Evening star., 1938-03-27
RADIO UNIT PLANS
FOR ANNUAL TESTS
Naval Communications Men
: to Have Own
Inspection.

| The annual inspection for the Naval
| Communications Divisions, a volunteer
unit OF the local Reserve establish.
ment, is being arranged.
| This group Is specialized unit.
made up as it is of experts in com.
munication in all it's branches, in.
Guiding radio, telegraph, telephone.
However, the great majority of the
members are either "hams"-that is,
amateur radio operators-the branch
of radio which has distinguished itself
many times throughout the country
when catastrophe has fallen, cutting
off particular areas from outside com.
munication.
1t was indicated by the commander
inspection will be between April IS
and May IS.
Members of this division, although
they drill weekly in the same manner
as the Fleet Reserve, do not receive
drill pay as in that branch. Each
gives his time to training. without
any hope of remuneration, and If he
wants to take an annual cruise he
has to wait until the department pro-
vides space on some vessel But even
then it costs him money, because
he has to pay for his transportation
to and from the port to which he
is directed to board the training vessel,
and must pay his way home.
Efforts have been made from time
to time to have Congress correct this
deficiency, but so far without avail.
The Navy Department and Naval Re-
serve officers generally have been
strongly in favor of the matter, and
the former has presented the matter
direct to the congressional committees
during the consideration of the fund
bills for the support of the Navy and
the Naval Reserve.
Many of the members OF the local
Fleet Battalion of Naval Reserves will
get their first taste of swinging a
hammock when they turn in at night
on their coming cruise aboard the
Battleship Texas. At the same time
| the information that the organization
will take its training this year aboard
a battleship instead of a destroyer
has set the Supply Department to
work to finding enough hammock gear
to fit out the entire. battalion. The
situation has been further compli-
Gated by the fact that the size of
the three divisions has just been in
| creased.
Members of the Naval Commune
cations Division who desire active
| duty during April or May have been
instructed to send their names to
their division commander. The prep
aration of such ready list will enable
the officers to make prompt selections
in the event word is received from
the Navy Department that vacancies
| on various ships are available for
filling by Naval Reservists desiring
training.
Although the local feet divisions
are going right ahead in q routine
way to prepare for the annual cruises.
nevertheless they are going to use
the period between now and Septem-
Der to stress the importance Of train
ing gun crews. Particular attention
will be given to training now, because
the crews not only will fire battleship
second batteries this year, but also
will be among the first to inaugurate
the new system of target practice
which is being experimental with as a
reserve work this year.
While details of the plan have not
been received, the gun crews will be
organized, and the point will be
| stressed to them that under the new
system they must get direct hits in
| order to make high score, instead
of hitting close to the targets, as has
been the plan for number of years,
| system which the Reservists have
been opposing for a long time.
! Naval officials have become con-
cerned over some of the wording in
the Naval Reserve Act which, they
fear, will prevent them from using
the officers of the Naval Reserve to the
fullest extent in time of national emer-
gency. They brought the matter to
the attention of Congress, when it
was explained that of the 10000 Naval
Reserve officers now on the rolls $500
of them are above the grade OF lieu
| tenant. 1t was pointed out, under
| the wording on the statute books,
those above the rank of lieutenant
could not be used because of the re-
striction which limits the number
that can be used on active duty above
| the grade of lieutenant in the pay of
their grades to 90 Any excess used
| in this group could be held on active
duty for period of only four months
and then only at the pay of leu
| tenant.
1t is obvious to those familiar with
the situation that it was never the
intention of the naval officials or of
| Congress that this should be so. When
the law was passed, authorizing the
employment of Naval Reserve officers
on indefinite periods of active duty,
other than for training, in order to
carry on the work of the Naval Re-
serve during peace times, there was
an apparent disposition to give Jobs
to high-ranking Naval Reserve off,
GERS. These assignments were given
W Ultll III llle naval ulSITlCLS, WIleTS
they were brought into active service
to direct Naval Reserve affairs. Their
recall to duty and assignment, Of
course, obviated the necessity of re-
lieving Regular officers from their
duties in order to carry on the nee
essary Naval Reserve work. How
ever, the younger officers of the Re-
serve realized that they would have
little opportunity of getting these as
signments, and as result the law
was changed.
The fact is, many of the duties de-
volving on these officers could just
as well be performed by lieutenants
and under, and many of the high
ranking officers were performing
duties not commensurate with their
rank. Congress, therefore, changed
the law to limit the number that
could be employed and provided that