Evening star., 1937-06-06

crease In the drill attendance Of ths
battalion during the .ast month, IL
was said, and the I'd Fleet Division
Is said to be still leading the rest. Ths
men are being prepared for the an.
nual training cruises which will bs
held this Summer.
1t was indicated the three division,
Will not 60 at the same times thi,
year. nor Is 1t likely their liberty port
Will be the same. 1t has been tn.
practice in the past few years to send
each division to the same liberty port,
and last year all three divisions went
together, but on separate destroyers.
during which they had considerable
training In fleet formation operation.
Although 1t has not been finally An
nounced, 1t was indicated the lst Fleet
Division will 60 to st. Thomas for IT,
liberty in the midcruise week end,
while the I'd and Sd Fleet Divisions
would take their liberty In Boston.
While the Naval Reserve under the
present law has only Is appointments
from the country at large, 1t was said
the increasing interest in reaching the
academy through this medium has IN.
dicated need for raising the number.
Recommendations have been made TO
Congress for an increase Of the pres.
ent quota to so enlisted men.
The preview Of special movie
which was given the battalion last
week proved so attractive the battalion
commander said he is making arrange :
ments to have preview Of some other
feature picture, As An appreciation for
the work OF personnel in bringing tn.
organization to such q high state OF
efficiency this year.
1t Is probable another picture will b.
shown June %. The inspection a.
that time will follow to a large extent
the tests used by the regular board O,
omcers IN conducting the annual In.
spections Of the battalion,
indications that preparations are
well under way for the annual cruises
are shown by the drill schedule for
the current month, with weekly BATH.
problems scheduled. During tn.
annual cruises each of the divisions
Is required to take the destroyer on
the range for target practice and to
indicate how we'll trained it is to take
the ship through battle in the event
that the task would fall to any OF
them. Each Of the local divisions il
trained to form the nucleus Of de-
stroyer crew in the event Of q ma.
tional emergency, 1t was said.
The 1st Fleet Division was Assigned
use Of the training launch for this
week end, and yesterday left the
Washington Navy Yard. Because of
Its size it is impossible to take all
Of the men who desire to make these
weekly voyages. The I'd Division will
take its turn next week, followed by
the Sd Division June 10 and the
recruit class June rs. During these
voyages the vessel goes down the Po.
tomac River, usually as far As Colonial
Beach, remaining until Sunday.
During the trip the men, under the
direction Of the officer in charge. ars
instructed in seamanship and small
boat operation, within the limits Of
the facilities provided by 80 small =
craft for such . large organization
into which the local battalion has
developed during the last few years.
Naval Reserve correspondence
courses are conducted from the fol.
lowing educational centers: Wash.
ington serves this city, the fourth. NTH
and sixteenth naval districts: New
York serves the first and third naval
districts; New Orleans serves tho
sixth, seventh. eighth, ninth and If.
tenth naval districts; San Francisco
serves the eleventh, twelfth. thirteenth
and fourteenth naval districts.