Evening star., 1942-09-27
C|ergymen Of Capital
Sought by Navy for
Chaplain Service
District Ministerial Union
To Meet Tomorrow to
Hear Needs Explained

The Naval Procurement Office will
begin direct drive tomorrow to OBJ
tain chaplains needed for Navy
squadrons, fleets and far flung land
establishments For two weeks the
Navy has been appealing through
the press for members of the min
istry to give up civil activities to
enroll for the duration of the war.
The Procurement Office has obtained
only two with sufficient physical
qualifications to warrant forwarding
their applications to the Navy De-
partment, however. The total num-
ber of applications has been small.
In further effort to acquaint the
! clergy with the urgent need, Capt.
| Robert D. Workman, chief of chap
lains of the Navy, will speak tomor-
row before a meeting of the District
| Ministerial Union at the Church of
Reformation, 212 East Capitol street.
| He will discuss the Navy's needs
along these lines, and at the same
time will have picture display OF
| the multitudinous activities of Navy
| chaplains. There also will be on
display the portable altar equip
ment which is used by naval chap
! lains.
Procurement officers believe the
small number of applications is due
to the belief in some churches that
it might provide a hardship to take
ministers away. On the other hand
it was pointed out that many people
will be compelled to make further
sacrifices of time and effort in the
all-out war, and that ministers
! will find it necessary later, If not
now, to undertake additional duties
in order that younger men might
enter the armed services.
Catholic Clergy Meets Later.
Later it is proposed to have 9
meeting of the Catholic clergy, wher
the problem will be presented tc
them. 1t was explained that some
would be willing to go, but all are
subject to the orders of their super
iors who also face the problem oi
serving the civilian population.
With schools for enlisted members
of the WAVES to be inaugurateo
next month, procurement officers
are working against a deadline tc
fill the quota of women needed in
the first group. While Washington
is said to be far ahead of other
Naval procurement districts it was
explained that it is difficult to OBJ
tain women here for the service,
because many are employed in Gov
ernment departments and are well
satisfied with their jobs and pay.
Furthermore, it was pointed out
that some hesitate to leave their
families for even as long as three
months while attending school. So
the procurement officials sent out a
special appeal last week for eligible
women here to make application for
enlistment.
The second group will not be sent
to school until the ways have been
cleared by the pioneer classes. None
of the schools for indoctrination and
Ftraining of the WAVES is in Wash
ington.
Radio IechnlClanS Needed.
| Women familiar with the technical
aspects OF radio are especially needed
and will he sent Immediately to the
WAVES Radio School. There will
be opportunity for rapid advance
ment for those who get into the
early classes. The Navy also wants
women Who have had training in
stock rooms of stores, who would be
eligible fcl the rating of storekeeper.
A large pumber is needed for
stenographer and typist posts, with
the rating of yeoman.
Applications also are being ac-
cepted from officer candidates,
Those seeking commissions will
serve at school on active duty for
one month as enlisted women, and
then will be given the rank of mid
shlpmen, receiving the same pay
and allowances as midshipmen at
the Naval Academy. During the
next three months they will be
schooled and drilled intensively and,
If successful in passing the required
course, will be commissioned as en-
signs in the WAVES and sent to
immediate active duty. Prospective
candidates must have college de-
gree, or two years Of college and two
years of work experience in civil life
in a position which has given them
training to make up for the lack of
college work.
The enrolment officer inaugurated
last week a tWo-Week campaign to
obtain young high school graduates
for the Air Corps Cadet service, to
| be trained to become naval aviators.
Two squadrons will be formed here,
one to be known as the Lexington
Squadron and the other the Concord
Squadron.
AS far as the exigencies OF the
service will permit, the young men
will be kept together during their
school and training courses, and
even in the service after they become
full-hedged naval aviators. The first
| to enlist in the Lexington SQUADRON