99 preference for, and choice of soldier role 22-23 studies 87 Britain, (See Allies) Fighting job, preference for, and choice British resistance, influence of Why We of soldier role 13 Fight films Films, liking for on attitude toward 95-97 and content analysis 100-101, 103 Camps surveyed, location of 7 and effectiveness of informational motion Card playing, as off-duty activity. 66-67 pictures 98 Classification, (See Job assignment) Food, attitudes of soldiers toward 61, 63 Concerts, as off-duty preference 68 Force, Dancing, desire to change 26-27 as off-duty activity 67 utilization of technical training by men 52-53 as off-duty preference 68-69 Games, desire for, among troops in England 73 Dating, as off-duty activity 66-67 Germans (See Enemy) Hobbies, as off-duty preference 69 Dayrooms, adequacy of facilities in 72 Inductees, desire for, among troops in England 72-73 changes in age of 106 equipment of 72-73 changes in education of 106 Defensive strategy, influence of Why We changes in marital condition of 106 Fight films Informational motion pictures, on attitude toward 94 study of 87 Desertion rates, by education 34 effect on attitudes 92-98 Divide and Conquer, (See Why We Fight) effect on factual knowledge 89-91 Drinking, as off-duty activity 66-67 effectiveness of and liking for film 98 Education, Information, desire for and choice of soldier role 30-31 among troops in E.T.O 36 and desertion rates 34 among troops in United States 37 INDEX Page Page Information, effects of Why We Fight films Movies (See also Films and Informational on men's factual knowledge 89-91 motion pictures) Japan (See Enemy) as off-duty activity 66-67 as off-duty preference 68-69 Job assignment, and opportunity to choose Army job, Music, listening to, as off-duty preference 68-69 by branch of service 50-51 Nazi-Soviet Pact, influence of Why We Fight satisfaction with and opportunity to on attitude toward 95 choose Army job 48-49 Natir Strike, The (See Why We Fight) Job satisfaction, Negotiated peace, attitude toward and branch of service 50.51 and choice of soldier role 12 and opportunity to choose job. 48-49 Negro soldiers, and utilization of technical training 52 attitudes toward Army fairness and choice in the Middle East Command 50 of soldier role 14-15 Job transfer, desire for attitudes toward race separation in Army, among ASF men 27 by education level 58-39 among AGF men 27 attitudes toward race separation in Army, and choice of soldier role among by length of service 58 ASF men 26-27 choice of soldier role by education 32-33 Length of service, choice of soldier role among Northern and choice of soldier role 18-19 and Southern Negro soldiers 32-33 and Negro attitudes toward race separ- officer preferences of 56-57 ation in Army 58 percentage of all enlisted men 109 and noncom abilities considered important 44 region of origin and education 112 and pride in outfit 20-21 Noncommissioned officers, abilities considered by marital condition of white enlisted important men 110-111 and length of service If Limited service men, by officers 44-45 and choice of soldier role among ASF men 25 by noncoms 44-45 proportion in each arm or service 24 by privates 44-45 special problems of 24 Noncommissioned officers, Letter-writing, as off-duty activity 66-67 enlisted men's rating of. 42-43 Machine Records Branch, A.G.O., Off-duty activities, participation in data on characteristics of soldiers 105-112 in England 65-67, 71 Magazines, in United States 65-67, 70-71 desire for, among troops in England 73 Off-duty activities, preferences for, reading of, as off-duty activity 66-67 in England 68 Marital condition, in United States 68, 69-71 and choice of soldier role. 16-17 Officers, and choice of soldier role among ASF men 25 attitudes toward Allies 79-81 by length of service of white enlisted preferences of Negro enlisted men 55-57 men in United States 110-111 Orientation films (See Informational motion changes in trend among inductees 106 pictures, Why We Fight) Marshall, Gen. G. C,, Origins of soldiers, statement of purpose of orientation films 88 and choice of soldier role among Negro Medical care in the Army, attitudes of soldiers 32-53 soldiers toward 61-62 percentage distribution of enlisted men. 112 Methods of research 6,88,99 region of United States 109 Middle East, troops in size of home town 109 and attitudes toward Allies 82,83 Osborn, Gen. F. H., and attitudes toward Pocket Guides to memorandum for the Commanding foreign countries 75 General, Army Service Porces 3 and attitudes toward V-mail 76-77 Overseas duty, and choice of soldier role 10-11 and choice of soldier role 13 and distribution of Pocket Guides to preference for 13 foreign countries 75 Parties, and job satisfaction 50 as off-duty preference 68 INDEX Page Page Page Physical conditioning program, Soldier role, choice of, and age 16 among Northern and Southern 66-67 attitudes toward 16 Negro soldiers 32-33 68-69 Physical proficiency and age 16 and attitude toward the war 12 68-69 Plays and stage shows, and faith in Allies 12 V as off-duty preferences 68 and willingness to talk peace 12 95 Pocket Guides to foreign countries and desire for job transfer 26-27 attitudes toward, in Middle East Command 75 and education among Negro soldiers 32-33 distribution of, in Middle East Commmand 75 and length of service of noncoms 18-19 12 Prelude to War (See Why We Fight) and length of service of privates 18-19 and Negro attitudes toward Army fairness 14-15 Pride in outfit, and preference for actual fighting job 13 and choice of soldier role 13 and length of service of noncoms 20-21 and preference for overseas duty. 13 14-15 and length of service of privates 20-21 and preference for own branch of service 22-23 and pride in outfit 13 58-59 Program analyzer 99-103 and related attitudes 10 Promotion, by age 16-17 58 and education 28-29 32-33 by ASF men 26-27 enlisted men's views on 42-44 by AWOL men 35 noncoms' views on 44 by education 30-31 32-33 opportunities for 28-29 by general service men in ASF-trained 56-57 relation to choice of soldier role 18-19 branches 24-25 109 Race, by limited service men in ASF-trained 112 distribution of enlisted men 109 branches 24-25 I percentage distribution of enlisted men 112 by marital condition 16-17 separation in Army 58-59 by Negro enlisted men in the United 44 attitude of Negro and white soldiers States 14-15 14-45 toward 58-59 by rank 30-31 14-45 Radio listening, as off-duty activity 66-67 by white enlisted men in the United 14-45 Radio-phonographs, States 14-15 desire for, among troops in England 72-73 in Middle East Command 10-11 12-43 Rank, in the United States 10-11 and abilities considered important for summary of findings 37 7,71 noncommissioned officers 44-45 Soldiers, characteristics of (See Age, Education, '0-71 and choice of soldier role 18-19, 30-31 Marital Status, Rank, etc.), and choice of soldier role among ASF men 25 age differences in two groups of divisions 107 68 and pride in outfit 20-21 age distribution 108 i9-71 and views on promotion 42-44 changes in age of inductees 106 men who entered as privates, by educa- changes in education of inductees 106 9-81 tional level of 29 changes in marital condition of inductees 106 5-57 Reading, as off-duty activity 66-67 educational level 108 Records and phonographs, marital condition of white enlisted men need for in dayrooms 72 in United States 110-111 Recreational facilities, percentage distribution by region of need for, by men in England 72-73 origin, race and education 112 2-33 race distribution 109 Red Cross clubs, 112 use of in England 72 region of origin 109 .109 size of home town 109 Research Branch, Special Service Division 109 areas surveyed by 7 Special Service Division, methods of research 6,88,99 information program of 87 Russia (See Allies) Sports, 3 Service clubs, as off-duty activity 67,70 preference for 72 as off-duty preference 68-71 13 use of 72 types preferred 70 13 use of and distance from barracks 72-73 Sports equipment, Singing, as off-duty preference 68 desire for, among troops in England 73 68 INDEX Page Stage shows and plays, War, The (Cont.) Page as off-duty preference in England 68 methods for measuring effects of $ Start and Stripes portions liked and disliked 100-101, 103 attitudes toward, in England 75 purpose of 102 reading of, in England 75 Why We Fight, Studies, effects on men's factual knowledge 89-91 areas surveyed 7 influence on attitude toward British methods of conducting 6, 88, 99 resistance 95-97 Technical training, influence on attitudes toward defensive desire for 52 strategy 94 utilization of, and Army job satisfaction 52 influence on attitudes toward enemy 92-94 utilization of, by arm or service 52-53 influence on attitude toward Nazi- Theatres where studies have been conducted, Soviet Pact 95 location of 7 methods for measuring effects of as USO clubs, use of 72 purpose of ss V-mail, attitudes toward in Middle East Command 76-77 Writing tables, desire for, among troops Visits to British homes, as off-duty preference 68 in England 73 War, attitudes toward, and choice of Yank, soldier role 12 attitudes toward, in England 75 Far, The features liked in, by men in England = evaluation of techniques of presentation 102 reading of, in England 74-75 age 99 03 102 -91 97 94 94 95 88 88 73 75 75 -75 Requests for additional copies of this report or for more detailed tabulations of data from which this material has been compiled should be addressed to COMMANDING GENERAL, ARMY SERVICE FORCES ATTENTION: DIRECTOR, SPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C.

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    "ocrText": "67. How many furloughs or passes for more than 24 hours\nhave you had since you have been in the Middle East?\nNone\nOne\nTwo\nThree\nFour or more\nIf you have had any furloughs or passes for more than 24\nORIGINAL RETIRED FOR PRESERVATION\nhours in the Middle East, please answer the following\nquestions about the last two\n68. Your last furlough or pass\na. How long was the leave?\n1 day\n2 day\n3 day\n4 days or more\nb. Where did you go (towns)?\nc. About how much did you spend? 3\n69. Your next to last furlough or pass\n....\na. How long was the leave?\n1 day\n2 day\n3 day\n4 days or more\nb. Where did you go (towns)?\nc. About how much did you spend? 8\n70. Regardless of how much you saved last month, how much\nof your total pay each month do you think you ought\nto save? (Include in this amount allotments from your\npay for dependents, other money sent home, defense\nbonds, insurance, and other kinds of savings) d\n- 18 -\nCONFIDENTIAL\nnow\nWar\n71. There are several ways that you can use to save money.\nWhich one do you think is the best one for you to use,\nDept\n(Check one)\nBuy defense bonds\nSend it back to the U.S. by allotment and have someone\ndeposit it there for you\nDeposit it with the Finance Office through your C.O.\n(to be held for you with 4% interest until discharge)\nOther ways - - -hat are they?\nORIGINAL RETIRED FOR PRESERVATION\n72. About how much money last month did you\nPut into defense bonds?\nSend Rome by allotment from your pay?\nSend home by money order or by other means?\nPay out for all insurance?\nDeposit with the Finance Office through your 0,0.7\nI} you have any further remarks to make on any subject, write them\nbelow as fully as you like:\nBefore turning in your paper, be sure to check back through it to see\nif you have answered all the questions.\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nPSF\nWar sept\nWHAT THE\nSOLDIER THINKS\nNUMBER TWO, AUGUST. 1943\nQuarterly Report, with\nCharts, of Research Studies\nIndicating the Attitudes,\nPrejudices and Desires of\nAmerican Troops\nFranklin D. Roosevelt Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nDOD DIR. 5200.9 (9/27/58)\nDate- 3-17-59\nSignature- care & Spicer\nSPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION\nRESEARCH BRANCH\nARMY SERVICE FORCES, WAR DEPARTMENT\nWASHINGTON, D.C.\nTHIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFOR-\nMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL\nDEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES\nWITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ES-\nPIONAGE ACT, 50 U.S.C., 31 AND 32,\nAS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR\nTHE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS\nIN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHOR-\nIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWHAT THE SOLDIER THINKS\nNUMBER TWO\nQuarterly Report, with Charts, of Research Studies\nIndicating the Attitudes, Prejudices and Desires\nof American Troops\nSPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION\nRESEARCH BRANCH\nARMY SERVICE FORCES, WAR DEPARTMENT\nWASHINGTON, D. C.\nREPORT NO. 58\nAugust, 1943\nCOPY NO. 285\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWAR DEPARTMENT\nHEADQUARTERS. ARMY SERVICE FORCES\nIN REPLY\nREFER to\nSPSPX 330.11\nWASHINGTON D. c.\n(15 Jul 43)\n15 July 1943.\nMEMORANDOM FOR THE COMMANDING GENERAL, ARMY SERVICE FORCES:\nSubject: Quarterly report to the Chief of Staff\non factors relating to morale.\n1. This report sumarizes some mjor aspects of recent studies on the attitudes and\ninterests of troops. These studies are based on the statistical analysis of replies made\nanonymously to questions asked of thousands of soldiers, here and abroad. In the field\ncovered, such factual evidence is more representative, and therefore more generally appli-\ncable, than the personal impressions of even the most experienced observer.\n2. Our studies indicate the satisfaction of troops with many physical factors gen-\nerally related to norale. The nen like their food; they are appreciative of the medical\nservices: they appreciate their technical training. The picture is not so favorable with\nrespect to factors less tangible but equally important to morale.\n3. The first section of the report shows the attitudes of the men toward their\nrole as soldiers. Here we find tant only two men out of five feel that they would be zore\nuseful as soldiers than na civilian war workers. Men with doubte about the Tar or about\nour Allies are more likely to prefer the role of civilian war worker. This reluctance to\nbe soldiers is grently accentunted nuone those who are married, older, and those with are\nclassified na limited service. The general picture is made worse by the discovery that\nthe longer A private has been in the service, the less he believes he can contribute more\nas A roldier than as a civilian war worker. Perhaps even more disturbing is the evidence\nthat the longer nen are in the service the less is their pride in their outfite.\n4, Such attitudes any well be a hendicap to training and to efficiency in combnt,\nThese studies indicnte the need for unremitting effort to impart to the sen A pride in\ntheir service, a sense of personal participation, and a belief In the cause for which they\nare fighting. This effort will be most effective 1f special attention is given to the\nolder, married, and limited service men,\n5. The fect that the great majority of men A.W.O.L. are found at the lower educa-\ntional levels suggests that the Command may desire to acquaint itself more fully with the\nspecial problems of the nen with low education and make clear to then the penalties in-\nvolved for being A.V.O.L. and the rensons for the necessary discipline.