Evening star., 1942-12-20
Officer Candidate
Applicants Dwind|e,
Naval Reserve SAYS
Confusion Developed
By Enlistment Ban
Injuries Procurement


week over manpower as it related
to enlistments in the Army and
Navy that the Naval Reserve Officer
Procurement Center, at 1920 G
street NV, virtually found itself
without any candidates for COM
missions
The officials are anxious that
those who have officer qualifications
and even special training be ac-
quainted with the fact that the
order stopping enlistments does not
affect the program for the Reserve
Men still are eligible to apply for
commissions and to be accepted
if they fill the educational require
ments for appointment in the Re-
serve. There are said to be vacan-
cies in all of the various grades,
but particularly there is urgent need
for young men with engineering
training.
WAVES Candidates Few.
Because the enlistment order
only affects the male services pro-
curement officials are enlisting
women for the WAVES. They said
1t is difficult to get applicants for
this branch
In this field women are needed
to fill positions in the following
categories: Bakers, chauffeurs,
cooks, file clerks, information girls,
mailroom employees, messengers, Of
flee clerks, parachute riggers, stew
ards, telephone operators and wait
reSSes.
Because of the lag in enlistments
in this branch officials have found
1t necessary to reduce the educa-
tional requirements for enlisted
ratings. Heretofore applicants have
been required to have a full high
school education, but this has been
reduced to two years plus some
background in business in the par
ticular line for which they are
answering the call to the service.
Further study of the requirements
in connection with the lack of ap-
plicants has forced officials to reach
the conclusio nthat a high school
educational requirement was too
high for many positions for which
they needed women.
With the manpoWer situation be-
coming more serious it now seems
like that the Navy may have to
reduce its Reserve officer require
ments in many categories, now re-
ported going begging because the
applicants cannot produce college
degrees. The files of the procure
ment Offices are said to be filled
with cases of men rejected purely
on the fact that they did not have
the formal education.
Shipping Background Helpful.
Men with all-around shipping
background are being sought fol
commissioning in the Reserve. The
type of many which the Navy is
seeking to take commissions from
lieutenant, Junior grade, up to lieu
tenant commander is the type that
would be able to organize an in
ternational steamship line and
have knowledge of its ramifcations
Applicants must be between the
ages of 81 and A years, and will be
assigned to some form of intelli-
gence duties. But the applicants
must have a thorough knowledge
of land, air and ship transportation
must be conversant with interna-
tional economic relations and must
speak huently one or more of the
following languages: Portuguese,
Spanish, French and Greek.
In addition, they must have a
thorough background in one of the
following: Shipping knowledge
shipbuilding experience, experience
IN docking ships and in stevedoring
knowledge of ship routing, man.
agement of shipping company OF
legal experience along investiga-
tive lines.
Aside from the specialists which
the naval procurement officers are
seeking, there are large number
of young men needed for strictly
naval duties with vessels afloat. II
is expected that as soon as the
Naval Reserve cadet program gets
into full swing next year the needed
personnel will be forthcoming in
regular order, but until that time
men are needed for immediate duty
Both deck and engineer officers are
needed, as well as administrative
officers who can relieve line men
now engaged in carrying out shore
billets until such time as they can
be relieved for sea duty. Men with
college instruction experience also
are needed for assignment to the
schools where the Naval Reserve
midshipmen will be trained for
eventual commissioning as ensigns.
Among the specialists being
sought are men with an investiga-
tive background for assignment to
the naval intelligence. Applicants
for this grade are virtually hand
picked after a thorough combing
OF their background.