Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-05-05

Inat WHIT maybe termed u MARKS
manship revival Is taking strong
hold upo nthe military bodies of The
United States is apparent to every
one who Is at all In touch with army
and National Guard affairs. The
prophecy is freely made by Gen
Drain and others high In such mat
ters that in another five years Uncle
Sam, IL need arises, viii be able to
put into the field division Of sharp
shooters.
This may mean anywhere from 1900
10 $4,000 men who are able, each OF
them. to XIII crow NJ 900 yards. Il
turkey ut thousand, aud man /,
mile and quarter away.
That may sound like pretty "tall''
shooting, but IL must be remembered
that this IS an age of long range
small arms Of wonderful accuracy,
ana the nation which fails to devote
tireless care and labor to small arms
practice will find itself VERY seri.
onsly handicapped in land operations
when fleeing an enemy that has
brought more of It's soldiers to the
standing Of expert marksmcn.
President Roosevelt by his stand
in such matters has given Il great
board having charge of workmanship
and to the various National Guards
and civic associations throughout the
Union come reports of increased in.
terest ana activity I'm rifle shooting.
Spring practices are already heing
held. In number of States hitherto
without adequate ranges or no ranges
mt all appropriations have been made
for the purchase or long rental OF
sites, the erection of modern targets
and shooting lodges and the placing
of moving figures.
The Russian-,lapanese war accentu-
ated the lessons taught by the Span
ish-Americnn and South Africa con
flicts as to the desirahility of better
individual craftsmanship. Both ar
mics In TINT great war were well sup.
piled with ordinary riflemen, but the
Russians were far ahead of the Mi
kados army In the matter uf rifle
experts. This is acknowledged by the
Japanese themselves, and the death
roll OF Japanese officers killed nj
Pingynng, Liauyang, Port Arthur and
Mukdcn Is evidence of the Russian
superiority IN this respect
At the siege and assault upon Port
Arthur Japanese officers were picked
off i'm scores at long distance, and
this despite the fact that In Il ma
jOrlty of cases they wore neither dis
tinguishing marks nor uniforms. This
convinced the Japanese that the enc.
my was using telescopes in connection
with the long range rifles and thus
We're able to pick out those In author
ity.
DEN Ichmobe was twice shot
through the right shoulder once ut Il
distance of 800 yards and again when
he had retired to more than l25G
yards. Both bullets passed entirely
through, but the wounds indicated
that the same rifle--onc Of tile es-
pcclully small bore--had sent both
bullets. Gen. Tackagagi, in the same
seige received Il Russian steel bullet
In tlN neck while he was surveying
:: battery Of the CoXcomh series from
distance of more than 1850 yards.
a few minutes later, In Il charge upon
the battery. Tackagagl received sim
,iltaneously three bullets IN the
breast.
No one ever will know now much
a single rifle ball at Santiago con
tributed toward bringing the Spanish,
American war TO an early close. The
writer has heard certain high officers
of the United States army say that
in their opinion that one bullet--fired
contrary to ordcrs--saved hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of lives
II was Sergt MclnGrney. of the
9th Infantry, who fired the shot-at Il
distance of more than 800 yards
which nearly severed Gen. I.inarcs' S
arm from his body and gave the SUI
preme command TO Gen. Toral. Sergt.
Mclnerney was the most advanced
soldier Of the American forces for
nearly three hours and It was while
lie held this place that the shot was
made which undoubtedly had the ef-
feet of changing very materially the
Spanish program.
He had taken the position In tree
beyond, within the breastworks, he
noticed particularly one officer upon
gray horse, apparently making an
inspection of the entire front. Mic
lnerney thought the order had gone
out that day that no firing should
be INDUCED in-aimed upon the horse
man and brought him down. Later
Is~o-s--->>>~-s-~s..a-.-.>.---. $500. -.