The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-13
THE GOVERNORS AYE
COL. CANN ASKS PERMISSION To
CHOOSE A TEAM
TO REPRESENT GEORGIA.
SAVANNAH SOLDIERY BENT ON
GOING TO SEA GIRT.

|
in the Conviction That Team
should BE Scnt-Sny Savannah
Cannot Hope for National Rifle
Match in 1908 Unless She Pnrtici-
pntes In This ShOOt-Adjutant
General VIII Refer Col. Cams
Request 10 Gov. Terrell as Soon
as Legislative Business becomes
Lighter.
Col. George T. Cam, inspector gen.
| eral of rife practice, has written to
Adjt Gen. Robertson requesting that
authority be given to select a team
of twelve men and two alternates to
constitute team to represent the state
of Georgia at the national rife matches
at Sea Girt. Sept. and 8.
Col CAMS letter was received yes
| terday morning. Owing to the pres
sure of legislative BUSINESS it is not
thought that the adjutant general will
take the matter up with Gov. Terrell
for several days yet. There is not,
however, any doubt of Gov. TerrelPs
compliance with the request, and, as
stated in the Morning News, the team
will probably be chosen by Col. Cam
at the conclusion of the interstate
shoot.
The announcement yesterday that
team would be chosen to go to Sea
Girt is in line with the forecast made
several weeks ago by the Morning
News, in an interview with Maj. Wal
ter f. Coney. At that time Maj.
Coney's views were not shared by many
of the officers in the city. but now that
the contest has been ordered held I'M
der government supervision, all doubt
in the matter has been dispelled.
what the Omcers Think.
The officers in the city are practical
ly unanimous in the conviction that
Georgia should be represented in the
national rife matches. Nearly all of
them are, at the same time, inclined to
the belief that it would be a difficult
matter, if not impossible, to choose
team which would make the showing
that Georgia's team made at Sea Grit
on the occasion of their last visit
The strongest points urged in favor
of attending the contest are % that
an excellent opportunity will be offer
| ed for practice of the highest order at
| the expense of the government, ~
| that Savannah can hardly hope to Sc
cure the national rifle match for 1908
| if she is not herself a competitor in
the matches, 90 that if Georgia wishes
! to compete in the matches in the tu-
| ture she should not hold back because
| of her inefficiency, but, rather, attend
the match in order that her rif1emen
may be better prepared the following
year.
The question of whether the Savan-
| nah rifement can attend the shoot in
| honor has been eliminated from the
| discussion it being admitted that the
| supervision of the contest by govern
ment officials has removed that OBJ
] lection The opinion of a number of
| the officers of highest rank was asked
! by a representative of the Morning
News yesterday. These were as fol-
lows:
Gen. Gordon Says Go.
Gen. w. w. Gordon, president of the
Interstate Military Rife Association:
II can't very we'll see how the Sa-
| vannah rihemen can expect to receive
| anything at the hands of the govern
ment as long as feud, as it were, ex-
lists. l think, as stated in your paper,
| that the objections heretofore raised
have been eliminated by the appoint
ment of a regular army officer as range
officer
Col. P. w. Meldrim: 1.-THE matter
| is one which 1 have never investigated,
and an opinion from me would, there
| fore, be worth nothing. OF course, as
a general proposition, 1t is not best
| to keep up animosities. If the troops
| think it is consistent with their self
respect to go, they should go"
| Lieut.. Col. w. L. Grayson: Il am
heartily in favor of our going into the
competition If we ARE insured that we
will have a square deal Since the
| range will be under the supervision OF
a United States army officer, 1 am
satisfied we will get a square deal, and
l am, therefore, thoroughly in favor
of going. l would go further than
that: l think it is up to Georgia to
go, any by making good showing
convince them that her men were treat
| ed unfairly last time. l don't see how
we can hope to get the national rifle
| contest here If we stand off and sulk
We have simply got to go. this year
Mai Walter E. Coney: Il have
maintained for some time that Geor-
gia would send a team to Sea Girt
this year. 1 thought this because
| believed that the national competition
I WOulu De uilueI SONSi hiAlChI SOpSl
| vision. Particularly at this time il
means much in our favor. We should
be among the first TO attend the con-
| tests for those who go in from the
beginning will reap the most benefit
Our attendance will enhance ouI
chances of getting the shoot here in
1905. BY attending the shoot we can
interest the marksmep from all por-
tions of the country in the Avondale
| range One of the greatest factors
| to my mind, is keeping in close touch
with the government in its efforts to
| encourage rife practice"
Capt. Austin's Views.
Capt. w. G. Austin: 81 am not OPP
| posed to sending a team, though
| would like the matter discussed pre-
and con before we arrive at conclu-
sion. l think, however, that whether
we send team or not, we should send
some representatives, if only in the
form of a committee. 1 have no other
of practice of our men, especially with
the Krags and at the 800 and 1,00C
ranges"
Capt. Joseph NJ. Dreyer 81 am in
favor of going. l do not believe that
| a team can now be chosen that will
win any big prizes at Sea Girt, but ]
do not think that should operate
against our attendance. We should
go for the purpose of learning and i'm.
proving. We must not forget that the
first year we went to Sea Girt we were
not medal winners, but went with the
avowed purpose of learning. The fol.
lowing year we went back and carried
| everything before U.S. Let's observe