Evening star., 1936-11-29
LOOMS
ONRESERvELAW
Citizen Sailors to Seek Con-
gress approval of Their
Plan,

n liIlloll lkliJ 10 cApcClcu III Iilc
coming Congress for amendments to
the naval reserve act. At the present
time there are two sides. the officers
of the regular establishment on one
and those Of the reserve on the other.
The conference here last week Of
naval and naval reserve officers from
various parts Of the country did not
get very far in settling the difference.
There are two bills pending in
Congress to amend the reserve act of
1925. One by Representative Mas
and the other is the so-called Navy
Department bill" The naval reserve
strongly favors the Mas bill. which,
among other things, provides for an
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
naval reserve affairs, and naval
be headed by a reserve officer. FASH
ioned somewhat after the pattern of
the present system in the War De-
partment which has National Guard
Bureau headed by National Guard
officer.
Another feature is a provision the
Navy Department conduct each year
a regular inspection of the reserve
personnel of merchant ships which
fly the reserve flag. just as the fleet
divisions are inspected and rated each
year.
Reserve officers point out. however,
the Navy Department bill contains
provisions which are a considerable
which has been found to have some
defects during the II years it has
been in operation. What the reserve
officers principally object to is that
it leaves everything to be done for
the reserve entirely in the discretion
of the Secretary Of the Navy. which
in the final analysis means the regu-
lar officers on duty at the depart
men who make recommendations to
the naval head.
Capt. l.. w. Hesselman Of New
York. president Of the Reserve OFF,
GERS Association, pointed out what
were in his opinion serious deficien-
cies in the present bill, as now
worded.
One serious objection. from the
standpoint of the Reserves, Is the
provision to transfer TO the Reserve
of officers of the Navy who are passed
over for promotion. These officers
are now placed on the retired list, If
they are not selected under certain
conditions. in order to prevent slug
gishness in promotion in the lower
grades.
The Reserve officers fear, they say,
If this provision is allowed to be
acted into law that these officers will
get all Of the indefinite active duty
assignments, and added that this
would be demoralizing to the Reserv-
lists. While they concede that these
officers are very fine, and know the
naval duties, nevertheless they
pointed out that if the Navy finds It
necessary to get rid of them, the
proper place for them is on the re-
tired list from which they can be
CdlleQ DdCk 10 dCIlfc uoty III tiii- Va
a national emergency. Reserve off,
GERS add that the pay Of these OFF,
GERS should be charged to the regular
Navy retired list and not to the
Reserve.
The local chapter of the Reserve
has gone on record as favoring the
letter of the legislation in general,
but has taken no stand as between
the two bills.
Reservists point out under the pres
ent law there is nothing to guard
against their being denied things
which they believe would be needed
for the best interests of this branch
of the service. Any proposals that
they make from time to time are sub
ject to the discretion of the naval
officials, and they point out that in
the past their experience has shown
when it comes to a decision as to
what is to be given the Navy or the
Reserve, where only one is to get it.
the Navy always wins. They want
the law to say specifically what they
or~ <o Leyo