The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-04-24
|l|||!@}gg@
.kW CORNELIUS
VANDERBILT. R.
tReleased by Western Newspaper u

whined into Princeton, ILL.,, at 70
m.p.h. 1t wasn't quite dawn yet and
the bluish-purple haze enveloped ev-
erything. Frost crept out Of the
ground.
Small bushes stood up in clumps
and brown corn stalks poked
through. 1t had been warm and
clear in Nevada two and q half
days before.
The conductor appeared to. say
they would stop the train for three
ffths of minute to let me off. An
hour and twenty minutes later it
was due to room into Chicago, one
hundred and ten miles away. From
San Francisco through the Feather
River canyon, the Royal Gorge, it
makes few stops. I had found it
one of the smoothest streamliners I
have ever travelled on. None of the
usual jerking motion, the squealing
as they lie over on the curves.
Spoke thrice in Princeton, where
Illinois school teachers were holding
a regional convention; then picked
UP Zephyr for swirl into Chicago.
Dined in the Windy City with Dali
las and Bryan Horner at Don-the-
Beachcomber's Don off the next
day by air for Miami, Jamaica and
Trinidad. Just made the North
Shore Limited for twenty hour
spin to Manhattan. A new compart-
ment car and brand new type OF
bed-the most comfy one I think I
have ever ridden on, on rails.
Train cut across Canada from De-
troit to Buffalo. Soldiers every
where. Many with fixed bayonets.
Countryside caked in ice. White
shrouded ski troops practicing on
firm knobs. Tanks of all sizes rum
bling over the countryside.
The Hudson river valley from AL
bany to New York deep in frost
with the river itself icy from bank
to bank until below Peekskill.
Down to Governors island to re-
port. Have held my commission in
the Reserve Corps since serving
twenty-five months as a despatch
driver in the ranks with the A. EFF.
in 1917-1918. Some years have
gone to camp. Studied army prob
lens. Haven't been called up yet,
but expect to be soon. Looks as
if all reserve officers will be called
up shortly. Approximately $4,000
are at their posts already and $4,000
more are to be called in June. After
allowances made for reserve Of
ficers who may fail to meet the phys
ical requirements for active duty,
there are approximately 105,000
available. The war department eS-
Inmates that this number added to
those of the regular army and the
National Guard are sufficient to of
ficer an army of 2, 500 900 men. Nine
ty per cent of the lieutenants now
with the regular army units are re-
serves-inany of them recent grad
yates of ROTC units. More than 500
reserve officers are serving in vari-
Gus capacities at the war depart
ment in Washington, D. c., and sew
eral are in the important Policy
Making Board of the General Staff.
Hundreds Of regular army officers
have been released for key positions
in connection with the expansion of
the combat forces by reserve of
ficers who have replaced them as in
structors at scores of ROTCs. at the
general and special service schools
of the army and at corps and mill
tary area headquarters.
Among the several thousands OF
reserve officers now on duty with the
Air Corps are many of the nations
best fiiers. Eighty per cent of the
$1,000 officers required in the 81.
group program Of the Air Corps
this year will be drawn from the re-
serve corps.
Until this country entered the war
In 1917. there were approximately
5000 reserve officers available for
service. though today there are al
most 40 times that many. About 10
per cent Of the present number ara
veterans of the World war. The most
prolific source OF reserve officers
since 1920 has been the ROTC units
at several hundred universities.
This year 5000 graduates are ex-
pected to be commissioned in the
reserve corps. Other means Of OBJ
tanning reserve commissions are by
j completing the advanced flying
course at the Air Corps training
schools, by graduating from a Citi-
gems Military Training Corps camp.
/ or by possessing the necessary quail
hcations for a commission in the
Medical Corps Reserve. or the Chap
tain's Corps Reserve.
Two thousand picked members Of
the various selective service groups
viii be given commissions after
eight or nine months service. If they
measure I'D to snuff. Warrant of
deeEs ard enlisted personnel Of the
regular army with special quaiifca-
lions and graduates Of West Point
or Annapolis and out 81 the regular
service, are also eligible for reserve
commissions.
SEEING THINGS: Took the Lake
Shore Limited hack 20 Chicago. The
young Doug Fairbanks: the r. S.
Minister 10 Portugal. Herbert Pea:
Count Stolchescha, Rurnansan Minis
ter to Japan. ard others aboard
p~sfShe@s 10 Ara Jerry voowhf5's "a