Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-30

some difficulty that men were being
found for the naval militia training
ships to be used as shipkeepers. He
made the announcement, however, that
men who soon will be sent over the
country to the naval militia organiza-
lions.
Asserting that he assumed full re-
sponsibility for the law creating a
naval reserve. he explained that while
not many had enlisted in this service. it
had made the active service more at
tractive. The percentage of enlist
ments since the bill went into effect
he said, had increased to % per cent.
He said that the law did have disad-
vantages for those ex-enlisted men
who could not afford to leave their
work to take the regular training
cruises. and said that an amendment
would be asked providing larger pay
for the men so as to make it attractive
for them to take the training cruises.
He said that he didn't want to make
the reserve corps too attractive at first,
but now that it had had n good effect
on the naval service, he thought that il
should be made more attractive.
There was considerable discussion
following Admiral Blues explanation
of his proposed bill. the naval militia
officers seeming to fear that they could
not receive the same consideration
when they went off the active list as
was provided for officers in the mer-
chant marine.
Gives Pointers on Service.
Commander Frederic b. Bassett. jr..
U. S. N, the officer in charge of the
division of naval militia affairs, gave
the naval militia officers some pointers
for the improvement of the service. He
said that he was convinced that the
n, oF
personality of the officers If the Of
ficer was energetic and resourceful and
kept new drills before the men the at
tendance would be large.
He told of suggestions that naval
militia officers should not he required
to pass an examination In astronomical
navigation, but asserted that the de-
partment had set the scope of the eX
aminations and it would not be wise at
this time to let the bars down any
further
The only thorn in the side of the
Navy Department at this time. he said.
was the failure of naval militia organ
iZations to answer communications
from the department and failure
to read orders that have been sent out.
He said that 1t was necessary to write
four or five letters to get an answer
to one.
He told of an instance of an officer
writing to the department suggesting
be mapped out for the naval militia
and that the uniforms should be stan
dardized. The letter he said. came
after he had been working on the prob
lem for year, and the orders covering
it had been in the hands of the militia
officer for some months.
He said that his office was much dis
couraged when it was working hard to
get ships for the naval militia, and
received such remarks as were made
yesterday by Commander Hill of the
Connecticut militia, that the monitor
Amphitrite would be as useful to
that organization as a toothbrush to
the Statue of Liberty
The association went on record as in
favor of militia pay bill.
Officers Are Elected.
The election of officers resulted as
follows: President, Capt. Edward A.
Evers, Illinois Naval Militia: vice pres
ident. Commander w. C. Bliss. Rhode
Island Naval Militia; secretary, Lieut..
Albert j. Merritt, Connecticut Naval
Militia; treasurer, Lieut.. W. G. Hodg-
son, New Jersey Naval Militia; naval
militia general board, Capt. .Evers.
chairman; Commodore James F. Par
ker, Massa chusetts Naval Militia; Com
mander A. b. Fry, New York Naval
Militia; Commander Ebenezer Hill. jr.,
Connecticut Naval Militia, and Com
mander G. T. Stephenson, Michigan
Naval Militia.
The delegates yesterday made tour of
the naval gun factory.