\n6. The second section of the report deals with general problems of the soldier.\nn. The favorable reaction of the men to Army technical echoole is highly satis-\nfactory, and A gratifying number are assigned to jobs which maice use of this special train-\ning.\nb. The attitudes of our troops towards our Allies in this War must necessarily\nreflect a carry-over from civilian attitudes. Yet proper attitudes toward our Allies are\nessential to tenn-work in the Far, and it is evident from these studies that only the con-\nstant effort of the Command can improve these attitudes and keep them from deteriorating.\nF. M. OSBORN.\nBrigndier General,\nDirector.\nSPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION,\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONSIDENTIAL\nTABLE OF CONTENTS\nPage\nHow the Studies Are Made\n6\nWhere Studies Have Been Made\n7\nPART 1. THE SOLDIER LOOKS AT HIS SOLDIER ROLE\n9\nPART 11. SPECIAL STUDIES OF SOLDIER ATTITUDES\n1. Attitudes toward Noncommissioned Officers\n41\n2. Job Satisfaction and the Utilization of Skills\n47\n3. Attitudes of Negro Soldiers\n55\n4. Health and Food\n61\n5. The Off-duty Life of the Soldier\n65\n6. Attitudes toward Our Allies\n79\nSUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS\nA. Measuring the Effectiveness of Informational\nMotion Pictures\n87\nB. Who is the American Soldier?\n105\n5\nCONFIDENTIAL\nHOW THE STUDIES ARE MADE\nThe staff of the Research Branch of the Special Service Division\nis composed of Army officers who are specialists in this field,\ntogether with a number of civilians from leading universities and\nfrom commercial life.\nTechniques have been developed, tested and adjusted to fit the\nArmy's problems.\nThe basic steps in conducting a study are as follows:\n1. The questionnaire 11 prepared in consultation with the\nWar Department Branches immediately concerned. All de-\ntails are worked out in advance.\n2. The questionnaire 15 pre-tested on smaller groups to\nmake certain that the questions are meaningful and\nunderstandable to the enlisted men.\n3. The project is cleared for action with the Commands in\nwhich the study is to be made.\n4. The number of men to be surveyed is set sufficiently\nlarge to insure statistically reliable findings.\n5. The men to be surveyed are selected to insure as true\n6. cross-section as possible.\n6. The men are assembled in class rooms or mess halls,\nwhere they themselves--in absolute anonymity--fill in\ntheir questionnaires. No officers are present, the\nclasses being conducted by trained enlisted men. The\nquestionnaires bear no names, serial numbers, or other\npersonal identification. Ordinarily, illiterates or\nmen of very low intelligence are interviewed personally\nby trained enlisted men.\nOther techniques, of course, are employed from time to time to\nfit special needs.\ne\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWHERE SURVEYS HAVE BEEN MADE\nEUROPE AN\nNORTH AMERICAN\nASIATIC\nASIATIC\nNORTH\nMIDDLE\nAFRICAN\nEAST\nPACIFIC\nLATIN AMERICAN\nSOUTHWEST\nSOUTH\nPACIFIC\nPACIFIC\nSURVEYS HAVE BEEN MADE\nIN 100 DIFFERENT POSTS,\nCAMPS, AND STATIONS IN U.S.A.\nShaded sections show the theaters where\nstudies have been conducted or are under way\n7\nPART 1.\nTHE SOLDIER LOOKS AT HIS\nSOLDIER ROLE\nRepresentative cross-sections of thousands of\ntroops, here and abroad, have been asked the\nquestion:\n\"If it were up to you to choose, do\nyou think you could do more for\nyour country as a soldier or as a\nworker in a war job?\"\nHow the men answer this question and related\nquestions, how different kinds of men differ\nin their attitudes--is shown in the pages\nfollowing.\nThis material is basic for developing the In-\nformation Program of the Special Service Di-\nvision. It may also have implications for\nother branches of the Army.\n9\nCONFIDENTIAL\nSOLDIER OR WAR WORKER?\nIn the United States, 39 per cent of all the enlisted men\nthink they can do more for their country as soldiers than as\nwar workers.\nIn the Middle East Command, soldiers stationed along the\nMediterranean from the Nile delta to Tunisia have much the\nsame attitude as those at home. Forty-eight per cent of the\nmen attached to bomber and fighter squadrons and 37 per cent\nof the service troops in this area are convinced of the\ngreater usefulness of their work as soldiers.\nWhat is the significance of such responses?\nWhen a man is drawn from civilian Life, with skills in de-\nmand and wartine wages high, he is making a sacrifice in ac-\ncepting Army discipline, Army pay, and Army danger. Some\nmen who say that they are less useful as soldiers than as\nwar workers may be expressing a fact, without implying lack\nof zeal for the war. Such men may, however, be no less a\nproblem to the Army than the soldiers who lack enthusiasm\nfor the war.\nBut--as the next pages show-the average soldier who rates\nhis soldier role as less useful than B. civilian role in a\nwar job is more likely than other men to be\napathetic about the war\ndistrustful of our Allies\nnot desirous of going overseas\nnot very proud of his company, battery or squadron\nnot desirous of afighting job if he goes overseas\n10\nCONFIDENTIAL\nLESS THAN HALF of the enlisted men\nbelieve that they could serve better as SOLDIERS\nQUESTION.....If it were up to you to choose, do\nyou think you could do more for your country as\na soldier or os a worker in a wor job ?\nTROOPS IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES\nPERCENTAGE WHO ANSWER\nSOLDIER\nUNDECIDED\nWAR WORKER\n39%\n12%\n49%\nTROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST\nPERCENTAGE WHO ANSWER\nSOLDIER\nUNDEGIDED\nWAR WORKER\nTroops attached to\n48%\n24%\nfighter and bomber groups\n28%\nService troops\n37%\n19%\n44%\nII\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nMEN WITH DOUBTS ABOUT THE WAR AND OUR ALLIES\nARE LEAST LIKELY TO PREFER A SOLDIER ROLE\n\"THIS WAR IS AS MUCH MY AFFAIR AS ANYBODY'S \"\nthink they are more useful\nAmong men who HAVE DOUBTS\n18%\nos SOLDIERS\nAmong men who BELIEVE IT\n43%\nthink they are more useful\nas SOLDIERS\n\"WE SHOULD KEEP ON FIGHTING UNTIL ENEMIES ARE CRUSHED\nEVEN IF THEY OFFER TO GIVE UP COUNTRIES TAKEN OVER\"\nAmong men who would be willing,\n28%\n.....\nthink they are more useful\nwith this offer, to TALK PEACE NOW\nas SOLDIERS\nAmong men who think we should\n45%\nthink they are more useful\nkeep on FIGHTING UNTIL ENEMIES\nas SOLDIERS\nARE CRUSHED\nHAVE FAITH IN ALLIES\"\nAmong men who DISTRUST ENGLAND\n32%\nthink they are more useful\nand RUSSIA\nos SOLDIERS\nAmong men who have more\n46%\nthink they are more useful\nFAITH in these Allies\nas SOLDIERS\nNOTE: Figures are based on representative cross-sections of white enlisted men except for\nthe data shown under \"Have Faith In Allies*. Here the figures are based on men in a re-\nplacement training center only, these being the only recent data available.\n12\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nQUESTION\nIf it were up to you to choose,\ndo you think you could do more for your country\nas a soldier or as 0 worker in a war job?\n\"PREFER OVERSEAS DUTY\"\nAmong men who do NOT\nthink they are more useful\n22%\nprefer it\nas SOLDIERS\nAmong men who DO\n55%\nthink they are more useful\nprefer it\nos SOLDIERS\n\"\n\"PREFER ACTUAL FIGHTING JOB IF SENT OVERSEAS\"\nAmong men who do NOT\nthink they are more useful\n25%\nprefer it\nas SOLDIERS\nAmong men who DO\nthink they are more useful\n57%\nprefer it\nos SOLDIERS\n\" FEEL PROUD OF COMPANY, BATTERY, OR SQUADRON\"\nAmong men who are NOT\n33%\nthink they are more useful\nvery proud\nas SOLDIERS\nAmong men who ARE\n48%\nthink they are more useful\nvery proud\nas SOLDIERS\nWHAT KIND OF MEN ARE UNCONVINCED OF THE GREATER USEFULNESS OF THEIR SOLDIER ROLE? HOW DO\nTHEY COMPARE -- BY RACE? BY AGE? MARITAL CONDITION? EDUCATION? HOW DOES LENGTH OF TIME\nIN THE ARMY AFFECT THEM? BRANCH OF SERVICE? PROMOTION? THE PAGES FOLLOWING DISCUSS THESE\nQUESTIONS.\n13\nCONFIDENTIAL\nDO NEGRO ENLISTED MEN ACCEPT\nTHEIR SOLDIER ROLE?\nOnly 27 per cent of the Negro enlisted men in the United States\nthink they can be more useful to their country as soldiers than\nas war workers. This compares with 40 per cent of the white en-\nlisted men.\nNegro soldiers have been divided into three groups according to\nthe answers to three questions on the fairness of treatment of\nNegroes in the Army.\n1. One group consists of Negroes with the most favorable\nattitude toward Army fairness. Men in this group--a fifth\nof all Megro soldiers--say the Army is fair to Negroes on\neach of the three questions. Thirty-nine per cent of the\nmen in this group--almost the same proportion as among\nwhites--say that they are more useful to their country as\nsoldiers than as war workers.\n2. The second group consists of men who say the Army is\nunfair to Negroes on one or two of the three questions.\nThree-fifths of the Negroes are in this group. Twenty-five\nper cent of the men in this group feel they are more useful\nas soldiers than as war workers.\n3. The third group, containing a fifth of the Negro sol-\ndiers, says the Army is unfair on all three questions. Only\ntwenty-one per cent of the Negroes in this group feel they\ncan serve their country best as soldiers.\n.\n-\n.\nBecause Negro attitudes are influenced by special conditions, the\npages following deal with attitudes of white soldiers, except\nwhere otherwise specified.\n14\nNEGROES ARE LESS CONVINCED THAN WHITES\nOF SOLDIER USEFULNESS\nQUESTION +....... If it were\nchoose, de pas think you could de\ncountry .. soldier or .. . worker\nPERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOL\nWhite soldiers\n40%\nNegro soldiers\n27%\nEXCEPT those Negroes who feel best about fairness of\ntreatment in the Army\nPERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIE\nNegroes most inclined to\nthink Negroes are TREATED\n39%\nFAIRLY in the Army\nNegroes with MIXED\nattitudes on fairness\n25%\nof treatment\nNegroes most inclined to\nthink that Negroes are\n21%\nTREATED UNFAIRLY in the Army\n15\nCONTIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nSPECIAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER\nAND MARRIED MEN\nAmong the men most likely to feel that they could be more useful as\ncivilian war workers than as soldiers are:\n1. The men of thirty and over, whether married or not\n2. The younger men who left wives behind when they entered the\nArmy\nOne-fourth of all enlisted men in the Army were 30 and over as of the\nspring of 1943. That these men have special physical problems in ad-\njusting to Army life is indicated by a study of six Infantry Divisions\nin April and May, 1943. Of the men 30 and over, 44 per cent said the\nphysical conditioning program was too tough. By contrast, only 21 per\ncent of the men 21 to 29 and only 11 per cent of the men under 21\nthought it was too tough.\nThe Special Service Division gave a series of physical proficiency\ntests to a group of filler replacements about to go overseas from\na staging area in April, 1943.\nAmong men aged 30 and over about two-thirds failed to meet mini-\nmun standards of physical proficiency; among those under 30, less\nthan half failed to meet minimum standards.\nA fifth of the enlisted men in the United States in the spring of 1943\nwere married before enlistment or induction. Another tenth married\nafter entering the Army. The latter do not, however, contribute the\nsame morale problem as those who left behind wives and, in some cases,\nchildren when joining. Men married after entering the Army are about\nas role, likely as single men to recognize their usefulness in the soldier\nThe men under 30, unmarried when entering the Army, are studied in\nmore detail in the next few pages.\n16\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nOLDER AND MARRIED MEN\nLEAST LIKELY TO PREFER SOLDIER ROLE\nQUESTION If it were up to you to choose, do you think you could\ndo more for your country as a soldier of \" a worker in a war job?\ns\nMEN WHO ARE\n30 YEARS OLD\nOR OVER\nPERCENTAGE WHO WOULD\ne\nRATHER BE SOLDIERS\nMarried before\nle\njoining Army\n27%\n1-\n18\nle\ner\n21\nSingle before\njoining Army I\nis\n28%\ncy\nom\nMEN WHO ARE\nUNDER 30 YEARS OLD\ni-\n88\nMarried before\n43\njoining Army\n31%\ned\nhe\ns,\nut\no\nSingle before\ner\n48%\njoining Army &\nin\nFigures based on white troops in Continental U.S.\n§ Including the few men who were widowed or divorced when joining Army.\n17\nGORFIDENTIAL\nHOW LENGTH OF TIME IN THE ARMY\nAFFECTS ATTITUDES TOWARD SOLDIER'S TASK\nQUESTION If it were \" to you to\nchoose, de you think you could do more for your\ncountry as soldler or as a worker in a war job?\nPERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS\nPRIVATES\n3 months\nof service, or less\n51%\nNONCOMS\nNO\nOver 3 months\nof service, to a year\n41%\n50%\nOver / year\nof service\n37%\n61%\nFigures based on white troops in Continental U.S., under 30 years\nof age, unmarried when joining the Army.\n18\nCONFIDENTIAL\nTHE LONGER MEN SERVE AS PRIVATES\nTHE LESS THEY ARE CONVINCED\nOF THE USEFULNESS OF THEIR SOLDIER ROLE §\nAmong recruits in basic training, 51 per cent think they are\nmore useful as soldiers than civilian war workers. Among\nprivates with over a year of service, only 37 per cent think\nso,\nThe noncom pattern is the opposite. The longer noncoms have\nbeen in the Army the larger the proportion who think them-\nselves more useful as soldiers.\nOne should guard against confusing cause and ef-\nfect. The charts opposite may mean (1) that pro-\nmotion is a factor in creating and maintaining\nattitudes healthy for the Army, or (2) that men\nwith healthy attitudes are more likely to be pro-\nmoted than others. Both may be true to some ex-\ntent.\nIn any event, these charts demonstrate that a problem exists\n--GS Long as the training a soldier gets in his first year\nfails to convince him of the importance of his job as a sol-\ndier compared with what he thinks he might do as a civilian,\nSIN order to eliminate confusion with influences traceable to age and\nmarital condition, these data are based only on men under 30 who were\nunmarried when joining the Army.\n19\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONTIDENTIAL\nPRIDE IN OUTFIT\nThe men who have the most pride in their company,\nbattery, or squadron are also likely to be men who\nrecognize the usefulness of their role as soldiers\nrather than as civilians in war jobs.\nJust as the percentage of men who recognize the\nimportance of their soldier role coes down with\nincreasing Length of service as privates, so does\ntride in company, battery, or squadron. Among\nnoncome, pride in outfit also decreases slightly\nwith length of service.\nPride in branch of service also plays a part in\nmorale. How men rate their own branches is shown\non the following pages.\n20\nCONFIDENTIAL\nPRIDE IN OUTFIT IS LOWEST AMONG PRIVATES\nWITH LONGEST SERVICE\nQUESTION\n....\n\"Do you feel proud of\nyour Company, Battery or Squadron?\"\nPERCENTAGE ANSWERING \"VERY PROUD\"\nPRIVATES\n3 months\n54%\nof service, or less\nNONCOMS\nces\nOver 3 months\n50%\n57%\nof service, to o year\nOver I year\nof service\n31%\n53%\nin order to eliminate confusion with influences traceable to color, age, and marital\ncondition, the data are based on white men under 30, who were unmarried when\njoining the Army.