Evening star., 1941-03-23

of the 1st Battalion, District Naval
Reserve, awaiting mobilization, 1t
was said at the Navy Department
last week that more than half of the
divisions throughout the country
are still in an inactive status, with
no indications as to when they
might be needed or called.
The divisions which have been
called to active duty, including the
Sd Division, from this city, were
hustled into the service at the time,
it was said, because their services
were urgently needed to relieve
Regular personnel for other duties
and to meet a serious personnel sit
uation. 1t was said at the Navy
Department that no one at this time
can say when the other divisions, or
any of them, will be called out. 1t
is expected that as situations de-
velop which require the addition
of more trained personnel to relieve
the Regulars from their present
duties in posts which can be filled
by the Reservists, then they will be
called.
1t may be months, it was indi-
Gated, before other divisions are
called to active duty, and then
again it may be only a matter of
weeks. However, there is a posi-
bility that individual officers and
men might be called to active duty
ahead of their divisions in order to
fill some special need.
Members of the various units are
a little on edge through the lack of
any information as to when they
might be called. All of them have
been given notice that they should
make plans with their employers
and families to be able to leave on
short notice At the same time, 1t
is known to be the policy of the
Navy Department to disrupt the Or
dinary lines of business as little as
possible in order to fill up the fleet
and the auxiliaries with personnel,
and it does not desire to call any
officers and men until it is quite sure
that they will be needed for a period
of time.
Some indications of the uncer-
tainties involved in the situa ton
may be obtained from the fact that
while only last week the local Re-
servists were informed that their
regular annual inspection would be
held on April /, now comes informa-
ton that it may not be held at this
time. Officers of the local battalion
were unable to give any information
as to why the change was ordered,
especially in view of the fact that
they declared that they have not
even received hint that the two
remaining divisions might be called
into the service.
At any rate, it is believed now
that it may be we'll after July l be-
fore either of the two remaining
divisions are called to active duty.
Credence is given to this because
there are several hundred young
men in the local outfit who are drill
ing and training in connection with
plans to seek appointment to the
United States Naval Academy as
midshipmen on July l. In order
to meet the requirements, they now
attend drills regularly as members
of an Organized Reserve battalion or
division. In the event that the two
local divisions would be called out,
it would make it impossible for these
candidates to comply with one of
the important requirements of the
law in connection with Naval Re-
serve admissions to the Annapolis
naval school. 1t is not believed that
the department would desire to spoil
the opportunities of these young
men by withdrawing the elements
which make it possible for them
to comply with the laws require
ments. While the Navy has provided
that candidates may comply with
the drill requirements by going on
active duty, nevertheless it was
pointed out that this would work a
serious hardship on the present
candidates, because many of them
are taking regular courses at the
local preparatory schools, in an eff
fort to prepare themselves to take
the rigid entrance examinations.
This situation, it was explained,
of course would not apply to candi-
dates who might seek appointments
for the class which would enter on
July l, 1912. Such men would be
required to enlist prior to July l
OF this year in order to put their
full year of service as enlisted men
in the Reserve. but, of course, they
would be told, in the event that the
Reservists are called out, that there
would be no organized divisions with
which they might drill, but that to
comply they must enter the Regular
service. The handicap to this plan
is that the young men candidates,
If sent to sea, would have little op-
portunlty to take preparatory
courses to enable them to get ready
for the examinations. The Reservists
are allowed so appointments each
year to the naval school, and. in
addition, any vacancies which are
not filled from the enlisted ranks of
the Regular Establishment.
1t is said to be not likely that
the department would want to close
the door to the opportunity of fill
ing all of these blllets at the Naval
Academy, because of the urgent
need for officers for the vastly ex.
panding fleet. Without legislation,
II these appointments are not filled