Evening star., 1935-05-19

house the tTdlIlIlS hCIlFlJlcS Vi
the LIST Battalion, United States
i Naval Reserve in the District
Of Columbia, have been sent to
the Navy Department, with a request
that efforts be made to have funds
provided for the structure out of the
new work relief fund.
The plans and the proposal to pro-
vide the armory have been given the
of Rear Admiral J. r.
Defrees. commandant Of the Washing
ton Navy Yard, who has jurisdiction
over the Reserve activities in the Dis
trict of Columbia, it was said. The
reservists hope that the Navy Depart
ment will look kindly on the recon-
mendation and will make an effort to
push the project.
It Is understood that the program
calls for an allotment of $500, 900. How
ever, 1t was said that only about so
per cent Of this amount would be
necessary for the actual construction
OF the building The remainder would
be required for the purchase and set
ting up OF equipment. necessary for
the training of reservists. This includes
engine room and fire room equipment,
a machine shop. guns, signaling de-
vices, a ships bridge. etc. Also in
cluded in the total is a provision for
landScaping the grounds around the
armory and for the construction of a
sea wall to which destroyer or other
vessel could be mOored in the event
hot 10 here
for training purposes.
1t Is proposed to erect the armory
on q site within the Navy Yard
and close to the Eleventh
street bridge over the AnacoStia River,
where it would be accessible from the
street, and thus making it unnecessary
for those desiring to reach the armory
to proceed a considerable distance
through the Navy Yard
Special plans have been prepared
for the structure, under the direction
of Lieut.. J. D. Sullivan, commander
of the local Reserve Battalion. The
structure will have many special fea-
lures considered necessary for train
ing the sailors. the greatest need of
which now Is an adequate drill hall
where an entire battalion can be drilled
indoors during the inclement Winter
months.
The Reserve Officers Association is
stanchly behind such a project. it
being pointed out that the reservistS
at the seat of government should have
q building which would serve as a
model for others throughout the coun-
try wherever Naval Reserve units are
located.
Ever since the local battalion was
formed here subsequent to the World
War it has had to train under un-
favorable circumstances. but despite
this the officers have been able to
build up an efficient organization. For
a time it occupied the afnory on the
Washington Channel waterfront which
was used prior to the World War by
the Naval Militia, which then was a
part of the National Guard. However,
when the land forces grew in size,
the militia officials asked that the
armory be vacated and the reservistS
were transferred to an cid building in
the Washington Navy Yard, which had
been used as a store before the
reservation was extended. 1t is located
some distance from the Anacostia
River waterfront and there are nc
dock facilities where the personnel
may have small boats for training
purposes If ship should be assigned
them for training purposes, it would
be necessary for them to walk the
equivalent of five or six blocks through
the Navy Yard in order to reach their
stations, and this consumes much time
They only have two hours of drill one
night a week, so that this is considered
great loss.
With the destroyers all being put in
full commission. under a recent order
of Secretary Swanson. there is little
likelihood of the reServiStS getting a
training vessel assigned here. OF course
there are destroyers out of commission
which are more or less obsolete as the
life of naval vessels goes. but it is de-
sired to train the men on modern
vessels The suggestion has been made
that the department have constructed
a number of special type vessels fol
training purposes. but nothing has
been done concerning this yet.
Preparations are being made at the
Reserve armory here to send a num-
ber of Naval Reserve officers into the
field with the Civilian Conservation
Corps. This will be the first time that
Naval Reserve officers have been usec
in connection with this project. Pro-
vision was made for the Naval Re-
servists, because it was pointed out
that q number of of them were out Of
work.
The Districts quota of officers has
been fixed at 10, and it was said
that a number Of applications have
been filed. although many cannot
even be recommended as their train
ing is not suitable. The corps is III
need of medical and line officers, and
it was pointed out that number OF
specialists from the various Reserve
branches have applied. 1t is probable
that the majority of officers sent from
Washington will be medical officers.
When the names are finally de-
termined the officers will be given
orders to report to the commanding
general of the Sd Army Corps Area
at Baltimore, Md. and that official
will Ssue the detailed assignment
orders to the various camps in the
area.
John R. de Sibour. 2010 @ street
and Robert A. j. Gallery, 4424 Mont
gomery avenue, Bethesda, Md, have
been appointed ensigns in the Naval
Reserve.
Evidence that the economy move
of the Government had proved costly
in the end was given to the House
Appropriations Committee by Capt.
j. A. Schofield, former commander of
the local Reserve Battalion and now
on duty in the Reserve Division of
the Navy Department, in the course
of his testimony on the estimates for
supporting the Reserve during the
next fiscal year.
He pointed out that Reserve ships
which had 16 shipkeepers had the
number reduced to seven and smaller