Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-02
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Getting Ready for the Annual Rifle
Competitions.
rHE PROGRAM Is BEING PREPARED
But Few Changes Of Moment ir
the Regulations.
COMMENT ON SEA GIRT

NOW that the rifle practice season has
closed-so far as the work of score building
on thet range is commemorative active
thought Of the District National Guard
turns to the more important events that
belong to the warm days and cool nights Of
autumn-the annual rifle competitions and
the field days. As to the latter occasions
OF interest nothing has as yet been def
nitely determined, nor will any conclusions
be reached until after Gen. Ordway has re-
turned from trip to New England. He
Will be back early next week.
AS to the competitions things IRE in
pretty good shape. 1t was announced in
The Star last Saturday that they would
take place on Monday. Tuesday and We'd
nesday. October 9, 10 and II, and unless
something unexpected turns up to disar-
range present plans those dates will not be
changed. The program will be almost iden-
teal with that Of last year, except In the
matter Of conditions and there the differ
ences will not be of much consequence.
No officer or enlisted man will be permitted
to compete in any match unless he has
completed his official scores for the season,
and II there be any who will grieve at that
regulation they must remember that The
opportunities for official and voluntary
class practice were never 80 plentiful as
they have been during the present season.
First on the program will be the Merchants
Match, open to enlisted men who have
never won a medal in any individual or
team competition nor been either principal
or alternate on the brigade team Of any
year. In the company and battalion team
matches teams from company A Of the en-
g1neers and the engineer battalion. respect
lively. will be admitted, but the men entered
must have been originally enlisted IN the
engineers and not transferred from other
commands. This equitable handicap Is en-
frA1Ny
Thompson, commanding the engineer corps,
and of Lieut.. Pollard, the engineer inspec-
tor of rifle practice. The circular in which
the competitions and their terms are to be
announced will be issued from brigade
headquarters within a week. and ii is quite
certain that entries will close not later than
the goth instant. Hitherto entries have been
received up to few hours before the
matches commenced, but confusion inva-
riably resulted. and 1t was impossible to
make satisfactory arrangements for the sc-
commodation Of competitors. This year
there will be no such trouble. The method
Of entry will differ, too. Both last year and
the year before entries were bunchad, enc
man putting all of his on one sheet of paper
and In an omnibus fashion that deficd any,
thing like classification. This time each
entry will be distinct and separate. and Will
receive no consideration unless Endorsed by
the company commander and the regimen
tai or battalion inspector Of rife practice.
More Pleasant Comment.
Discussing an affair in which the local
soidiery must be interested the Army and
Navy Journal said editorially: The meet
ing Of the New Jersey Rifle Association was
in many ways a great success The wealth
er was fine the grounds In perfect condi-
ton. the management admirable and the
visiting rifemen were. treated with the
greatest hospitality and fairness. The
shooting was first-class. the team from the
District Of Columbia winning the Hilton
Trophy" by LOSS points, which beats the
record. Yet in frankness it must be said
that the meeting, while rejecting great
credit upon New Jersey, reflected none
upon the army or the National Guard au-
thorities Of New York or Pennsylvania.
The match for the Hilton Trophy" was
established by Gen. w. s. Hancock for the
purpose Of bringing together in competition
teams from the army and from the Ma
tional Guard Of the various states. Gen
Hancock was a firm believer In the military
advantages Of such competitions and dur
ing his lifetime made it a point to always
honor the match by his presence, and gen.
orally presented the prize with an appro-
pirate address.
The endeavors Of the army to win the
trophy. and Of the National Guard to secure
1t for themselves, have done much to main
tain interest in rife practice, and have thus
added to our national strength. Yet now
that the army, after repeated defeats has
succeeded In winning the trophy a few
times, the military authorities withdraw
from further competition. If they With
draw at all 1t should be as losers and not
as winners. 1t is impolitic to withdraw the
army from association with the National
Guard of the states and create i'll feeling
where friendship should exist. Nor should
they do anything to diminish interest in
military rifle shooting. 1t is said by the
National Guard of the various states. and
| with justice, IF the regulars do not think
TINS match OF sufficient Importance to enter
a team. why should we do so? And if
| not in this, why in any?'
The army cannot afford to do thus
Neither can 1t afford to have It said. "a II
is said. that they are afraid to enter a team
because the scores made show they would
be beaten If they did so. The excuses made
as to expenses, &C.. will not bear critical
examination. If the desire existed the ex-
penses OF at least one team could be easily
managed. pennsylvania, as the holder of
the trophy, was bound to appear to defend
| 1t.
The fact that repairs to Creedmoor have
| interfefed with practice will doubtless be
onered by New York as an excuse for its
failure to enter a team. But there is plenty
OF material from which a strong team could
| be readily formed If the department Of
rifle practice had taken up the matter in
que season ana with energy and efficiency.
1t Is to be hoped that next year will see a
| marked change in the entries, not only for
| these important trophies. but for the Other
matches shot for at Sea Grit and that an
| ehuSdsoi VIII De mace Dy the armV and the
| state to have the competition general and
popular. If they can do 1t in the west why
| cannot 1t be done here? Undoubtedly The
| indifference to this and other matters In
our army Is due in part to a growing tend.
| ency to Capitalization, which fndisnoses
| officers serving with troops to go a single
| step beyond their orders, even To the cx.
tent OF offering commentator.
Notes.
| SO that the recruits who have fired IN
the range may complete their seasons
scores the gallery will be open all Of the
week commencing the 18th instant Men
| who want to improve their scores may also
/ practice during the same period The wise
rinemen will go to the gallery early in the
| week.
! The fourth battalion will add to the in.
terest Of the annual competitions by Civ.
| ing fine trophy and medal to the enlisted
man of the fourth battalion who make
| the biggest score in the merchants match
The medal will be the winners property
but the trophy will remain in the posses.
sion of the battalion.
Lieut.. A. s. Odel1 adjutant of the fourth
battalion, has resigned his commission.
Capt. W. L. Cash, inspector rifle practice
| first regiment, who was taken iii at Sea
| Girt, has recovered to such an extent az
| to be able to sit UP daily.
A Telegraph Line Before Morse's.
From the London Telegraph.
Honor to the pioneers in the vast field O