Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-13
BY UNANIMOUS VOTE
RIFLE ASSOCIATION RETURNS
THE PALMA TROPHY.
End of Controversy Over Prize Won by
American Team at Bisley,
England.

BY unanimous vote the executive COM
mittee of the National Rifle Association,
which met here late Saturday afternoon,
decided to return forthwith to England
the Palma trophy, which the American
team won at Bisley last July because of the
charges made that the American team vio-
lated rule of the contest in using rifle
slightly different from that used by the
regular army Of this country. 1t was also
decided to withdraw the Palma match
from the program of the competition at
Sea Girt next September. There was a
great deal Of discussion of the resolutions
finally adopted by the committee, and the
rough draft was revised several times be-
fore 1t was acceptable. The resolutions 1t
was desired should be an appropriate ex-
preston of the dignifed proceedings of the
committee. They set forth that the COM
mittee carefully considered all the facts and
correspondence in connection with the con-
troversy, which followed the Palma tro-
ply competition of 19O3 and regretted the
evident differences of opinion which have
been made matter for publca ton. 1t is
ADDED that While the committee found that
the captain of the American team made no
secret whatever of the exact character Of
the rifles, believing their use perfectly prop
er, (which differences of opinion would
never have existed had he officially sub
mtted the rifles for approval in accordance
with the explicit instructions given him by
the president of this association" Pro-
longation of the arguments to what Is or
is not conformity with regulation patterns
of rifles might be continued indefinitely,
with no prospective good resulting there
from.
Controversy Injurious.
1t being the unanimous sentiment of the
committee that the existing controversy
cannot continue without working serious
injury to competitive military rifle shoot
ing the world over, it was resolved that the
committee should ratify all statements
made in the letter of the president of the
National Rifle Association of America to
the secretary of the National Rifle Associa
ton of Great Britain, dated March I, 1904,
and instruct the president of the former as
ISOLATION to withdraw the Palma compet-
ton from the program for the current
year. and to cause the Palma trophy to be
Immediately returned to the National Rifle
Association of Great Britain, to be held by
that organization for future competition
Telegraphc orders were sent to New
York, where the Palma trophy has been
kept recently, directing that it be packed
and shipped immedia tely to England. Ar
engagements also were made at the session
Saturday for the regular meeting of the
association in September at Sea Girt.
An invitation was read from the United
Rifle Societies of France for an American
team to participate in the meet to be held
at Lyons from July to July is. This
meet will be for sporting rifles and the con-
ditions call for forty shots lying down, for
ty shots kneeling and forty shots stand
Ing. The committee decided TO make puplic
the invitation and if 1t is practicable to
send a team one will go in July The re-
ceipt of the invitation was acknowledged
with thanks