Evening star., 1937-11-07
ADMIRAL PRAISES
NAVAL RESERVES.
Navy Yard Commandant
Conducts Inspection of
District Battalion.

VUituuVtS IIIopCCtIUIl VI
District Battalion.
After putting the 1st Battalion
United States Naval Reserves in the
District of Columbia, through one OF
the stiffest inspections to which II
has ever submitted, Rear Admiral
George Pettengill, commandant of
the Washington Navy Yard and su-
pervisor of Reserve activities in this
district, praised them in the highest
He indicated he was extremely well
pleased with the appearance of the
men and complimented them on the
smartness with which they conducted
their drills and exercises. He said
during his long career in the Navy
he had made many inspections, both
of Regular Navy units and the Naval
Reserves. and added that there was
no question in his mind but that the
local battalion compared favorably
with the best of them.
All of the formal honors due his
rank was rendered the admiral as he
"came over the side" The band
played The Admirals March"
Following the formal exercises there
was a dance.
The vast improvement in the eff
cheney of the organization has been
attributed to 1t. James E. Sullivan,
who has commanded it during the last
three years.
The Reservists had their first drill
on the destroyer Leary last week. This
ship, commanded by 1t. Comdr. r. B..
Matthews, U. S. N, has been assigned
here for a period of several weeks to
give the Reservists opportunity to drill
with its equipment.
The fire and engine room gangs
were given instruction under the sem
ior engineer, 1t. Comdr. w. C. Lock-
hart. while Ensign H. Arthur Lamar
conducted the members of the seaman
branch around the ship to familiarize
them with the location of the equip
ment.
The Inspection Board, in its report,
just made public, said that armory
drilling was continued as primary
method of training The armory
training for the year was held to be
about on a par with that Of the pre-
ceding year and was satisfactory to
the extent that facilities permitted
Group drills, classes and individual
instruction were conducted by the
officers of the organization. Instruc-
tors from the Regular Navy assisted
extensively in the planning and exc
cution of drills.
The armories and facilities for
drills. the board continued, vary
greatly between organizations. Naval
militia armories we're said to be ex-
cellently equipped. These armories
arc furnished by the States in which
the units are located, the organizations
there having dual status of naval
militia and naval reserve units. But
many units. it, was held, and among
these Is the District of Columbia, are
housed in buildings too small or OF
construction that does not permit the
mounting of drill gun or heavy ma
chinery. Armories rented from the
National Guard are usually spacious,
but otherwise unsatisfactory. The
installation of permanent equipment
or the mounting of diagrams on the
walls is usually forbidden.
Armory training, in the opinion Of
the board, where suitable equipment
Is available and when supported by
a reasonable amount of cruising on
naval vessels, is regarded as adequate
for maintaining an efficient fleet re-
serve. The board recommends the
continuance of armory training, but
added that 1t considered it urgent
that Federal armories be provided for
those units which are still made
quately provided for.
The local Reservists for several
years have been trying to get some
governmental body to push their plan
for armory, but so far with negligible
results. Their present building is
held to be wholly unsuitable. All that
it needed, according to the officers,
Is funds with which to construct such
building, as site now is available
in the, Washington Navy Yard and
on the water front where they could
obtain the greatest amount of train
Ing in the open weather months
through the use OF small boats.
Training courses, the board reported
are used as far as they are available
for the instruction of enlisted men of
the battalion. These courses are more
necessary for the Reserves than for
the Regulars, due to the lack of equip
nent for practical instruction of Re-
serves. The board pointed to the in
adequacy of training courses, adding
that such courses for gunners' mates
and electricians mates are still being
withheld.
Measures undertaken by the Bureau
OF Navigation for the redistribution of
courses on hand in many places have
not yet been effective On the whole,
the board commented, this phase of
training has retrograded. 1t recon-
mended that the courses that have
peen banned to the Reserves as con-
tanning confidential matter be recast to
permit their issue.
Regular Navy instructors are as
signed to assist the detachment COM
manders In matters of training. How
ever, 1t was added that where trave,
has been necessary this has been re-
stricted during the months from Sep.
tember to June to twice. a month
visits, because of the limitation ot
funds. The instruction duty, for tht
most part, has been additiona. dut,
for the officers assigned to it. Some
units have expressed the desire thai
the instructor visit them on Other
nights, in addition to drill nights, fol
the especial instruction of the officers
This Is held to be desirable when tht
ohicers can assemble for such instruc.
ton.