Evening star., 1938-06-26
NAVAL RESERVE
GROUP IS LAUDED
Battalion Chief Commends
Officers and Men on
Duties.


High commendations were bestowed
On members Of the lst Battalion, Dis
trict Naval Reserves last week. when
1t. James E. Sullivan, commanding
the unit. addressed the personnel on
their duties. He praised them for
their devotion to duty and the in
terest they have shown in the Re-
serve, both in their attendance and
their work in the drills. and particu-
larly for the manner in which they
carried out their missions during the
recent annual inspection.
He said that the caliber of the men
was far above the average. He called
attention that the only reasons for the
existence Of the Naval Reserve is that
In time Of emergency 1t may do its
part when called upon. In time Of
war, he added, the local battalion will
furnish, with its three divisions, the
skeleton crews needed to man three
fighting ships. This, he said, Is its
mission.
Even in time of peace, he said, 1t is
well known that not every one Is per-
mitted to serve in the Navy and that
the local Reserve has been chosen from
likely material. thoroughly examined
physically and mentally, and found
fit to serve his country. The small
compensation that Is paid them in
money cannot begin to compensate for
the time and interest all Of them have
shown, he added. Going back few
years, he reminded them when the ap-
propriations for the Reserve were not
available, and the nightly attendance
at the armory showed no decline,
which indicated to him that the in
terest Of the men was not pecuniary.
He added, however, that the devotion
and interest shown during those lean
years seems to him to have increased
annually, which, he asserted, was most
gratifying and inspiring to him and
the ofhcers of the organization.
1t. Sullivan said the immediate OBJ
jective is preparation for the annual
cruise aboard the battleship Texas,
probably to foreign port to liberty.
In the new law which has been
passed by Congress governing the
Naval Reserve, there has been retain
ed a provision which has been sought
by a group of Naval Reserve officers
for long time. 1t provides for re-
tirement pay for this group. a class
that has been retained on active duty
for many years, engaged in the admin
istration of the Naval Reserve. They
are not regular officers, although some
of them have graduated from the
Naval Academy, and have resigned
their commissions for various causes,
many Of them going into civil occupa-
tions. However, subsequently they
entered the Reserve and were able to
get called to active duty on an in
definite status and number OF them
have been in for years.
1t has long been contended by a
group Of the younger officers Of the
Reserve that these administrative po-
sitions should be distributed around,
or in other words there should be rota-
ton. The officers thus called into ac-
tive duty in most instances have per-
manent shore Jobs, and are not subject
to the constant transfer from ship to
shore and vice versa as are the regular
onicers. However. in some instances
they are placed in command Of train
ing ships in the summer. particularly
those assigned to places on the Great
Lakes.
During the course of the hearings on
the measure, the opinion was ex-
pressed by some members of Congress
that these assignments should be
given to officers who were not selected
for promotion and who are separated
their background Of training at the
Naval Academy better fitted them for
the duty Of instructing the Reserve
However, from the Reserve high COM
mand came objection on the ground
that the Reserve might feel that they
were being instructed by second-rate
officers. This was declared not to be
the case. The section has been long
fought for by a group OF officers who
have intrenched themselves in the
permanent active duty assignment,
and it was permitted to stay in the
bill. There is little likelihood that the
group now in will be removed to make
way for younger officers until they
have completed sufficient time to be
able to profit from the retirement pro-
vision.
Although officers Of the merchant
marine and volunteer classes have
never before been paid for drills or
administrative work which they per-
form, the new law opens up another
avenue Of compensation. In many
cases, particularly in the communica-
tions Reserve divisions. one OF which
is here. no provision has been made
for paying the men. However, the
new legislation will permit the pay
ment Of compensation at the rate of
s240 q year to commanding officers
having administrative duties. Fleet
Reserve officers, commanding divisions,
now get this amount, in addition to
their drill pay.
The Navy Department has inaugu-
rated the preparation of q series Of
lectures on naval subjects to be deliv-
cred by qualified lecturers before
groups Of all classes Of the Naval Re-
serve with the idea Of providing we'll
rounded instruction and indoctrina-
ton. These are Of particular value to
officers Of the Volunteer Reserve. many
OF whom hold commissions in the Or
ganization but know little or nothing
Of the Navy, its backgrounds. its pro-
cedure or requirements This Is due
to the fact that many Of the officers
commissioned In the volunteer branch
are civilians whose civilian work of
technical knowledge fits them to be of
service to the Navy in some capacity
in time OF war.
They are not required to attend any