Evening star., 1922-12-24
PROPOSED TO BUILD UP
A REAL NAVAL RESERVE
Training Of Civilians Urged as Neces-
sary Adj junct to the Regular
Naval Establishment.
By WILL r. KENNEDY.


II LEGISLATION to build up a
naval reserve and a Marine
Corps reserve-a peace-time
force of citizen sailors who
/: will be ready and trained to go at
/ once into service in a war emergency
lis being urged as an important step
toward national preparedness. Today
! the United States naval reserve force,
established under the act of August
20. 1915. is practically wiped out. with
: something like 10000 men disen-
rolled.
| Now, the Navy Department is anx-
ious for a real naval reserve to be
established. Congress wants it to be
established. The people Of the coun-
| try, who pay the bills, are urging
that it be established. More than
| 100000 young men, practically all of
| whom have already had experience
, and training. want to be enrolled in
such a service
! Learned Value In War.
The value Of the naval reserve force
b
practical way during the war. The
: greater part Of the fleet which trans
F, ported soldiers to and from France
| was manned by reserve officers and
men. In the early part Of the war
regulars were put on these ships, but
as the war progressed they were
gradually withdrawn and sent to the
I
left to carry on the transport service.
Soon after the war ended and the
work Of bringing the troops back had
been completed various steps were
taken by the Navy Department which
dfsheartened these men who were
trained and performed the work Of
regulars. and with high commenda-
ton. Various shifts by the Navy De-
partment in putting more and more
restrictions on these reserve officers
and men drove them disgustedly from
the service. and not the fact that they
oid not get retainer pay, according
TO those who have been in the naval
reserve and are familiar with condi-
tions
Aims at Real Reserve.
The real situation has been disclosed
during consideration Of the annual
appropriation bill for the suuport of
the navy Department where retainer
pay items were omitted by the ap-
propriations committee, and approved
by the House. to force passage of a
bill now nepd;pu ha$orn <h~ ,.-,
tive committee on naval affairs which
would provide for the creation, or
ganization, administration and main
tenance of q real peace-time naval
reserve. This bill was prepared by
the Navy Department. and favorable
report on it is expected soon after
the first of the year.
This legislation affects the status
Of some 100000 young men in all
parts Of the country.
Representative Patrick H. Kelley.
republican, of Michigan. chairman of
the subcommittee on the naval bud
get of the House appropriations
committee. explained the situation to
his colleagues. The neval reserve
force is divided into two principal
groups or classes. First. there is
the fleet naval reserve, restricted
to persons formerly commissioned or
enlisted in the naval service. includ-
ing midshipmen. There were in this
class on September 80. 1922. 3S1 Off
GERS and $3.50 men. The retainer pay
and active service pay for these feet
reservists is appropriated for under
"Pay of the Navy For the current
appropriation amounts to $5,6S9,233,
while for the year beginning July
next the appropriation bill now be-
fore the Senate proposes $4,000
This is exclusive OF any sum required
for training pay or expenses incident
to such training. All of the officers
and 1916 of the men in this class on
September 80. 1922. are required to
take training as a condition prece-
dent to the payment of retainer pay.
Subject to War Call.
The other, or second, principal class
of the naval reserve force consists of
citizens who. by enrolling under reg
ulations prescribed by the Secretary
of the Navy. obligate themselves to
serve in the Navy In time of war or
during the existence of a national
emergency. There were in this class
on September 80. 1922. 1853 officers
and 1886 men, and of these approx
mately $500 of the ofhcers and $500
of the men had qdalified by perform
ing the requisite amount of active
service to entitIe them to confirma-
tion in their rank or rating and hence
to retainer pay.
Because of insufficient funds, how
ever, the Navy Department diserrolled
the entire membership Of this class Of
reservists on September 80, 1922, and
permitted their enrolment in the VoluG-
teer Naval Reserve, to which no retainer
pay il attached. This action on the |
part Of the Navy Department. of course. |
did not extend to other reservists a. |
ready in the Volunteer Naval Reserve. !
The reservists in this class lind them |
selves in this same situation today. |
They get training pay and active service |
pay, as do all members Of the Volun- ]
teer Naval Reserve who train and per- \
form active service. but the men who |
rave qualified and who have been con-
firmed are in no better situation rs re. /
cards financial benefits tnan those MEM
bers who have not yet qualified either |
lack Of interest, incentive or
Sum Not SuAcient.
For the current fiscal year. ending |
July 1. al appropriation of $4,000. .O0c
was provided for the ret liner pay, rain