Evening star., 1941-01-19
Much Practical
Drill Being Given
Naval Reserves
Two Divisions Here
Are Keeping Fit
For Immediate Call


For Immediate Call
Members of the two divisions Of
| the 1st Battalion, Naval Reserves,
which have not yet been modified
are being put through a series of
intensely practical drills, in order
that they will be able to step
promptly into the billets called for
by their ratings, officers said. With
| the prospect that a call may come
at any time. the local reservistS are
constantly drilled.
No information has been received
at the local armory in the WASH
ington Navy Yard as to when the
call will be received for more of the
local citizen sailors, but it is the
belief of some that it will be only a
short time.
In order that the reservistS will
not lose any time of their briei
drill periods, they are still per-
forming their duties in the old
| building at the Washington Navy
| Yard which has served them under
the name of an armory for a num-
Der of years. 1t had been planned
| to transfer their activities to the
! first floor of the new administration
building in the Navy Yard, so that
the old building could be razed to
make way for new armory struc-
ture. especially built to suit the
needs for Naval Reserve training
/ However, it was believed that the
intensive drilling of the local divi-
sions with this equipment was most
| important at this time, and for this
reason they have not been moved.
| The Naval Reserve headquarters for
this district has been moved to the
new building, and its force Of civil
ian and enlisted employees as we'll
as commissioned officers has been
greatly increased in order to handle
| the large amount of business Incl
dent to the current emergency in
| volving an increase in Naval Re-
serve activities
| Ensign w. Graham Claytor. who
has practiced law in this city for a
number of years and who has been
serving with the I'd Division, has
| been called to active duty to assist
! in the Reserve activities in the
/ Navy Yard and is serving as an as
sistant to Comdr. A. B. McCrary,
U. S. N. detailed as director o.
Naval Reserve activities in this area
There has been some unofficial
information received at the loca,
headquarters that the two remain
ing divisions may not 60 out as
units. In other words, it was eX-
planned. that the Navy Department
may need only a few to fill billet!
on certain ships and will call only
for the necessary officers and men.
With many new ships of variou!
types being placed in commission
both for duty in the offshore neu.
trality patrol and for harbor anc
inland water patrol, it is probable
that even if called out as unit
they may, after short periods Of
duty on the active patrol ships. bt
sent to other sections and in time
the units as such may lose theil
identity.
Showing active as we'll as verba
resentment to the proposal of GER.
tain officers of the United State:
Naval Reserve Officers Association
to suspend activities of that body
during the duration of the present
emergency, officers of the loca
chapter have decided to hold theil
regular meetings. and the first vii
be held Wednesday night at Hote
240O Sixteenth Street NV.
1t. Comdr. j. P. Wetherill III
United States Naval Reserve. nov
on active duty and detailed a!
chemical warfare officer at the
Washington Navy Yard, will lecture
on Chemical Warfare Defense.
He will discuss the gases used ir
the last World War, the extent tt
which they are being used in hos
tilities today, how to detect the
various gases, how to handle them
and what provides protection against
them. He also will tell what gases
are being manufactured in quanti-
ties and which may be loosed
shortly. He is expected to go into
every detail of the gas warfare
activity. to inform the local officers
of what may be expected in the
event that hostilities involve this
country.
He will also demonstrate various
kinds of gas defense equipment,
including the civilian and new type
of service masks.
The association Is expected to go
into further discussion of its plans
to maintain the chapter and the
national association in an active
status during the present emergency.
Although many of the local officers
already have been called to active
duty, it was said that there are
enough of them in the city to carry
on the affairs.
1t. j. w. Huckert, president of
the local chapter. pointed out that
the present period of transition of
the Reserves from an inactive to
an active status was the most i'm
portant time to have an active
association to look after the affairs
and destinies of the Reserves. He
said there will be many problems,
some of which might involve having
the reservists represented by SONS
| active unit to watch legislation
| offectinp the Pesorves and to rrotect
! their interests.