Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-09

leading in its statement of a fact. permit
me to say that the rife matches at Sea
Grit and the meetings are national in their
character. and they are attended by rifle
men from all portions of our country for
the express purpose Of winning national
prizes. IL this was not true the officials OF
the New Jersey State Rifle Association
would not have the authority to permit
competition for or award prizes which every
rifleman in the United States knows are a
national honor to win
Among the several prizes are these two.
which will give examples:
First. the Hilton trophy. This prize was
gift by the late Judge Hilton of New
York, and 1t is to be awarded to thst team.
either from the National Guard of the
state. territory, regular army or marine
corps. who makes the highest score in COM
petition for it. Each member OF the win
ming team receives a badge or a medal,
which all riflemen interested in military
shooting know stamp the owner as one
OF the twelve team men who is champion
for the year in which the Hilton was won.
This prize was won by our team last year
against the guardsmen of other states, and
| If the competition for that at Sea Girt was
not a national affair then L am unable TO
understand what competition could be-
las the Hilton trophy is a team prize.
the Wimbledon cup is an individual national
prize. The cup was given to the original
American Rifle Association by the British
Rifle Association. and 1t can only be won
by an American, as, under the conditions Il
the gift, 1t was to be awarded TO that rifle
man VINO made the highest score each
year at Loo yards. The winner of the
cup has always been considered the long
range champion rifieman for the year.
Competed for ms National Honors.
II mentioned these two prizes to show
that they both are competed for as ma
tional donors. and the field in one is open
to all gUardsmen in the country as a team
and the other as individuals.
ssrha thai the New Jersey
State Rifle Association does not hold ma
tional competitions has been proven to be
erroneous. and the idea conveyed in the
portion of the article quoted that members
of the District National Guard who COM
peted for prizes at Sea Girt were not of a
national character has also been marked
as wrong statement of a fact.
Each member of the brigade team and
militia who competed in the military
matches and others at Sea Girt were
in national competition. The compel
itors came from different states, they
or tered the matches for the express pur-
pose of taking away. as guardsmen or
rifiemen. the honors they might win. and
in the military matches they wore the uni
fern of the state or territory they repre-
scented.
Those guardsmen who have won prizes
at Sea Girt would take 1t an insult to
have IT go forth from the columns of
reputable paper that they entered the
matches simply as the guests of the New
Jersey Rifle Association The meet is for
the express purpose of deciding what stase
holds the champion rifiemen and the field
Is open to all guardsmen and rifiemen in
the United States.
Il do not commit myself to the Justice of
oebarring those who have shot either in
national or international competitions from
entering certain matches to be held at
Ordway, but inasmuch as the conditions SO
read. 1t Is far from being a fact that rifle
men who have shot at Sea Girt were not in
national competitions.
What Major Harries Says.
Maj. George H. Harries. inspector gen.
eral Of rifle practice of the District of CO.
iumbia militia. on whose authority the
statement under criticism was published.
and who perused the foregoing communi-
cation. at the request of Star reporter
had the following to say:
=" 'Rifieman' is perfectly correct when he
says that the Hilton and interstate
matches are national but outside of those
competitions the Sea Girt meeting is mar
rowly interstate and almost local to the
state of New Jersey. Meetings of much
greater Importance arc held annually in
Wisconsin and California. but the District
OF Columbia National Guard has never sent
representatives to those meetings because
the distance and expense are too great
me Sea Girt competitions are wholly
controlled by the New Jersey State Rifle
Association, a corporation which has never
claimed for itself jurisdiction over any,
tring more than the state of New Jersey.
Riheman' may insist that the Sea Girt
meetings are national but his statement
will not make them So.
Withdrawal Of LIST Bnttuiton.
1t may be announced on the very bes.
authority that a movement is on foot to
| bring about the withdrawal of the LIST
Battalion from the District of Columbia
National Guard and the continuance of the
organization solely as the Washington
Light Infantry Corps. The movement, so
far as can be learned has been instigated
by few members. who have been careful up
to date to refrain from mentioning the mat
ter except to those members who 1t was
thought might look with favor such
movement.
The few persons referred to have pre-
pared typewriter circular Of some length
In which they state fully their views. They
have been very earnest In entoining Sc
crecy on all those favored with a COPY of
the circular: in fact, while several Light
Infantrymen admit that they have received
a copy of the circular. they claim that
| they have been placed under obligations
not to disclose the contents thereof.
BY far the big majority OF the members
CT the corps are in ignorance OF the move
ment Several prominent members de-
clared they had no knowledge OF the mat
ter when questioned yesterday by a Star
reporter. They We're unanimous in declar-
such movement to the end. as they say
| 1t has been demonstrated on more than one
| occasion locally that II is impossible for
q military organization to exist outside of
| the National Guard.
National Fencibles' New Officers.
Captain Domer and the members of Com
pany c. ID Battalion, are being con-
graduated on their selection Of a first and
second lieutenant at the regular meeting of
TIE company Tuesday evening last. AS
stated in The Star. Sergeant William Eu.
gene Crist and Private Samuel Clarence
Redman were unanimously chosen first and
second lieutenants, respectively. Now that
the vacant lieutenancies have been filed.
Captain Domer has a right and a left-hand
man. so to speak. who can be depended on
at all times to render any assistance that
may be necessary. The company is in as
nourishing condition at the present time
as ever before. and is moving to-the front
with energy expended in the right direc-
ton For several years this organization
held the title of champion military COM
rany of the United States. 1t is not un-
likely that it may regain that proud posi-
finp m he f,,fn