Evening star., 1921-10-04
NAVAL RESERVE IS FOOT BALL
FOR NAVY TO KICK, IS CHARGE
Association Attacks Order of Department
Cutting Force and Determines to
Garry Fight to Courts

Attack on the Navy Department for
it's action in disenrolling four classes
of the United States naval reserve
force was launched last night at a
meeting of the Naval Reserve Officers
Association of the District of Co
lumbia. Tentative plans were laid
for challenging the authority of the
act of Congress.
After a lengthy discussion, during
which the speakers took issue with
the statement of Secretary DENLY that
the action was taken as a measure
of economy and characterized it as
a plainly illegal act on the part of
the department, legislative commit
tee was appointed, headed by Lieut..
Commander John Balch Blood, to pre-
pare data which. it. was said, may
lead to legal fight to test the au
thority of the department in its ac-
ton.
Lieut.. Commander William r.
Hoefer. president of the association,
presided at last nights meeting. and
presented to the officers the several
messages and letters disenrolling
classes 2. 3, and 5, reserves.
Pointing out that the naval reserve
periodically responded and nobly ac-
quilted itself during the war, com
plying with every requirement of the
Regular Navy, Lieut.. Frank Buckley
said that the latest move was just
, what the Regular Navy had been
striving for for a long time The
statement, he said, that it was made
necessary by economies, was merely a
subterfuge, as there were many other
ways in which real economies could
be practiced.
Action Called Illegal.
THE Naval Reserve has been. sort
of foot ball flor the Regular Navy ever
since it was organized" said Mr..
Buckley. "It has been kicked about
at will, and this latest move is the
final touchdown. But the reserve
should not accept the decision. Now is
| the time for the Naval Reserve Asso-
citation to act, and to act quickly. To
my mind, the Secretary's action is
clearly illegal, and the action of the
department should be made the sub
ject of test in the courts
Abolition of the reserve in whole or
in part is not an efficient and eco
Fnomical way of saving money, Lieut..
James P. Porter said. There are many
other ways in which money could
have been saved, he said. He cited
figures to show that Regular Navy
officers had been raised in temporary
81
ware away out of proportion to the
strength of the Navy. Every effort
has been made to advance the regular
officers to higher rank until in the lower
grades of ensign and junior lieuten-
ant there are only a few officers. He
also pointed out that the regular Of
f1cers now receive a bonus on their
pay, which should be taken off, if
economy is necessary. before the de-
partment attempts to abolish the re-
serve force.
Too Many High OMcers.
1t has been scramble to find jobs
| for the large number of high-ranking
| not performed the sea duties COM
mensurate with their rank, and office
jobs were found for them. Captains.
! he pointed out, are too plentiful, say
jobs for them. If the Navy Depart
ment really wants economy 1t should
dc a little housekeeping itself, he
added.
! Condr. Clements pointed out that
the reserve had made name for
itself during the war and had really
done most of the work. He said that
| instead of the slogan THE Navy took
them across" it should be The Naval
Reserve took them across Practi-
cally all of the ships actively en-
tgaged in the war. the records will
SIo", he Siih. " ere fHdHUtu tiHlOSI
entirely by the reserve. Examination
| of the roll of honor" shows, he
pointed out, that of thirty-ei ght
names thirty were Naval Reserve Of
| Ulcers. only one was a graduate of
the Naval Academy and the rest were
. officers who. had been enlisted men.
| The regulars. he cited, were for the
| most part bottled up in the York
river or on beach jobs"
The department cannot say that
! the reserve force was not efficient,
he continued, for it met the require
ments made by the regular Navy
itself The examinations always were
stiff and were, harder than the re-
cent examinations given to the tenn
porary- regulars he asserted.
Conidr. Clements is a graduate of
the Naval Academy and in the class
of the reserve which was not affected
by the departments order.
Must Fight for Rights.
Lieut.. Comdr. Blood said that the re-
serves had reached the point where they
would have to fight the department
harder than ever to get the rights
given them by law, and urged vigor-
Gus action which would bring about
an early settlement of the question.
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