Evening star., 1941-03-02
Bv WiIliarn J. Wheafley.

The Navy's expansion program,
sending ships down the construc-
ton ways at a rapid pace, has de-
veloped the need for thousands of
commissioned officers, which not
even the Regular Service or the Ma
val Reserve could supply. To meet
this situation, the naval authorities
have mobilized from the colleges
throughout the country more than
5000 landlubberS who were going
about their school courses seeking
degrees in the normal way, and have
put them on a course which will not
only assure them jobs, but is making
of them high-claSS officers IN the
fleet. 1t has been gigantic task,
but the youth of the schools have
responded CALAMITY to their coun-
try'S call, and not only have gone
through a month of training as
ordinary seamen, aboard the battle
ships of the Atlantic training
squadron, but now are officers or
are attending schools conducted by
the Navy, which will make them
full-fedged junior naval officers if
they are successful in passing the
rigid force-draft courses.
The first of these programs for
increased officer personnel in the
naval establishment will be con-
cluded by the end of next September,
when all of the present candidates
will have completed their school
course. But naval officials hope
that they will be able to start
another program, with funds they
seek from Congress at the current
session. However, the conditions
will be a little greater for subsequent
candidates, it was explained, in that
the applicants will have to have
college degrees, and must have
majored in mathematics.
1t was explained by officers of the
Navy Department that while they
obtained a very fine class of officer
material as result of the first call,
it was found that some of them did
not have sufficient mathematical
training to be able to understand
celestial navigation.
Deal With Mechanics.
In the first group, young men
between the ages of 10 and 26 years,
with two years of college work to
their credit, were permitted to take
the preliminary course at sea and
then the three-month course at the
intensive training schools conducted
by the Navy. The age limits are
expected to remain the same. Be-
cause of the highly technical nature
of the operations of a naval vessel,
the course to some extent deals with
mechanics, and those who have had
a technical education in their high
school and college work have been
able to grasp the naval features of
the course better than those other
wise trained. The technical work
also demands high degree of math-
ematical training, and it is for this
reason that the school requisite is
to be extended to a full college
course.
<The young men who applied for
The first courses came from all parts
z of the country and from groups
studying for about every objective,
except that of naval officers. But
= with war clouds in the air, the spirit
of service to their country and ad-
venture sent many of them to the
enrolment officers seeking to take
the preliminary probational cruise.
This was given for two reasons. The
Navy wanted to observe its pros
pective officers under intensive serv-
ice conditions to ascertain whether
they had the stuff" to make them
good naval officers, and it wanted to
give the applicants an opportunity to
ascertain whether they would like
the Navy.
Each of the cruises lasted for
period of four weeks. For this work.
out the men did not receive any pay,
although they were furnished with
uniforms and subsistence. They
lived aboard the battleships to
which they were assigned. But at
the end of the five cruises which
were given during the summer
months, only approximately 10 per
cent of the candidates fell by the
wayside for various reasons, and
were not allowed to continue. Some
the Navy rejected as not being
good officer material, while others
decided that they did not like the
naval service, some perhaps because
of the experience of seasickness, for
the young men were taken to sea
where they experienced the rolling
and pitching of the big ships.
Form Divisions.
During these cruises, they were
given a thorough workout by the
officers in charge of the training
ships They were formed into di-
visions as other regular seamen
are formed, and required to par
ticipate in the drills and training,
as well as performing the menial
tasks of keeping the ship clean as
well as themselves.
For every sailor, in addition to
training to fight on the ship in bat