Evening star., 1941-08-17

One, or possibly two, United States
Naval Reserve divisions, will be or
ganized here and will begin active
drilling each week early next month.
They will be composed of men who
have enlisted in the United States
Naval Reserve and have applied for
authority to take the examinations
for appointment from the ranks of
the Reserve to the United States
Naval Academy in the classes
scheduled to enter the school next
July /.
Officials here say that they do not
know just how many will be re-
ceived here, as the men have been
enlisted in various parts of the
country and sent to the naval train
ing stations nearest their home areas
for a period of training for eight
weeks. during which they were on
active duty. Upon completion of
this training they are placed on an
inactive status to attend prepara-
tory schools at their own expense to
fit themselves for the competitive
examinations next spring. From
this group will be selected 100 to
be appointed as midshipmen.S In
addition to this number, which is
fixed for the Reserve, there also will
be available to the Reservists such
vacancies as are not filled from the
ranks of the Regular Navy, which
also has 100 appointments each year.
Congressional Appointments.
II. any of the members of the
Naval Reserve are successful In re-
ceiying designations from members
Of Congress, they are required TO
accept these appointments, to give
an opportunity to a Reservist who
is not fortunate enough to have a
congressional appointment.
The first increment of men were
received here last week. They are
attending preparatory schools here.
The regular weekly drill has
been fixed by the commandant of
the Washington Navy Yard to be-
gin on September a. Its junior
grade) c. A. Appleby, Reservist
who now is serving as commander
of the Seaman Guard at the Wash
ington Navy Yard, and w. c. Meyer,
attached to the Reserve ONCE in the
Washington Navy Yard, have been
selected to assist in the drilling of
the men. 1t was indicated that
another officer would be assigned to
take command of the division and
to direct the work of the training
of the men during the nine months
that they will be here.
College Men Sought.
Because of the slowness with
which young college men have ap-
piled for permission to attend the
naval schools for appointment to
ensign in the Naval Reserve. it was
said that the age limit had been
raised from rs to 28 years. Appli-
cations are being received at the
local armory for these men, who will
be sent to one of three schools, be-
ginning with the first class in Sep
tember. Quotas have not yet been
shut off, although there has been
some change in the requirements
that a large portion of the candi-
dates must have engineering de-
greeS.
Men are being accepted for train
ing as deck officers, even with arts
degrees, if they have sufficient
background in mathematical train
ing. and even in some cases, it was
said, men with some engineering
background also are being enlisted
for these courses, wit hthe idea of
completing the engineering training
for them after they enter the serv-
ice, or possibly including the addi-
tional training in the courses dur
ing the three months school period.
In the case of the VS. men, the
aviation group, the educational re-
quirements are not as stiff, but the