Evening star., 1925-07-05
Naval Reserve.


Reorganization of the local naval
reserve under the new act will be put
into effect tomorrow, when Lieut.
Commander j. b. Blood will take COM
mand of the local battalion. The eff
feet of the reorganization is to relieve
Commander John A. Schofield of this
command. and the establishment of a
policy of not having an officer who Is
on active duty with the Navy Depart
ment in command of an inactive re-
serve unit. Commander Schofelds s
assignment to the local reserve in
command and his retention of his reg
ular position in the naval reserve di-
vision of the Navy Department has
been the subject of considerable crit
icism, as it has the effect of requir-
ing inactive reservists taking orders
from a regular officer. Then, too. it
served to make the local reserve unit
an experimental unit, and under the
order of things as they prevailed un-
der the old system it's progress was
quite small.
The new organization will be on the
basis of a battalion, with one head.
quarters company and three fleet di-
visions, each division being the nucleus
of a destroyer crew for service in time
of emergency. The effect also of the
reorganization Is to leave a number
Of officers as supernumeraries, with
no assignment, and unless some of
those already assigned leave before
January l next, the Supernumeraries
will be lost to the reserve as they will
be either forced to go to class or
get out of the reserve entirely. Those
familiar with the reserve operations
point out that the effect of the new
law, instead of building up a strong
reserve of officers who have seen war
service, has been to drive them out,
just the opposite as is being done in
the Army. However, it was pointed
out, much the same thing is being
done with the regular naval officers,
particularly those of lower ranks, in
the consideration of the new person
mel bill of the Navy, which will have
the effect Of forcing out Of the Navy
the younger element.
All OF the divisions as reorganized
show a shortage of men, and the di-
vision commanders are expected to
recruit them up to full strength.
Although there are a number of de-
stroyers out of commission at Phila-
delphia, being the East coast service
destroyers. the Navy Department has
assigned the local reservists to de-
stroyers in reserve at San Diego,
Calf, probably assigning the West
coast reserVists to East coast detroy-
ers, showing one of the many incon-
sistencies in the organization, the
more serious of which is the leaving
| of officers unassigned, and leaving
with the divisions many officers who
have had little or no war service.
Lieut.. Commander Finney B. Smith
has been assigned to command the
headquarters division of the battalion,
with the following other officers:
Lieut.. Walter G. Lockhart, chief en-
gineer; Lieut.. Thomas ]. Kennedy,
medical officer and Lieut.. Gunior
grade) Robert w. Wilson, supply Of
ficer. Six men have been assigned to
this division, and there are four va
cancies.
Lieut.. Albert Wing has been assigned
| to command the First Fleet Division,
which will be the nucleus crew for
the destroyer Aulick. The others Off
GERS are: Lieut.. Gunior grade) Harold
e. Richardson, Ensign John II. Few
ell, Ensign Gordon w. Daisley and
Chief Boatswain Willis B. Hazleton.
Thirty-two men are assigned, and
| there are IS vacancies to be filled
Lieut.. Harry J. Nichols will COM
mand the Second Fleet Division, the
nucleus crew of the destroyer Welles.
The other officers are Lieut.. Uunior
| grade) Clarence z. Logan, Ensign H.
l.. Eimers, Ensign Edward M. Graham
and Chief Radio Electrician Fred B.
Monar. There are 81 men in this divi-
sion. with 19 vacancies to be filed
The Third Fleet Division will be
] commanded by Lieut.. 0unior grade) S.