Evening star., 1942-03-29
Navy Seeks Men
For Training in
Naval Reserve
Procurement Offices
Crowded by Applicants;
To Open New Units

Thousands of men of all ages are
TO be sought by the Navy Depart
ment for duty in specialized lines as
commissioned officers of the United
States Naval Reserve. In this con-
nection activities Of the procure
ment officials have been speeded up
materially. Their new office in the
former City Club Building, 1920 G
street NV, Is literally besieged
every day by men seeking places
where the Navy can use their serv-
ices.
With the expansion Of the needs
of the service it is expected the local
activities will have to be extended
to other nearby cities. Consideration
is being given to the establishment
Of branch Office at Baltimore, Md,
and Richmond, Va, under the gen.
eral direction of the local headquar-
ters.
The establishment of these addi-
tional offices would relieve some of
the pressure on the officers on duty
In the local Office as many men come
to Washington because of the belief
1t Is necessary.
There are said to be about so diff
ferent categories in which the Navy
will seek officers for active service
lmmediately-that is, as immediate
as the necessary paper work and
investigation of the applicants back
ground can be made. All applicants
who are tentatively selected for
: commissioning have very thorough
investigation made of their history
and background by officers of the
Naval Intelligence branch.
Much Of the present procurement
Is on the long-range basis. such as
enlisting men as soon as they enter
college, with the idea of giving them
commissions in the service when
they graduate three or four years
hence. The enlistment and leaving
them in college precludes those in
the draft age from being taken
under the selective service and
others If the draft age Is lowered
to the IS to 20 years of age group.
Civilian Service to Count.
The Navy is finding difficulty in
getting men for immediate COM
n1issioning in certain groups. par
ticulArly In other parts of the coun-
try. In some cases experience and
service in civilian jobs will count
and q college education is not now
necessary, while in others men must
have college background. The age
limits are generally dependent upon
the amount of activity which will be
required Of the officers to be Sc
lected. Those whose service will be
confined large to desk work may
be taken in up to so years OF age,
and In special instances even waivers
might be obtained for age If the
applicant is outstanding in his CIV
tliAn work. In the other categories
requiring much activity the maxi
mum age limit Is considerably lower.
Photographic officers can be taken
In between the ages Of 10 and 50
years. whereas photograph interpre-
tation officers are given an age
range of between 10 and 28. These
latter officers would be used to in
terpret the photographs which are
brought in by the flyers, and would
require considerable physical &C
tivity on the part of officers going
from place to place in the field.
Other classes badly needed are
administrative officers, those with
some business background as execu-
tives. Many Of these are needed for
services at the air stations to carry
on the administrative work. Aero
nautical radio officers are in de-
mand as well as engineering officers
Of all classes.
Another class that is being built
up is that Of the -camouflage corps,
which is to be part Of the Bureau
OF Yards and Docks. They would
work out the designs for camoufag-
ing various naval activities. They
must have special qualifications in
art and design work. The age limit
for this class is from % to SO years
Members of the Naval Academy
candidate division have but another
week before beginning to take COM
petitive educational examinations to
determine whether they will be Sc
lected for appointment to the Naval
Academy beginning July l. The ex-
eminAtions now are scheduled for
April Is and will be conducted at
the ohlces Of the Civil Service Com
Eission here.