Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-14

Mai. Gen. stephan has written to
Jesse c. Suter, chairman of the citi-
zenS advisory committee, asking that
he be given an opportunity to appear
before il and explain the armory bill
which has been referred to the council.
NAVAL RESERVE.
The Naval Reserve Officers Assoc
citation of the District of Columbia
held a meeting following the regular
drill last Monday night for the pur-
pose of hearing a report on the pro
CeedingS of the last annual ConVen-
ton of the national association. Lieut.
Comdr Finney Bascom Smith. direc-
tor and delegate representing the local
body in the national organization. and
who is to be the new commander of
the local reserve. delivered the report.
which was received without comment
by the members.
Lieut.. Harry j. Nichols. division
commander, who attended the sessions
of the convention and represented the
! local organization on the committee
which visited Secretary Wilbur. de
tailed that phase of the proceedings
and explained briefly a lecture on the
reserve war plans which was deliv-
cred AT the Navy Department to the
reserve officers.
There was some discussion of the
matter of beginning the annual cruise
Of the local reserve on Thursday this
year, instead OF on Saturdays as has
been the practice heretofore. but il
swas pointed out that it could not be
ascertained at this time just how ii
would affect The attendance of the To-
cal reservists. There was a general
complaint from the officers of the in
dustrial sections that this arrange
ment might seriously affect the at
tendance on account of the plans up
setting vacation schedules in the in
dustrial establishments because of the
fact that they begin in the middle of
the week.
The |. :. destroyer Allen, training
ship of the local reservists, will join
the scouting fleet destroyers for exer-
ciSeS during the annual cruise periods
this Summer. it was said at the Re
serve Division i'll the Navy Depart
ment. On other vessels of this force
will be members of the reserves of
other cities of the country.
Capt. W. p. Scott. in charge of ma
Val reserve affairs. said that as a re
suit of the protest made at the naval
reserve convention against the cruises
beginning in the middle of the week.
correspondence has been instituted
with the commander of the scouting
fleet 10 ascertain whether it would be
practicable at this time to so change
the schedule to meet the desires of the
reservists themselves. However. he
expressed the hope that the reserves
would find it possible to allow the orig
inal schedules to stand. because of the
desire Of the department this year to
stick TO the original schedules. Here
tofore there has been complaint that
the cruises We're not arranged far
! enough ahead to permit the reservists
TO make their plans, and in some in
! stances when made a sufficient time
| ahead they were changed on short no
| tice. 1t was the desire to so stick to
| the schedules this year that there
might not be further complaint on this
account.
| However, ii was pointed out that il
| was the desire to make the arrange
ments such that it would fit in with
! the peculiar condition made by the
| fact that the reserviStS are engaged in
| CIVIL employment, and. can only go
! when their private employers permit
| them.
| Secretary Wilbur has sent to Con
SreSS an adverse report on the pend
! ing bill directing that Naval Reserve
officers when on active duty shall be
! paid the same pay and allowances as
I
same length of service. this service
to include Naval Militia service.
| Secretary Wilbur pointed out that
| such a provision was included in the
| Naval Reserve orga MIA ton act. and
there appeared to be no need for the
additional legislation. The new act
also provides that when taking train.
| ing cruises which extend over 81
day month, that the officers and men
' shall q
fore, it was pointed out. when reserv
! lists made cruise with a calendar
! 31St day in it. they We're not paid be
cause of a ruling of the controller
general.
Cutting of appropriations which
would neceSsitate withdrawal of some
OF the Reserve training ships, it was
pointed out, will prevent Reserve or
CARNATIONS affected from getting val
liable seafaring training. In that
event the only experience they will
get aboard ship will be on the annua
l5-day cruises. Admiral Shoemaker
lchief of the Bureau of Navigation
pointed out to Congress that some OF
the Reserve organizations have ar
mories. but they would not get the
actual seagoing on ships, the plotting
navigation and handling of engines
and all such Seafaring work that they
!
simply be moved out of certain 10
calities, and they would not have any
thing to work with.
When questioned as to the POSSIBLE
ity of disposing of subchasers
and eagle boats in favor of air
craft for the coast defenses, Ad
miral Shoemaker said that these
vessels were primarily designed t.
search for and destroy submarines
and the Navy always was understood
to have a certain number of then
on the coast. It is a question. he said
whether their place can be taken b!
aviation craft. In the last war, h,
said, the Germans lost 178 submarines
and of those only five were destroyed
through the agency of aircraft. TIL,
other phase Of the question, he con
tinued, is this: The Reserves now t.
be trained on eagle boats and sub
jchasers are getting the sea habit, o
learning to live aboard ship. and ar,
learning a great deal in the way o
pilotage, and about handling small
vessels, as well as operation of TIL
apparatus on board. That is some
thing, he asserted. that would be eX
tremely valuable to them wher the,
were transferred to destroyers or othe
craft to which they might be detaile,
ITO work in time of war.