The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-08
Marksmen of the District
Guard Want to Contest
fora Place on Rifle Team
in International Matches.
Officers Hopeful Of Making
EncamPment Next Sum
mer the Most Successful
Ever Held.

The question which Is now uppermost
in the minds Of the marksmen and
sharpshooters of the District of CoIum-
bia is whether or not local guardsmau
Will get a position on the American
rife team which viii 90 to England in
June TO shoot in the international
matches The contest viii take place
at Bisley on June II. and the United
States team VIII try hard to wrest the
Palmer trophy from the English con-
fingent- This is an American trophy.
and UP to two years ago il was won
each year by the American marksn1an.
The Canadians won it two years ago.
and the Englishmen captured it last
season
Gen George +. Harrfcs. commander
Of the local sOldiery. and Major James
E Bell, inspector general Of rife prac-
tice. viii 90 10 New York tomorrow to
attend q meeting of'the National Rife
Association to be held there on the sol
lowing evening. It is expected that
some definite plans for sending the
American team to England will be made
and large number Of representatives
are expected to be present. General Har-
ries and Major Bell are members Of The
executive board Of The organization. and
they VIII bring whatever influence they
may have TO bear on the subject of Civ
ing District sharpshooter a place on
the team.
Confident of Good Scores.
Last year three local u1arksmen shot
on the team They were Private George
( A. Cook Major GIendie B. Young. and
Private ". ". Cooksou. It IS believed
they viii have TO compete with num-
Der OF other American marksmen and
( successfully defend their claim TO a 10
sition on the team before the places
! will be granted them This causes. no
apprehension on the part of the local
men, because they are confident of max
ing sufficiently high scores TO earn The
positions. The date for the competition
has not been fixed and the local shots
viii have a change to brush up on tar
get practice before the date is an
nounceG- Although 1t was stated last
fall that team would be sent TO Bis
ley. 1t was not known there would be
any competition for positions. Il was
the consensus Of opinion that the men
who did the best work on last years
team would be retained this season,
and new men obtained TO suppiant those
who made low scores The three men
from the District OF Columbia were in
the first class, and for that reason Fl /
was believed they would be selected this I
year However. General Harries and
Major Bell are sanguine Of a victory
for their pToteges in the competition. /
and believe that event viii give the /
local lads a little more practice and /
make them exert themselves as they /
have never done before The competi- /
ton Tor positions VIII be as much Of q T
struggle as the match itself. and all Of /
the participants viii profit by it,
The Impending EncamPment
Things have been comparatively dull (
and listIess in Guard circles throughout
the past week or two. It is stated semi /
officially that matters are Ringing upon .
the army appropriation bill carrying /
100000 for putting into operation the /
Dick militia bill which was enacted into /
law about two weeks ago. Two imp0r-
tant matters are involved in this bill .
viz. the organization OF a battery Of .
light artillery and the annual enCamD-
5nent Of the National Guard il July. +
The officials Of the Guard hope 10 /
make the coming encampnent the most /
successful in the history Of the organi- !
zation- It is General Harries' plan TO /
have a series OF naval and field maneu- I
Vers somewhere in the vicinity o. Fort
Washington, and TO have a battalion Of .
regular army men, accompany the lads
under his command. This would make /
the enCampmeut better from every point
The Guardsmen viii take more interest
IN the AFFAIR II they are aware Of the /
fact that new order Of things win pre-
vail On the other hand, II they know
they viii be put through the same ma
-neuvers that have taken up the ten days
in past years they VIII rot be so en-
fhusiastic. The larger the attendance.
the more successful the eucampmeut
viii be, and II the officials can make II
Interesting for the boys in the ranks.
they viii be more eager TO leave their
homes.
Recognizing the Artillery,
The preliminary steps relative to tbs
Reorganization Of the battery Of light
artillery, which became defuucJ after The
Spanish war, have already been taken.
It Is generally conceded that Captain
Robbins the popular member Of General :