The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-10-21

6h@tA tNA AN ANAtANbiNA AAhbf6 RA@hNtNNt
will probably be made ii the mex
annual meeting Of the National
Board for the Promotion Of Rife
Practice, A number o. novel sugges
tions have been advanced, all being
intended 20 relieve the situation IN
cident TO the winning Of the first foul
places il the National Team match
By the teams representing the reg
ular service. So much distinction Ii
the rifle world accompanies the win
Nhing Of these prizes that the differ
emf branches Of the services entered
into the contest with great spirit. Th,
army navy, and marine corps col.
lccted their most expert marksmer
from all quarters and spent months
in selecting and training the team:
which fally represented them. The
National Guard teams feel that the,
are at disadvantage under the pre-.
sent rules, as they are necessarily re.
stricted both as to time and animuni,
tion, while the regular service teams
are not. Again, the cavalry and In.
fantry teams which represent the ar,
my, are chosen from fifty or sixt,
men who are regularly instructed IL
craftsmanship and whose pay is In.
creased IN proportion 10 their skill
with the rifle. On the other hand
such teams as those from Oklahoma
Utah, Arizona, Wyoming and other
oi the States where the National
Guard are numerically weak. are se'
leeted from a few hundred mer
whose instruction and opportunity ID
practice are necessarily limited. In
many cases the states 10 moi ,possess
ranges Of over six hundred yards and
yet their teams arc compelled 10 shoot
against the cracks Of the Army, Ma.
wy Marine Corps and OF such
States as Massachusetts, New Jer.
sey and Ohio, MI Of which are equip
ped with excellent ranges.
The National Guard is as whole
willing and anxious to try conclu.
sion with the army and other service
teams, but there is a growing desire
TO see conditions adjusted SO that
especially the weaker state will have
better chance Among the sugges,
tions advanced is that two prizes shall
be set aside for the service teams
and that four prizes shall be distri-
buted 10 the National Guard teams,
all to shoot at the same time and
place and under similar conditions
II Is understood that this plan Is fol-
lowed in English catches where the
volunteers are not expected to cope
with the regulars, or the reserves
with either the volunteers Or regu.
lars.
Another plan which meets with
considerable favor, provides for di.
yiding the contestants into three di.
visions, the FIRST two to consist Of
seventeen teams each ad the third Of
The remaider. AT Camp Perry, Ohio,
this year, there were fifty teams Of
twelve men each, entered in the Ma
tional Match, representing forty five
states, and territories, the army, navy
and marie corps, and the Naval Aca-
DENY Under the proposed scheme
the FIRST seventeen teams would be
entered next summer in the first di-
vision, the next seventeen in the Sec
ond division and the remaining 10,
with all new entries, in the third d.
vision. Prizes would be offered in each
DIVISION and there would be con-.
stant struggle among the teams in
each division and of the teams to get
from the third into the second or the
second into the first division,
~ -----
President Roosevelt has again Civ.
. - +
en- cyidnece Of Ills strong interest in
rifle practice BY writing letters to
Sergeant a. Bfest, Of the 18th u, s.,
Infantry, Il A. D, Rothrock, Ohio
National Guard, and to Lieut.. S. A.
Harris, 18TH Y. $. Infantry, congrat-
ulating them on winning the Presi-
dents match, the National Individual
~