\n21\nCONPIDENTIAL\nATTITUDES TOWARD BRANCH\nAND SOLDIER ROLE\nDoes 8 liking for his own branch of the Army make a man\nmore favorable to his soldier role?\nThe answer is No.\nOnly in the Air Corps is a high degree of liking for\nbranch accompanied by a high proportion of men believing\nthey are more useful as soldiers than as war workers.\nExcluding the Air Corps, the four branches most liked by\ntheir OWN nen are the Signal Corps, the Ordnance Depart-\nment, the Quartermaster Corps and the Military Police.\nNot one of these branches is among the top four in terms\nof the proportion of men favoring a soldier to a civil-\nian war worker assignment.\nPreference for the soldier role is highest among combat\narms. The top four, excluding Air Corps, are the Ar-\nmored Force, the Corps of Engineers, the Field Artillery\nand the Infantry.\nThe low standing of some of the ASF-trained branches in\nrecognition of the importance of their service 88 sol-\ndiers is partly due to the attitudes of limited service\nmen, who are mainly concentrated in these branches. The\nnext step is to look at the attitudes of these limited\nservice men.\n22\nBRANCHES MOST LIKED BY THEIR OWN MEN\nare LOW in proportion respecting SOLDIER ROLE\n...\n...\nEXCEPT AIR CORPS - which is high in both\nQUESTION\n......\nIf it were up\nQUESTION\n......\nIf you had a\nto you to choose, do you think you\nchoice, which one of these branches\ncould do more for your country as a\nof the Army would you like to be in?\nsoldier or as a worker in a war job?\nPercentage in each branch who\nPercentage who would\nprefer their own branch\nrather be soldiers\nAir Corps\n76%\nAir Corps\n53%\nSignal Corps\n46%\nSignal Corps\n39%\nOrdnance\n42%\nOrdnonce\n37%\nQuartermaster\n38%\nQuortermaster\n37%\nMilitary\nMilitary\nPolice\n36%\nPolice\n26%\nMedical\n35%\nMedical\n40%\nEngineers\n32%\nEngineers\n45%\nChemical\nChemical\nWarfore\n30%\nWarfare\n35%\nField\nField\n27%\nArtillery\nArtillery\n44%\nArmored\nArmored\nForce\n26%\nForce\n46%\nCoast\nCoast\n26%\nArtillery\n37%\nArtillery\nInfantry\n11%\ninfantry\n42%\nThe five branches ranking highest in each column are denoted by heavier shading of the bars.\n23\nCOMPIDENTIAL\nLIMITED SERVICE MEN\nOne in every five of the enlisted men in the Army\nService Forces is a limited service man, as contrasted\nwith less than one intwenty in A.A.F. and one in fifty\nin A.O.F.\nThe chart opposite shows how the attitudes\nof the limited service men differ from\nothers. This difference: must be taken into\naccount in comparison of attitudes among\nvarious arms and services.\nA special and important problem exists in convincing\nthe limited service men, through better job placement\nwithin the Army and through an adequate program of in-\nformation, that they are more useful to the country\nas soldiers than 88 civilian war workers.\nThe next section discusses the problem of Army job\nsatisfaction in more detail, for the general service\nmen only.\n24\nCONFIDENTIAL\nLIMITED SERVICE MEN in branches trained by A.S.F.\nLACK ENTHUSIASM for their military job\nQUESTION\n.......\nIf It were \" to you to\nchoose, do you think you could do more for your\ncountry \" soldier or \" a worker in 4 war job?\nPercentage who would rather be soldiers\nPRIVATES\nUNMARRIED MEN\nMARRIED MEN AT ALL AGES\nUNDER 30\nAND UNMARRIED MEN 30 AND OVER\nGeneral service\n49%\n26%\nLimited service\n24%\n13%\nNONCOMS\n**\nGeneral service\n58%\n49%\nLimited service\n36%\n19%\nFigures apply to men in ASF - trained branches with more than three months of service\n25\nCONFIDENTIAL\nHOW DESIRE TO CHANGE JOBS IS RELATED\nTO PREFERENCE FOR SOLDIER ROLE\nQUESTION\n.......\nIf it were \" to you to\nchoose, do you think you could do more for your\ncountry .. a soldier or .. . worker in a war job?\nAMONG EVERY TWENTY\nA.S.F. PRIVATES\n5 MEN\n00000\n...\nwant to transfer to\nOF SUCH\nthink they are\n41%\nanother Army job in A.S.F.\nMEN...\nmore useful as soldiers\n7 MEN\n0...000\n\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\nwant to transfer to\nOF SUCH\n.\nthink they are\n53%\nanother Army job in\nMEN...\nmore useful as soldiers\nA.A.F. or A.G.F.\n4 MEN\nOF SUCH\nthink they are\nare undecided\n48%\nMEN.\nmore useful as soldiers\n4 MEN\n-\ndo not want to\nOF SUCH\nthink they are\ntransfer to another Army job\n53%\nMEN\nmore useful as soldiers\nFigures apply to unmorried white men under 30, qualitied for general service.\n26\nCONFIDENTIAL\nA.S.F. MEN WHO WANT OTHER A.S.F. JOBS\nARE LEAST IMPRESSED WITH SOLDIER ROLE\nThe chart opposite is based on privates in ASF-trained branches, after\neliminating special problem groups--the married men, the men 30 and\nover, the limited service men.\nIt shows a picture of dissatisfaction with Army job assignment and\nits relationship to attitudes toward the soldier role. Five out of\nevery twenty privates want to transfer to another Army job in A.S.F.,\nseven out of every twenty want to transfer to a job in the A.A.F. or\nA.G.F., and four are undecided. Only four out of twenty say they do\nnot want to transfer to another Army job.\nAmong men who want to transfer to other A.S.F. jobs, 41 per cent\nthink they are more useful to their country as soldiers than as\ncivilians.\nAmong the A.S.F. men who want to transfer to A.A.F. or A.G.F.,\n53 per cent think they are more useful as soldiers than as civ-\nilians. This is just the same proportion as among those who want\nto stay in their present jobs.\nA somewhat similar picture would appear if Army Ground Force privates\nwere charted. Even among A.G.F. unmarried men under 30, qualified for\ngeneral service, one in five wants to transfer to A.S.F. The A.G.F.\nmen who want to transfer to A.S.F. are much less likely to be con-\nvinced of the importance of their soldier role than are the A.G.F. men\nwho want to transfer to A.A.F. or to another job within Ground Forces.\n*\n*\n*\nSince rank and education are factors in job assignment, it is impor-\ntant to note that the same general pattern appears when the better\neducated and the lesser educated privates and noncoms are studied\nseparately. However, the better educated, whether privates or non-\ncoms, tend to be more convinced of their usefulness as soldiers than\nthe lesser educated, as will be discussed presently.\n27\nCONFIDENTIAL\nTHE CHALLENGE OF AN EDUCATED ARMY\nAND HOW IT HAS BEEN MET\nThis is the best educated Army in history, as measured by years spent\nin school. The change in manpower between World Wars I and II through\nthe spread of public education is as spectacular as the change in\nmachines of war. The following chart shows the comparative educa-\ntional level of all selectees in World Wars I and II.\nWORLD WAR I\nWORLD WAR II\nCOLLEM NEW\n5%\no\nor\n- BOMBOL SPADUATES\n11%\n- NON-GRADUATED\n24%\nÉ\ncase - -\n80%\nMr.\nThis great social change was a challenge to the Army. The first\nsurvey made by the Research Branch of the Special Service Division,\nin an Infantry division just after Fearl Harbor, showed that the Army\nwas having difficulties meeting that challenge. Promotion at first\nwas slow--which increased the shock of transition from a civilian life\nwith its rewards for schooling. The better educated were the most\nfrustrated.\nAs the Army grew, through 1942 and 1943, the gates of opportunity for\npromotion were opened wide. Over two hundred thousand enlisted men,\nmostly high school and college graduates, have been commissioned from\nthe ranks. The better educated men have fared well in securing non-\ncommissioned ratings as the charts on the page opposite show.\nIn a survey of several Infantry divisions made in the spring of\n1943, 55 per cent of the high school graduates and college men said\n\"The Army is giving me a chance to show what I can do,\" as contrasted\nwith only 24 per cent in the Infantry division studied a little over\na year earlier. This proportion has remained quite constant since\nthe summer of 1942. How the nen at different educational levels feel\nabout their soldier role, as compared with what they might do as\ncivilians, is shown next.\n28\nOF MEN WHO ENTERED THE ARMY AS PRIVATES\n....\nmany had received promotions by April 1, 1943\nespecially the better educated\n(Each separate education group=100%)\nBecame Officers\n15%\nBecome Noncoms\n31%\n32%\n27%\n18%\nRemained Privates\n54%\n62%\n72%\n82%\nCollege\nHigh School\nHigh School\nGrade School\nMen\nGraduates\nNon-Graduates\nMen\n....\non January 1, 1942, the relative advantage of the\nbetter educated men was not so marked\nBecame Officers\nBecome Noncoms\n22%\n22%\n20%\n13%\nRemained Privates\n76%\n77%\n80%\n87%\nCollege\nHigh School\nHigh School\nGrade School\nMen\nGraduates\nNon-Graduates\nMen\n29\nCONFIDENTIAL\nTHE BEST EDUCATED MEN ARE THE MOST\nCONVINCED OF THEIR USEFULNESS AS SOLDIERS\nThe educated soldier knows more about the war and has greater\nfacility in acquiring further knowledge. §\nThe charts opposite show that among recruits the percentage of\ncollege men who are convinced of the importance of their soldier\nrole is more than twice as large as the percentage of grade\nschool men so convinced (61 per cent compared with 27 per cent).\nAt all but the lowest educational levels, the percentages\nfall off with length of service as privates.\nAt all educational levels, the men who have finished basic\ntraining and become noncoms or technicians tend to have\ngreater respect for the importance of their role as soldiers\nthan do privates with comparable length of service.\nThese data are for all white soldiers in the Army in Continental\nUnited States. For men under 30 years of age and unmarried when\njoining the Army, for Negroes, for white men 30 and over, and\nfor white men under 30 who were married on entry, the same gen-\neral story can be told. In all these groups the better educated\nare more likely than the lesser educated to understand the sig-\nnificance of their Army mission.\n§ on war information tests given to soldiers from time to time in the past\nyear by the Research Branch of the Special Service Division, the better\neducated always make the highest scores.\n30\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWELL EDUCATED MEN are\nmost likely to FAVOR SOLDIER ROLE\nQUESTION\n........\nIf it were up to you to\nchoose, do you think you could do more for your\ncountry as asoldier or \" . worker in a war job?\nPRIVATES in Army 3 MONTHS or LESS\nPERCENTAGE WHO WOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS\nCollege Men\n61%\nHigh School\n50%\nGraduotes\nHigh School\nNon- graduates\n46%\nGrade School\n27%\nMen\nPRIVATES in Army OVER 3 MONTHS\nALL NONCOMS\nWOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS\nWOULD RATHER BE SOLDIERS\nCollege Men\n42%\n55%\nHigh School\nGraduates\n40%\n58%\nHigh School\nNon-graduates\n31%\n51%\nGrade School\nMen\n28%\n42%\nFigures based on all white troops in Continental U.S.\n31\nCONTIDEATIAL\nCORFIDENTIAL\nDOES EDUCATION AFFECT NEGRO\nATTITUDES TOWARD SOLDIER ROLE?\nThe better educated a Negro soldier, the more likely\nhe is to believe that he is more useful to his coun-\ntry as a soldier rather than as a civilian war\nworker.\nThis is true among both Northern and Southern Negro\nsoldiers.\nAttitudes toward the soldier role are much more\nclosely related to education than to residence in\nthe North or South. At each educational level,\nSouthern soldiers are more likely to express pref-\nerence for the soldier role. But the North-South\ndifferences are small, except among the men with\nthe least schooling.\n32\nEDUCATED NEGROES, like educated whites,\nare most likely to BELIEVE SOLDIER ROLE IS IMPORTANT\nQUESTION If it were up to you to choose, de you think you could\ndo more for your country as 4 soldier or .. a worker in a war job?\nPERCENTAGE WHO WOULD\nNORTHERN NEGROES\nRATHER BE SOLDIERS\nHigh school graduates or\ncollege men\n32%\nMen who completed 8th grade\nor high school non-graduates\n29%\nGrade school\nnon-graduates\n18%\nSOUTHERN NEGROES\nHigh school graduates or\n35%\ncollege men\nMen who completed 8th grade\nor high school non-graduates\n31%\nGrade School\n26%\nnon - graduates\n33\nNUMBER OF DESERTERS PER 1000 ENLISTED MEN\nJuly through November 1942, in Continental U.S.\nAmong 1000\nCollege Men\nÀ\n0.5 men)\nAmong 1000\nHigh School\nGraduates\nAi\n(1.7 men)\nAmong 1000\nHigh School\nNon-graduates\nARRAR\n(5.4 men)\nAmong 1000\nGrade School\nMen\n(7.9 men)\nPrepared from data supplied by Machine Records Division, A.G.O.\n34\nCONFIDENTIAL\nTHE AWOL PROBLEM IS GREATEST\nAMONG MEN WITH LOW EDUCATION\nAs might be expected from the preceding pages, the problem of absence\nwithout leave is least acute at the higher educational levels.\nThis is confirmed by statistics on desertions especially tabulated by\nA.G.O. and charted on the page opposite, and by several scattering\nsurveys and reports which have been compiled by the Research Branch\nof Special Service. §\nIntensive study of 257 enlisted men in a stockade at a staging area,\nconfined for AWOL, shows that only 21 per cent of the men felt that\nthey were more useful as soldiers than as war workers, as compared\nwith 40 per cent among white enlisted men generally.\nAll White Enllsted Men\n405\n257 AWOL Men In Stockede\n215\nAt Staging Areat\nTAbout half the AWOL'S in this sample had & grade school education only.\nOther findings from this study--most of which are paralleled by other\nreports from the field--are as follows:\n1. Volunteers are more likely to go AWOL than Selectees.\n2. A considerable number of AWOL's are plainly psychiatric cases,\nbut estimates of the proportion must await further study.\n3. Many AWOL's are repeaters.\nWhen a cross-section of soldiers throughout the Army was asked why men\nwhom they have known went AWOL, half of the reasons given related to\nhomesickness or desire to see relatives or friends. In this connec-\ntion, a good many mentioned unfair furlough treatment.\n§ More detailed and adequate statistics should be available later in the summer of\n1943. based on B. new system of reporting AWOL's, authorized in AR 615-300.\n35\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWHAT TROOPS OVERSEAS SAY ABOUT THEIR\nDESIRE FOR INFORMATION\n(FROM A SURVEY IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS)\nsay that o knowledge of current events\n97%\nhelps a man to be a better soldier.\nof those who have heard talks by their\n94%\nofficers on what is going on in the world\ntoday say these talks help them under-\nstand the war and their role in it.\n95%\nwant to hear regular talks on this\nsubject.\nRANK ORDER OF TOPICS WHICH MEN OVERSEAS\nWANT DISCUSSED\n....\nI. What is going on in the United States today\n2. What will happen after the wor\n3. What is going on inside Germany today\n4. What is going on inside the conquered countries of Europe today\n5. What is going on in Russia today\n6. Air power -- air strategy\n7. Individual self protection\n8. What we are fighting for\n9. German propaganda and fifth column technique\nIO. Important military compaigns of the war\n36\nMEN WANT MORE INFORMATION\nABOUT THE WAR AND THEIR PART IN IT\nThe chart opposite, based on n. research survey in the European\ntheater, illustrates this fact. Another example: In the United\nStates, in six Infantry divisions studied in April and May, 1943,\nonly 3 per cent of the officers and 3 per cent of the enlisted\nmen say that soldiers are hearing too many talks on what the war\nis all about.