Evening star., 1940-06-30

| Ai1Olc VI ilo Iililltdiy IOE The
non -combatant services. Their civilian
occupations, however, has given them
much of the knowledge necessary for
their military posts, chiefly in the Quar-
| termaster Corps.
Since they were commissioned, they
have been enjoined to continue training
through correspondence schools operated
| by the Army. Failure to complete the
required number of hours of study, now
70 hours year, disqualified them from
renewal of commissions at the end of
hve years. Conferences are held each
week during the fall, winter and spring
where the theoretical training is con-
tinued. Most have averaged IA days of
held training each three years, but the
short period was hardly sufficient for
them to become more than physically
| hardened
Reserve officers receive no pay except
when called to those short tours of duty.
Then they were paid on the scale of
regular officers, but most of the money
went for uniforms which the average
civilian outgrows rapidly.
Other discouragements were frequent.
Cavalry and field artillery officers, for
instance, who must know how to ride a
horse, have been compelled to pay for
the privilege of having mounts at Regu-
lar Army posts during weekly Sunday
morning classes.
Discouraged by Active Duty.
During active duty they frequently
were snubbed by the Regular Army and
National Guard Officers as rank anna
teurs in military knowledge. Many
Others discouraged by inadequate prac-
tlcal training given them, were appalled,
at the prospect of even training C. M.
L. c. enrollees, and declined to accept
active duty for fear of appearing ridicu-
lous
Unlike employees of the Government
and OF some private businesses, most
were unable to obtain leaves of absence
Tor active military duty and were, there
lore, forced to spend hard-won vacations
on hot drill fields and in uncomfortable
quarters.
Many other objections have been over
come this year, chiefly through congress
Slonal action Spurred by the Reserve
Ofhcers' Association, which is made I'D
| OF about $4,000 Reserve officers. Con-
! greSs agreed they should receive an al
loWance of $50 year for uniforms dur
ing thelr first three tours of active duty.
ouC no appropriation was provided to
pay the allowance. Travel allowances.
hitherto 4 cents a mile, was increased
10 cents, the amount paid to Regular
| officers
Formerly, if a Reserve officer was
injured while on active duty he was
hospltalized free for six months but
without pay. After the six months he
paid his own hospital and doctor bills,
NOW ne receives disability pay for six
months If he is injured while on a IA
day tour of duty.
Marshall Describes Need
The Regular Army high command has
become cognlzant of the necessity for
more adequate training of Reserve Of
1cers, particularly since only about half
OF It's own corps of $4,000 officers are
available for actual duty with troops of
the Regular Army.
There has been no demand for in
creaSlng the number of officers. The
Army is still suffering from hump"
IN officer promotion caused by an in
f1uX OF officers at the end of the World
War, SO that at present there is an ex-
cess of majors and lieutenant colonels
and too few in the lower grades for duty
with troops
With world conditions as they are
today" explained a War Department
spokesman last week, no one can def
nitely anticipate our future requirements
as to officers. However, our reservoir of
more than 100000 Reserve officers. built
up and trained since the last World War.
will furnish sufficient personnel to meet
the additional demand occasioned by
our present expansion
Thus, the business of training and
leading greatly expanded Army, pos
sibly of conscripts, will fall upon the
businessmen, bookkeepers, clerks, pro-
feSSlonal men and farmers who made
military education an avocation or hobby
during the year when Congress con-
sidered them unimportant, appropriat-
ing small sums ranging from $3.50 900
in 1922 to s12,OOO,OO0 in 1889 for their
training.
But few months of training with
troops will make them capable of the
hardest assignments. AS proof, wit
ness the work of Reserve officers in man.
aging Civilian Conservation Corps camps
! practically since its inception.