The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-08
BOARD WILL DECIDE
NATIONAL TROPHY BOARD CON-
sIDERING PLAN TO MAKE
AvoNDALE THE RENDEZVOUS
FOR RIFLE COMPETITION IN SOUTH
ATLANTIC STATES.

Sucn an ARRANGEMENT VIII huAc thc
Range Available, with Few
Changes, For National COmpeti-
tiOn-COuntry May BE Divided
Into Five Sections, in Each of
which Uncle Sam VIII Maintain
al Rifle Range-AvOndaIe the LOGi-
cal Choice for south Atlantic Dis
trict-Board Met Yesterday.
For purposes of rifle competition the
United States will be divided into five
great districts, in each of which the
government will maintain a range, and
upon each of which annual comDeti-
tions win be held for the purpose Of
deciding who are qualified to compete
i'll the great annual contest recently
created by Congress and held under
the supervision of the National Trophy
Board. The Avondale range will be
the rendezvous for the riflemen of the
South Atlantic states.
This is the view held by Maj. Wal
ter E. Coney, and shared by many Of
the best posted military men and rifle
men in Savannah and elsewhere. For
tive Committee of the National Trophy
Board, which was held in Washington,
d. c., yesterday, was of particular in
terest to the ritiemen here. The meet
ing was held for the purpose of dis
cussing the advisability of establish
ing five district ranges to be used
jointly by the regular militia, and the
national guard for regular target prac-
tice and other contests. f-
The popularity which the National
Rif1emen's contest gained in one year
insures very much larger attendance
on the contests year by year. say mil
1tary men. The Sea Girt range is one
of the only ranges in the country large
enough to hold the contest on, and if
the number of contestants is mate
rally enhanced, as there is every rea-
son to believe it will be. even that
range will be inadequate.
Facilities Inadequate.
1t is the policy of the War Depart
ment and of the National Board to no d
the contests in different parts of the
country, the board having decided
shortly after its organization to hold
the first meeting in the Northeast ID
the second in the Middle West If thi ;
POAAOJ 10 W OC lLOSG VINO are
we'll posted think that it will be i'm
possible to secure ranges upon which
to have the competition, unless some
change is made. Recognizing this con-
tingency the National Board is now en-
deavoring to secure departmental or di-
visional competition.
'"Fhe result will eventually be that
the country will be divided into dis
tricts-about five, I should say-in
which annual competitions will be
held" said Maj Coney, in discussing
the matter. I'm this way tie bsst
shots may be culled out on their merit
and entered in the National Compe-
tttion. This would materially reduce
the attendance on the national shoot
and insure the attendance of practiced
shots, who have won the distinction of
representing their respective states in
competition with the best teams in the
district. It might even be possible to
have not only state teams but depart
ment or division, teams as we'll.
IF such a plan is adopted, and the
trend is undoubtedly In that direction,
Avondale range will be the logical rem
devious for the riflemen of this section.
1t would not then be necessary to
maintain such range as would be re-
quired in the event we held the
National Competition here under the
prevailing conditions. With a few ad-
ditions, the present range would meet
all requirements.
The Natural Outcome.
This will be the outcome eventual
ly. The government is not going to
attempt to maintain ranges all over
the country of proportions adequate to
accommodate the many teams which
will come to these contests. No pri-
vate enterprise can do it. Think of
the cost incident to the maintenance of
five or six ranges of such proportions
With twelve targets at each range,
there would be nearly 100 targets be-
sides many sets of silhouette figures:
and much of the equipment would only
be serviceable on the occasion of a ma
tional trophy shoot. though the butts,
etc, would have to be maintained at
all times"
AS stated. the views of Mai Coney
are shared by many local military men.
1t is said that the War DeDa rtment.
recognizing how essential an element
of modern warfare craftsmanship is
becoming, is exerting every effort to
arouse interest in rifle practice. and
to reduce it to a system. and main
tain uniformity similar to that now
enforced in the regular army.
In the event the National Board acts
favorably on the proposition now being
considered by it, there is little doubt
that Savannah will become the official
center of rife practice in the South
Atlantic states and that Avondale
range will be the rendezvous, not only
of the rihemen of this section, but also
of the United States.