\nSUMMARY OF PART I\nThe facts presented in this section outline a difficult problem\nfacing Commanding Officers. They can be summarized as follows:\n1. Only 39 per cent of the enlisted men in the United States be-\nlieve they are more useful as soldiers than they would be 88\ncivilian war workers.\n2. The seriousness of the problem is heightened by the fact that\nsoldiers studied overseas reveal attitudes essentially simi-\nlar to those of nen in the United States.\n3. Attitudes toward soldier role, toward the meaning of the war\nto the individual, toward Allies, toward pride in outfit and\ntoward discipline are all interrelated.\n4. The groups in which attitudes undesirable to the Army appear\nmost frequently are:\nMen 3° and over\nMen married before entering the Army\nLimited service men\nMen in the Army a Long time as privates\nMen who want to transfer to jobs in certain branches\nMen with little formal education\nNegroes\nChanges of attitudes of men in some of these classes probably\ndepend onwhether changes are made in Army policy or practice.\nEven if some changes are feasible, there remains a responsibility\nfor further arming the minds and spirits of the men. Even among\nthe younger noncoms, unmarried, qualified for general service,\nsatisfied with their Army assignment, and well educated, there is\na large minority who still are unconvinced about the importance\nof their role as soldiers. Among these, an among the others,\nCommanding Officers have 8. task of imparting information and\nbuilding enthusiasm for the struggle ahead.\n37\nCONFIDENTIAL\nPART 11.\nSPECIAL STUDIES\nOF SOLDIER ATTITUDES\n1. Attitudes toward Moncommissioned Officers\n2. Job Satisfaction and the Utilization of Skills\n3. Attitudes of Negro Soldiers\n4. Health and Food\n5. The Off-duty Life of the Soldier\n6. Attitudes toward Our Allies\n39\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONPIDENTIAL\nATTITUDES TOWARD\nNONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS\nThe relationship of leadership to morale\nmakes it important to study attitudes of\nsoldiers toward their noncommissioned offi-\ncers.\nThe data reported here are from two surveys:\nAttitudes toward the selection of noncome\nwere learned from a study of a representative\ncross-section of white enlisted men in all\narms and services in the United States in\nFebruary, 1943.\nMaterial on the evaluation of noncom abili-\nties comes from a survey of company grade\nofficers of six Infantry divisions and a\nrepresentative cross-section of the enlisted\nmen in the same divisions. This survey was\nmade in April and May, 1943.\n41\nPROMOTION\nAS THE\nSOLDIERS SEE IT\nA high percentage of enlisted men--3 out of 5--say that the\nnoncoms they know are about as good as could have been\npicked from their outfits.\nPrivates are almost as favorable on this point as are non-\ncoms.\nTwo-thirds of those who approve the selection of non-\ncoms or are doubtful on this point say that noncoms\nwin their stripes through ability.\nMany of the men who do not believe their noncoms were\nwell chosen believe that bootlicking is the main way\nto get promotion.\n.\n.\n.\nTwo men out of every five think methods of selecting non-\ncomo can be improved. The most frequent concrete sugges-\ntion is to require examinations before promotion.\nWell educated men are the most often critical of promotion\nmethods--in spite of the fact that the well educated have\nthe best chance for promotion (See page 29).\nPrivates with long service are more critical of promotion\nmethods than are new recruits. Even among noncoms, there\nis slightly less respect for promotion methods as service\nlengthens.\n42\nCONFIDENTIAD\nMOST MEN APPROVE CHOICE OF NONCOMS\nQUESTION: \"Do you think your noncoms are about as good as any\nthat could have been picked from your outfit?\"\nPERCENTAGE ANSWERING\nNO\nDON'T KNOW\nYES\nPRIVATES\n25%\n17%\n58%\nNONCOMS\n24%\n9%\n67%\nALL ENLISTED\n25%\n14%\n61%\nMEN\nThe 25% who answered \"NO\" and the 75% who answered \"YES\"or \"DONT KNOW\" were asked\n\"HOW DO YOU THINK MOST OF THE NONCOMS\nYOU KNOW WERE SELECTED FOR THEIR JOBS?\"\nTHOSE WHO ANSWERED\nTHOSE WHO ANSWERED \"YES\"\n\"NO\" SAID\nOR \"DON'T KNOW\" SAID.\nABILITY\n67%\nABILITY\n12%\nLUCK\n18%\nBOOTLICKING\n56%\n10%\nLONG TIME\nIN ARMY\n4%\nOTHER\nBOOTLICKING\nLUCK\n9%\n9%\nLONG TIME\nIN ARMY\n4%\n11%\nOTHER\n43\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWHAT MAKES A GOOD NONCOM?\nOfficers and Enlisted Men Disagree on\nThe Importance of Various Abilities\nSome of the criticism of the choice of noncoms may arise\nbecause officers and men honestly disagree on the relative\nimportance of specific abilities which noncoms need.\nThis situation was observed in six Infantry divisions stud-\nled in April and May, 1943. The principal findings of this\nstudy are charted on the opposite page.\nNost officers believe that the two most important\nabilities e noncom needs are the ability to carry out\norders promptly and accurately and the ability to\nthink for himself,\nPrivates put a much greater stress on the noncom's\nabilities to help and advise the men under him, to\nexplain things clearly, and to pain the personal Lik-\ning of the men under him.\nNoncoms' ratings of these abilities fall between those\nof the officers and those of the privates.\nThe personal abilities are stressed most by privates who\nhave been in the Army only a short time. This fact may be\ninterpreted in several ways. It may indicate merely that\nrookies have naive ideas of the role of noncoms. It may,\nhowever, indicate that cadremen picked to train recruits\nshould have somewhat different abilities than those needed\nby noncoms in veteran outfits.\n4%\nIMPERSONAL ABILITIES are stressed by OFFICERS\nPercentage rating each ability first or second in importance\nABILITY TO CARRY\nABILITY TO THINK\nOUT ORDERS PROMPTLY\nFOR HIMSELF\nAND ACCURATELY\n87%\n60%\n44%\n75%\n44%\n23%\nOfficers\nNoncoms\nPrivates\nOfficers\nNoncoms\nPrivates\nPERSONAL ABILITIES seem important to PRIVATES\nPercentage rating each ability first or second in importance\nABILITY TO HELP\nABILITY TO EXPLAIN\nABILITY TO GAIN\nAND ADVISE\nTHINGS CLEARLY\nPERSONAL LIKING\nTHE MEN\nTO THE MEN\nOF THE MEN\n22%\n41%\n49%\n9%\n22%\n35%\n7%\n33%\n49%\nOfficers\nNoncoms\nPrivates\nOfficers\nNoncoms\nPrivates\nOfficers\nNoncoms\nPrivates\nFrom a Special Study of Officers and Enlisted Men in Six Infantry Divisions\n45\nCONFIDENTIAL\nJOB SATISFACTION AND\nTHE UTILIZATION OF SKILLS\nProper job assignment is important to\nmorale as well as to efficiency.\nThis fact has been demonstrated by nu-\nmerous studies made by the Research\nBranch of the Special Service Division\nsince Pearl Harbor.\nThe material presented in this section\nis based on surveys of representative\ncross-sections of white enlisted men in\nthe Continental United States in the\nspring of 1943.\n47\nCONFIDENTIAL\nJOB SATISFACTION OF MEN WHO GOT THE ASSIGNMENT\nTHEY CHOSE\n...\ncompared with other men\nJOB SATISFACTION\nPercentage of men in each group who have\nhigh, medium, and low satisfoction\nHIGH\nMEDIUM LOW\nMEN WHO GOT THE JOB\nASSIGNMENT ASKED FOR\n74%\n22%\n#(4%)\nMEN WHO DID NOT GET THE\nJOB ASSIGNMENT ASKED FOR\n19%\n40%\n41%\nOR HAD NO CHANCE TO ASK\nBased on a cross-section of men in the Army over 3 months, April, 1943\nQUESTIONS forming JOB SATISFACTION SCALE\n1. On the whole, do you think the Army is giving\nyou a chance to show what you can do?\n2. Would you change to some other job if given a\nchance?\n3. Do you feel that everything possible has been\ndone to place you in the Army job where you\nbest fit?\n4. Do you think your ability and experience fit\nyou better for some other job or duty?\n5. How satisfied are you about being in your\npresent Army job instead of some other job?\n6. How interested are you in your Army job?\n48\nCUNFIDENTIAL\nMEN LIKE THEIR ARMY JOBS\nIF THEY GET THE JOBS THEY ASK FOR\nMen come from civilian life with thousands of special-\nized skills. Only a fraction of these can be used by\nthe Army. Even if classification and assignment worked\nperfectly in matching men to Army jobs, many men would\nhave to be placed in jobs they would not choose.\nSurveys of the Research Branch of the Special Service\nDivision show that a man's job satisfaction depends in\ngreat measure on his success in securing a job he\nchooses for himself.\nMen who are given no choice of job and those who\nask for a job but fail to get it are usually much\nless satisfied with their jobs. These facts are\ncharted on the opposite page, and the questions\nused in establishing relative job satisfaction are\npresented.\nIt is obvious that classification and assignment cannot\nbe so arranged as to meet every soldier's desires in\nthe matter of job choice. Under the time pressures of\nwar, decisions must be made quickly, and mistakes will\nsometimes be made.\nWhere reassignment of dissatisfied men is impossible,\nexplanations of the reasons for the present assignment\nmay be helpful.\nJob dissatisfaction is a more acute problem in some\narms and services than in others. Details on this\npoint appear on the following pages.\n49\nCONFIDENTIA\nJOB SATISFACTION VARIES\nWITH ARM AND SERVICE\nThe Air Corps has the highest proportion of men who were\ngiven the job they asked for. This branch also contains the\nlargest proportion of men with high job satisfaction scores.\nInfantry is at the opposite extreme. It has the smallest\npercentage of men serving in jobs they chose and the small-\nest percentage of men with high job satisfaction scores.\nFurther study will be required before the reasons for the\nsharp difference between the different arms and services can\nbe ascertained. A study of classification, assignment and\njob satisfaction in selected ASF-trained branches is now in\nprogress.\nBRANCH DIFFERENCES IN JOB SATISFACTION\nEXIST OVERSEAS\nAbout one man In five in the Middle East Command\nexpresses dissatisfaction with his job assignment.\nMen in ASF-trained units are twice as likely to be\ncritical of misclassification as men in bomber and\nfighter squadrons. The latter, however, are more\ncritical of excessive routine duties and failure\nto utilize skills than are ASF-trained men.\n50\nCONFIDENTIAL\nAIR CORPS LEADS, INFANTRY TRAILS\nin job choice and job satisfaction\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN\nIN EACH BRANCH GETTING\nIN EACH BRANCH WITH\nJOB ASSIGNMENT ASKED FOR\nHIGHEST JOB SATISFACTION SCORES\nAir Corps\n54%\n53%\nOrdnance\n39%\n44%\nSignal Corps\n38%\n44%\nMedical\n32%\n41%,\nEngineers\n32%\n33%\nField\n26%\nArtillery\n41%\nQuartermaster 25%\n40%\nCoast\nArtillery\n25%\n34%\nArmored\nForce\n24%\n33%\nChemical\nWarfore\n23%\n33%\nMilitary\n19%\nPolice\n33%\nInfantry\n11%\n17%\nFrom a cross-section survey of men in the Army over 3 months, April 1943\n51\nCONFIDENTIAL\nJOB SATISFACTION IS GREATEST\nAMONG MEN USING THEIR\nTECHNICAL TRAINING\nNine Air Corps men out of every ten trained in Army\ntechnical schools report that this training is\nbeing used in their present assignments.\nIn other arms and services, seven out of every ten\nsay they are using their Army technical school\ntraining in their present jobs.\nHalf the men who say their technical school train-\ning is wasted score low in job satisfaction.\nOnly one man in six who says his technical school\ntraining is used scores low in job satisfaction.\nMen want to attend Army technical schools. Nine\nout of ten graduates of Army technical schools (a\nnumber which includes many men who feel they are\nnot now using their training) are glad they at-\ntended. Six out of ten men who have not attended\nthese schools say they wish they had been sent.\n52\nCONTIDENTTAL\n9 OUT OF 10 AIR CORPS TECHNICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES\nARE USING THEIR TRAINING\nnot so high for other branches\nNOT USING SKILLS\nUSING SKILLS\nLEARNED IN SCHOOL\nLEARNED IN SCHOOL\nAIR CORPS\nINFANTRY\nFIELD ARTILLERY\nARMORED\nENGINEERS\nSIGNAL CORPS\nQUARTERMASTER\nMEDICAL\nEACH SYMBOL REPRESENTS 10 % OF THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES\n53\nCONTIDENTIA\nATTITUDES\nOF NEGRO SOLDIERS\nEarly this year the Research Branch of\nthe Special Service Division was in-\nstructed to survey the attitudes of\nNegro enlisted men in the Army. This\nstudy, completed in March, 1943, covered\n7,000 Negro enlisted men who formed a\nrepresentative sample of Negroes in 46\ndifferent Army organizations from Coast\nto Coast. Comparable data were obtained\nat the same time from a representative\nsample of white enlisted men.\nThe material reported here covers two of\nthe several subjects studied. They are:\na) Negroes' preferences in officers.\nb) Attitudes of Negro and white troops\ntoward separation of the two races\nin the Army.\n55\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWHAT KIND OF JUNIOR OFFICERS\nDO NEGRO SOLDIERS PREFER?\nNegro soldiers, expressing their opinions in an\natmosphere of anonymity, leave no doubt as to the\nanswer to this question.\nThey prefer Negro lieutenants to white lieu-\ntenants.\nThey prefer Morthern lleutenants to Southern\nlieutenants.\nA considerable minority of the Negro troops feel\nit makes no difference which type of officer they\nhave, but the percentage favoring Southern or\nwhite lieutenants is insignificant.\nThe percentage saying it makes no difference is\nlargest among the Southern Negroes, but even this\ngroup has a substantial majority favoring Northern\nand Negro lieutenants.\n56\nCONFIDENTIAL\nN\nNEGRO SOLDIERS\nPREFER NEGRO LIEUTENANTS\nPERCENTAGE CHOOSING\nNO\nWHITE\nNEGRO LIEUTENANTS\nDIFFERENCE\nLIEUT\nQUESTION\n.....\nSuppose your company\ncould get its lieutenants from the North\nonly, but they could be either WHITE or\n57%\n33%\n10%\nNEGRO. which would you rather have?\nQUESTION\n.....\nSuppose your company\ncould get southern officers only. If\nso, would you rather have WHITE or NEGRO\n73%\n22% 5\nlieutenants?\nNEGRO SOLDIERS\nPREFER NORTHERN LIEUTENANTS\nPERCENTAGE CHOOSING\nNO\nSOUTHERN\nNORTHERN LIEUTENANTS\nDIFFERENCE\nLIEUT.\nQUESTION Suppose your company\nlieutenants were all white officers, but\nthey could come either from the NORTH or\n80%\n17% 3\nfrom the SOUTH. which would you rather\nhave?\nQUESTION\nSuppose your company\nlieutenants were all Negro officers.\nwould you rather have them cone from the\n54%\n38%\n8%\nNORTH or from the SOUTH?\n57\nRACE SEPARATION IN THE ARMY\n...\nAS THE NEGRO SOLDIER SEES IT\nIn response to each of three questions on separation of Negroes\nand whites in the Army, a minority of Negro soldiers--but a sub-\nstantial minority, from 38 to 48 per cent--say they consider\nsome form of separation a good idea.\nAbout half favor separate service clubs; four in ten favor\nseparate post exchanges.\nThirty-eight per cent believe that Negro and white soldiers\nshould be in separate outfits; 36 per cent believe Negro\nand white soldiers should be in the same outfits; the rest\nare undecided.\nMany of the Negroes and some of the whites who favor separation\nin the Army indicate by their comments that they are opposed to\nsegregation in principle. They favor separation in the Army to\navoid trouble or unpleasantness arising from race prejudice.\nThis point is most often made in connection with service clubs,\nwhere social relations are most important.\nNegroes who oppose segregation in the Army indicate most fre-\nquently that their reasons are related to the idea that we are\nfighting for democracy and equality.