Evening star., 1939-01-01
Naval Reserve
Officers 10 Study
Regulation Changes
Group Conferences on
Tentative Druft Set
For January 9

VI SuHuuty
Proposed revision Of the Naval
Reserve regulations to make them
conform to the new Reserve Acs
which was passed by the last session
Of Congress, are to be studied by
Naval and Naval Reserve officers
with view to suggesting any
changes which they might find de-
sirable. The local Reserve officers
will have their conference with other
officers Of the Fifth Naval District
at Charleston, s. c.
Many changes In the regulations,
1t is understood, have been made
in the tentative draft which Is the
result Of study made by officers
in various bureaus Of the Navy De-
partment. These changes are in
mimeographed form and have been
sent to the officers of the various
Reserve units through the country.
The District conferences will be
held January 9, after which reports
will be sent to the department where
they will be further considered by
the Naval Reserve Policy Board
which will be convened here early
in the spring. This board is made
up Of Regular and Reserve officers.
The Reserve officers on this board
will be four from the organized
Reserve (surface), four from the
organized Reserve (aviation), four
from the volunteer Reserve and two
from the Merchant Marine Reserve.
1t is probable the District con-
ferences will have number Of sug-
gested changes In the regulations
as written by the departmental
officers, but it is believed that all
Of them will be satisfactorily ironed
out by the Policy Board confer
ences. AS soon as these regulations
are approved by the Secretary Of
the Navy and put into effect, 1t is
believed that the Reserve will have
as liberal setup as 1t is possible
for them to have. While the Re-
servists did not have included in
the new act all Of the changes
which they desired, it is believed
that as whole, the act, and the
subsequent regulations, will provide
much better setup for all branches
of the Reserve and also will be more
satisfactory to the Navy from an
administrative standpoint.
With rear admiral for the Re-
serve already selected, there are q
number of captains and comman.
ders to be announced among the Re-
serve officers. This is the first time
that the Reserve has had a rear ad-
miral, the highest officer heretofore
having been commodore, a rank
which was abolished many years ago
in the Regular establishment. This
also was one of the accomplishments
OF the new act. The board which
was composed Of Rear Admiral
Joseph r. Defrees, president; Rear
Admirals John Downes. Ralston s.
Holmes, William r. Furlong and
Arthur B. Cook, of the Regular Navy.
selected Commodore George Bower
of San Francisco for the promotion.
In the consideration Of officers for
promotion to commander and cap.
tain, the records Of all commanders
and all lieutenant commanders, with
more than five years service were to
be considered by the board. This
board also will consider civilian can
didates for appointment in the
special branch Of the volunteer Re-
serve as commanders. But in order
to. be eligible for consideration by
the Selection Board for such ap-
pointments, the civilian candidate
must have attained national promi-
nence in the specially for which Sc
lections will be made, and must be
recommended by the chief Of the
bureau having cognizance Of such
specially.
In an effort to enthuse new blood
into the lower ranks Of the commits
stoned branches of the Reserve the
Navy Department is watching de-
velopments Of an officers pool being
tried out in one of the naval dis
tricts. 1t was pointed out that the
age and length of service in grade
of officers, while rectifed to a con-
siderable extent in some districts, is
susceptible of improvement in others.
1t was added that the new statute
should further alleviate the situ-
alton. While watching the expert
ment in one district, it was suggested
that it lacked, to some extent,
needed flexibility, because Of the fact
that it may prevent the retention
of the services of valuable officers
to full advantage. The pool now
under trial provides for instruction
and improvement of volunteer off,
GERS not associated with organized
divisions, the progressive advance
ment of officers serving with these
units, and the retirement or transfer
of officers to volunteer status after
prescribed length Of such service
in order to permit the absorption Of
younger officers into Fleet Reserve
units.
The question has been raised as to
how officers in the organized Re-
serve might feel when facing the
possibility of being sent to the volun-
teer list when they have reached a
high state of efficiency. In their
work of building up the efficiency Of
divisions they have shown their en-
thusiasm and interest for work in
the Reserves, and this together with
the fact that they receive pay for 1t
spurs them on. Whether the pros
pect of being sent to the unpaid and
non-drilling list will affect the mo-
rale Of these efficient officers is one
Of the matters which undoubtedly
will be given serious study by the de-
partment, as it is realized that where
one officer can build up an efficient
division and hold its interest,
another might permit it to go down.
The department is faced with the
problem of providing sufficient train
ing for naval r. o. T. c. graduates.
1t was pointed out that they are
being turned out far faster than they