Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-19
DC. Naval Reserve

| Base merit rating on drill attendance
at annual insnections on actual count
of personnel by diSintereSted inspectors.
No dement's imposed due to transfer
between fleet and volunteer classes in
divisions.
Reduce drills required to SO per an
mum and arrange pay for full crew of
rs. Give more credit to week end
cruises.
The bureau said that these topics will
be taken UP in more detail with the
Inspection Board.
The proposal to give more credit for
week end cruises is likely to meet with
some opposition from organizations
which do not have vessels assigned
them for training purposes When the
economy drive hit the Navy last year,
which resulted in the removal of train
ing vessels from some of the organi-
cations, no means was left for taking
week end cruises. The local organi-
cation is in such predicament. The
result would be, 1t was explained, that
training vessels, most of them on the
Great Lakes, would have higher figure
of merit at the time of the inspection,
and thus would be rated higher largely
because they have the advantage of a
training vessel
Under the new training system, put
into effect when the vessels were re-
moved. the Atlantic Training Squadron
was established. None of the vessels of
this fleet is assigned to any particular
organization, and although many of
them could muster suff1cient men to
take week end cruises they would not
have a vessel. They would thus be
penaliZed because of the economy move.
The bureau concurred in the recon-
mendation to change the Bureau of
Navigation manual to insure greater
care in the selection Of Reserve officer
material, the bureau commenting that
it will follow this recommendation as
closely as possible.
Another recommendation concurred
in, with the added comment that steps
would be taken to carry it out, was one
that the manual be changed so as to
include in the duties of the super
visory professional examining boards
The duty of conducting oral examina-
lions of candidates for promotion, in
addition to supervising the written OK
animation and submitting suitable rec
concentrations thereon.
The bureau said that it will study
the recommendation that further can
didateS for appointment as communi-
cation Reserve officers be required to
pass a suitable professional eXamina-
ton. 1t was pointed out by the Re
serve officers that the number of COM
munication officers now appointed
affords a sufficient nucleus for building
up this important branch of the
Reserve.
recommendation also was made
that a designated class be established
for communication officers as follows:
Communication officers, general service
and that such officers shall be required
to qualify by professional examination
for service af1oat.
But the Bureau Of Navigation said
that it would be inadvisable to estab-
liSh any more classes. Communication
officers are being trained to act as such
on various classes of vessels and on
shore. Their duties will be confined to
communication work only. 1t is felt,
the bureau said. that even though
they were able to pass line officer ex-
aminations they would be of little
value as deck officers. as their interest
would undoubtedly lie along the lines
of communication work Further,
radio engineer who Is not qualified or
is not to be qualified for performing
the duties of a communication officer
afioat or ashore ought properly to be
in the special branch for electricians.
1t was pointed out that there is a
need of sea-going officers capable of
handling the equipment and personnel
OF the communication department of
cruising ships. These officers, it was
added. are still specialists in commune
cation and should form the bulk of the
quota of communication officers There
fore. it is unnecessary to have an addi-
tional class OF communication officers,
the bureau said,