South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-06
OFFER BONUS To
NAVAL RESERVISTS
WHO STAY ON JOB
Uncle Sam Makes Liberal In
ducementS to Retain SerV-
ices of Trained Sailors.

GREAT LAKES. III, Aug. g.
Uncle sam wants his trained navy
men back in the service 10 bridge
an impending gap 10 personnel that
threatens the efficiency OF the feet.
Orders recently received by Rear
Admiral Frederick 3. Bassett. COM
mandant OF the naval training sta
ton here. have detailed the terms
under which reservists who have
heen released can be transferred 10
the regular navy. duration Of war"
enlistments heightened and certain
regular navy men enrolled afresh.
big gratuities. increased pay and
furloughs are given men taking ad-
vantage OF this offer
The terms are the most liberal
ever offered 10 United States navy
men" said Admiral Bassett yester-
day. They mean that trained sail
ors Will get considerable hard cash.
a goodly vacation and active service
without necessarily being tied TO
long enlistment periods
What Men VIII Get.
The instructions are based upon
the naval appropriation bill passed
b. congress last month. Some 400
600 naval reservists alone are af-
fected by the orders. OF whom prob
ably One-third are residents Of the
ninth. tenth and eleventh naval dis
tricts. the territory from which
Great Lakes draws most Of its men.
Reserves eIecting transfer TO the
regular navy, according 10 the Ian
guage of the order, receive the fol-
lowing:
The same pay. rights. privileges
and allowances in al respect as now
provided by existing law for men
regularly discharged and re-enlist-
ed within four months upon expira-
ton OF full four years enlistment
This includes one months leave. ex-
ira pay for re-enlistment. extra pay
for citizenship. and four months
gratuity pay. II does not include
$50 bonus nor transportation allow
ances Of I'VE cents a mile TO a mans
home
-Four Months Gratuity Pay.
Officers at the station explained
that the extra pay for re-enlistment
Is s1.36 month and the extra citi-
zenship is $3.50 a month The big
item. however. is the four months
gratuity pay. They estimated that
most Of the reservists had attained
ratings giving them around 500 a
month. They will rate therefore an
average bonus OF S24O If they trans
fer back 20 active duty. Higher
ratings would get a correspondingly
increased amount. a chief machin-
lists mate. for example. who left act
i've duty AT sS3 a month. would be
given 1882 reward for return 10 act
i've duty and draw SS9.S6 thereaft-
err Landsmen and mess attendants.
third class, received the lowest war
pay IN the navy $3.50 a month but
reservists OF these ratings who come
back in can draw $1,000 as a bonus
and S39.f6 a month as regular pay.
Another point which the Great
Lakes authorities emphasized is that
only the unexpired portion OF the
enrolment or enlistment need be
served 20 get this extra money. The
reservists. for example, enroll for
four years but as most OF them en-
tered in the spring Of 1917 they
would ave- ge less than two years
active service IL they elect TO trans
fer 10 the regular navy
Get Similar Benefits.
The duration OF war" men get
similar benefits by requesting eN-
tension for one. two. three. or four
years. Their gratuity OF bonus.
however, is 10 be months pay for
each additional year. The regular
navy men affected by the order are
those who enlisted for four years
between Feb. ;. 1917. and Nov. Il.
1919. Such men may. if they wish.
change their enlistment 10 duration
OF war" and then eXtepd them one.
two. three or four fun years. there
BY getting the gratuities. allowances
and extra pay given the duration OF
war men.