\n.\nThe longer a Negro has served in the Army, the less likely he in\nto favor separation of the races.\nMost favorable to racial separation in the Army are the Southern\nNegroes with least education. Least favorable are the better\neducated Northern Negroes.\nThe chart at the right presents the answers of Negro and white\nsoldiers to the three questions on racial separation in the\nArmy.\n58\nNEGRO OPINIONS\nDIFFER ON RACE SEPARATION\nQUESTION \"Do you think it is a good idea or opoor idea for Negro and\nwhite soldiers to have SEPARATE SERVICE CLUBS in Army camps?\"\nPERCENTAGE SAYING\nUN-\nGOOD IDEA\nDECIDED\nPOOR IDEA\nNEGRO\n48%\n13%\n39%\nSOLDIERS\nWHITE\n85%\n6\n9%\nSOLDIERS\nQUESTION\n\"Do you think it is a good idea or a poor idea for white and Negro\nsoldiers to have SEPARATE PX's in Army camps?\"\nUN-\nGOOD IDEA\nDECIDED\nPOOR IDEA\nNEGRO\n40%\n12%\n48%\nSOLDIERS\nWHITE\nSOLDIERS\n81%\n9 10%\nQUESTION. \"Do you think white and Negro soldiers should be in SEPARATE\nOUTFITS or should they be together in the SAME OUTFITS?\"\nSEPARATE OUTFITS\nNO DIFFERENCE\nSAME OUTFITS\nNEGRO\n38%\n26%\n36%\nSOLDIERS\nWHITE\n88%\n9%3\nSOLDIERS\nt\nIncludes men who are undecided\n59\nHEALTH AND FOOD\nGood food and good medical care are gen-\nerally recognized 88 important to the\nmorale of any Army organization.\nNumerous studies by the Research Branch\nof the Special Service Division have\nfound essentially the same attitudes on\nthese points. They are:\n1. The men speak well of their medical\ncare.\n2. The men believe their food is of\ngood quality.\n3. Many of the sen are critical of the\npreparation of the food.\n61\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONEIDENTIAL\nMOST MEN VOTE\nMEDICAL SERVICE GOOD\nQUESTION ... How do you feel about medical attention in the Army?\"\nIt is very good\n30%\nIt is fairly good\n39%\nUndecided\n8%\n15%\nIt is rather poor\n8%\nIt is very poor\nData from a cross-section of white enlisted men in Continental United States\n62\nCONTIDENTICL\nSOLDIERS SAY THE FOOD IS GOOD,\nBUT disagree on the cooking\nQUESTION \"How do you feel about Army food?\"\nIt is good quality\n35%\nand well prepared\nIt is good quality\n44%\nbut poorly prepared\nUndecided\n13%\nIt is poor quality\n5%\nbut well prepared\nIt is poor quality\n3\nand poorly prepared\nData from a cross-section of white enlisted men in Continental United States\n63\nCONFIDENTIAL\nTHE OFF-DUTY LIFE\nOF THE SOLDIER\nThe soldier's use of his leisure time is a matter of prac-\ntical concern to the Army. The right off-duty activities\npromote health, efficiency, morale. The wrong activities\nare reflected in AWOL and VD statistics, and can be re-\nflected in lowered efficiency of training during hours of\nduty.\nMany men have difficulty in finding satisfactory off-duty\nactivities. In England, for example, the men were asked:\n\"Do you have trouble finding interesting\nthings to do in your free evenings?\"\nThe distribution of answers was:\nYES\nNO\nNOST OF\nMUCH OF\nTHE TIME\nTHE TIME\nNOT VERY OFTEN\nNEVER\n241\n20%\n415\n155\nThe proportion reporting difficulty was larger in small,\nisolated camps, and in camps lacking Special Service offi-\ncers or \"A\" and \"8\" recreation kits.\nFacts on men's use of their leisure time are presented on\nthe following pages.\n65\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWHAT MEN DO OFF-DUTY\nAmerican soldiers in England report a different use of their leisure\ntime than do our men in the United States.\nMen stationed in the United States are more likely than those\nabroad to:\nWrite letters\nListen to the radio\nRead magazines\nSee a movie\nMen stationed in England are more likely than those at home to:\nDrink beer or liquor\nPlay cards\nDate a girl\nTwo-thirds of the drinkers on a typical evening in England drink\nonly beer. In the United States, four-fifths of the drinkers\ndrink only beer.\nOff-duty activities are influenced in Large measure by the availability\nof facilities. The difficulty of obtaining radios and magazines,\nfor example, is a factor limiting listening and reading in England,\nIt should be borne in mind that the chart opposite does not indicate\nthe amount of time spent on various activities. For example, letter\nwriting is reported by more men than any other activity, but it does\nnot necessarily consume as much time as the other things men do in\ntheir off-duty evenings.\nWhat men do off-duty is not always what they most want to do. Pref-\nerences in leisure-time activities are discussed on the following\npages.\n00\nCONFIDENTIAL\nOFF-DUTY ACTIVITIES DIFFER HERE and ABROAD\nPercentage of men off-duty saying they take part\nin each activity on a typical evening.\n62% In United States\nWRITE LETTERS\n49% In England\n47%\nLISTEN TO RADIO\n11%\n41%\nREAD MAGAZINE\n21%\n31%\nSEE A MOVIE\n24%\n23%\nDRINK BEER OR LIQUOR\n36%\n15%\nTAKE PART IN SPORTS\n15 %\n11%\nREAD A BOOK\n10 %\n11%\nPLAY CARDS\n25%\n9 %\nDATE A GIRL\n21%\n6%\nGO DANCING\n8%\nThe total percent is more than 100, since many men reported more than one activity.\n67\nPREFERENCES IN OFF-DUTY ACTIVITIES\nAmerican Soldiers Are Movie Fans\nIn the United States\nOne enlisted man out of every four in the United States rates attend-\ning movies as his favorite leisure-time activity. (See the chart on\nthe opposite page.)\nParticipation in sports and athletics is the favorite off-duty\nactivity of one man in every five.\nOne man in every seven says he likes most to go dancing.\nOne man in every ten gives top rating to listening to music.\nIn England\nMovies are the favorite diversion of our men in England, if they are\nspending a free evening in camp. On a free evening in town, more men\nprefer to go dancing. When asked to name their preference, from a list\nof activities, the men responded as shown in the table below:\nPER CENT PREFERRING\nEACH ACTIVITY FOR A.\nFREE EVENING\n..IN\n..IN\nCAMP\nTOWN\nACTIVITY\n$\n$\nMovies\n41\n21\nDance.\n26\n37\nStage show or play\n25\n19\nParty or sing.\n4\n5\nConcert.\n-\n,\nvisit to British home,\nI\n15\nTotal per cent\n100\n100\nDetails on men's attitudes toward the use of leisure time are pre-\nsented on the following pages.\n68\nSOLDIERS PREFER MOVIES\nFILMS are the FAVORITE off-duty ACTIVITY of a\nquarter of the enlisted men in the United States\nPERCENTAGE NAMING EACH\nACTIVITY AS THE ONE THEY LIKE MOST\nSeeing a movie\n25%\nTaking part in\nsports or athletics\n%\n20%\nGoing dancing\n14%\njd\nListening to music\n10%\nSeeing a play\n5%\nSpending time\n5%\non hobbies\nOther activities\n6%\nThese bars add to only 85% since 15% of the men expressed no preference.\n69\nBASEBALL IS STILL THE NATIONAL SPORT\nPercentage of enlisted men\nin the United States\nnaming each sport as their favorite\nBASEBALL\n39%\nOR SOFTBALL\nFOOTBALL\n18%\nBASKETBALL .....\n11%\nSWIMMING\n6%\nBOXING\n4%\nOTHER\n16%\nOUTDOOR SPORTS.\nOTHER\nINDOOR SPORTS\n6%\n70\nCONELDENTIA\nATHLETICS AND THE SOLDIER\nBaseball (or softball) is the favorite sport among enlisted\nmen stationed in this country. It is also the sport most\ncommonly engaged in by American troops in England. Foot-\nball stands second in both ratings.\nOne man in five names sports and athletics his favorite off-\nduty activity. One man in seven takes part in sports and\nathletics on a typical off-duty evening. This holds true\nboth in the United States and England.\nMany Men Criticize the Army Athletic Program\nFour enlisted men out of every ten in the United States say\nthat they are not given enough opportunity to take part in\nsports and athletics.\nThree out of ten say their outfits do not have enough ath-\nletic equipment.\nThree out of ten say the sports and athletic programs in\nthe outfits are poorly arranged.\nMen's attitudes toward recreation facilities are discussed\non the pages that follow.\n71\nCONFIDENTIAL\nTHE SOLDIERS' CLUBS\nMuch of a soldier's non-working life revolves around his clubs. His\ndayroom, his service club, his USO (if he is in the United States)\nand his Red Cross club (if he is overseas) provide facilities which\nhis barracks cannot supply.\nService Clubs\nOne man out of four in the United States visits a service club on a\ntypical day. One man in twelve visits a service club more than once\nin a typical day. The chart opposite shows that the usefulness of a\nclub depends on how close it is to a man's barracks.\nPrivates use the service clubs more than do noncoms, and better\neducated men use them more than the less educated.\nWhen asked to choose which of three facilities they most want, en-\nlisted men in the United States say:\nFirst: Another service club on the post\nSecond: Another dayroom in the battalion area\nThird: Another USO club in town\nUSO and Red Cross Clubs\nA third of the men in the United States say they visited a USO club\nin a two-week period.\nIn England, a quarter of the American enlisted men say they visit Red\nCross clubs once a week or oftener, and another fifth say they visit\nRed Cross clubs several times a month.\nDayrooms\nMost soldiers in the United States report that their dayrooms have\nmagazines, good lighting, books, radios, and adequate furniture. But\nabout half the men say their dayrooms lack phonographs and records.\nRadio-phonographs are the most needed recreational facilities in\nEngland, according to our enlisted men there.\nTwo-fifths of our men inEngland say they need dayrooms (See the chart\nopposite).\n72\nLOCATION influences USE OF SERVICE CLUBS\nQUESTION Did you visit o Service Club yesterday?\"\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN WHO SAID\nDISTANCE MEN LIVE\nFROM SERVICE CLUB\nYES\nNO\n40%\n60%\n......\n5 MINUTE WALK\n26%\n74%\n******\n....\n10 TO is MINUTE WALK\nÀ\n20% 80%\n15%\n20 MINUTE WALK OR MORE\nMEN IN ENGLAND WANT RADIO-PHONOGRAPHS\nQUESTION Of the following list, which items do you feel are bodly\nneeded or need to be improved?\"\nPERCENTAGE NAMING EACH ITEM\nRadio-phonograph\n53%\nMagazines\n47%\nDayroom\n40%\nBooks\n33%\nWriting tables\n28%\nIndoor games\n26%\nOther items named less frequently were: Basketball equipment (by 13%), Baseball equipment (by 10%),\nFootball equipment (by 8%), and Volleyball equipment (by 4%).\n73\n5 out of 6 of our MEN IN ENGLAND\nread \"YANK\" each week\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN IN ENGLAND WHO\nHave read\nNever\nRead weekly but\nonly one or\nsow o\nSubscribe to \"Yank\"\ndon't subscribe\ntwo issues copy\n35%\n48%\n16%\n1%\n\"BEST SELLERS\" are the SOLDIER'S CHOICE in books\nQUESTION \"If you were to spend on evening in camp reading,\nwhat type of book would you prefer?\"\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN IN ENGLAND NAMING EACH TYPE\nRecent novels of the\nbest seller type\n26%\nMystery and detective\nnovels\n25%\nAdventure and\nromance stories\n14%\nHistorical novels\n13%\nWestern novels\n10%\nNon - Fiction\n7%\nClassics\n5%\nNumber expressing o preference for these types equals 100 per cent\n74\nTHE SOLDIER IS A READING MAN\nARMY NEWSPAPERS\nFive out of every six American enlisted men in England say they read\n\"YANK\" every week. Only one man in a hundred says he has never seen\nit. Seven out of eight men in England rate \"YANK\" as either \"excellent\"\nor \"good\". Only one man in a hundred calls it \"poor\".\n\"STARS AND STRIPES\" is read by a slightly larger proportion of the men\nin England than read \"YANK\", but is not quite 80 well liked.\nThree-fourths of the American soldiers in England want to see more\nnews about the United States in \"STARS AND STRIPES\" and \"YANK\".\nThe best liked features in \"YANK\" are its pictures, war news, and\nnews from home. The least liked feature is poetry.\nPOCKET GUIDES TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES\nThe overwhelming majority of men in the Middle East Command who have\nreceived POCKET GUIDES say these booklets have helped them understand\nthe country and the people. But only one man out of every three in\nthis Command had received a Guide as of June 1, 1943.\nBOOKS\n\"Best sellers\" and detective books are the soldier's choice for an\nevening's reading in English camps.\nNonfiction and the classics are favored by the smallest proportion of\nthe soldiers. (See the chart opposite.)\nOn the pages that follow are presented some data on soldier reactions\nto V-mail.\n75\nCONEIDENTIAL\nSOLDIER REACTIONS\nTO V-MAIL\nV-mail is not popular with our men in the\nMiddle East.\nOne very important reason for this is\nthat most men report that V-mail is no\nfaster than regular mail.\nThe great majority of men prefer regular\nmail because it is more personal and be-\ncause the letter may be as long as de-\nsired.\nAbout a third complain that V-mail is\nnot clear and is hard to read.\n76\nMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST\n4.\n1\n/\nDO NOT LIKE V-MAIL\nPercentage preferring\n95%\nregular mail to V-mail\nPercentage who say\nV-mail is no faster\n63%\nthan regular mail\nBUT even speed wouldn't change\nmost men's preferences\nPercentage who still would prefer regular mail\nEven if\nV-mail were one week faster\n79%\nthan regular mail\nEven if\n..V-mail were two weeks faster\n55%\nthan regular mail\n77\nCONPIDENTIAL\nATTITUDES\nTOWARD OUR ALLIES\nFacts on soldiers' attitudes toward our Allies\nare essential to the Special Service Division\nin the development of its program of infor-\nmation for troops. It is clear that atti-\ntudes toward Allies may relate closely to\nattitudes toward the war.\nInformation on these attitudes has a further\ninterest to commanders who now or later may\nbe operating in close contact with Allied\ntroops.\nThe data presented on the following pages are\nbased on surveys of the officers and enlist-\ned men of six Infantry divisions in the United\nStates, made in April and May, 1943, and of\nthe enlisted men in the Middle East in May,\n1943.\n79\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONPIDENTIAL\nADMIRATION OF ALLIES' FIGHTING\nQUESTION....\"Do you agree\nor disagree with these statements?\"\nPERCENTAGE WHO AGREE\n98% AMONG THE OFFICERS\n\"Considering everything, the Rus-\nsians are doing as good a job as\npossible of fighting this war.\"\n93% AMONG THE ENLISTED MEN\n86%\n\"Considering everything, the Brit-\nish are doing as good a job as\npossible of fighting this war.\"\n81%\n-\nBUT SKEPTICISM OF THEIR POST-WAR AIMS\nPERCENTAGE WHO AGREE\n\"Britain ismore interested in don-\n26%\n....\nAMONG THE OFFICERS\ninating or controlling the world\nthan she is in building a truly\ndemocratic world.\"\n32%\nAMONG THE ENLISTED MEN\n*Russia is more interested in dom-\n30%\ninating or controlling the world\nthan she is in building a truly\ndemocratic world.\"\n31%\nBosed on a survey of company grade officers and a cross-section of enlisted men in six\nInfantry divisions in the United States.\n80\nCONFIDENTIAE\nOUR ALLIES\nOfficers and Enlisted Men Share\nBoth Admiration and Doubts\nAlmost all officers and men admire the job which\nRussia and Britain are doing in fighting the war.\nBut about three out of every ten--officers and men\nalike--believe that these countries are more\ninterested in dominating the world than in build-\ning a democratic world.\nAbout 24 per cent of the officers and 18 per\ncent of the enlisted men believe we will have\nto fight Ruasia after this war is over.\nWhat soldiers in an overseas theater think of our\nAllies is shown next.