Evening star., 1938-06-12
DC. RESERv|STS
ARE HIGH IN TESTS
35 in Naval Battalion Pass
Examinations for US.
Academy.


The 1st Battalion, District Naval
Reserve. still remains the strongest
contender for appointments to the
United States Naval Academy, &C.
cording to figures received here on
the result of the recent examinations
which were conducted among candi-
dates for appointment to the institu-
tion in the class which will enter on
July /. It was learned IS enlisted
men Of the local battalion have sue
cessfully passed the tests out Of .
total Of SO candidates for the country
at large. Their names have not been
made public
However, only rs, the highest on
the list for the country at large, will
receive the appointments, as this Ia
the limit allowed by law. There il
hope among the battalion officers THAI
Congress will pass legislation, now
pending in the House Of Representa-
tives. to increase the number of ap-
pointments to so enlisted men, In
any event, it was said that there
Is probability that even If some Of
these men are not fortunate enough
to obtain one Of the Reserve appoint
ments, they might be able to OBJ
tain either congressional or presi-
Dental appointments. Not a few OF
the young men in the local outfit are
sons of naval officers, some of whom
are on duty in the District Of Co.
lumbia.
Last year the local organization
captured Is of the rs appointments,
and officers point out that this is an
indication of the high type of young
men who are members of the enlisted
branch Of the local outfit. In the en-
listments here, officers in charge OF
recruiting and the battalion COM
mander, 1t. James E. Sullivan, have
made every effort to pick only the best
young men of the city, and because
Of the great number Of applicants
who appear each Tuesday night for
enlistment they have an opportunity
to do much choosing. They want only
young men who have good education
and who will be interested in the work
Of fitting themselves for service with
the fleet in time Of war. As q mat
ter OF fact, it was pointed out that,
owing to the limitation on the number
OF men in each division OF the bat
talon, the demand for enlistments
Is so great that the organization
cannot possibly absorb all Of those
who apply.
IL "a @tva%
Is or 20 appointments this year, thus
leaving gap in the ranks of the three
divisions, the organization still has
available on its applicant list enough
young men to take their places Those
desiring to avail themselves of this
opportunity must enlist prior to July
l next. as they must have served at
least one year in the Reserve at the
time of their entrance into the naval
school, and also they must have at
tended at least rs armory drills dur.
ing the year.
Although the local Reservists are not
scheduled to start their annual sea
training cruise until September 9, ac-
tive preparations are going forward at
the battalion headquarters in the
Washington Navy Yard. The 1st Bat
talon will take its training cruise
aboard the battleship U. s. s. Texas.
Although each Of the three divisions is
organized rs the nucleus of Q destroyer
crew, and their annual training is
usually aboard this type Of vessel, the
department has decided this year to
take the entire battalion out at one
time on battleship, In order to
broaden their training.
More preparation Is being made this
year. it was said. than ever before, be-
cause OF the fact that the Navy De-
partment has indicated to the Reserv-
lists that cruise participation and
training Is to be given greater weight
in marking the divisions for eficency
at the time of the annual inspections.
which are conducted in the armories
by board of Regular officers from the
Navy Department.
Under the new system the cruise
work will be given a net weight Of so
per cent in q total marking Of 100
per cent. This will include q mark
for the number Of men Of each divi-
sion who participate in q cruise. as
compared with the number Of men on
the rolls, and also a mark as to the
efficiency with which they perform
their duties while out for training.
The local units will 60 to Phliadel-
phia, Pa. by train to board the Texas.
and will be debarked there upon COM
pletion OF the tour Of duty. While 1t
was indicated that the Texas will 20
to Cuba, 1t has not been definitely
determined what port there will be
visited to give the Reservists their
n1idcruise week end liberty. 1t was
frst announced that they would 90
to the naval station at Guantanamo.
but this Is said now not to be final.
IN view Of the fact that there are not
any attractions there for naval men
on shore leave. However, it is likelv
that the Texas will 60 to the vicinity
OF Guantanamo, at least during the
second week Of the tour of duty, in
order that the Reservists may have
their annual target practice. A new
system Is to be tried this year which
Will involve the necessity of sending
out towed target. 1t is this phase
OF the cruise which the local Reservists
are looking forward to with much in
terest, as they will be among the first
to inaugurate the new system for
which the Reservists have been striv-
ing for years to have the Navy Depart
ment put into effect.
With the arrival of good weather.
the officers Of the local Reserve are
again faced with the problem of pro.
viding sufficient and adequate week.
end training facilities afioat. with
only a small naval launch, fitted with
cabin, at their disposal, they are
finding 1t dificult to meet the re.
quests of the large number Of enlisted
men who each week end seek an
opportunity to participate in this
training, which not only IL without
pay, but on which the men have to
IL