Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-09

Another reorganization of the oficer
| personnel OF the lst Battalion, United
| States Naval Reserves of the District
of Columbia, is impending as a result
| of the removal from the District of
Lieut.. Comdr. Finney Bascom Smith,
commander of the organization. Comdr
! Smith left the city last week for New
/ York to enter the employ of an air.
| craft corporation, which, it was said
| will neceSsitate his relinquishing the
! command of the local organization.
| Since he has been at the head it has
grown to be one of the most efficient
! in the country. Both officers and men
Of the organization expressed much re-
greet over the departure of their COM
mander.
This is the second change in the
higher-rank personnel which has taken
place within the last few months, Lieut..
| Comdr. Harry j. Nichols, former execu-
| tive officer. having left the city to en-
ter the employ of the Westinghouse
Corporation.
Lieut.. Samuel w. Stinemetz. who
succeeded Comdr. Nichols as executive
officer Of the battalion, now is acting
commander. 1t was said that no selec-
ton would be made for the command
until the receipt of the formal request
| from Comdr. Smith for relief from
! the command of the organization.
Lieut.. Stinemetz is the senior line Of
flcer, with Lieut.. Harold Richardson,
commanding the LIST Fleet Division,
second.
AS none of the new appointments
has been decided upon, it cannot be
! said at this time what the selections
will be. but if previous policy is fol-
lowed. 1t is probable that Stinemetz
! Will get the command and Richardson
! the executive billet However. even If
| the commander is selected Immediately,
it was indicated that there will not be
/ any reorganization among the fleet di-
visions in order to promote one of the
| division commanders to executive Of
| ficer. until after the annual inspections
before a board of officers from the
| Navy Department. It was pointed out
! that to attempt to make changes in
| the line organizations at this time
! might seriously interfere with the divi-
| sion officers plans of training in prepa-
ration for the inspection, and this is
! not desirable when the battalion is
making a special effort to place itself
| at the top of the list of Naval Reserve
organizations of the country as result
| of the annual tests.
Comdr. Smith, it was said. probably
would not sever his connections with
| the Reserve. but would ask for trans
| fer to the volunteer branch, which does
not require his attachment to any par
ticular organization for drill.
A number Of officers Of the Fleet Re
serve residing in the District have not
complied with the law requiring physi-
cal examinations every four years. al
though letters have been sent to them
frequently reminding them of the re-
uuirement However. failure to COM
ply with this important provision, II
was said, might result in the delin'
uuents next Summer finding themselve:
without their commissions when they
seek to be ordered to duty for training
A letter from the Navy Department
COPIES OF which have been sent to the
local volunteer officers says:
THE list Of officers who have failed
TO report for physical examination
within four years. which has been fur
nished the Bureau Of Navigation, indi
Gates that there are still large mum
Der of officers who have not had thu
physical examination required by law
1.-THE bureau desires to allow Nava
Reserve officers ample time in which tt
appear for physical examination since Il
is realized that there are many reason:
which prevent them from reporting
for examination at a given time. 1t i
believed, however, that all ofncers vii
have had suficient time TO appear To-
physical examination by July 1, 1880