The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-10-07
Fivs Hundred Targets for
the Use of the Navy Will
Soon Be Ready On Isle Of {
Cuba.
TO PROMOTE PROFICIENCY
GUANTANAMO HAS BEEN sE-
LEcTED AS THE SITE BECAUSE
IT OFFERS PECULIAR ADyAN-
TAGEs.


TAGEs.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 7. 1905. = For
the purpose of making tie men Of the
navy Of the United States as proficient
in the use of small arms as they are With
the big guns q tileir ships. the govern
ment is now establishing a target range
at Guantanamo on the Island Of euha,
that viii be one Of the most compete ef
its kind in the world The navy Of our
country has a wcr;d-wiae reauiat en-
men who can hit more bulls eyes win
the big guns sbat do sneh remarkable ex-
esution in ac5i.n n than any ether ser Of
men. and if the present programme . <
ing to still further accuracy in mask
marship goes tl4roagh the same resog
viii he established n he ese Of NAL
AIMS.
Tho selection of Guantanamo IS idsal
for the purposes of rife practice Ii Is
located on the reservation over whish Is
government has coetrel as naval sa-
ton. and is removed fiom settlements 50
that practice Of this character can e
carried on with perfect safety. Last
year tie navy endeavosei 10 hold its tar-
Ger practice at Yorktown. but owing 10
the fhickly serted character Of the ceus-
try and the CONSEQUENT Danger 10 pc pie
living in the vicinity it had Z he abaa-
doned. Modern small arms have such rs-
markabe carrying capacity that shot
going wild Of target m.gi.t easily By
two miles distant ana hit some innoee i q
person. After careful consideration t
was agreed that there was nowhere IN
this country suitable pace for this es-
sential practice work.
A recent report to the department.
shows that already 200 of these targets
have been ereteed. When completed there
will be 500, and large as this number
seems. there viii be nene too many On
the contrary, ii is probable that ere long
an increase will have to be made These
ranges will be at 200 800. 600 aud 1000
yards and the firing line will be more
than 1000 yards in length. The Guam
| tanamo ranra will be utilized dnrins. tl.a
winter. naval manoeuvres. When these
manoeuvfes- take place there ale an aver
age of fifteen ships with complement Of
400 men each i'll Cuban waters TITS
makes an aggregate Of G,o0o men, every
one of whom viii he acquired to do his
turn at rifle practice. With such
number Of men and the time at the dis
pcsal Of the feet more orfless limitedsit
j will be easily seen that 500 targets IS
none too many At times there have
| been considerably more than this number
of ships in these waters during such ma
noeuyres. and as this is to become the
great target practice ground for tae
navy it will soon be necessary. probably.
to double the targets on the range Il IS
the purpose of the department to have
! these targets in shape for the eoiaing
manoeuvres. which viii be held either IN
December or January next.
Small arms are no longer used ~
boarding parties as in these days e Aiea
i powered guns eaval bltle ars fu ht
/ with grear distances between oppesAg
fleets. bur it is. however, essential chat
sailors and tackles should k4ow tho ugh
/ " how to handie gan effectively. rs
they are freaueatly employed in laad'ns
operations and as infanfrvmen on size e.
After the proper amount of psac,iee naval
officers say that the enlisted men Of the
navy will become as expert IN ME efee-
! tive handling of small arms as the so'-
diers Of the other arm OF the service Who
have achieved distinction as mas 4bsNeas
Suitable medals and other awards for
excellence in masksmanship have bees
provided as incentives for the men to AZ.
tain a high degfee Of efficiency. Divided
according 10 their records. the lnea vii
be arranged into classes so thar lhe lie
partment viii at all times know iust wae
! the best shots of the navy are and vile
they are. stationed. The record Of sh.p
both with small arms and the main ard
secondary batteries will be taken into
consileratii in As igning The 81 ps =
the navy 10 special lines q duty aud i
will be the aim Of the men 70 make sal
records that thev viii be chosen By the
department to participate in the mes
i highlv nrized eruises