Evening star., 1936-08-16
Ulcers and men located in the central

SeCtlOn OF Lne country, mlleS away
from the Atlantic or Pacific, where
the ships of the feet are cruising, the
transportation expenses run into a
large amount.
The Navy Department is fully
cognizant of this condition and has
looked favorable on proposals to pro-
vide for this training. but so far has
been unable to convince Congress Of
the necessity of providing funds.
In addition to the specialists, there
are scores of officers in the merchant
marine, men who actively follow the
sea as q means of livelihood, who are
members of Naval Reserve. While
these men are familiar with ship
operation, they are not familiar with
naval procedure and naval ship opera
tions, such as operating their ships
in formation as is required OF mer-
chant men during a war when they are
moved in convoy. They are not
trained in the intricate methods of
naval signalling and ship maneuver-
ing by signals, and this Is impera-
tive training, it was said. No pro-
vision is made for taking these men
to sea aboard ships of the fleet
where they could have this training.
While it was pointed out that
these men hold commissions and
will be subject to immediate call to
the colors in time of national emer-
gencv, it was asserted by those
familiar with the conditions in which
the NAVY found itself at the be-
ginning of the World conflict in hav-
ing its war plans materially slowed
down while these officers and men
are being given a So-called forced
draft period of training before they
can be considered qualified to take
their stations aboard active ships Of
the fleet. These marine reSerylStS,
for the most part. it was said, cannot
afford to lose the money 1t would cost
them to train for their positions under
the present conditions, and the only
way to bolster up this service and
| have it ready for an emergency Is
for Congress to provide for them to
take annual or quadrennial cruises.
Enthused over their work aboard
ship. the local naval reservists are
anxious to keep up their shipboard
training during the armory drill Pc
Rod. and expressed the hope upon
their return here that the Navy De-
partment will find it feasible to assign
here permanently for training pur-
poses a destroyer or other suitable YES
sci. With such a vessel here the officers
and men of the local battalion will
be able to keep in close touch with
| shipboard work not only during their
weekly drills but on weekend train
ing cruises which have proved so
| popular.
The local reserviSts now have only
a small launch here which does not
provide extensive training facilities,
but it is in so much demand for week
end cruises that its limited capacity
makes it possible only for man to
get one cruise during the open season
that the boat is in the water. During
the Winter months. because of its
size and the fact that it has a wood
hull, it is necessary to take it out
of the water On the other hand, with
destroyer or vessel of even smaller
type such as one of the Coast Guard
patrol boats a number of which have
been turned over to the Navy, with
their steel hulls, would make it pos
sible for the local reservists to make
full use of it during the entire year.
AS there are adequate heating facili-
ties aboard such vessels. it would be
possible to keep them in service at
all times.
Without such vessel the officers
and men have to use make-shift train
ing facilities in their armories, and
when they go aboard ship everything
is different 1t was pointed out that
as the men entered the naval service
instead of the land forces because they
like the water. it would maintain the
morale of the organizations by having
a ship assigned them on which they
could cruise and receive more train
ing than they can now under the pres
ent conditions.
1t was said that with the made
quate armory facilities here, it is very
difficult for the officers and men to
receive the full training they would
if a ship was here. Of course, it
would also improve their training con-
ditions If an adequate armory were to
be constructed, and on this problem
the officers have been working for
more than two years. as yet without
any definite result. Their project has
been approved by the local naval COM
mandant and by the Navy Depart
ment, but the most important thing
has not been obtained yet. and that is
funds for the construction. No money
would be needed for site, as that
now is available at an ideal location
in the Washington Navy Yard close
to the water front, where little time
would be lost in going from armory to
ship if the latter is also provided. Even
now when a destroyer is assigned here
for short periods for use in drilling,
the reservists are compelled to lose
considerable of their precious drill
time in going to and from the ship,
the present armory being located at a
considerable distance from the point
where such ships are usually docked.
HOYAI. ORDER OF MOOSEl