\n81\nCONFIDENTIAL\nWHAT AMERICANS\nIN THE MIDDLE EAST\nTHINK ABOUT OUR ALLIES\nOur troops in the Middle East contain a substan-\ntial minority doubtful of our Allies' post-war co-\noperation. Service in close contact with the\nBritish does not seem to have increased confidence\nin this respect.\nOn the contrary, 71 per cent of the American\nenlisted men in the area say there is much\nill-feeling between Americans and British.\nSome 72 per cent say the British soldiers do\nnot 80 out of their way to help the American\nsoldier and show him G good time.\nAnd 39 per cent of our enlisted men say they\ndo not like the British.\nMen who have been overseas a long time are less\nlikely to like the British than are new arrivals.\n82\nDOUBTS OF OUR ALLIES ARE COMMON\nIN THE MIDDLE EAST\nATTITUDES TOWARD ENGLISH\nQUESTION\n\"Do you agree or disagree\n51%\nAGREE\nwith the statement that\nthe English can be de-\npended upon to cooper-\nate with us after the wor?\"\n28%\nUNDECIDED\n21%\nDISAGREE\nATTITUDES TOWARD RUSSIANS\nQUESTION\n\"Do you agree or disagree\nwith the statement that\nAGREE\n44%\nthe Russians can be de-\npended upon to cooper-\nate with us after the war?\"\nUNDECIDED\n40%\nDISAGREE\n16%\nSurvey of o representative cross-section of enlisted men in Middle East Theoter, from the Nile\nDelta to Tunisia, May 1943.\n83\nCONFIDENTIAL\nSUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS\nSupplement A\nMeasuring the Effectiveness\nof Informational Motion Pictures\nSection I\nOrientation Films, \"Why We Fight\"\nSection II\nFilm Feature, \"The War\"\nSupplement B\n.\nWho is the American Soldier?\n85\nCONSIDENTIAL,\nSupplement A\nMEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS\nOF INFORMATIONAL MOTION PICTURES\nA Report on Methods and Findings of Research\nStudies on Effect of Special Service Division Films\nTo increase soldiers' knowledge of the war and its back-\nground, and to build healthy attitudes toward the war\nand our Allies, the Special Service Division produces\nmotion pictures, radio programs, \"Yank\", the Army weekly\nnewspaper, Newsmap, a daily news service and other ma-\nterials.\nThe orientation films of the \"Why We Fight\" series and\nthe bi-weekly film feature, \"The War\" have been sub-\njected to careful analysis. The research studies have\nsupplied the Special Service Division with facts on the\nstrength and weakness of the films, and afford a basis\nfor continual improvement in them.\nThis work has been conducted by the Experimental Section\nof the Research Branch over a period of sixmonths. Dis-\ncussion of findings on the first four films of the \"Why\nWe Fight\" series is presented in Section I of this Sup-\nplement. A report on three films of \"The War\" is pre-\nsented in Section II.\n87\nSECTION I\nORIENTATION FILMS, \"WHY WE FIGHT\"\nGeneral Marshall indicated the purpose of the \"Why We Fight\"\nseries in his introduction to the first film. He said the aim\nwas\n#\nto acquaint members of the Army with factual\ninformation as to the causes, the events leading\nup to our entry into the war and the principles\nfor which we are fighting. A knowledge of these\nfacts is an indispensable part of military train-\ning.\nThis definition of purpose suggests that the effectiveness of the\nfilms should be measured in terms of two basic factors: (1) gains\nin factual information, and (2) changes in attitudes related to\nthe principles for which we are fighting.\nHow the Effects of Orientation Films are Measured\nThe procedure used is that of controlled experiment. The design\nis simple. Two groups of soldiers, an experimental group and a\ncontrol group, are chosen in such a way that they are closely\nmatched with respect to age, education, region of origin and other\ncharacteristics. Normally about 1,000 men at a replacement train-\ning center are used in a given study -- half in the experimental\ngroup and half in the control group. The experimental group is\nshown the film as part of their regular training program. The\ncontrol group does not see the film. About 8. week later, the at-\ntitudes and factual information of both groups are measured.\nSpecially designed questionnaires are used to ascertain factual\nknowledge and the nature of attitudes held by the men. The same\nquestionnaire is given anonymously to those who saw the film and\nthose who did not, and the former group is not told that the ques-\ntionnaire has anything to do with the film they have seen. The\ndifferences between the answers of the two groups reveal the ef-\nfects of the film.\nThe procedure just outlined is the one most frequently used. In\nsome cases a variation in method is introduced by giving a pre-\nliminary questionnaire to both groups, then showing the film to\nthe experimental group, and subsequently retesting both groups.\n88\nCONFIDENTIAL\nAlthough this method shows essentially the same results as the\nsimpler one, it allows some refinement to be introduced by making\nallowance for any slight initial differences in the attitudes of\nthe two groups, and also permits determining how specific indi-\nviduals in the experimental group are influenced by the films.\nHow the Films Increase Factual Knowledge\nThe questionnaire used in studying each film contains an informa-\ntion test covering factual material emphasized in that film.\nFILM 1: \"PRELUDE TO WAR\"\nShowing the background of the war from the Jap attack on Manchuria\nthrough the conquest of Ethiopia by Italy\n49%\nAverage percentage of questions\n35%\nanswered correctly\nMEN WHO\nWEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\nPercentages of men answering\neach point correctly\nNEW WHO\nMEN WHO\nExamples:\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nDIFFER-\nSEEN FILM\nSEEM FILM\nENCE\n$\n$\n$\nJapan's plan for conquest of\nManchuria: outlined in the\nTanaka memorial\n7\n24\n17\nSignificance of the date Sept.\n18, 1931 (beginning of the war\nIn Manchuria)\n19\n31\n12\nJap boast of dictating peace\nterms in Washington\n62\n85\n3\n89\nFILMS II AND 111: \"THE NAZIS STRIKE\" AND \"DIVIDE AND CONQUER\"\nFilm II pictures Nazi militarization and appression from 1936 through\nthe Polish compaign. Film III pictures the Nazi conquest of Norway,\nthe Low Countries and France.\nFilms II and III were studied as a unit, by comparing questionnaire an-\nswers of men who had seen both films with those of men who had seen\nneither film.\n52%\nAverage percentage of\n32%\nquestions answered cor-\nrectly\nMEN WHO\nNEW WHO\nMAD NOT\nMAD\nSEEN FILMS\nSEEN FILMS\n\" AND 111\n= AND III\nPercentages of men answering\neach point correctly\nWEN wio\nWEN -\nExamples, Film II:\nMAD NOT\nHAD\nDIFFER-\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\nENCE\n$\n$\n$\nHitler's excuse for invading Sudetenland:\nminorities of German descent living there\n...\n45\n63\n16\nWarsaw surrendered only when food supplies\nran out\n44\n55\n11\nNazis' advance through Poland atopped when\nthey net advancing Russian troops\n31\n42\n11\nGeopolitics: Name of German science for\nmilitary control of the world\n33\n36\n3\nExamples, Film III:\nGermans bombed Rotterdam after the Dutch\nhad surrendered\n17\n62\n45\nNamis blocked Allied advance by herding\nrefugees onto the roads\n34\n68\n34\nNasis prepared for attack on Eben Emael\nby building & model of the fort and re-\nhearsing in advance\n24\n51\n27\n90\nCONFIDENTIAI\nFILM IV: \"THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN\"\nShowing the Nazi air attack on England, 1940-41\n50%\nAverage percentage of\n29%\nquestions answered\ncorrectly\nMEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\nPercentages of men answering\neach point correctly\nMEN MID\nMEN WHO\nMAD NOT\nHAD\nDIFFER-\nExamples:\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\nENCE\n$\n$\n$\nRelative size of Nazi and\nBritish air forces\n21\n54\n33\nExtent of British materiel\nafter Dunkirk.\n5\n17\n12\nExtent of German plane\nlosses in attacks on\nBritain.\n43\n45\n2\n91\nCONFIDENTIAL\nHow the Films Influence Attitudes\nA tacit assumption in the formulation of the policy concerning\ninformational films is that increased knowledge of facts about\nthe war will be accompanied by changes in the interpretation of\nevents related to them. This is very reasonable in the present\ninstance. If, for example, a man learns for the first time (from\nFilm III) that Rotterdam was bombed by the Nazis after the Dutch\nhad surrendered, this may make him think of the Nazis as brutal\nand ruthless. Or, if he learns from a film the fact that the\nNazis built a detailed replica of Fort Eben Emael, and used it\nfor careful rehearsal of each move in the attack on it, this fact\nmay make the man more aware of the thoroughness and efficiency of\nthe enemy. Other facts, such as the name of the head of the Ger-\nman Air Force, may have little effect on opinions about the enemy.\nExamples of the effectiveness of the films in changing attitudes\nhinging on interpretation of events are presented below:\nFILM I: \"PRELUDE TO WAR\"\nNAZI THREAT TO OUR FREEDOM\nNazi oppression and persecution of religion in Germany was vividly\ndepicted in the film. Seeing this convinced a number of men that\nthe Nazis would abolish freedom of religion in America if they\nwere to win the war.\n83%\n75%\nPercentages of men saying\nthe Nazis would abolish\nour freedom of religion\nif victorious\nMEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\n92\nENEMY MILITARY STRENGTH\nThe film presented a lengthy account of the scale of Axis prepa-\nrations for war and showed the impressive array of armaments they\nhad built up. The Axis nations were described as the \"haves\" and\nthe democracies as the \"have nots\", militarily speaking, and the\nLuftwaffe was characterized as being, at the outbreak of the\nEuropean war, \"the world's largest air force.\" The chart below\nillustrates the influence of this presentation on men's ideas of\nthe present military strength of the Axis.\n56%\nPercentages of men rating\n44%\nthe Luftwaffe as one of\nthe two strongest air\nforces in the world\nMEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\n54%\n47%\nPercentages rating German\nGround Forces one of the\ntwo strongest\nMEN KHO\nMEN WHO\nMAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\n32%\nPercentages of men rating\n26%\nJapan's Ground Forces as\none of thethree strongest\nMEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\n93\nCONFIDENTIAL\nFILMS 11 AND 111: *THE NAZIS STRIKE AND \"DIVIDE AND CONQUER*\nNAZI THOROUGHNESS AND EFFICIENCY\nFilms II and III showed several instances in which the Nazis had\nworked out careful plans and preparations for their attacks long\nin advance. Instances were shown in connection with the strategy\nof the Polish campaign, invasion of Norwegian ports, the assault\non Fort Eben Emael. These sequences and others had the effect of\nincreasing men's respect for the general thoroughness and effi-\nciency of Nazi planning, as is shown in the following chart.\n83%\n71%\nPercentages of men saying\nNazis work out details of\ntheir plans to perfection\nMEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEM FILMS\nSEEN FILMS\n11 AND 111\n\" AND III\nWEAKNESS OF DEFENSIVE STRATEGY\nFilm III particularly emphasized the reliance of the French on\ndefensive strategy as represented by the Maginot Line, and con-\ntrasted this static defensive policy withthe insistence on attack\nrepresented by Foch. A number of the men who saw the film drew\nthe inference that defensive fighting is outmoded:\n71%\n58%\nPercentages of men saying\ndefensive fighting is\nold-fashioned\nMEN MHO\nWEN WHO\nMAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILMS\nSEEN FILMS\n\" AND III\n\" AND III\n94\nREASONS FOR RUSSIA'S PACT WITH NAZIS\nFilm II showed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in connection\nwith a general pattern of appeasement followed by the nations\nsubsequently forced intowar with the Nazie, and explained Russia's\nagreement to the Pact as an attempt to gain time \"to prepare for\nthe fight they knew was coming.\" Although the percentage saying\nthey recalled the Pact was about the same for men who had not\nseen the film BB for those who had seen it, seeing the film had a\nsignificant effect on men's ideas of the reasons for Russia's\nmaking the Pact.\n71%\n60%\nPercentages of men saying\nRussia made Pact with\nMazis in order to gain\ntime for defense\nMEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nMAD\nSEEN FILMS\nSEEN FILMS\n\" AND III\n11 AND 111\nFILM IV: \"THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN\nTHE BATTLE OF BRITAIN WAS PART OF\nREAL ATTEMPT AT INVADING ENGLAND\nThis film showed details of a Nazi strategy for the conquest of\nBritain, in which the destruction of the R.A.F. and softening up\nby bombing would be followed by invasion shock troops and Panzer\ndivisions carried across the Channel. Men who saw the film tended\nto change their ideas as to what the Nazis 'air blitz was intended\nto accomplish.\n66%\n52%\nPercentages of men saying\nbombing attacks were part\nof an actual Invasion\nattempt\nNEW wo\nNEW WHO\nHAD NOT\nWAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\n95\nTHE NAZIS WOULD HAVE WON THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN\nEXCEPT FOR THE DETERMINED RESISTANCE OF THE BRITISH\nIn showing the Nazi air blitz over Britain as part of a real Nazi\nattempt to invade and conquer England, the film stressed both the\nweakness of the British after Dunkirk and the determination of\nthe British during the aerial bombardment which they underwent.\nBritish stoicimm under incessant bombing, Britons fighting fires\nand clearing away rubble after the raids, Churchill's \"We shall\nnever surrender\" speech, and the defense by the R.A.F., \"out-\nnumbered ten to one,\" all served to document the idea that the\nBritish resisted valiantly in the face of great odds. Seeing the\nfilm convinced many men that only the determined resistance put\nup by the British prevented the Nazia from invading and conquer-\ning Britain after the fall of France:\n70%\nPercentages saying Britain\nwould have been conquered\n46%\nexcept for determined\nBritish resistance\nNEW WHO\nNEW WHO\nMAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FTL#\nSEEN FILM\nTHE R.A.F. DESERVES THE HOST CREDIT FOR SAVING ENGLAND\nThis idea was fostered by the film's stress on the part played by\nthe R.A.F., by statements such as Churchill's \"Never ... was 80\nmuch owed by BO many to so few\", on the inability of the Royal\nNavy to operate in the Channel and on the weakness of Britain's\nground defenses after Dunkirk.\n745\nPercentages saying the\n45%\nR.A.F. was the most in-\nportant factor in saving\nEngland from Nazi con-\nquest\nMEN WHO\nWEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nMAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\n8\nCONTIDENTIAL\nAMERICAN INDEBTEDNESS TO THE BRITISH\nA number of elements in the film--for example, the portrayal of\nthe reality of England's peril, her resistance to the Nazi attack,\nand the showing of a German master plan for attacking the United\nStates once Britain was out of the way-combined to produce the\ninference that American shores would have been subject to Nazi\nattack had British resistance failed. Many of the men who saw\nthe film were convinced by it that Britain's fight against the\nNazis saved our own cities from bombing.