Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-26
speriaI CORRESPONDENCE Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
ANNAPOLIS, Nd. January 25.-
when the present class of reserve Of
ficers-the fifth-completes its course
- the Naval Academy next Friday
that institution will have given spe-
cial training to just 1850 young men
to At them for the holding of tempo
rary commissions in the Navy during
the emergency connected with the en-
trance of the United States into the
war. This is only few hundred less
than the whole number of naval off,
GERS prior to the war. This class will
be the last group assembled. under
present conditions. for special train
ing at the academy.
Not only have these young men per-
formed the duties assigned to them in
nearly every branch OF the service ana
OF every kind that falls to the lot of a
naval officer, but they have done it in a
manner which has called for the COM
mendation of the officers of the regular
service with whom they have been in
contact The reports all are to the eff
feet that a high standard of efficiency
Naval Academy in preparing these
young men for usefulness during the
present time is one of the greatest
Arrangements in the history of the insti-
tuition.
First Glass Started July 5, 1917.
The first class of reserve officers
was assembled at the Naval Academy
july ;, 1917, and 1872 completed the
fifteen-w week course of training. One
hundred and eighty of these were
fitted to perform duty as deck Of
fcers and twelve as engineer officers.
The next class. consisting of 900 deck
officers and fifteen engineer officers,
began it's work October II. 1917. The
course also lasted fifteen weeks. and
shortly after class of 12S electrical
engineers was assembled for short
err course.
The third class began it's work
February IL, 1918. There were AT
young men who were being fitted to
perform duty as deck officers, and
nineteen as engineers. A special
group of twenty officers of the avia-
ton intelligence branch also took
short course at this time.
The work reached its climax last
sumner The ffteen-week course was
completed by 496 deck officers and
1ss engineer officers, Two classes
and the other 200 were conducted
through a course lasting six weeks
each. while a special engineering
class numbering Sc, received certain
finishing touches.
In addition to the 1872 members of the
fifth class who will complete their
course next Friday. sixteen assistant
naval constructors will complete
shorter course about the same time, and
the number is completed by twenty-nine
civil engineers and nine aviation intelli-
gence officers who recently finished
their work at the academy.
Nation Indebted to Academy.
It has been pointed out that the ma
ton is indebted to the Naval Academy
not only for the fact that it has met the
present need in such a splendid way
the training of these temporary officers
being only one phase of its workout
because there will be nearly $500 young
men who will return to civil life with
a better understanding of the Navy. its
work and its spirit, and will be able to
represent it properly to the nation. and
who will be competent to return to the
service for any emergency which might
occur within the next generation.
The whole work of the special In
tensive training Of these temporary Off
GERS has been under the general super
vision of Rear Admiral Edward w
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