The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-25
FOR NATIONAL SHOOT
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF RIFLE
PRACTICE ENDORSES MOVE TO
HOLD MATCH HERE IN 1905
COL. GORDON TO PRESENT CITY's
CLAIM TO INTERSTATE BOARD.

Monster Interstate shoot This Fan
Will Mean the Success of the Ven-
ture-AH Prominent Military Men
IndOrse 1t.
The movement inaugurated in the
editorial columns of the Morning News
to secure the national rifle contest of
1905 for Savannah, found ready re-
Spouse and unqualified approval among
the military men in the city yesterday.
! Several of the most prominent military
men in the state have pledged their
hearty support, and promised to use
their good offices in their particular de-
partments.
Eyes, by all means lets get the ma
tional contest here" said Col. G.. T.
| Cam, inspector general of rifle prac-
tice of the Georgia State Troops 1.-The
editorial is along the right lines, and
] heartily approve of the movement.
will gladly use what influence 1 have,
and see no reason why we should not
be successful. Savannah has one of
the finest ranges in the world, and 1t
| is as accessible as is Sea Girt.
Il have seen the ranges at Sea Girt,
Chestnut Hill and Creedmore and quite
a number of the army ranges In the
West, and there is nothing which can
| compare with the range here. The
Avonda1e range is much finer. United
States army officers readily concede
this. The government has shown clear
1y that it is DESTROYS of promoting rife
practice all over the country, and what
plan could be more logical than holding
the national contest here. after it has
been at Sea Girt and in the Middle
West, as prescribed in the finding of
the board?
The Way to Get 1t.
''The proper modus procendi, It
strikes me, is to make every effort to
bring teams here to the Interstate
shoot from as many states as possible,
and to make such a success of the
shoot in every way as to elicit the
support of the states represented in
the fight for the national contest.
When they see the beauty and excel
lence of the range and the interest
manifested, and note the hospitality
and sportsmanlike spirit of the local
marksmen, they will 1 believe. be a
unit in support of Savannal1's claims"
The matter will be brought to the
attention of the Interstate Rifle
Board, which meets in Columbus. O
in few days. Col. 9. Arthur Cor
don, together with two other proni-
nent Georgians, will represent the
state, and it\is believed that the dele
CATION will be able to effectively start
the movement at the meeting Chi
Gordon pledged his support, and said
yesterday that he would bring the
matter to the attention of the board
The board is composed of many of the
prominent military men from the va
rlous states, and, it is thought, there
could be mo better place to formally
launch the movement.
Heartily Favors 1t.
1T am heartily in favor Of working
for the national contest" said he. "It
is clearly the purpose of the national
contests to hold the matches in diff
ferent parts of the country. The con
test for 1903 has been assigned to Sen
Grit, and the one for 1904 to the Mid
die West. so that when these contests
have been held the various sections of
the country, except the South, will
have been represented. The movement
to secure the contest cannot be started
too Soon
Col. A. r. Lawton, Georgia's efficient
representative on the board of control
whose services in formulating the rules
were the subject of special commenda-
ton from the authorities at Washing
ton, was not in the city yesterday. and
| it was, therefore, impossible to secure
| any expression from him. The Off
GERS think that there is no doubt of
the fact that he would heartily COM
mend the movement, and lend it such
| support as he consistently could.
| other Omcers' Views.
The plan is considered entirely fea
| sible by Maj. Walter E. Coney. one
of the prominent officials of the In
terstate Military Rifle Association and
one of the best posted men in matters
pertaining to rifle practice in the coun-
try. Maj. Coney also thinks that the
| preparation for the national contest
by Southern States will be largely
made on the Avondale range.
II believe that the governments in
creased interest in the rifle practice
feature of the State Troops training
as shown by the new militia firing
regulations, and the national rife
contests, will prove of direct advant-
age to the Avondale range" said he:
1T is the only range worthy of men
| ton in the entire South, everything
else, government ranges included be-
ing not even worthy of comparison.
our only competitor, of the future
is likely to be the government range
at Chickamauga, which will hardly be
built this year, and if we can con-
vince the government that it will be
unnecessary to construct a big range
there. with such a fine one as the
Avondale at their service, it is probable
that it might never be constructed.
If Gen. Chaffee's idea of getting the
Fort Mcpherson garrison here for its
| rs1g rleara nnfs.. t. .,s1I
| advantage to the government of the
AvOndale range will be at once made
| manifest.
Government Recognition.
"Of course the re-establishnent of
the Department of the Gulf, with head
| quarters at Atlanta, will increase the
chances of our range for obtaining gov
more accessible to North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and
| Alabama than Chickamauga range
| would be.
Then the large number of expert
| enced officers and men and the mill
tary interest of Savannahians gener-
| ally would make the range desirable
as a place for department Cor inter
state) competitions, in the eyes of the
| government.
THE national contest should benefit
| our interstate shoot this summer in
/ this way: 1t is probable that many
| of the Southern states will send teams
which will have to be selected first,
! and as these states Georgia excepted)