Evening star., 1938-07-24
RESERV|STSSTUDY
CHANGES IN LAW
Retirement Is Provided for
Some Groups Under
Special Conditions,

Special Conditions.
Naval Reserve officers here are
studying the new Naval Reserve Act.
which, In many instances, changes
the act Of 1925. and k intended to
permit the Reserve TO improve it,
efficiency. Under the new law, the
Fleet Reserve which Is the actively
drilling unit becomes the Organized
Rserve, as compared with the Fleet
Reserve which is made up OF enlisted
men who have performed active duty
with the feet in the regular servics
and have been transferred to the Re.
serve.
One section permits men to retire.
In certain instances they are placed
on an honorary retired list, without
pay, and in other cases with pay. The
latter makes it possible to give so per
cent retirement pay to q group Of
officers who have had long service on
active duty as Reserve officers, and
who have been engaged here and in
the various naval districts in super.
vising Reserve activities They must
have had 80 years of service, or in
some instances 20 years of service,
the last 10 OF which must have been
OF this section, it was said, men Of
the honorary retired list who have
had not less than 80 years active
service, or who have had not less than
20 years active service, the last 10
of which shall have been performed
Immediately prior to their transfer TO
the honorary retired list, will be en-
titled to pay at the rate Of one-haH
their active duty rate Of pay. There
is no similar section in the old law.
1t WAS pointed out that in the years
to come the retirement clause prob
ably will affect from IS to 20 officers.
The question was raised in Congress
as to why some of the regular officers
who are thrown on the retired list
at As years Of age, and who are con.
sidered better qualified for this duty,
are not given preference for these as
signments 1t was pointed out that
these men have given their lives to
the service, and when passed into civil
life could certainly render better serv-
ice than those who have been merely
in the Reserve. No satisfactory an.
swer was given. The explanation was
that II retired officers were recalled
to active duty for this purpose they
would have to be paid their active
duty pay On the other hand, the Re-
serve officers get substantially the
same pay as would be paid to the
active officers If recalled to duty.
From the Reserve viewpoint, it was
said that it did not want officers who
have been passed over and retired
from the Navy for failure to be Sc
lected, to be assigned to the Reserve
and have the feeling that the latter
are being trained by second-rate ON.
GERS. 1t was explained that was the
feeling. although it may not actually
be fact. Passover officers were not
wanted. On the other hand, 1t was
added that 1t would be far better than
TO put regular ofncers on the retired
list because they fail of promotion BY
selection to give them these Reserve
assignments. It was suggested that
instead Of calling into active duty the
men IN the Reserve, some Of this per.
sonnel already in the Navy should
be used, because 1t was the opinion
| Aox hnffaY Ia rk DRRN1rA
than the majarity because they are
graduates Of the United States Naval
Academy.
| Some Of the officers who are on ac-
tive duty status for indefinite periods
are graduates of the Naval Academy.
but left the service for reasons Of their
own and entered the Reserve. Then
probably because Of the shortage Of
jobs in civil life befitting their train
ing, particularly during the period Of
the depression, they obtained billets in
the Navy and were assigned to duty
| in connection with the training Of
the Reserve and have remained for q
number Of years. Some Of them have
have been on active duty In their
States for years, being assigned TO
the administrative offices in the naval
districts and to the duties OF conn
manding training ships during the
summer cruise periods.
With the large funds appropriated
by Congress for the construction Of
public works throughout the country.
| local ReServists are looking for an
opening to get in bid for an armory
to house not only their own units
here. but also the Marine Corps Re-
serve. The present armory Ia so
cramped that satisfactory indoor drills
cannot be put on during the winter
months, when they must conflne their
training to indoor work. Furthermore.
increases in the strength have served
to cramp the organization for locker
space and for classrooms where proper
instruction may be given by the officers
and petty officers.
In addition to the Organized Re-
serve, the actively drilling unit, there
Is housed in the same building the
communications division, which has to
have space for the radio station allo-
Gated here, and are for the large
number of telegraph keys which are
necessary in instructing the men IN
radio code work and traffic before they
are permitted to touch key which
leads out into the air. =.
Plans for special armory were
prepared several years ago and had the,
approval at that time of the COM
mandant of the Washington Navy
Yard and the Navy Department. but
that as far as they have gotten.
The Marine Corps Reserve unit also
has very poor quarters, cramped so
much that there is no indoor place
for winter drills. The proposed new
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