Evening star., 1936-01-12

nounced at the battalion headquarters
here.
The battalion adjutant's Office now
is preparing the list of officers who
drill in a volunteer status on the staff
Of the battalion commander. Advance
reports indicate that the list this year
will include the largest number of VOL
unteer officers in the history of the
battalion.
These officers, who come from vari-
Gus branches of the Naval Reserve,
are assigned to active duty without
pay on their own request. Duties to
which they are assigned include in
structors and positions as aides to the
fleet officers of the unit.
The Navy Department for several
years has been trying to induce a
| larger number of volunteer Reserve
| officers to become affiliated with the
feet units, although the department
has nothing to offer them in the Way
OF compensation, such as is paid the
heet officers, or opportunities for
cruising during the Summer months.
However, it has been the desire TO
| get these officers into the active Re
serve with a view to having them
indoctrinated with naval customs.
Most of them have been given COM
missions because of some special work
they do in civil life which will pecul-
iarly fit them to aid the Navy in time
Of an emergency.
However, it is probable that if Con-
greSS allows sufficient funds to III
crease the size of the present feet
divisions by 20 men each, there will
have to be an additional number of
officers assigned to the feet to keep
up the proper ratio of officers to men,
and in that event the preference vii!
be given to those officers of the VOL
unteer group who have shown sufi-
clent interest in their commissions TO
give voluntarily of their time to drill
with the fleet outfits.
Furthermore, the Reserve Officers
Association has recommended that
funds be provided for the purpose of
taking certain percentage of the
volunteer officers on cruises each year.
1t has been suggested that 25 per
cent be cruised each year, which would
give these officers one cruise every
four years. The fleet officers, under
the law, are required to make a cruise
of two weeks each year. On the other
hand, opportunities have been pro-
| vided at various times for volunteer
officers to cruise individually on ships
OF various types. But it has been ex-
penSive for them. In addition to not
being paid for their time on the ships.
they have had to bear the cost of
transportation to and from the ports
of embarkation, and to pay their mess
bills while aboard ship. For this rea =
son, many of them have not been able
to afford the practice which the de-
partment is desirouS for them to have
While most of these officers would
be able to carry on their civilian work
if called into the service. many Of
them would lack training in naval
customs and procedure, and in time of
emergency some time would have to
be taken out in giving them the nec-
eSSary instructions. 1t is believed that
drills with the fleet organizations, with
cruises periodically. will give them
sufficient indoctrination so that they
can Immediately carry on in the event
of an emergency which would ne
cessitate calling them into the service.
The preliminary work of training
Naval Reservists for commissioning as
naval aviators was completed at the
naval air station here last week, when
the last class of four men were Or
dered to Pensacola, where they will
take the final training which will end,
if they pass successfully in their
being commissioned as officers in the
Aviation Corps and assigned for a
period of active duty with the air
Squadrons of the feet.
The four men who were appointed
aviation cadets and ordered to Pensa-
cola for the advanced class TO begin
on January 27 are:
James J. Jones, Lloyd R. Min
gard, Clifton Cantlon and William E
, Townsend.
This makes total of 80 enlisted
men who have been trained in the
preliminary class here and sent to the
, Pensacola naval air station.
, With the ending of the preliminary
work here, two local Reserve aViatorS
who have been engaged in instructing
the class have been ordered on active
duty and sent to Pensacola to aSsist
, in the advanced work. They arr
Lieut.. Thomas W. Wagner and Ensign
William S. Carroll
Lieut. Marcellus 3 Johnson. Avia-
, tion Reserve, on active duty here
{ has been promoted to that rank, il
9 was announced at the reserve head.
quarters here.
. DR.. Custis Lee Hall has been ap.
pointed a lieutenant commander II
the Naval Reserve Medical Corps.
The following promotions in the
fleet divisions have been announced
Arthur C. Lembeck from hospita
{ apprentice. second to first class. &c
= Division: Francis L. Moore, hoSpita
!, apprentice. second to first class, SC
Division; Lester NJ. Sanders, ship!
: cook, first class. to storekeeper, 81
Division.
Record has been received Of the
transfer here of Lewis w. Dickson
: radioman, third class. Naval Com
munications Reserve, from the 18th
Naval District, with headquarters at
Seattle, Wash.
B. P. o. ELKS
The mock trial of James T. Ed