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Build Naval Reserve from Merchant Marine NE of the most valuable assets in naval preparedness is_ the merchant marine naval reserve. The naval reserve act, which became effective July, 1, 1925, provided for this important part of our naval organiza- tion and regulations for its formation were approved by the secretary of the navy. For various reasons, the prin- cipal one being the inertia to be over- come in inaugurating any new govern- ment activity in these days of re- stricted budgets, no progress has been made in the actual accomplishment of this project, other than the making of certain plans to develop this great potential asset, as soon as the neces- sary funds are made available. Its obvious interest to the shipping com- panies and the personnel of the mer- chant marine warrants a brief ex- position of what the merchant marine naval reserve may be expected to accomplish for the navy in war and for the merchant marine itself during peace time. This form of the naval reserve as regards officer personnel has many ad- vantages over other classes. In the first place, its personnel, even before commissioned in the reserve, has a great amount of sea training which BY REAR ADMIRAL W. R. SHOEMAKER in general compares favorably with that of regular officers. This, there- fore, greatly simplifies their reserve training, which may be limited to dis- tinctly naval subjects in which the merchant marine officer does not ob- tain experience under peace conditions, and the lack of which required many anxious months to overcome when this class of officers were requisitioned for naval service during the World war. In the second place, the mer- chant marine officer continues serving at sea almost constantly and_ this keeps him trained to the minute in the operation of his ship under peace conditions and facilitates his train- ing in distinctly naval subjects. Must Train Organizations A principle which has been followed in all classes of the reserve is that we must train organizations, not in- dividuals. It is a simple matter in peacetime to list a number of officers and men, but to give both peacetime training and to provide wartime ef- ficiency it is necessary that individuals be grouped into organizations and the closer and firmer these organizations are cemented during peacetime the more effective they will be under the strain of war. In the merchant marine, by taking the ship as a unit, and commissioning the master and other officers in the reserve we have a living operating organization already formed for us, which would be of great potential war value. If the ship should be chartered by the navy and operated with a merchant crew the officers would not be called to active service, but, due to their naval re- serve experience, would be able to op- erate with the fleet more effectively than if its officers had merchant sery- ice experience only. If the vessei on which they were serving should be commissioned and manned by the navy, they would remain on board and constitute the nucleus of its officer personnel. : The fact that the merchant marine officers would continue on their own vessel and in most cases perform the same duties would be of immense ad- vantage at mobilization and, in fact would be indispensable for its proper operation, particularly as its services would be required on very short notice. The foregoing concerns the officer personnel only. The enlisted per- (Continued on Page 58) THE HEALTH OF THE MEN OF THE NAVY IS OF FIRST CONSID ERATION—FREQUENT PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS, BEDDING IN- SPECTION AND EXERCISE ARE A PART OF REGULAR ROUTINE. THIS VIEW SHOWS A DIVISION OF MEN LINED UP ON THE DECK OF A RATTLESHIP FOR BAG INSPECTION 25