Evening star., 1929-12-15

The rehearsal inspection Of the 1st
Battalion, United States Naval Reserves
of the District of Columbia. will be held
at the armory in the Washington Navy
Yard on the night of January 13, ac-
cording to Lieut.. Comdr. Finney Bas-
com Smith, commander of the local or
ganization. All efforts now are being
centered in the preparation for this
drill, which will be a Preliminary check
up of the progress made by the organt-
Zatfon since the last annual inspection.
The purpose of this rehearsal Is to
have the organization appear before a
regular naval officer to ascertain
whether he can find any defects which
might be picked out by the board OF
regular ofacers from the department
witch will make the annual inspection
in the late Winter or Spring. 1t is
something new in the way OF prepara-
tion. If any defects are found, prompt
steps will be taken by the battalion and
division officers to correct them before
the board arrives on the scene.
The rehearsal inspection is to be
made by Lieut.. Comdr. r. s. Field,
u. S. NJ, commander of the destroyer
Abel p. Upshur, training ship OF the
local organization, and inspector-in-
structor of the battalion, who Is giving
every possible aid to the organization to
raise it to a high state Of efficiency. 1t
is believed by those familiar with Naval
Reserve affairs that this preliminary in
spection will do much toward perfect
ing the local battalion and is expected
to put 1t high among the other Reserve
organizations of the country when the
final check-up is made next Spring.
Just one week after inspection, ac-
cordinD to present plans, the local citi-
zen sailors will be hosts to several hun
dred Marines from the base at Guam
tico, Va, when the Seamen will have
a smoker and entertainment. 1t is eX-
pected that there will be several inter-
eSting boxing bouts between members
of the Reserve Battalion and the Ma
rines.
Considerable instruction is to be given
the members of the local organization
in the splicing of lines and in tying
various knots used in the naval service.
Special facilities have been provided
and each drill night detail OF men
will be assigned to this work, under the
boatSwain.
Following a short period Of Infantry
drill for all the divisions tomorrow
night. the men of the deck branch Will
be given instruction in the duties of
lookout, messenger and orderly, while
the "black gang" will be taught steam
piping and refrigeration. Some of the
deck force will be especially singled out
for signal instruction.
Examination of the records OF the
Bureau of Navigation of the Navy De-
partment having shown that only TIA
per cent of the allotted quota of radio
men have been enlisted in the Reserve,
1t was stated to commandantS OF naval
districts that special efforts should be
made to fill the quotas. It was shown
that of an allowance Of $50 men only
1,190 have been enlisted.
The Bureau Of Navigation is desirous
of building up this class of naval re-
serve and has requested that the mat
ter be given the attention of each COM
mandant. Every method readily avail
able should be utilized to facilitate re-
cruiting and the physical examinations
of applicants for enlistment, the state
ment said.
In localities where there Is no regu-
lar Navy or Naval Reserve medical Of
ficer available the Bureau Of Navigation