Evening star., 1935-06-23

went on the IuulB lA1c AaSt
week. as their part Of the preparation
for the annual Summer training cruise
of the outfit. Long lines OF citizen
sailors were formed outside OF the
sick bay last drill night, while the
medical detachment, hypodermics In
hand, fired inoculations OF typhoid
serum into the arms of the personnel
to protect them against this disease
while they are on their annual cruise.
Smallpox vaccinations also were In
order and between the two, there
probably will be few casualties which
will cut down the muscular activity OF
the sailors during the next few drill
nights.
However, Lieut.. Sullivan, COM
mander Of the battalion, has taken
cognizance of this fact in the prepa-
ration of the drill schedule and for a
short time the activities will be con-
fined to preparations which will not
require too much use of sore arms.
Among these is the inspection OF
clothing. Before the annual cruise
begins every man must have a COM
plete outfit of clothing, and sufficient
changes. Each piece of clothing must
be properly marked, in accordance
with Navy regulations. so that in the
event a piece is lost while on the cruise
it may be easily identified. Further
more, if a man is careless aboard a
ship Of the Navy about laying his
clothing about, he will find it possibly
In the lucky bag, and, when he claims
it he must also redeem himself for his
carelessness by taking little extra
duty. That is the Nays way OF
teaching careless personnel to look
after their personal property.
A number of recruits are completing
their 90-day training course in the
special class to which they are as
signed upon application for enlist
ment. Those who have been success
ful in passing through the rigid tests
and have shown an aptitude for the
service are being assigned to the reg
ular divisions where they will take
their regular stations with the veteran
members Of the various groups. This
also will prmit them to participate in
the annual cruise. 1t will be first taste
of the sea for many Of them, and
after few days Of rolling and pitching
in the North Atlantic they will have
further opportunity to convince them
selves as to whether or not they like
the naval service. Each division is al
lotted Sc men, the number being linn
tied to keep within the appropriations
allowed by Congress, as each officer
and man not only receives pay for
drilling weekly. but they receive the
pay of their various rates while cruis-
ing for training during the Summer.
Efforts are being pushed by the ma
tional officers association to have the
size of the division increased mater
tally, and it is understood that the
Navy Department looks kindly on the
move, but it cannot do anything unless
Congress provides sufficient funds with
which to pay the men.
So much interest has been created
in the coming annual cruise that it Is
feared there are going to be
some disappointments among the en-
listed personnel because OF the liml-
tation on the size of the divisions.
This will be the first year since the
local Reserve was organized subse-
quent to the World War that they
have been assigned battleship cruise.
Heretofore their cruises have been
confined to eagle boats and deStroyers,
mostly on ships of the latter type,
because of the fact that each division
is organized on the basis Of a skeleton
destroyer crew. However, the Navy
Department has taken the stand that
the men have been so well trained
on these scouts of the feet that they
should be broadened in their expert
ence and be given q taste of the
more rigid discipline which abounds
on vessels of the battleship type. Fur
thermore, it was pointed out that the
enlisted personnel should have a we'll
rounded training in all classes of
ships, as, in the event of war, it
may be necessary to transfer them
on short notice from one ship to
another. If they are familiar with
their duties aboard all types of wees
sells, then there will be no lost motion
to be taken up by further training
under war conditions.
This year it is planned for the
entire battalion to proceed to An
napolis, where the battleship Wyoming
will be anchored in the roads at the
junction of the Severn River and the
Chesapeake Bay. They will be taken
to the vessels in small boats and then
the ship will head down the Chesa-
peake Bay and out to sea, after first
picking up Reserve units in the vicin-
ity of Norfolk. The vessel then will
steam, according to present plans, in
a northeasterly direction, with Hall
fax, Nova Scotia, as its destination,
where on the week end in the middle
of the cruise the officers and men