Evening star., 1938-06-19
RESERVES JOYFUL
ON BILL PASSAGE
long-Sought Changes in
1925 Act Go to the
President.

PreSl0ent.
The amendments to the Naval Re-
serve Act of 1925, which both reservists
and the Navy Department have been
striving for several years, were enacted
by Congress last week and sent to the
President for his signature. After II
got out of the House Committee or
Naval Affairs, it passed with only a
few amendments, thus leaving it In
substantially the same language as il
was sent by the Navy Department
The Senate adopted the conference re-
port on Wednesday,
Local officers were particularly an
xious to see the legislation completed
at this session because it contains pro-
visions to increase the number of en-
listed men authorized to be appointed
yearly to the Naval Academy at An
napolis from the Reserve to so. It also
provides that if any of the so vacancies
allowed to regular enlisted men Of the
Navy are not filled for any year, then
these are to go to Reservists. The leg
islation will permit the larger number
to go In this year, and it was indicated
that it will practically take care OF
every one who has successfully passed
the preliminary examinations.
The local Reserve made another
~, ~T
listed men who have passed the requi-
site examinations. They will enter
the Academy on July /,
In view of the fact the President
permitted the bill to be introduced and
approved by the Bureau Of the Budget,
Is taken as an indication it will be
signed.
The new legislation changes the
status of several of the Reserve
branches, the most important of which
Is that naming the present fleet Re-
serve, which is the actively drilling
organization to the special Reserve.
which is available for immediate mo-
bilization in the event of an emergency
requiring this step.
Although 1t recognizes the naval
militia of the various States. it leaves
no loophole for these militiamen to
escape service in time Of war by virtue
OF the fact that they are enlisted in
the State militia: that is, if they also
are members of the Naval Reserve.
1t further provides for the loaning of
naval equipment to naval militia units,
but prohibits such loans unless at least
95 per cent of its personnel also be-
longs to the Naval Reserve and is at
tached to or associated with an organi-
cation of the special Reserve, and un-
less its organization, administration
and training conform to the standards
prescribed by the Secretary of the
Navy for such units.
The Navy Department announced
that the new edition of the Blue
Jackets Manual contains certain
changes in the manual of arms. due
to appear in a revised edition of the
Landing Force Manual which. how
ever. has not yet been published. AL
though 1t was pointed out that the
Blue Jackets Manual is a standard
work and badly needed at this time
1t is not an official publication. Never
theless, many feet divisions of the
Reserve have put the changes into
effect in the assurance that the Blue
Jackets Manual was approved for the
training of the Reserve.
The Naval Reserve Inspection Board
has acquiesced in this view. it was
said, as to procedure on the remaining
inspections of the current year. For
the present the Bureau of Navigation
of the Navy Department is authoriz-
Ing, but not requiring the new pro-
eedure.
The Navy Department has just an
nounced its policy with regard to the
employment of training of Naval Re-
serve aviation cadets after appoint
ment as naval aviators, about which
there has been some confusion.
The aviation cadet program, the
department said, was initiated to fill
q shortage in naval aviator compile
ments and to build up a Naval Re-
serve to meet the mobilization re-
quirements for naval aviators. Under
the provision of law aviation cadets
are eligible after completion of their
period OF active duty for commissions
IN the Naval Reserve or in the Marine
Corps Reserve. Aviation cadets take
precedence next before warrant off,
GERS, and their status is held to be
that of junior officers, analogous to
the status of midshipmen ordered to
sea as junior officers At no time. it
was pointed out, has the Bureau of
Navigation considered aviation cadets
as probable source for commissioned
ofhcers of the regular Navy, nor has
any action or statement by that bu-
reau at any time lent announcement
to such an assumption.
Aviation cadets and naval aviators
commissioned as officers of the Naval
Reserve are. specialists recruited for
the sole purpose of meeting naval
aviation requirements Their train
ing and active duty assignments
should be based specifically on this
fundamental premise, it was said.
In order to perform his duties ef-
hciently, the department pointed out.
. naval aviator must be familiar with
such subjects as naval customs and
procedures, naval discipline and ad-
mlnistration, types of ships, forma-
lions. tactics, small boat handling
and he should, next to being an expert
nyer, attain the highest degree of
efficiency in general naval knowledge,
as distinguished from proficiency in
the aviation speciality, bears a def
mite relation to the naval aviator's
rank and position in the naval avia-
ton organization.
In aircraft carriers, at naval air
statlons, etc, an aviation cadets
duties directly connected with avia-
ton require his entire time. In bat
tleshrps and cruisers restrictions fire.
quently unavoidably placed on air
operations may leave an aviation
cadet time for duties not specifically
connected with this speciality. Such
A..A- l.