Evening star., 1936-10-25
Navy Day Plans Are Set
By Local Reserve Units
Message Services to Visitors at
Navy Yard.

- SSA ~
can be carried out in the armory
during the period that the boat is out
of the water. Efforts are being made,
and it is hoped that they will mate
rialize before many months, to have
another vessel assigned here, one that
can be used not only on drill nights,
but under all kinds Of conditions in
the Potomac during the Winter
months.
Efforts are being made to have the
Navy Department assign here one OF
the Coast Guard patrol boats which
have been turned over to 1t. These
boats are said to be ideal for sending
out training parties, as they not only
have sleeping accommodations for Off
GERS and men, but have heating facili-
ties. Much more training can be given
aboard them than is given aboard the
launch, which is very limited.
1t was pointed out also that be-
cause of the limited number which
can be taken out each week end on
the small boat, each man can only
obtain about one cruise during the
time that the boat is in the water.
With a larger boat larger parties
can be taken out and their training
period would come around more fire.
quently.
Neither the surface-water training
facilities nor the armory training ia
cilities here are satisfactory for the
purpose intended, it was pointed out
by the officers. In addition to work.
ing for a larger vessel, the officers are
planning to make further efforts this
year to obtain funds with which to
construct an armory here not only
for themselves, but for the Marine
Corps Reserve unit, which is just as
badly situated. ANY funds that might
be obtained would be used entirely on
labor and materials, as there is site
available for the building on the Ana
costa River within the lines of the
Washington Navy Yard. 1t is esti-
mated that S500,000 will be needed for
the construction of the building. Ten
tative plans have been prepared and
they, together with the project, have
received the approval of Navy Yard
officials and the Secretary of the Navy.
Like the National Guard, 1t is ex-
pected that the Reservists will have
to make their plea direct to Congress,
as they cannot hope to obtain any
public works funds. AS this is purely
Federal unit, coming directly under
the Navy Department, it is the Fed
eral Governments duty to provide the
funds, 1t was asserted.
The Navy Department is desirous
of having funds with which to pro-
vide training for officers and men Of
the merchant marine Naval Reserve.
There are a large number of officers
and men on merchant ships who are
in this class, and. while they would
be called to active duty in time OF war,
few of them have been trained in naval
practices.
A board of the Navy Department
has recommended that the organi-
zation OF merchant vessels for the
purpose of drilling the active class
at first be confined to a few vessels
permitted to fly the Naval Reserve flag,
and that it be gradually expanded to
include as many vessels on the ap-
proved list as may be deemed desir-
able. 1t was said that this will require
a gradual development over a period
of years.
1t is considered eventually the mer-
chant marine Naval Reserve be ex-
panded to be composed of two classes,
with approximate numbers as follows:
Active class, $500 officers and $4,000
men: inactive class, 2,500 officers.
The board recommended that the
National Naval Reserves should be re-
quired to perform two weeks of train
ing duty and 48 to so drills annually.
in accordance with existing laws for
the organized units of the present
civilian component of the Reserves.
The Volunteer Reserves, it was
recommended. should be given q mini
mum of two weeks training duty
every four years. Certain units and
individuals should be given training
duty annually in the discretion of the
Secretary of the Navy. This should
provide training for the Reserve Of
ficers' Training Corps graduates who
are unable to affiliate themselves with
National Naval Reserve units. and
should permit annual training for GER
tain communication and naval intel
hgence units.
Reserves Of all branches, the board
said, should be permitted to take spe-
cial correspondence courses on naval
and military subjects conducted by the
Navy Department.
Specially selected individuals should
be permitted to attend technical
schools and courses of instruction
maintained by the Navy Department.
including aviation courses at Pensa-
cola, Fla.
The board further recommends that
the law should be amended to accom-
plish the following:
Provide for appointment Of a few
officers in the merchant marine Naval
Reserve in grades Of captain and COM
mander. This, it was asserted, will
permit Naval Reserve rank commen-
surate with merchant marine position
for the masters of large, fast Ameri-
can passenger vessels. It will also
provide the approximate numbers Of
officers required In these grades in the
merchant marine Reserve during the
first 12o days Of var.