The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-16
By ID. W. McIver.

1 Colonel Ewing of Delaware, the In
 spector of Rifle Practice for that S$ate, | Is travelling in the South in the inter- | est of and for the promoting rifle prac-
 tice and for reviving that most neces-
 sary adjunct to an efficient soldier. Colonel Ewing is getting up interest
 also in the Sea Girt shoot in August, | and he hopes to have a team from Ala
 bana. It is sincerely hoped that he
 may succeed in this undertaking for | there Is nothing that would prove of
 greater benefit to the Alabama National Guard.
 | There are now pending in the House
 of Representatives several bills promot-
 ing and encouraging rifle practice in
 the different States.
 l The bills propose to increase the ef- | hciency of the militia and promote
 rife practice" The appropriation is proposed at &2,00o,000. double the sum
 now given for the support of the milf- | tia, and much of it is proposed to be devoted to building rife ranges and
 in other ways encouraging and having
 rife practice in the different States. l There ought to be a range right here | in Montgomery. there being place splendidly adapted for the purpose, and with the aid from the Government, in | addition to what the Montgomery Trsc- tion Company will do. there is no req ] son why one of the best ranges in the South should not be established here. Capt. w. F.. Mickle. Jr., of Mobile.
 who is the Inspector of Rife Practice l in the 1st regiment has aroused much | interest already in his regiment. and rife practice in that command is had
 by almost every company, and at Mo- bile they have an indoor range, which has been of great benefit in learning to shoot the rife.
 A movement is on foot to establish an indoor range in the 3rd regiment at Birmin gham, and there is a revival of
 interest in that command in rife prac- tice. Captain McCaa of Anniston is the Inspector of Rife Practice, and Capt. H. B. Peacock of Opelika fills that position in the 2nd regiment.
 Both Colonel Bricken and Colonel McKleroy are enthusiastic about the practice, and 1t is certain that in a very | short time those commands will be having practice, and it is thought that ! before a great while every company will have local range and the men given an opportunity to learn to shoot
 the gun. as it has been demonstrated l that the man behind the gun" who can | shoot is the one who does effective work in real warfare. I am gratified to know that the prospect for rifle practice in Alabama is bright. and that | the Alabama Senators and Representa- lives are supporting the bills now | pending looking to its encouragement. Shooting at Sea Girt.
 l The Army and Navy Register has an | excellent article on the subject of the | matches at Sea Girt. which is of so | much interest just now that give 1t in | full, Knowing that it will be read with | pleasure by all who are just now talk cling so much interest in this import | ant matter:
 The nation has every reason to be l proud of It's marksmen and the Ma
 tional Board for the Promotion of Rifle | Practice, together with the National | Rifle Association of America. which works in harmony with the national \ board. to be highly gratified at the magnificent success of the rifle tour nament on the New Jersey State range at Sea Girt. The National Board for
 the Promotion of Rifle Practice was the | outcome of a concerted movement by
 a handful of enthusiasts who recogniz- l ed the decadence of the art of shoot l ing in America, due to the disappear 1 AncH of game and the fact that an in- centlve must be provided in order to l stimulate popular interest in d sport
 on which so much of the nations well fare indirectly depends. Easing their plea on the proposition that a soldier on the firing line is valuable only in proportion to his ability to hit that at
 which he aims. the friends of rifle practice-that Is to say, practice with
 the oficial military rifle of the United States-secured from Congress legis- lation creating the national board, | which, in connection with and under the direction of the War Department was to have charge of the rifle matches | N~ L L1 11I ~E United States Government, and which weret 10 be open to teams and Individuals | from the regular army and naval es- | establishments, the Marine Corps and the l National Guard. In connection with
 this work. the national board was l charged with the duty of devising | plans for a national marksmen's re-
 serve. and for providing rifle ranges | throughout the United States, conven- l iently situated so as to afford practice
 for all those directly or indirectly con-
 nected with the military and naval
 service. and in addition such private | individuals as wished to attain farhil- | iarity with the use of the national
 weapon without mourning additional | obligations which would be entailed by | their joinging the National Guard. Cre-
 sted in March, 1903, within slightly l more than two years the national
 board. ably assisted by the National l Rifle Association, has succeeded in re- | viving the waning interests in this | sport, until the meeting recently in | progress. although but the third held | under its direction. was universally
 conceded to be the greatest ever held | in this country, and one which com | pared favorably with the great Eng
 fish meet held annually at Bsley. Some | idea of the magnitude of the undertake | ing may be had from the fact that l every stitch of canvas belonging to the 1 State of New Jersey was stretched ] to accommodat" the visiting riflcmen | the Regulars detailed here as scorers and markers and the Regular Army of | ficers on duty in connection with the | tournament having brought their own | tentage. The total number of marks men in attendance was estimated at | approximately one thousand, which. it | should be remembered. were the pick or | the military riflemen of the country ! chosen after process of careful selec- l tion in order that each of the thirty | seven teams representing the Army. l Navy Marine Corps and National 1 Guard. might he of the very best which
 the organizations mentioned could pro ] duce in the contest for the National 1 Trophy Thus those contesting in the l team and individual matches with tn"