Evening star., 1939-03-12
Naval Communication
Reservists May GET
Radio on New Ship
Troining Vessel Is
Equipped for
Wireless Set

Wireless Set
Members Of the Naval Communi.
cations Reserve Division here sec
greater opportunities for cruising
and getting radio transmission and
receiving training when the new
training vessel of the lst Battalion
arrives here, as a result of report
received by them from 1t c. Will
llams, who has just returned from
Charleston, S. c., where he partici-
pated, as a representative Of the
local reservists, in the regional con-
ferences on the proposed new regu-
latlons for the government of the
Naval Reserve under the act OF last
year.
1t. Williams inspected the vessel
which is being fitted out at the
navy yard there for duty here as a
Reserve training ship. He. informed
.the Communications personnel that
the vessel is equipped for radio in
sta llstion. AS a result of this in
formation it is probable that as
| soon as the shin arrives here efforts
will be made to have a radio send
ing set installed SO that some men,
bers of the. Communications Reserve
may be able to make week end trips
! to get first-hand instruction In the
care and operation of the apparatus
and to keep the vessel in touch with
! the Reserve Radio Station in the
armory in the Washington Navy
Yard. Special frequencies are pro-
weed for use OF the Reserve for
training purposes.
Inc Local communications divi-
sion has had steady growth and is
SAID to be making excellent nead-
way IN the training of men for
service IN maintaining the naval
coinmufcauonS Channels open dn
tlme OF national emergency as they
90 IN peace time during catas-
trophies in their own areas when the
regular lines of communication fail
/ The local division has 25 officers, in
Guiding four lieutenant commanders,
HVe Heutenants, six lieutenants,
Junior grade; nine ensigns and one
chief radio electrician. Its enlisted
personnel numbers 70, divided into
chief radiomen, l chief teleg-
rapher, 8 radiomen, first class; 10
radlomen, second class; l teleg-
rapher second class; 18 radiomen,
third class: l seaman, first class: 5
seamen, second class: % apprentice
seamen. 2 yeomen, second class, and
l yeoman, third class.
In PREPARATION for the annual
cruises, the places and dates of
which are expected to be announced
soon, special instructions are being
given the quartermaster and signal
ratings of the local battalion. Spe-
clal attention is being given to in
sruction in contact and tactical sig
mas. These latter will be very i'm
portant to them in the event that
the Navy Department this year Or
GERS the local reservlsts to resume
their cruises aboard t,otilla of de-
Stroyers. When operating in forma-
ton, the sigSalman is a very irnpor-
tant part O. the bridge personnel.
for on his accuracy and alertness
depends the effectiveness Of the
ship maneuvers. it was explained.
Although no inkling has been re-
ceived from the Navy Department
as to whether the local battalion
will be sent on battleship, it was
ndlcated that the local men would
like to have destroyer duty. and
Furthermore, that they would like
to go to a liberty port this year
which is more attractive than the
one to which they were sent last
summer at the Naval Station at
Guantanamo, Cuba.
The Navy Department has been
advised by the inspection board of
the great value to the education
and instruction of the Naval Re-
serve to be found in the assignment
OF deStroyerS and eagle boats to
dock near Reserve armories during
the non-cruising season to permit
the organizations to drill on board.
Whether the department will as
sign one of the vessels of the train
ing squadron to come here has not
been determined. because on several
previous occasions when such a
vessel was assigned here members
OF the battalion made little use of
it, on the plea that the armory
was too far from the dock, and
much time was lost in going to and
from the vessel in the few hours
assigned for drill purposes. How
ever, 1t was pointed out that other
Reserve units have been able to
considerably improve themselves
by making such full use of the
opportunity afforded by the pres
ence of these vessels.
The Navy Department is finding
difficulty in carrying out its pro-
gram to recruit 1,038 young men
Tor the visual signal ratings in the
Volunteer Reserve, and is making
a study OF finding some way of at
tracing men for this service. It
was pointed out that men for this
/ rating do not have the incentive
as those enlisted in the radio branch,
many OF whom are radio enthusiasts.
While efforts are being continued
to attract young men to this i'm.
portant branch of the service. nev.
ertheless efforts are being made to
f1hd some means of making it more
attractive with a view to making
the departments recruiting pro-
gram m0ie successful. 1t has been
practically decided that there must
be some inducement, but the ques-
ton is what shall it be. These men.
1t was SAID, under the present sys-
tenn would receive no pay during
their training period, as is the case
with the fleet branch, and there
is no annual cruise to look forward
to. The fleet branch gets both pay