\n77%\n58%\nPercentages saying British\nresistance saved our cities\nfrom bombing\nHEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nMAD NOT\nHAD\nSEEN FILM\nSEEN FILM\nA number of men indicated their increased admiration for the\nBritish by deciding that the British had stood up under bombing\nbetter than Americans probably would.\n415\nPercentages saying \"British\nstood up under bombing bet-\n28%\nter than Americans probably\nwould\"\nMEN WHO\nMEN WHO\nHAD NOT\nHAD\nSED FILM\nSEEN FILM\n97\nBasic Attitudes Are More Difficult to Influence\nWhile asingle film may change attitudes toward the British or in-\ncrease resentment toward the enemy, it is not expected that the\npresentation of a single film will produce significant shifts in\nmen's basic attitudes such 88 those toward personal participation\nin the war.\nExamples:\nFilms II and III emphasized the ruthlessness of the Nazi methods\nshown in the bombing of Rotterdam, herding of refugees onto the\nroads toblock the Allied advance into the Low Countries, breaking\nof promises and treaties, violation of neutrality, and abrogation\nof civil liberties in Nazi-dominated countries. The films in-\ncreased expressions of hatred for the Nazis but did not increase\ndesire for aggressive action personally against the Germans or\nvengeance against the German people.\nFilm IV, on the Battle of Britain, considerably increased respect\nfor the British war effort, but only slightly increased the num-\nbers who were favorable to such ideas as sending food to England\neven at the expense of reducing our own supplies.\nEvidence Indicates That the Men Who Like a Film Most\nAre Most Influenced by It\nA recent study gave evidence that the men who like a film are more\ninfluenced by it than are men who do not like it. The overwhelm-\ning majority (over 80%) say they like the films in the series\n\"Why Ne Fight\". An example of the lowered effectiveness among\nthe small minority who disliked a film in this series is shown\nfrom a supplementary study of Film IV, \"The Battle of Britain.\"\nIn the areas in which the film effectively changed attitudes, the\npercentage of answers favorable toward Britain changed 16 per cent\n(from 52 to 68 per cent) among men who liked the film; the change\nwas only 6 per cent (from 44 to 50 per cent) among those who did\nnot like the film.\nBecause of the importance of adapting film content to appeal to\nthe men, special research techniques have been developed for meas-\nuring accurately the minute-by-minute interest in the film as\nit proceeds on the screen. This work is described in the next\nsection.\n98\nCONFIDENTIAR\nSECTION II\nFILM FEATURE, \"THE WAR\"\nThe bi-weekly film feature, \"The War\", is designed for pres-\nentation with commercial films at showings for which men pay\nadmission. In such a situation, \"The War\" must supply ma-\nterial of real interest and entertainment value.\nThe technique which has been found most useful for measuring\ninterest is the use of the Program Analyzer, supplemented by\npersonal interviews and short questionnaires. This method\ninvolves having the men indicate the parts they like by\npressing one push-button and the parts they dislike by press-\ning another while they are viewing the film. The responses\nof the men are electrically recorded and can then be cumu-\nlated and analyzed. The interviews and questionnaires serve\nto bring out the men's reasons for their interest or lack of\ninterest in the various parts of the film.\nAn example of the type of data obtained is illustrated by\nthe study of men's reactions to Issue #5 of \"The War,\" the\nresults of which are shown on the two pages following.\nThe content of the various parts of the film and men's re-\nactions to each part are summarized on page 100. On page\n101, opposite the summary of the episodes, the record of in-\nstantaneous \"likes\" and \"dislikes\" obtained by the Program\nAnalyzer is graphically presented.\n00\nFILM MAGAZINE \"THE WAR\", ISSUE +5\nSummary of Each Episode\nand Men's Reactions\nThe first episode of the film, \"FINISHING SCHOOL*. showed Ranger training in\ninvasion tactics, with embarking and disembarking and advancing under live 11-\nmunition. This episode was received with a high degree of immediate interest,\nas shown by the Program Analyzer chart, and two-thirds of the men who filled out\nquestionnaires after the end of the film rated it as the best part of the pic-\nture.\nThe second episode, \"BACK HOME\". which showed machine tools produced by a small\nfamily shop in Connecticut which was awarded the Army-Navy \"E\" for its contribo-\ntion to var production, was very unpopular with the men. The reasons they gave\nfor their indifference or dislike centered about the affected speech of the com-\nmentator, the propagandistic flavor of the material and the fact that it vas\n\"old stuff.\" The low point on the Program Analyzer curve W&B during the speech\nand presentation of the '8'. (In this and other films studied, speech-making on\nthe screen generally proved unpopular with the men.)\n\"I WAS THERE* featured an Army nurse's eyewitness account of the bombing of\nManila, and the fall of Corregidor, with action shots to illustrate part of her\ncommentary. The action scenes were moderately interesting to the men but inter-\nest dropped off sharply during the two periods when close-ups of the nurse talk-\ning were shown. The commentary was disliked especially because the speaker's\nmanner was regarded as stilted and her voice as difficult to understand.\n\"FIRST BIRTHDAY\". reviewing the founding and first year's activities of the VAAC\nand depicting the induction, training and duties of WAAC's, was received without\nmuch enthusiass. Opinion voiced in interviews and on questionnaires were di-\nvided: some men found the material informative and fairly interesting. but\nmore of them criticized it as dull and thought that the presentation gave an un-\nwarrantedly \"glamourized\" depiction of the VAAC.\nThe last part of the picture was \"SNAFU\". an animated cartoon showing the mis-\nadventures of \"Private Snafu\" whose complaints about his Army routine and duties\nlead to his being magically put in charge and allowed to run the camp according\nto his own ideas. After he has virtually transformed the camp into & pleasure\nresort, enemy raiders arrive and the resulting chaca points up the \"moral\" that\nArmy routine and discipline are essential. Most of the men enjoyed the humor,\nse suggested by the high level of \"like\" reactions on the Program Analyser, but\nthe cartoon vas rated lower in retrospect. Reasons given for liking \"SNAFU\"\nfocussed on the \"moral\" and the relaxation provided by the humorous presentation.\nSome of the men, however, objected to the cartoon an trivial or not in keeping\nwith the rest of the picture: others would have preferred comedy unrelated to\nthe Army.\n100\nCONFIDENTIAL\nPROGRAM ANALYZER RECORD\nFilm Magazine \"THE WAR\", Issue #5\nAt each successive six-second interval during the showing of the film\n% of men pressing\n% of men pressing\n\"DISLIKE\" button\n\"LIKE\" button\nin\n20%\n10%\n0%\n0%\n10%\n20%\n30%\n40%\n50%\n1m-\nt,\not\nC-\n\"FINISHING SCHOOL\"\n(Training of\nPRACTICE\nAmphibious Troops)\nUNDER FIRE\n11\n1-\n/e\n:-\nis\n\"BACK HOME\"\nh\n(Harry Powers'\nSPEECH\nn\nMachine Shop)\nf\nNURSE\nTALKING\nBOMBING\nOF MANILA\n\"I WAS THERE\"\n$\n(Army Nurse\nfrom Corregidor)\nNURSE\nTALKING\nHELP ON\nTHE WAY\n\"FIRST BIRTHDAY\"\n(WAAC)\n\"SNAFU\"\n('Gripes')\n101\nStudies Evaluate Techniques\nThis method of testing has potentialities as a means of in-\nproving the product, One can determine, for instance, on\nthe basis of continuing tests of a series of films, which\nmethod of combining narration and pictures of action is most\ninteresting to the men. Three examples are given below from\nthe three films 80 far studied:\n1. Straight narration all the way through, illustrated\nonly by pictures of amarine who had been on Guadalcanal\ntelling his story.\n2. Introduction with pictures of the \"on the spot\"\nnarrator followed by action shots from the sinking of\nthe Hornet illustrating his experience, with only a\nbrief return to pictures of the narrator at the end.\n3. Introduction--close-ups of narrator--action shots\nfrom the Philippines--close-ups of the narrator--more\naction shots, ofmateriel on its way toour men overseas.\nThe charts opposite illustrate the Program Analyzer pattern\nfor these three examples.\nThese results with the Program Analyzer and the interview\ncomments and questionnaire data clearly indicate that men\nshow considerably more interest in action shots illustrating\nthe narration than in pictures of the narrator telling his\nstory. Further studies should serve to indicate the optimal\nmethod of combining narration and illustrative scenes.\n102\nLIKES AND DISLIKES OF FILM NARRATIVES\nos Shown by Program Analyzer\nAt each successive six-second interval during the showing of the film episodes\n% of man pressing\n% of men pressing\n\"DISLIKE\" button\nLIKE button\n20%\n10%\n0%\n0%\n10%\n20%\n30%\n40%\n50%\n60%\nISSUE\nPICTURES OF\nMeet 0 Gyrene\nNARRATOR\nfrom Guadalcanal\"\nPICTURES OF NARRATOR\nISSUE\n3\n\"I Was There\"\nSCENES OF\nACTION\n(Hornet)\n5\nPICTURES OF NARRATOR\nSCENES OF ACTION\nPICTURES OF NARRATOR\nISSUE +5\n\"I Wos There\"\nSCENES OF\nACTION\n(Army Nurse\nfrom Corregidor)\nPICTURES OF NARRATOR\nSCENES OF ACTION\n103\nSupplement B\nWHO IS THE AMERICAN SOLDIER?\nThis information on characteristics of the Ameri-\ncan soldier is based, in the main, on tabulations\nof a five per cent sample of enlistment cards for\nall enlisted men in the Army as of March 31, 1943,\nmade by the Machine Records Branch, A.G.O. Certain\nsupplementary data were supplied by surveys made\nby the Research Branch of the Special Service Di-\nvision.\nThe Machine Records Branch sample is believed to\nbe representative of the entire Army, and the Re-\nsearch Branch data are believed to be representa-\ntive of the white enlisted men stationed in the\nContinental United States. The Research Branch is\nresponsible for the analysis of the data. All\ndata are from the Machine Records Branch unless\notherwise noted.\n105\nCharacteristics of the American Soldier\nSoldiers' attitudes toward their military role are closely related to\npersonal characteristics. Age, marital condition, race, and educa-\ntion are important in this problem. Physical capacities of the men\nare closely related to age.\nA commander seeking to improve the mental and physical stamina of his\ndes is in need of information on such characteristics in his own com-\nmand. These will frequently differ widely from the Army norm, and the\nnorm is therefore useful as a yardstick of comparison.\nThe charts and tables presented in this section give the latest avail-\nable figures on the over-all characteristics of the Army.\nTRENDS IN CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUCTEES (August 1941 - March 1943)\nPERCENTAGE\nOF INDUCTEES\nso\n40\nRAY INE BT#\nEDUCATION OR LESS\n30\na\n10 YEARS as\n0\nI :\n20\nMARRIED\n10\nSTAFT of\nBRAFT If\nPEARL\nMARRIED\na a\nMARSION\nNEW\nYEAR as\n0\nAM SEP OCT NOV DEC. JAN FEB was are - AM AA - MP OCT NOV DEC - FEB MAR\n(94)\n1942\n1943\nThe nature of the Selective Service process is such that the charac-\nteristics of the men inducted fluctuate violently from month to month.\nThe percentage of men inducted in a given month who are 30 years of\nage and over had increased from 0.4 per cent in the period from August\nto September 1941 to 35 per cent in the fall of 1942, and then dropped\nto 12 per cent in February 1943. Large changes are also noted in the\nproportions of men that are poorly educated and the proportions that\nare married.\n106\nVariations in Composition of Outfits\nRecent surveys by the Research Branch indicate that a tactical unit,\nsuch 88 a division, tends to be composed largely of men who entered\nthe Army at about the same time. Such units are likely to reflect the\ncharacteristics of the inductee group at a certain period. Two divi-\nsions in an early stage of training and two divisions in a late stage\nof training were recently sampled on a cross-section basis. In the\ndivisions in an early stage of training, most of the men had entered\nthe Army in 1943. Most of the men in the divisions in a late stage of\ntraining entered the Army in 1941 or the early part of 1942.\nInevitably, therefore, the changes in the composition of the inductee\ngroup shown in the chart on the preceding page are reflected in the\ncomposition of the divisions. The early stage divisions were made up\nlargely of men recruited after the 18 and 19 year old draft began; the\nlate stage divisions, on the other hand, were made up of men recruited\nbefore this draft and before the induction of men 30 years old and\nover had become heavy.\nAGE COMPARISON OF TWO GROUPS OF DIVISIONS\nTWO DIVISIONS IN AN\nTWO DIVISIONS IN A\nEARLY STAGE OF TRAINING\nLATE STAGE OF TRAINING\n19 YEARS OR LESS\n435\n25\n20 YEARS\n235\n35\n21- YEARS\n125\n391\n25-29 YEARS\n115\n385\n30-34 TEARS\n6\n131\n35 YEARS AND OVER\n5\n5\nITOTAL 100$1\n(TOTAL 100%)\nThis chart compares the age distribution of the two early stage divi-\nsions with that of the two divisions in a late stage of training. Of\nthe men in an early stage of training, 66 per cent are 20 or under,\nbut only 5 per cent of the men in the late stage divisions are 20 or\nunder. The contrast between these two groups of divisions may be more\nextreme than would normally obtain; nevertheless, it is probably in-\ndicative of important variations in the. composition of divisions. Such\ndifferences in characteristics of outfits may affect not only attitudes\nof men, but also the type of training which would be most effective.\n107\nThe Over-All Picture\nAGE DISTRIBUTION OF ENLISTED NEW\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN IN EACH AGE GROUP\n18-29 YEARS\n4\n20-24 YEARS\n425\n25-29 YEARS\n295\n30-34 TEARS\n145\n35-37 TEARS\nas\n38 TEARS AND OVER\n65\nITOTAL 100%\nThis chart presents a percentage distribution of enlisted men by age\ngroups as of March 31, 1943. It is possible that by July 1 the pro-\nportion of 18 and 19 year olds may have increased to as much as 8 per\ncent.\nEDUCATIONAL LEVEL OF ENLISTED MEN\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN AT EACH EDUCATIONAL LEVEL\nGRADE SCHOOL WEN\n331\nHIGH SCHOOL\nMONGRADUATES\n281\nHIGH SCHOOL\nGRADUATES\n261\nCOLLEGE MEN\n131\n(TOTAL 100%)\nThe American Army is the best-educated army in history. Two-fifths of\nthe enlisted men are high school graduates, and one man in eight has\nattended college. In general, Northern men have ad more formal edu-\ncation than Southern men.\n108\nThe Over-All Picture (continued)\nRACE DISTRIBUTION OF ENLISTED MEN\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN OF EACH RACE\nWHITE\n90%\nMEGRO\n85\nOTHER\n25\n(TOTAL 100%)\nNine out of ten American soldiers are of the white race. The bulk of\nthe Negro soldiers come from the South, and the bulk of soldiers of\nother nonwhite races come from the West.\n;e\nLOCALITIES FROM WHICH ENLISTED MEN COME\nir\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN FROM...\nEACH GEOGRAPHIC REGION\nSIZE OF HOME TOWN\n(Whites only)\n615\n(TOTAL 100$)\n40%\n(TOTAL 100%)\n30%\n305\n295\n105\nNORTH\nSOUTH\nWEST\nRURAL\n2,500-\nOVER\n100,000 100,000\nf\nThe distribution of enlisted men by region of origin and size of home\n3\ntown, as shown above, accurately reflects the distribution of the male\n-\npopulation from 18 to 44 years as reported by the Census.