In the same way the University Relations Section cared for the educational and research institutions. In this way our recruiting stations for chemists were kept in as active operation as war conditions permitted.
Another important achievement of the Administration Section was to secure the order from The Adjutant General, dated May 28, 1918, that read:
“Owing to the needs of the military service for a great many men trained in chemistry, it is considered most important that all enlisted men who are graduate chemists should be assigned to duty where their special knowledge and training can be fully utilized.
“Enlisted men who are graduate chemists will not be sent overseas unless they are to be employed on chemical duties....”
While this undoubtedly created a great deal of feeling among the men who naturally were anxious to see actual fighting in France, it was very important that this order be carried out in order to conserve our chemical strength. The following clipping from the September, 1918, issue of The Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry shows the result of this order.
“Chemists in Camp
“As the result of the letter from The Adjutant General of the Army, dated May 28, 1918, 1,749 chemists have been reported on. Of these the report of action to August 1, 1918, shows that 281 were ordered to remain with their military organization because they were already performing chemical duties, 34 were requested to remain with their military organization because they were more useful in the military work which they were doing, 12 were furloughed back to industry, 165 were not chemists in the true sense of the word and were, therefore, ordered back to the line, and 1,294 now placed in actual chemical work. There were being held for further investigation of their qualifications on August 1, 1918, 432 men. The remaining 23 men were unavailable for transfer, because they had already received their overseas orders.
“The 1,294 men, who would otherwise be serving in a purely military capacity and whose chemical training is now being utilized in chemical work, have, therefore, been saved from waste.
“Each case has been considered individually, the man’s qualifications and experience have been studied with care, the needs of the Government plants and bureaus have been considered with equal care, and each man has been assigned to the position for which his training and qualifications seem to fit him best.
“Undoubtedly, there have been some cases in which square pegs have been fitted into round holes, but, on the whole, it is felt that the adjustments have been as well as could be expected under the circumstances.”