Evening star., 1937-10-17
Macy Inaugurates Training
Of Merchant Marine Sailors
First Contingent Is Taken on Cruise of
Battleship " yoming to Guam.
tan0n1O, Cuba.

After years Of constant effort on the
part Of the Navy Department to OBJ
tain sufncient appropriation with
which to begin the training Of the
officers and men Of the Merchant
Marine Reserve, the work has finally
started. The battleship Wyoming OF
the Atlantic Training Squadron Il
now steaming to the American naval
base at Guantanamo, Cuba, with 81
officers and 13 enlisted men aboard.
While these are all seafaring men
who have been taken into the Mer-
chant Marine Naval Reserve, never
theless they have never been indoc-
trinated with naval practices, and II
is the desire Of the Navy Department
If this experiment proves successful, to
report the results to Congress and
seek to begin the training of a larger
number next year.
There are many requirements in the
operation Of naval vessels in time OF
war with which the merchantmen are
not familiar. Although a number OF
them were enrolled in the Naval Re-
serve at the beginning of the World
War and many were taken with their
ships when they were commandeered
for troop transports and other aux
iliaries, it required many months OF
intensive training to have these men
learn the naval practices, among the
most important of which was to op-
crate their ships in formation with
other ships of the fleet and convoy
with which they were operating.
The men now cruising on the battle
ship were drawn from the ships Of Il
companies. None of them has had les,
than three years seagoing experience
in the merchant marine
A number Of these officers are oi
the rank which would entitle them
to be commanders or executive off.
GERS Of auxiliaries, such as supply
ships, ammunition ships and the like
but it is held to be of utmost i'm
portance that they be thoroughly in
structed in naval procedure before
given commands.
the situation, the armistice was agreed
upon before many of the merchant
officers were considered ready to take
naval ship commands. and many of
them were given commands during
the period that the ships were hauling
troops back from France. But at that
time the ships were not travelling in
formation, but were making trips and
turn arounds, singly, as fast as they
could negotiate the distance between
Europe and the United States.
j. M. Chamberlain has been com.
missioned an ensign in the Nava,
Communication Reserve. The oath
was administered last week by Lieut.
Comdr. Charles B. Mcvay. Sd, U. 8
~, in charge Of Naval Reserve activi.
ties here.
The Naval Communication Reserve
plans to operate booth in the Wash.
angton Navy Yard on Navy day.
A Navy day message will be broad.
cast on Navy day. In this connection
1t was announced that the American
Radio Relay League also will conduc
receiving competition. Reservist.
are urged to copy the message ant
mail it to the leagues headquarter
at West Hartford, Conn, from which
it will be forwarded to naval radit
headquarters. Letters of appreciation
signed by the Secretary of the Navy
will be sent persons who submit per.
feet copies of this broadcast. TIL,
| transmission will be at the rate O
approximately 20 words a minute.