Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-23
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VI identic bills, introduced in the
1 House and Senate proposing
to provide an Assistant Secretary Of
the Navy for the Naval Reserve are
skeptical as to whether the measures
will accomplish the intended purpose.
They point to the fact that the same
results were sought in the naming Of
an Assistant Secretary for Air in the
Navy Department. and this proved
unavoidable, and they see no reason
why the Reserve plan would be any
better. they say.
1t was pointed out that the meas
ures, in addition to creating the office
Of Assistant Secretary Of the Navy for
Air, provides for the detail of not less
than five officers Of the Naval Reserve
and one officer from the Marine Corps
Reserve to this office, on details to
run for four years each. It was said
that there is no limit, except that
which might be established by the
appropriations, to the number of Re-
serve officers who could be placed on
active duty in the Office.
The proposed legislation, it was as
serted, is intended to bring the regular
establishment and the Naval Reserve
in closer relationship, and to attempt
to get the appropriations increased to
the end that larger and more eff
Gent Reserve may result. However,
certain Reserve officers here who have
examined the bills expressed doubt
as to whether it would produce this
result. They point out that segrega-
ton of the Reserve in this manner may
tend to emphasize the differences that
now exist. Many Reserve officers have
been constantly striving to prevent just
this thing, and point out that the same
officers who direct the operation of the
Navy should control the affairs of
the Naval Reserve, which would be-
come a part of the regular establish
ment in the event of a national ener-
gency, which would call the Reservists
to active duty.
They express the fear that with
separation as is proposed in the bills it
would serve to infuse more politics
into the Reserve, and this would tend
to lower the present high morale, built
up under the control of the Navy De-
partment. It is pointed out that the
Reserve activities are going ahead now,
but there are in it certain officers who
are seeking to control its activities
through the medium Of politics. Even
if the bill is finally enacted, it was
asserted, the affairs Of the Reserve
would come directly under the chief
of naval operations as now, and that
the new bills would simply add addi-
tional personnel at the department,
which, it is asserted, is not needed
for efficient operation of this branch of
the service.
Already, it was pointed out, there is
confusion in interpreting the present
law, which was enacted In 1925, and
at the last hearings on the naval APP
preparation bill, which carries the
Naval Reserve appropriations, it was
suggested by the chairman of the SUBJ
committee that the whole law should
be studied to ascertain what, if any,
changes are required. At that time
he said:
why should the men be classified
as volunteer Naval Reservists. when
they have no drill and get no COM
pensation, but merely receive now and
then from the department a letter
telling them something about the
Navy. If we are going to have Re-
serve let us have one that Is worth
while.
"At the same time, it would be quite
beneficial, if necessary, to rewrite the
whole law until you put teeth into it
and provide for the building up of a
real Reserve"
In connection with the proposal in
the bills to provide separate depart
ment for the Naval Reserve, it is inter-
esting to note the report of the board
of naval and reserve officers who re-
Gently made study of the matter.
"The general naval policies" it was
there pointed out. indicate that the
existence and maintenance of an Or
ganized Naval Reserve affects all the
Offices and bureaus of the Navy De-
partment.
"All the functions of organization
and administration necessary to the
efficient operation of the regular Navy
are necessary, also to the operation of
the Naval Reserve.
"A clear understanding of the poll
cies and missions Of the Naval Reserve
and spirit of mutual support and CO.
operation between the regular Navy
and the Naval Reserve Is essential to
the development of an efficient Naval
Reserve which, in turn, will have its
bearing on the efficiency of the Navy.
1.-THE Naval Reserve is an integral
component of the Navy. Reservists
are assigned mobilization stations and
training Is given in executing assigned
tasks at these stations.
1.-THE development of the personnel
of the Naval Reserve depends largely on
the assistance given to it by the regu-
lar Navy and the material of the regu-
lar Navy which can be made available
to it,
"The various duties connected with
the development organization, train
ing and administration Of the Naval
Reserve cannot be performed by any
one bureau or Office Of the Navy De-
partment. They must be distributed
among all the bureaus and offices of
the Navy Department.
"The objective stated bv the NAVY
Department in proposing the Naval
Reserve act Of 1925 was to create an
adequate Naval Reserve for national
defense which was to be considered as
an integral part Of the Navy. The
first consideration was that the pro-
posed Naval Reserve must be compe-
tent for national defense and the Sec
ond that it should be arrived at by the
most economical methods.
Gan adequate Naval Reserve has not
been built up in accordance with the