Evening star., 1941-04-13

Activities of the veteran members
of the two divisions of. the 1st Bat
talon, District Naval Reserves, still
remaining on the inactive list, are
being concentrated on the instruc-
ton of the large number Of recruits
who are being taken into the Or
ganization as a result OF efforts to
bring the two divisions up to the
newly allocated strength of 100 men
each.
The recruits have been divided into
groups, depending upon the length
of time that they have been in the
organization, and are being given
the rudiments of naval training as
rapidly as possible so that the two
divisions will be able to answer the
call promptly when the Navy De-
partment decides that it needs addi-
tional personnel to man the various
vessels of the fleet which are being
placed in commission, to engage in
the national defense training pro-
gram.
Local officials say they are still
without information as to when they
will be called to active duty.
1t. q. g. Irwin Bunevich has been
assigned to command the second di-
vision, taking the place of 1t. Win
ston S. Brown, who has been ordered
to sea on active duty.
In the absence of 1t w. Croft
Jennings, commander of the local
battalion, 1t. q. g. F. w. Lemley,
who is on active duty at the Wash
ington Navy Yard, is in temporary
command of the battalion.
While it was expected that there
would be some announcement from
the Navy Department last week as to
future plans for providing for Naval
Reserve candidates for appointment
as midshipmen to the United States
Naval Academy, it was learned that
this matter has been delayed. How
ever, it is expected that the plans
will be perfected in time to- permit
prospective candidates to determine
whether they were in position to
meet the requirements.
1t was pointed out at the Navy
| Department, however, that the pro-
vision requiring that such candidates
must be members of the Reserve fol-
a year and must. take active part ir
drilling with the Organized Reserve
is a regulation and is not statutory
law. Therefore, it was said that the
department probably is considering
changing these regulations so that
the prospective candidates can com.
ply with the regulation. 1t wa.
added the law on the Naval Reserve
Act merely provides that candidate:
from the Naval Reserve shall bt
admitted merely on the same condi.
tions as those admitted from the
Regular Navy. These are that the
candidates must have been in the
regular tablishment for a year
and must have served at least nine
months at sea. So the regulations
| for the Naval Reserve merely pro-
vided that the candidates must have
been a member of the Reserve for a
year, and must have attended a
minimum number of drills with
one of the organized units.
However. the problem which
brought up the matter of the Re-
servists at this time isj that the
organized units may be called to
active duty at any time, leaving nc
organization with which the Reserv-
lists can drill. In cases where all OF
the units in city have been ordered
to sea, the Naval Academy candi-
dates have been ordered to drill,
with inactive units in some nearby
city, which, in many instances, in
wolves a long trip each week in
order to comply with the require
ments.
Pending a determination of the