Evening star., 1940-12-08
Naval Reseryists
GET Physical
Tests for Service
Doctors Examine
All Personnel
For Active Duty

All TeISO0neI |
For Active Duty
Physical examinations for men,
bers of the 1st Battalion, District
Naval Reserves, were started last
week at the LOCAL armory, SO that
the elimination process could be
started early and to prepare them
for momentary induction into the
service when the actual mobilization
call comes, according to the officers.
In general way this is the only
physical examination which will be
given them prior to transfer to an
active duty status before being sent
to sea, probably with the neutrality
patrol. However, in the cases of
members who had physical defects
which were correctible. they would
be again examined before the mobi-
lization comes to ascertain whether
their physical condition was such
as to permit them to enter the
service.
Some of the officers of the bat
talon expressed the opinion that
the mobilization order for at least
a part of the organization will be
received in short time. Some said
they expect to spend their Christ
mas away from home, which meant
that they believed that they would
be in the service by that time. The
Sd Division will answer the first call,
and every effort is being made TO
recruit it up to the full strength of
100 which was authorized by the
Navy Department some time ago
The other two divisions are as
Sisting in the recruiting of men,
but are not taking any of the new
men into their commands until the
Sd Division is ready.
The District of Columbia Chapter
of the United States Naval Reserve
officers Association plans to hold its
annual meeting at Hotel 2400 Six
teenth Street NV. Wednesday
night. Comdr. r. NJ Ihrig, executive
assistant in the Naval Reserve
Division of the Bureau of Naviga-
ton Of the Navy Department, will
speak on the relationship of the
Naval Reserve to the Regular Navy.
Election of officers will be held
and delegates selected for the an
nual convention of the national as
sociation, to be held in Baltimore,
Md. probably in January.
The officers of the organized re-
serve are making every effort to
have officers of the volunteer re-
serve to take sufficient interest in
the organization TO carry on its af-
fairs after the organized reserves
are called to duty, and at least to
ton until such time as the depart
ment might call the volunteer
officers to active duty.
Some of the members of the local
battalion, who have been called to
active duty. are in Washington and
they will probably carry out the
work of the District. and because
OF the interest Of the Navy in the
affairs of the aSsocia ton may be
able to get leave or be ordered to
the convention to participate in its
affairs.
The local ReserviStS are still in
the process of moving to quarters
in the new administration building
at the Washington Navy Yard.
While much of the equipment has
been moved the battalion is carry
ing on its drills in the old building
and probably will continue for
week or two more, according to
the officers, who expressed them
selves as pleased with the new quar-
ters assigned them.
The building which they now
occupy will be razed so that the
site together with that of the Navy
Music School can be used for the
construction of a new building for
the ReServistS and have it ready
for the organized branch as soon
as they return from their years
tour of duty. During the time that
they are away it was said that Re-
serve activities will be carried on
in the new quarters to prepare men
for filling in the gap when the
local men are restored to inactive
status at the end of a year period,
which now appears to be about the
time that the Navy will keep them
in the service.
Members of the battalion were in
troduced to a new form of battle
problem during their drill period
last week, under the direction of
1t. o. j. Gullickson, U. S. N. In
stead of conf1ning the work to
divisional training it now has be-
come battle problem. according
to the officers. The new system,
it was said. indicates to the members
of the battalion that when they
are called into active service they
will be sent to vessels of the neu-
trality patrol. This is based on the
fact that the instruction largely
deals with these problems. such as
instructions on situations which will
be confronted by deStroyerS on the
neutrality patrol, including the
methods used in boarding vessels
for examination of their papers
and for search.
One particular feature of their
instruction was on the methods to
be used to prevent a crew from
scuttling a ship if it is in danger
of capture, or was found to be vio-
lating the neutrality of the United
States.
The general direction of the prob
lem was under 1t. w. c. Jennings,
commander of the battalion, and
after the exercise 1t. Gullickson
conducted critique.
RenuInr Vofevnns'