Evening star., 1937-08-15
Naval Reservists Begin
Training Program at Sea
One Division Now Cruising, Two Others Pre-
pairing for Voyages in North
Atlantic.

GERS and men, and they enter It with a
zest, striving to obtain from the Reg.
ular naval officers those marks which
will put them at the top Of the list
among the divisions Of the country.
The contacts made between the
Regulars and the Reserves during
these cruises is of decided benefit 10
both components, it was said, as :h,s
practically is the only contact Of the
year with each organization.
The lst Fleet Division lead in at
tendance last month. Its percentay.
was 92.8, per cent increase oyer
the previous month. The Sd Fleet
Division had a percentage of gl.7, but
with l.9 per cent increase, and the
I'd Fleet Division had 1871, With an
increase OF 18.
Figures made public by the Navy
Department show there were 1874 en-
rolled in the various correspondence
courses available to Naval Reservis.s.
There are 80 engaged in the navi-
CATION course, 9 in seamanship. 8 in
gunnery, 81 in Navy Regulation, q
Visual-communications courses, II in
engineering, 3 in international law. 9
in military law and II in naval in.
telligence.
Rotation in the active duty assign
ments of Naval Reserve officers Is
being sought by the younger element
in the Naval Reserve commissioned
personnel, on the ground that this
Will give larger number of them to
establish closer contact with the prac-
tees Of the naval establishment It
Was pointed out the practice is now
to keep some officers on an indefnits
active duty status for long periods.
whereas in the Army National Guard
omcers called to duty in the bureau
are required to rotate In this con.
nectlon. it was pointed out that the
proposed amendment to the naval re.
serve act provide that officers upon
transfer to the honorary retired list
may be paid reduced rate OF re-
tired pay, provided they have served a
certain minimum Of active service i'm
medlately prior to transfer to this list.
lhere are two ways of looking at thus
question, it was explained. Oficers
nearing the time for retirement could
seek one OF these coveted appoint
ments which would give them the
minimum period, and then. upon re-
tlrement. would continue to collec.
compensation from the Government.
On the other hand, the Navy Depart
ment would have it in its power to
prevent bolstering up this paid re-
tired list by declining to order to
active duty any officers who were
nearing the retirement age.
The provision, 1t was asserted.
might be the medium of favorinp
certain officers, whereas there might
be other officers who have spent all
OF their useful life in the Reserve, but
never were successful in getting the
indefinite duty, and thus would be
barred from the retirement provision.
There are hundreds of Naval Reserve
ofhcers who give unstintinRly of their
private, civilian time in the work Of
operating the Reserve They get paid
only for certain number of drills
year, and any extra time they give
in fostering the work Of the Reserve
Is at their own cost II all of these
officers were to be given the indef.
mite duty status just prior to retire.
ment, it would not be long before q
reserve retired list almost as large a.
that OF the Regular establishment
would be built up.
OF course. it was pointed out, that
ii there was some assurance that all
officers who give most of their active
lives to the work Of the Reserve would
receive some consideration on retire
ment there might not be as much
opposition to the provision as exists
because of the fact that as now wit
ten 1t appears to be highly discrimina-
tive.