Evening star., 1932-01-24

of organizations during the inspection
will be held aboard the destroyer Ham
ilton the Atlantic Training Fleet YES
sci assigned to this area for Reserve
work. The ship is under orders TO
proceed to the Norfolk area prior to
that time, but 1t is expected that the
orders will be changed to permit the
vessel to remain here until after the in
spection date. Under her present sched-
ule the Hamilton is to leave here Feb-
ruary 81 for Alexandria, where the fol-
lowing day it will participate in the cere-
monies there incidental to the launch
ing of the Bicentennial year program.
The orders also call for her to leave the
following day, February %, for her new
training assignment. If the orders are
changed, the vessel will return to
Washington 10 remain until after the
inspection of the local battalion.
The notice of the inspection contains
the information that the organization
will be expected to execute a simple
battle problem. Information that this
was to be expected was given the Or
ganization some time ago, and they
have been working on it, with the AID
Of Lieut. Comdr. Clarence GulbranSon,
captain of the destroyer Hamilton, ana
the other officers of that ship.
The local organization is somewhat
ahead of its schedule for inspection
also, as Lieut.. Richardson inaugurated
plans at the beginning of the new year
which started the battalion in prepara-
ton for the inspection. Particular at
tention has been given in the prepara-
tions to bolstering up drills and exer-
cises in which the last inspection board
found the local organization deficient.
It is the hope of the battalion OIL
GERS that by the time the inspection
board arrives on the scene the local
organization will have reached a
state of efficiency which will result in
its receiving a mark which will get
for it at least one of the two tro-
phies donated by the Naval Reserve
Off1cers' Association to be awarded
each year to the battalion and divi-
sion, respectively which attain the
highest figure of merit as result OF
the inspections throughout the country
Favored by good weather during the
drill nights so far this Winter, the or
ganization has been able to get In con-
siderable drill work aboard the destroyer
Hamilton, which has been docKed mere
for several months, and this training
will be continued up to the time OF
the inspection, if the ship is allowed to
remain here for that length OF time.
The local Naval Reserve Headquarters
has been notified that Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy for Aviation David S.
ingalls,, has been commissioned lieu
tenant commander in the aviation
branch of the Reserve.
Lieut.. (Junior Grade) Henry B.
Hodgkins, Chaplains Corps, residing at
2844 Wisconsin avenue, has reported at
the washington Navy Yard for Is days
of active duty for training.
The following named have been
ordered transferred from the fleet dlvi-
sions to the Volunteer Reserve, on ac-
count of failure to maintain efficiency:
James S. Boxwel and Henry H. Shugart,
both seamen, second class, attached to
the lst Fleet Division; Roy L. Boyd,
fireman, first class, and Samuel E. Cox
and James w. Dellar, both firemen,
third class, and all attached to the
1st Fleet Division.
The following officers of the Naval
Reserve have been notified that they
became eligible for promotion to the
next higher rank on January l last:
Lieut.. B. B. Doll, legal branch; Lieut..
(Junior Grade) H. S. Souther, aviation
branch; Lieuts. j. F. Anderson and
S. A. Greenleaf, both communications
officers, and Lieut.. A. M. Smythe, avia-
ton branch.
These officers must notify the depart
ment when they are ready to take the
professional examination for promotion,
and will be promoted only upon sue
cessful passage of the examination.
Opposition to the Navy Department
schedule of retirement for Reserve
officers was expressed at the annual
meeting Monday night of the local
chapter of the Naval Reserve Officers'
Association, and the delegates to the
convention here yesterday presented
their stand against the proposal.
The local chapter elected officers as
follows: Lieut.. J. M. Fewell president;
Lieut.. (Junior Grade) j. B. Cleland,
vice president; Lieut. C. H Williams,
secretary and treasurer; Lieut.. Jolss F.
Moore, delegate to the national con-
vention, and Lieut.. Gunior Grade) G.
W. Daisley national director.
The local chapter adopted q reso-
luton, which was presented at the con-
vention, expressing the appreciation of
the Reserve officers for the help given
them by the regular naval officers as
signed to work with the Reserve, in
cluding the inspectors and
those on ships on which the Reserve
organizations take their annual
training.
Like the national association the
local Reserve officers believe that the
retirement scales for the various grades
proposed by the Navy Department are
too low. 1t was pointed out that if
the department plan is put into effect
it will result in an almost immediate
I'LL, IS
trained officers now engaged in build
ing up and keeping intact the Reserve,
the enlisted personnel of which is made
up largely of young men who be-
came OF age only since the war.
The Navy Department proposes re
tirement at the following ages: Com
modore, "a; captain, 64 commander,
SIS; lieutenant commander, so; lieuten-
ant, lieutenant Ounior grade) and
ensign, 40.
The Reserve association countered
with the following proposals: Retire
ment for commodore after six years
service in grade, regardless of age; for
captain, at least one vacancy TO be
created annually by promotion, resig-
nation, retirement at "a, death dis
charge or selection out; commander,
So; lieutenant commander, So; lieu
tenant, 46, and lieutenant junior
grade) and ensign, 40.
A communication of the Reserve says
that Admiral Upham, chief of the Bu-
reau of Navigation, wrote as follows on
the association recommendations:
The suggestions to solve this prob
lem are well worth considering. But l
feel that the ages are still too high.
However, 1t may be that we can start
off with the ages Tor retirement little
higher than we consider best for the
efficiency of the officer personnel, and
after this has been tried for several
years new legislation can be obtained
cutting down the ages for retirement
still further. 1t will not be wise to do
anything too drastic to start off with"