\n109\nThe Marital Picture\nMARITAL STATUS OF WHITE ENLISTED MEN\nPERCENTAGE OF MEN IN EACH MARITAL GROUP\nMARRIED\nfafore Induction\n215\nAfter Industion\n91\nDIVORCED. WIDOWED,\nSEPARATED\n,\nITOTAL 10081\nSINGLE\n571\nThirty per cent of our enlisted men are married. Almost a third of\nthe married men married after induction.\nAlmost all old Army men were single when they entered the Army. In\nthe last year the proportion of men married at the time of induction\nhas increased sharply. As the chart below shows, more than a fourth\nof the men who have been in the Army a year or less were married be-\nfore induction.\nMEN MARRIED BEFORE INDUCTION: By Length of Service\nPERCENTAGE MARRIED 11 EACH LONGEVITY GROUP\n) MONTHS\nOR LESS\n295\nOVER 3 MONTHS\nTO 6 MONTHS\n271\nOVER 5 MONTHS\nTO 1 YEAR\n251\nOVER 1 YEAR\nTO 2 YEARS\n\"\nOVER 2 YEARS\n6\nData are for while am only\n110\nThe Marital Picture (continued)\nThe reverse tendency is noted in connection with men married since in-\nduction. Very few men who have served a year or less have married\nsince entering the Army, but two-fifths of the men with more than two\nyears service who entered the Army single have since married. These\nfacts are brought out in the chart below, which is based on Research\nBranch studies made in March, 1943.\nNEX MARRIED AFTER INDUCTION: By Length of Service\nPERCENTAGE MARRIED IN EACH LONGEVITY GROUP\n3 WONTHS\nis\nOR LESS\nOVER 3 MONTHS\n35\nTO 6 WONTHS\nOVER 6 MONTHS\nTO 1 YEAR\n91\nOVER 1 YEAR\n225\nTO 2 TEARS\nOVER 2 YEARS\n395\nData are based only on white men who were single when inducted\nIII\nThis is The Army - as of April 1, 1943\n(Percentage Distribution by Region of Origin, Race and #ducation)\nWHITE\nNEGRO\nOTHER\nTOTAL\nNORTHERNERS\n5\n$\n$\n1\nCollege graduates.\n1.9\n.\n.\n1.9\nCollege non-graduates.\n6.0\n0.1\n0.1\n6.2\nHigh school graduates.\n17.4\n0.4\n0,1\n17.9\nHigh school non-graduates.\n17.3\n0.8\n0.1\n18.2\nGrade school men\n16.0\n0.9\n0.2\n17.1\nTOTAL NORTHERNERS\n58.6\n2.2\n0.5\n61.3\nSOUTHERNERS\nCollege graduates.\n0.6\n0.1\n.\n0.7\nCollege non-graduates.\n2.1\n0.2\n.\n2.3\nHigh school graduates.\n6.2\n0.5\n0.1\n5.8\nHigh school non-graduates.\n6.1\n1.1\n0.1\n7.3\nOrade school men\n8.9\n3.3\n0.2\n12.4\nTOTAL SOUTHERNERS\n22.9\n5.2\n0.4\n28.5\nWESTERNERS\nCollege graduates.\n0.8\n.\n.\n0.3\nCollege non-graduates.\n1.2\n.\n0.1\n1.3\nHigh school graduates.\n2.6\n.\n0.2\n2.8\nsign school non-graduates.\n2.4\n0.1\n0.2\n2.7\nOrade school men\n2.7\n0.1\n0.3\n3.1\nTOTAL WESTERNERS.\n9.2\n0.2\n0.8\n10.2\nALL REGIONS COMBINED\nCollege graduates.\n2.8\n0.1\n-\n2.9\nCollege non-graduates.\n9.3\n0.3\n0.2\n0.8\nRigh school graduates.\n25.2\n0.9\n0.4\n26.5\nHigh school non-graduates.\n25.8\n2.0\n0.4\n28.2\nOrade school men\n27.6\n4.3\n0.7\n32.6\nGRAND TOTAL\n90.7\n7.6\n1.7\n100.0\neless than 0.05 per cent\nRegional divisions follow U. 8. Census divisions. Northerners are mes from\nNew England, Middle Atlantic and East and West North Central states. South\nerners are from South Atlantic and East and West South Central states. West-\nerners are from Mountain and Pacific states.\n112\nINDEX\nPage\nPage\nAge,\nEducation, (Cont.)\nand attitude toward physical conditioning\nand Negro attitudes toward race separ-\nprogram\n16\nation in Army\n58\nand choice of soldier role\n16-17\nand opportunities for promotion\n28-29\nand choice of soldier role, among ASF men\n25\nchanges in trend among inductees\n106\nand physical proficiency\n16\ndistribution of enlisted men\n108\nchanges in trend among inductees.\n106\nlevels in World Wars I and II\n28\ndifferences in two groups of divisions\n107\npercentage distribution of enlisted men\n112\ndistribution of enlisted men\n108\nEnemy,\nAllies, attitudes toward\neffect of films on attitudes toward\n92-94, 95\namong enlisted men in United States\n79-81\ninfluence of Why We Fight films on\namong officers in United States\n79-81\nattitudes toward\n92-94\namong troops in Middle East\n82-83\ninfluence of Why We Fight films on\nand choice of soldier role\n12\nfactual knowledge about\n89-91\neffects of films on\n95-97\nEngland, (See Allies)\nArmy, composition of\n105-112\nEngland, troops in\nAthletics,\nattitudes toward Yank\n75\nas off-duty preference\n68-71\nattitudes toward Stars and Stripes\n75\ncriticism of program\n71\ndesire for dayrooms\n72-73\nAWOL,\ndesire for information\n36\nand choice of soldier role\n35\nfeatures liked in Yank\n75\nand education level\n34-35\nparticipation in off-duty activities\n65-66,\nfactors associated with\n35\npreferences in off-duty activities.\n68\nBattle of Britain, (See Why We Fight)\nreading of Yank\n74-75\nBooks,\nreading of Start and Stripes\n75\ndesire for, among troops in England\n73\nrecreational facilities and equipment\nreading of, as off-duty activity.\n67\nmost desired\n72-73\ntypes preferred in England\n74-75\ntypes of books preferred\n74-75\nBranch of service,\nuse of Red Cross clubs\n72\nand job assignment of choice\n50-51\nExperimental Section, Research Branch\nand job satisfaction\n50-51\nmethods\n88,99\npreference for, and choice of soldier role 22-23\nstudies\n87\nBritain, (See Allies)\nFighting job, preference for, and choice\nBritish resistance, influence of Why We\nof soldier role\n13\nFight films\nFilms, liking for\non attitude toward\n95-97\nand content analysis\n100-101, 103\nCamps surveyed, location of\n7\nand effectiveness of informational motion\nCard playing, as off-duty activity.\n66-67\npictures\n98\nClassification, (See Job assignment)\nFood, attitudes of soldiers toward\n61, 63\nConcerts, as off-duty preference\n68\nForce,\nDancing,\ndesire to change\n26-27\nas off-duty activity\n67\nutilization of technical training by men\n52-53\nas off-duty preference\n68-69\nGames, desire for, among troops in England\n73\nDating, as off-duty activity\n66-67\nGermans (See Enemy)\nHobbies, as off-duty preference\n69\nDayrooms,\nadequacy of facilities in\n72\nInductees,\ndesire for, among troops in England\n72-73\nchanges in age of\n106\nequipment of\n72-73\nchanges in education of\n106\nDefensive strategy, influence of Why We\nchanges in marital condition of\n106\nFight films\nInformational motion pictures,\non attitude toward\n94\nstudy of\n87\nDesertion rates, by education\n34\neffect on attitudes\n92-98\nDivide and Conquer, (See Why We Fight)\neffect on factual knowledge\n89-91\nDrinking, as off-duty activity\n66-67\neffectiveness of and liking for film\n98\nEducation,\nInformation, desire for\nand choice of soldier role\n30-31\namong troops in E.T.O\n36\nand desertion rates\n34\namong troops in United States\n37\nINDEX\nPage\nPage\nInformation, effects of Why We Fight films\nMovies (See also Films and Informational\non men's factual knowledge\n89-91\nmotion pictures)\nJapan (See Enemy)\nas off-duty activity\n66-67\nas off-duty preference\n68-69\nJob assignment,\nand opportunity to choose Army job,\nMusic, listening to, as off-duty preference 68-69\nby branch of service\n50-51\nNazi-Soviet Pact, influence of Why We Fight\nsatisfaction with and opportunity to\non attitude toward\n95\nchoose Army job\n48-49\nNatir Strike, The (See Why We Fight)\nJob satisfaction,\nNegotiated peace, attitude toward\nand branch of service\n50.51\nand choice of soldier role\n12\nand opportunity to choose job.\n48-49\nNegro soldiers,\nand utilization of technical training\n52\nattitudes toward Army fairness and choice\nin the Middle East Command\n50\nof soldier role\n14-15\nJob transfer, desire for\nattitudes toward race separation in Army,\namong ASF men\n27\nby education level\n58-39\namong AGF men\n27\nattitudes toward race separation in Army,\nand choice of soldier role among\nby length of service\n58\nASF men\n26-27\nchoice of soldier role by education\n32-33\nLength of service,\nchoice of soldier role among Northern\nand choice of soldier role\n18-19\nand Southern Negro soldiers\n32-33\nand Negro attitudes toward race separ-\nofficer preferences of\n56-57\nation in Army\n58\npercentage of all enlisted men\n109\nand noncom abilities considered important 44\nregion of origin and education\n112\nand pride in outfit\n20-21\nNoncommissioned officers, abilities considered\nby marital condition of white enlisted\nimportant\nmen\n110-111\nand length of service\nIf\nLimited service men,\nby officers\n44-45\nand choice of soldier role among ASF men\n25\nby noncoms\n44-45\nproportion in each arm or service\n24\nby privates\n44-45\nspecial problems of\n24\nNoncommissioned officers,\nLetter-writing, as off-duty activity\n66-67\nenlisted men's rating of.\n42-43\nMachine Records Branch, A.G.O.,\nOff-duty activities, participation in\ndata on characteristics of soldiers\n105-112\nin England\n65-67, 71\nMagazines,\nin United States\n65-67, 70-71\ndesire for, among troops in England\n73\nOff-duty activities, preferences for,\nreading of, as off-duty activity\n66-67\nin England\n68\nMarital condition,\nin United States\n68, 69-71\nand choice of soldier role.\n16-17\nOfficers,\nand choice of soldier role among ASF men\n25\nattitudes toward Allies\n79-81\nby length of service of white enlisted\npreferences of Negro enlisted men\n55-57\nmen in United States\n110-111\nOrientation films (See Informational motion\nchanges in trend among inductees\n106\npictures, Why We Fight)\nMarshall, Gen. G. C,,\nOrigins of soldiers,\nstatement of purpose of orientation films\n88\nand choice of soldier role among Negro\nMedical care in the Army, attitudes of\nsoldiers\n32-53\nsoldiers toward\n61-62\npercentage distribution of enlisted men.\n112\nMethods of research\n6,88,99\nregion of United States\n109\nMiddle East, troops in\nsize of home town\n109\nand attitudes toward Allies\n82,83\nOsborn, Gen. F. H.,\nand attitudes toward Pocket Guides to\nmemorandum for the Commanding\nforeign countries\n75\nGeneral, Army Service Porces\n3\nand attitudes toward V-mail\n76-77\nOverseas duty,\nand choice of soldier role\n10-11\nand choice of soldier role\n13\nand distribution of Pocket Guides to\npreference for\n13\nforeign countries\n75\nParties,\nand job satisfaction\n50\nas off-duty preference\n68\nINDEX\nPage\nPage\nPage\nPhysical conditioning program,\nSoldier role, choice of,\nand age\n16\namong Northern and Southern\n66-67\nattitudes toward\n16\nNegro soldiers\n32-33\n68-69\nPhysical proficiency and age\n16\nand attitude toward the war\n12\n68-69\nPlays and stage shows,\nand faith in Allies\n12\nV\nas off-duty preferences\n68\nand willingness to talk peace\n12\n95\nPocket Guides to foreign countries\nand desire for job transfer\n26-27\nattitudes toward, in Middle East Command\n75\nand education among Negro soldiers\n32-33\ndistribution of, in Middle East Commmand\n75\nand length of service of noncoms\n18-19\n12\nPrelude to War (See Why We Fight)\nand length of service of privates\n18-19\nand Negro attitudes toward Army fairness 14-15\nPride in outfit,\nand preference for actual fighting job\n13\nand choice of soldier role\n13\nand length of service of noncoms\n20-21\nand preference for overseas duty.\n13\n14-15\nand length of service of privates\n20-21\nand preference for own branch of service 22-23\nand pride in outfit\n13\n58-59\nProgram analyzer\n99-103\nand related attitudes\n10\nPromotion,\nby age\n16-17\n58\nand education\n28-29\n32-33\nby ASF men\n26-27\nenlisted men's views on\n42-44\nby AWOL men\n35\nnoncoms' views on\n44\nby education\n30-31\n32-33\nopportunities for\n28-29\nby general service men in ASF-trained\n56-57\nrelation to choice of soldier role\n18-19\nbranches\n24-25\n109\nRace,\nby limited service men in ASF-trained\n112\ndistribution of enlisted men\n109\nbranches\n24-25\nI\npercentage distribution of enlisted men\n112\nby marital condition\n16-17\nseparation in Army\n58-59\nby Negro enlisted men in the United\n44\nattitude of Negro and white soldiers\nStates\n14-15\n14-45\ntoward\n58-59\nby rank\n30-31\n14-45\nRadio listening, as off-duty activity\n66-67\nby white enlisted men in the United\n14-45\nRadio-phonographs,\nStates\n14-15\ndesire for, among troops in England\n72-73\nin Middle East Command\n10-11\n12-43\nRank,\nin the United States\n10-11\nand abilities considered important for\nsummary of findings\n37\n7,71\nnoncommissioned officers\n44-45\nSoldiers, characteristics of (See Age, Education,\n'0-71\nand choice of soldier role\n18-19,\n30-31\nMarital Status, Rank, etc.),\nand choice of soldier role among ASF men\n25\nage differences in two groups of divisions\n107\n68\nand pride in outfit\n20-21\nage distribution\n108\ni9-71\nand views on promotion\n42-44\nchanges in age of inductees\n106\nmen who entered as privates, by educa-\nchanges in education of inductees\n106\n9-81\ntional level of\n29\nchanges in marital condition of inductees\n106\n5-57\nReading, as off-duty activity\n66-67\neducational level\n108\nRecords and phonographs,\nmarital condition of white enlisted men\nneed for in dayrooms\n72\nin United States\n110-111\nRecreational facilities,\npercentage distribution by region of\nneed for, by men in England\n72-73\norigin, race and education\n112\n2-33\nrace distribution\n109\nRed Cross clubs,\n112\nuse of in England\n72\nregion of origin\n109\n.109\nsize of home town\n109\nResearch Branch, Special Service Division\n109\nareas surveyed by\n7\nSpecial Service Division,\nmethods of research\n6,88,99\ninformation program of\n87\nRussia (See Allies)\nSports,\n3\nService clubs,\nas off-duty activity\n67,70\npreference for\n72\nas off-duty preference\n68-71\n13\nuse of\n72\ntypes preferred\n70\n13\nuse of and distance from barracks\n72-73\nSports equipment,\nSinging, as off-duty preference\n68\ndesire for, among troops in England\n73\n68\nINDEX\nPage\nStage shows and plays,\nWar, The (Cont.)\nPage\nas off-duty preference in England\n68\nmethods for measuring effects of\n$\nStart and Stripes\nportions liked and disliked\n100-101, 103\nattitudes toward, in England\n75\npurpose of\n102\nreading of, in England\n75\nWhy We Fight,\nStudies,\neffects on men's factual knowledge\n89-91\nareas surveyed\n7\ninfluence on attitude toward British\nmethods of conducting\n6, 88, 99\nresistance\n95-97\nTechnical training,\ninfluence on attitudes toward defensive\ndesire for\n52\nstrategy\n94\nutilization of, and Army job satisfaction\n52\ninfluence on attitudes toward enemy\n92-94\nutilization of, by arm or service\n52-53\ninfluence on attitude toward Nazi-\nTheatres where studies have been conducted,\nSoviet Pact\n95\nlocation of\n7\nmethods for measuring effects of\nas\nUSO clubs, use of\n72\npurpose of\nss\nV-mail, attitudes toward in Middle East\nCommand\n76-77\nWriting tables, desire for, among troops\nVisits to British homes, as off-duty preference 68\nin England\n73\nWar, attitudes toward, and choice of\nYank,\nsoldier role\n12\nattitudes toward, in England\n75\nFar, The\nfeatures liked in, by men in England\n=\nevaluation of techniques of presentation\n102\nreading of, in England\n74-75\nage\n99\n03\n102\n-91\n97\n94\n94\n95\n88\n88\n73\n75\n75\n-75\nRequests for additional copies of this report\nor for more detailed tabulations of data from\nwhich this material has been compiled should\nbe addressed to\nCOMMANDING GENERAL, ARMY SERVICE FORCES\nATTENTION: DIRECTOR, SPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION\nWAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C."
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