Evening star., 1935-09-29
Naval Reservists Get
Good Reports on Cruise
Lieut.. ]. E. Sullivan, Battalion Commander,
Sends Letter of Appreciation to
Wyoming Commander.

1
vessels should be open to the public
for the entire day. due notice being
given to the local papers that the
public is invited on board. Likewise.
wherever practicable, Naval Reserve
armories should be opened to the pub
lie the entire day: it is desirable that
drills or other exercises be held at
the armories on the evening Of Navy
day and the public invited to attend.
It will be In order for the command.
ing officers Of Naval Reserve organ-
izations to pay calls upon local. Fed
eral. State and municipal oficials,
extending them personal invitations
to visit and inspect their various COM
mands. They should cooperate with
local or State Navy Day committees
in celebrating the day.
1T is desired that the owners or
operators of all merchant vessels car.
rying contingents Of Merchant Ma
rine Naval Reserves be especially in.
vited to participate in the celebra.
tion Of Navy day.
Full use should be made of indi.
vidual Naval Reserve officers in assist
ing the Navy League in bringing the
Navy to the attention of the public;
the nature Of his assistance will de-
pend upon the capabilities Of indi.
vidual Reservists and the exigencies
Of the local situation.
I'm connection with the theme to
be stressed this Navy day, the follow
ing is quoted from letter which was
written in reply to one from the Navy
League informing the department Of
the leagues plans concerning the
celebration Of Navy day:
Navy day, through the interest
given it by the Navy League and the
aid given the league by patriotic, vet.
eran and civic bodies, has brought to
the American people a better under.
standing Of the purposes, services and
| needs Of the Navy.
"I heartily concur in the policy Of
the league TO emphasize the impor.
tance Of increasing our merchant ma.
rine as well as building up to London
treaty strength as soon as possible.
Sea power may be defined as a coun.
trys strength in combatant ships,
merchant marine and bases In ad-
dition to this, would suggest the vital
Importance OF keeping the personnel
at sufficient strength to man our ships
adequately
informative literature for use in
preparing Navy day articles or ad-
dresses should be furnished BY the
district commandants upon request"
The local ReseTvists DO not have q
real training ship which they can show
on during the Navy DAY activities.
They do have small launch which
they use fo- short practice cruises on
the Potomac. However. they are hope.
full that by next year the department
will be able to send a vessel here on
which the Reservists can hold their
weekly drills. and which they use for
week end cruises down the Potomac.
While they make the fullest use OF
the launch, nevertheless 1t is too small
even to accommodate the large mum.
Der Of men who weekly apply for tbs
cruises during the Summer, to which
its activity has to be limited. It has
TO be hauled out of the water in ths
Winter to protect it from the ice for.
ever. a larger vessel such as q de.
stroyer could be used the year around
| and even cruises could be made dur
ing the week end periods. II such .
ship were again assigned here. the
local citizen sailors could keep Up
their practical work which they learn
during their annual cruises aboard
vessels Of the feet.
The local battalion formerly had q
destroyer assigned here for its exclu.
sive use, but it was Withdrawn during
the governmental retrenchment pc.
riod, because of the cost of mainte-
nance. In addition to the fuel, it
was necessary to keep a small skeleton
crew on board. However. these men
for the most part we're made up Of
Reservists who were out of work and
were assigned to indefinite active duty
and thus helped to reduce unemploy.
ment in this city.
Plans are being made by the local
Naval Reserve Oficers' Association
for a dinner to be given In honor Of
Lieut.. Comdr. Mark H. Crouter,
| u. S. N. aide to the commandant
Of the Washington Navy Yard on
Reserve matters, and instructor Of
the local battalion. It Is to be given
early next month. The instructor was
recently promoted to the rank Of lieu.
tenant commander.
The feet Reserve officers, the active
| drilling contingent, and . number Of
V0l
staying in Washington, are expected
to attend this function.
The Naval Communications Reserve
| Division has been assigned the train.
ing launch for a trip this week end.
The launch left the Navy Yard about
1880 O'Clock yesterday and, after
arichoring along the racecourse, where
the men witnessed the Presidents Cup
regatta, 1t proceeded down the Po-
tomac until dark, when 1t was
anchored.
1t was the plan to use the day in
seamanship drills and to return to
the Navy Yard early this afternoon.
It was announced by Lieut.. J. II.
Nicholson, commander OF the commu-
nications groups. that the "over the
air" drill last week was a great suc-
cess and the improvement shown BY
all hands was worthy Of merit. The
drill was said to be as stid as any
experienced by the local station and
all units made as good q showing
as the master and alternate stations.
Unit ! was reported as very lax in
attendance. but made up for this
deficiency in excellent operating, &C.
cording to Lieut.. Nicholson.
The Naval Communications Re.
servists who made the cruise on the
Wyoming. according to present plans.
will be used IS instructors Of the
men who stayed at home. They Will
be inSpected to imDart some Of tha