Evening star., 1936-04-12

~ were held and preliminary
4 a inspections conducted by off,
GERS OF the Regular Navy, including
Rear Admiral J. r. Defrees, COM
mandant of the Washington Navy
Yard and of the local Reserves. the
lst Battalion. United States Naval
Reserves in the District Of Columbia,
commanded by Lieut.. James E. Sui
livan, will march on their drill hall
floor tomorrow night prepared to meet
the tests which the United States
Naval Inspection Board, composed OF
regular officers from the Navy De-
partment, will lay down for them.
Never before, according to officers
familiar with the work of the local
outfit, has the organization been so
well prepared for an annual inspec-
tion as it is at this time, and the be-
lief has been expressed that they are
expected to receive higher marks on
these tests than in any time of their
postwar history.
Every fault found in the last annual
inspection as evidenced by the written
report submitted by the inspection
board at that time has been carefully
checked, and, in addition the number
of inspections by other regular naval
officers this year has been larger than
heretofore. Both officers and men
have been pressed to prepare to the
utmost, and the petty officers have
been drilled In their class room work
so that they can pass the written
tests which are required by the
board. For these tests every man
must be at his best, for the board
does not require tests from each petty
officer, because of the limitation of
time on the inspection. But it selects
petty officer from each group of
specialists. and on the marks received
by him his associates in that group
and in the battalion are marked. So
it was pointed out, the officers have
striven to make each petty officer a
No. l man to represent the battalion.
Uniforms and equipment have been
and the men have been instructed TO
put in their appearance tomorrow
night in their best, for one Slovenly
man can pull down marks for which
the battalion as a whole has striven
for weeks to obtain.
Every detail of the work Of Naval
Reservists has been thoroughly gone
into by Lieut. Sullivan. who has in
sisted that the division and platoon
officers keep constantly at their tasks
Of keeping the men in the best of
shape and the drills of the best. En-
phasis has been laid on the impor-
tance of organization and Of every
man knowing his detailed job when
particular drills are called for.
Sharply at 8 o'clock tomorrow
night the battalion will be presented
to the president of the board. who
then will assign various tasks TO
his assistants on the board and for
more than two hours there will be hus-
tie every minute as the men are taker
from one drill TO another. including
battle stations, fire drill, abandon
ship, deck seamanship, infantry, wal
scaling and the like.
While no formal plans are made II
entertain any guests for the evening
because of the fact that the duties
will require the full attention of the
officers, it is expected that many
friends of the officers and men viii
be present to watch the orga nizatior
go through the details OF the program
Through their steady training
throughout the year and with tn
benefit of the aid given them by tn
regular officers at the navy yard, 81
say nothing of the large amount o
instruction and advice given them b!
Lieut.. Comdr. Mark H. Crouter, U. S
N. inspector instructor, assigned t.
the local battalion. the officers expec
to move considerable steps nearer th'
winning of the trophies than at an!
time heretofore. These trophies. do
mated by the Naval Reserve Officers
Association, are awarded each yea
to the division and battalion, reSpec'
lively. which completes the inspection
tests with the higher figure of merit
as shown by the reports of the In
spection Board.
Views Of the Naval Reserve Officers
Association on the proposed new Law
for governing the formation ant
training Of the United States Nava
Reserve were given the Naval Affair
Committee recently by Capt. Leo w
Hesselman, Reserve, president Of tn
association.
THE views of the Naval Marin
Corps Reserve members Of the associa
ton, as to desirable provisions to b
incorporated in a new Naval Reserv
law have been collated, and it
possible at this time to set forth som
principles and ideas for consideration
as basis for the new law. Thes
principles and ideas have in larg
measure been advocated by resolution
adopted at annual conventions of tn
association and otherwise through tn
present functioning of the committe
and its advisory councils.
"The work of the committee ha
included a study relative to existin
conditions in the Naval Reserve an,
the Marine Corps Reserve. including
the sea-going aviation and specialist
branches, with a view toward the i'm
provement of the national defense b.
the beneficial results of new basi
Naval Reserve law. Broadly stated
the problem appears to consist of get
ting the maximum number of trained
or partially trained, men at a mini
mum of EXPENSE portion Of thes'
men to be ready for service at mobili
zation date, and a larger portion
shortly thereafter. 1t cannot be ques
toned that the efficiency of the Re
serve forces of our Navy and Marine
Corps is only that which the Navy anc
Congress desire to create, but it shoulc
be stated also-in view Of existing
world conditions-that the United
States Naval Reserve Officers' Associa'
ton has indicated from time to tint
by its recommendations that it decline,
to assume the responsibility for con.
ditin,, Sphero noyer strength reserve