Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28

The newly organized Naval Reserve
Athletic Association, composed Of en-
listed personnel of the 1st Battalion,
United States Naval Reserves of the
District of Columbia, will stage the
second of its athletic meets tomorrow
night. The monthly inspection win be
conducted by Lieut.. Samuel w. Slime
metz, commander Of the battalion, and
following this formality the men will
be allowed the remainder of the time
for recreation purposes. 1t was indi-
Gated 4f1at there will be a number of
boxing bouts between members of the
local battalion and men invited from
other organizations.
While they will start the New Year
without their training ship, the de-
stroyer Abel P. UpShur, the officers and
men are looking forward to the early
arrival here of the destroyer Hamilton
Of the Atlantic training feet, which
has been assigned to the 5th Naval
District Reserve units for training pur-
poses. The vessel will spend its time
between this city and the Reserve Or
CARNATIONS in the vicinity of Hampton
Roads except during the Summer
months, when it will join the other
vessels of the training feet in carry
ing the Reservists out to sea for their
annual periods of sea duty.
The chief of the Naval Bureau of
Navigation has indicated growing prof.
cheney in the professional REQUIRE
ments Of Naval Reserve officers, when
he said in his report that the percent
age of officers who fail to pass the ex-
aminations required is growing less
GERS are applying for and taking their
examinations more promptly. He points
out that officers of the fleet and Volun-
teer Naval Reserves, general service,
are required to establish their profess
sional fitness for promotion by a writ
ten examination. These examinations
are conducted by the Naval Examining
Board.
He points to the value Of the confer
ences called at the Navy Department
with officers of The Naval Reserve from
various parts of the country. The one
this year, he continues, provided an
opportunity for an interchange of
ideas between the administrative off,
GERS in the Bureau of Navigation and
those stationed in the field; it provided
contact between officers of the Regular
Navy and those of the Naval Reserve.
The admiral asserted that the bureau
encourages these contacts in the belief
that they tend toward a closer asso-
clatlon OF officers of the Regular serv-
ice and those of the Reserve. A num-
Der OF very important questions were
discussed at that time and the bureau
Is OF the opinion that the small ex-
pendtture involved was more than
justified by the return to the Govern
ment owing 10 greater dissemination of
information and the reduction of the
difficulties of administering the Re-
serve. He said that Reserve officers
greatly appreciate the privilege and op-
portunity OF presenting their point of
view.
Admiral Upham, in describing the
volunteer Naval Reserve, says that It is
composed Of individuals rather than
organizations. The officers of this
class OF Reserve form into two cate
gories. general service and special serv-
ice. The officers of the Volunteer
Naval Reserve, general service, are
available for general detail. Their phvs-
ical and professional standards are the
same as for the Fleet Naval Reserve,
but he adds that the officers of this
branch are primarily appointed for duty
on shore. They are described as men
OF standing, with professional training
along specialized lines which would be
OF considerable value to the Navy in
time OF war. Thus, he points out. there
are doctors, dentists civil engineers, as
well as numerous other classes.
While these officers are primarily en-
rolled for duty on shore, the bureau
reserves the right to send them to sea
in case they are needed. They are not
required by law to attend drills or to
take training duty, but may, at their
own request, be given training duty,
provided the funds for such training
are available. He says that an increas-
ing number of volunteer officers are
requesting this training duty and dur
ing the year number of volunteer
ofiicers have taken extended periods of
training duty at their expense in order
to At themselves for service in the event
of an emergency.
Discussing another branch of the
Reserve, the merchant marine, Admiral
Upham says that 1t is confined to IL
censed officers of the merchant marine
who follow, or who have followed, the
sea as a profession, and who are en-