The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-05
CANADA LEADS
 IN RIFLE WORK Iowa and Indiana National GuardSmen Hard at
 Work.
SIMPLE TERMS PUZZLE
War Department Interested in Texas Reserv-
 ation.

Washington, D. C., June 4.-Canada far leads the United States in rifle work among civilians. It has 132 military rife associations and 459 civ ilian rifle associations. The military associations have a membership of 1S,- 0SS and the civilian 34,37O. As Canada has less than one-tenth the population of the United States, if the proportion were maintained there would be 5OO,O0O rifiemen in this country. In Canada each member of a civilian club draws 100 rounds of ammunition yearly and the government allots a rife to every four men. If no rifle range is availa- ble a small cash allowance is made towards the expenses of the club.
 Tt has been my experience that in no field of skill or athletic competi- ton can one so quickly lose his su- perior quality or grip as in rifle fir ing" says Major z. w. Torrey, who explained the army infantry team for the last three years in the national competitions. And it has been my observation that team in training for the national competition can hard ly afford to pass day without train ing along all the lines of the work. To practice a number of days at one kind of fire to the entire exclusion of the others, leaves the team in an unbal- anced state"
 Rifle shooting as means of relax ation does not receive the attention it should" says Dr. William c. Wood, assistant surgeon of the Second regi- ment, N. Y. N G. Tt trains the eye to see accurately, the mind to judge correctly, and exercises the powers of coordination, while the strict atten- ton it requires takes the mind clear of business cares and all other wor- rles and irritations of modern life. Ii is the sport par excellence for the neurasthenic for he is obliged to for get himself and introspection for the time being becomes impossible when every faculty is concentrated on tar get 800 yards away. Long range shooting especially cultivates the powers of observation, mathematical reasoning and logical deduction to a degree unknown to any other sport while at the same time 1t is free from envy, spite and the littleness of many other forms of personal competition Many doctors realize this and very large proportion of expert shots of this country are doctors, notably pr. W. G. Hudson, to whose work of perfecting the modern high-power bullet the llited States owes large debt oi gratitude"
 The forty best rife shots in the Iowa National Guard will be called togeth. CT June r to 20 inclusive for the SC. lection of the team to represent tht state in the National matches. Eacf member of the team will be supplied with ammunition for home practice Fnd the team will reassemble for tean ractice few days before leaving fol Camp Perry. The new Iowa camp anC range will be located ten miles nortE of Des Moines and on the river of tha name. It contains about 250 acres O which 200 acres are bottom land. I is proposed to erect a 36 target range and about $16.000 will be spent in fit ting up the camp site and range.
 Indiana is working hard at riff, practice. A recent order from Adjut ant General Perry directs that com pany ranges shall be established at O near each station of such capacity a will practically permit about the sam exercises as in state or natlona range. Company commanders are di rected to make an effort to secure b, yearly lease ranges of not less than SO and if possible of 100 yards In lengtl and 200 yards in width Reports are t be made accompanied by maps, of tn proposed range, contiguous countr, distance from the armory, etc. Afte approval all expense for construction of targets and lease of the land vii be paid by the state quartermaste general.
 The terms "sharpshooter," "exper inarksman," etc., which distinguish tn classes of military rifemen are ofte puzzling to those not familiar with ri fle practice. To become a marksma one must make 9S out of possible 15 at 200, 300 and 800 yards. The sharp shooter must get 1e0 out of 200 at two three, five and six hundred yards be side doing well enough in skirmish [ bring his total to 225 or two-thirds 0 the possible score. An expert mus do all this and also score 40 out of at 500 yards and 35 out of 50 at 100 yards. The latter distance is mor than half mile and the bulls-ey looks mighty small.
 The model of 1906 bullet weighs 15 grains against the 2SO grain bullet for merly used. It wears out the rifle bar yel almost twice as rapidly and tn siAe may not stand more than 1000 t $500 rounds. It has an initial veloc Nv of 2,2SO feet against 22O0 feet fo