Evening star., 1941-03-16
Naval Reserve Inspection
Scheduled to Be Held April !
Two Divisions Remaining Here
Preparing for Annual Armoy Tests

The two Organized Reserve divi-
sions and the Naval Academy cam
didate division of the 1st Battalion,
District Naval Reserves, have been
ordered to make ready for their an
nual inspection on April l. 1t will
be conducted by board of regular
officers.
Although it is usual to give them
six weeks notice of the prospective
date of inspection, the present ac-
ton, it was said, probably is due to
the fact that the units are in
high state of efficiency and did not
need such a long notice as in the
past.
The local battalion was the tops
in efficiency here last year, but none
of the three divisions made a top
notch mark when compared with
the other divisions in the country.
1t appears now that it may be
some time before the other two divi-
sions may be called into the service.
Officers of the local Reserve declare
that they have no information as
to the reasons that one of the divi-
SionS has been sent to sea and the
other two allowed to remain, but it
is understood that officers Ill the
Navy Department are not certain,
owing to the rapidly changing con-
ditions, as to when additional units
will be needed.
The members of the local bat
talon expect to be hosts to several
hundred young men tomorrow
night at their armory in the WASH
ington Navy Yard. For the most
part, these young men have at
tended the drills and exercises
which are held during the week
and have evinced an interest in
service in the Navy.
Capt. J. F. Shafroth, U. S. Navy,
director of Naval Reserve activities
at the Navy Department. is sched-
uled to make an address to the
assemblage, which will total ap-
proximately 450 men. Capt. Shat
roth is expected to tell of the service
and activities of a reservist. and
perhaps outline some of the tenta-
tive plans of the department for the
use of the Naval Reserve.
Those young civilians will be given
an opportunity to enlist and join
one of the two divisions of the bat
talon. These divisions are consid-
erably below the authorized
strength, which was suddenly in
creased several months ago after
other services were making a bid
for the youth of the land, to say
nothing of the demands being made
by the selective service organization.
1t was indicated that it will take
approximately go men to bring the
two divisions up to the newly au-
thorized strength of 100 men each.
officers who participated in the
public exhibitions last week of the
battalion expressed the belief that
they will obtain a large number of
recruits as a result of the program,
which was put on not only to get
the young men but to show to the
people just what its Naval Reserve
does.
Part of the program in connec-
tion with the supper will be broad
cast. There will be a brief concert
by the Navy Music School Band,
led by j. NJ Thurmond and the
address of Capt. Shafroth will be
broadcast from 7::45 to 8:15 o'clock
tonight.
Selection boards are being con-
vened by the Navy Department to
handle promotions in the Reserve,
and it is expected that with the
naval expansion and the calling of
additional reservists to the colors
promotions in the higher ranks may
be expected for some of the officers.
Up to and including the grade of
lieutenant commander in the Re-
serve, promotions are followed in a
regular routine order, subject of
course to examination of the candi-
dates, but for commander and above
promotions are by selection.
One board has been ordered to
convene tomorrow to recommend
Naval Reserve officers for promotion
to the rank of commander in the
aviation volunteer-special branch of
the Reserve. The board is to be
composed of Capt. Cary w. Ma
gruder, president, and Capts. Thom-
as E. Van Metre, Paul Hendren and
Charles E. Rosendahl, all of the
United States Navy, and Capt. r.
wing M. McQuiston, Reserve. As
members, with 1t. Comdr. Phillip
T. Stonemetz, Reserve, as recorder.
The board will consider the names
OF candidates submitted to it, to-
gether with their records and sub
sequently its report to the Secretary
of the Navy.
Another selection board, convened
last week, has just made a report
to the acting Secretary of the Navy
recommending the following lieu
tenant commanders of the Merchant
Marine Naval Reserve to the grade
of commander: William I. Stevens,
on active duty; and the following
still on the inactive list: Haaken A.
Peterson, Alfred M. Moore, George
M. Wauchope, Frank I. Shaw and
John w. Anderson.
Martin G. Derksema and Edward
TonU hoth radioyoa1e 6yef siaes