Evening star., 1933-07-02

Jubilant over the receipt Of orders
from the Navy Department providing
for their annual training cruises, the
first in two years, officers and men
Of the 1st Battalion, United States
Naval Reserves of the District of Co.
lumbia, are proceeding with prepara-
tions, which were suspended several
weeks ago, when the department not
only halted all drills with pay, but an
nounced that there would be no funds
with which to hold the annual cruises
Despite the withdrawal Of drill pay
and without the inducement of an an
nual cruise, the members of the local
battalion continued to attend their
weekly drills, which indicated that
they were interested primarily in their
training and not the small amount of
money which is paid them for the
weekly drills.
However, they have something to
look forward to now. When the an
nual cruises are completed 1t is pos
sible that drill pay also will be pro-
vided, especially in view of the fact
that drills will be provided for the
National Guard. The Naval Reservists
have been led to understand that
whatever the land forces received in
the way of funds for training, they
The department has provided for the
training, with pay, of GAIL officers and
enlisted men Of the Fleet Reserve. Au-
thorization has also been given for two
weeks training for $50 officers and
372 enlisted men Of the Naval Avia-
ton Reserve at the various Naval Re-
serve air bases throughout the country.
The schedules for the divisions in the
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Great
Lakes and District of Columbia naval
areas have been approved, while those
for the cruises from ports on the West
Coast have not been completed
As usual, the United States destroyer
Hamilton, Atlantic Training Fleet ship
assigned to this area, will cruise the
divisions in the Washington and Nor
folk naval districts. Whereas hereto
fore there have been three cruises, one
for each division of the local Reserve
Battalion, there will be only two this
year. In the past usually one division
from Baltimore and one from this city
went on the cruises together. But this
year two divisions Of the local bat
talon will go on one cruise, and the
third division and a division from
Richmond will make the second cruise
together.
As yet there have been no destina-
tions announced for the liberty ports
for the various cruises, but it Is prob
able that the ship will steam In the
Atlantic in the vicinity of New England
However, with economy as the prime
consideration, and particularly in the
expenditure Of fuel for steaming, the
vessel may remain in the Chesapeake
Bay and IN the Atlantic Ocean in the
vicinity Of the Virginia capes.
The first and SocOnd Iiyicior,o - {t,a
local Reserve will begin their annual
cruises on September 2 here, end
ing here on September Is The third
division will embark here on September
16. This division will cruise with the
Richmond outfit, and according to the
schedule the latter will board the de-
stroyer in this city at the beginning of
the cruise and will be disembarked
here at the conclusion of the training
period
As the complete cruising schedule of
the Hamilton has not been completed
it is not known Just where she will 20.
or whether or not target practice will
be held this year as has been the prac-
tee in the past. The local Reserve
gunners have not received any firing
training since the last annual cruises
two years ago, and their practice has
been confined wholly to work with the
drill gun and the fire control system
IN the local armory. The coming cruises,
If target practice is held, will give
real test as to whether the cutting out
OF the annual cruises has had any
serious effect upon the training of the
organizations as q whole
The officers and men are said to be
enthusiastic about the new launch
which has been sent here 1t has many
comforts which the old vessel did not
have and Chief Boatswain's Mate
Joseph Slattery is making many i'm
provements on it. At the present time
he is engaged in constructing a mast, so
that the men can be trained in visual
signaling while out on the cruise.
The chief of naval operations has
announced the report of the board
convened to determine the relative
standing and the scores of the Naval
Reserve master and alternate control
radio stations.
The standing and scores by districts
for the competition year were an
nounced, as follows: % 18th Naval
District, score, 93360; CD 7th Naval
District, 93.890; 90 District Of Colum-
bia. 91910; "a 9th Naval District,
91927; 60 18th Naval District, 90.935;
60 1st Naval District, 90845; CD
4th Naval District, 90.105; 90 Sd Naval
District, 89.465; (9) 9Th Naval District,
$1,000; Q0) 1lth Naval District, IS 5.225;
GD 14th Naval District, $4,000; 12)
18th Naval District. 1855 03) 5th
Naval District, 81310: Q4) 9th Naval
District, 79155; G5) Porto Rico, 73775.
The 18th Naval District has been