Evening star., 1936-02-09
Naval Reserve Annual
Tests to Be Held April Is
Active Preparations to Appear Before Board
of Regular Officers Being Made
by Citizen Sailors.

duOptcu, WOuIu have Tie e1eCL OF put
ting more politics in the reserve op-
Grafton than Is prevalent at the pres
ent time, and younger officers contend
that this should not be.
In connection with the study Of
Naval Reserve operation and the need
for legislative changes in the act un-
der which it now operates, it was
pointed out that soS1e Of the principal
recommendations Of the Navy Depart
ment which were not incorporated in
the 1925 act are:
A clause making it obligatory for
all enlisted men to serve four years in
the Fleet Naval Reserve upon termina-
ton Of their enlistment in the Regular
Naval Reserve.
An age in grade for the retirement
Of Naval Reserve officers.
One-third pay for transferred feet
reservists after 20 years service, in.
stead of one-half pay, as enacted.
Privileges should be extended to
marine superintendent, port captains
and port engineers, under certain con-
oitlons, to enroll in the Merchant
Marine Naval Reserve.
1t was intended that the total mum.
Der of Fleet Reserve line officers above
tne grade OF lieutenant commander
should be 44/l0Q Of / per cent of the
total number of enlisted men organized
and on a pay status AS finally an
proved, the act provided that the total
number OF line officers of all classes of
the Naval Reserve should be 44llO0
OF per cent of the total number of
enlisted men organized and drilling in
pay status. This resulted, it was
said, in those vacancies intended for
the Fleet Reserve only, being filled by
offlcers OF the Merchant Marine and
volunteer Reserve, who were in tha
naval Reserve force at the time OF
enactment of the new law and were
automatically transferred thereby to
the newly-created Naval Reserve.
Although the 1925 act, it is con.
tended, was great factor in harmon.
zlng the existing conflicting elements
at the time OF its passage, certain
minor defects have become evident
during the 10 years of Naval Reserve
administration under its provisions.
Some of the laws applying to the
Naval Reserve do not differentiate be.
tween the two classes of Fleet Reserve
In the transferred class and the en-
rolled civilian component. This often
Ieaos to considerable confusion when
the term Fleet Reserve" is used and
has at times worked adversely to the
Naval Reserve as a whole.
The report of the board of officers
says that the failure to provide a rea-
sonable number of officers above the
grade OF lieutenant commander for
each class Of reservists, fleet. volunteer
and merchant marine, and the failure
to provide for reasonable flow of pro.
motion, by establishing an age in
grade retirement in each grade. has re-
suited in decreased morale in the
Naval Reserve as a whole. The lower
grades. it was said. now contain many
ofhcers too old for their rank.
Although there has been a material
increase in the reserve, the board OF
officers pointed out that the Naval Re.
serve is still far from being adequate,
even in numbers enrolled. No funds
have ever been provided for the train.
ing OF the Merchant Marine Naval
Reserve and only an insignificant
amount for the Volunteer Naval
Reserve
An analysis of the annual estimates
submitted by the Navy Department,
compared with the funds actually ap-
propriated, reveals that in three cases
in II years Congress made reductions
IN the Navy Department estimates; in
two cases the appropriations were the
same as the estimates, and in six cases
Congress actually increased the appro-
priations over and above that in the
approved Navy budget.
This analysis also shows that it has
been necessary to cut the sea going
overhead in order to provide sufficient
funds for training of the sea-going
reserves. This reduction in overhead
was accomplished by carrying numbers
in the feet divisions below desired COM
plement and reducing the number of
eagle boats and other vessels for
training, notwithstanding the gradual
increase in the total number of re.
serves enrolled.
However, it was said that the in.
creases in aviation expenses should be
noted, which it is held to be the princi-
pal reason for not having increased
funds for the sea-going reserves.
The board further says that the
relative Importance of the Volunteer
and Merchant Marine Naval Reserve
has grown well beyond the ideas Of
the trainers of the Naval Reserve act
of 1925. Within the Volunteer Re-
serve, the Naval Communication Re.
serve has been developed. This is com.
posed of TOO officers and 1000 enlisted
men, most Of whom are civilian COM
munication experts. They own and
operate 2,400 amateur radio stations
and operate 81 Government-owned
radio training stations. They also
operate under emergency status in
connection with the American Red
Cross during disasters. Also. the vol-
unteer class is held to be of greater
Importance due to the increasing num-
bers of r. o. T. C. graduates who
enroll, Pensacola graduates with the
designation of naval aviator, and all
grades Of specialists in both line and
staff.