Bisbee daily review., 1908-05-27
MARKSMANSH|P l. AT THE OLYMPIC
 GAMES IN JULY
America's Representation at London Sure to Be Strong No Matter What Other Showing Is Made.
(By William Wolff Smith.


 WASHINGTON, D. C., May 26.-ln whatever respects America may be weak in representation at the Olympic Games in London next July 1t will be strong as far as marksmanship Is concerned. Both the National Rifle Association and the United States Re voiVer Association are preparing to send teams to compete with those from other nations. The arrange ments for the sending of the team of riflemen have been changed some what from the original program. When it looked as though America would not be thus represented the U. s. Cartridge Company came to the front and offered to pay the entire ex- penses of the team. This generous offer was accepted by the National Rifle Association but no sooner had it become known than there was a yIs- orous protest against allowing an am intuition company to incur the ex- pense of sending a team abroad to sustain the prestige of American arms against the world, especially, in a contest where the sole reward is the addition of number of points to the score of the successful competing
 
 forthcoming to an extent that the ex- ecutive committee on the N. A. R. reconsideTed it's action and decided to open a public subscription for this purpose. Lieut.. Albert S. Jones, sec retary of the National Rifle Associa- tion, whose headquarters are in this city, was designated to receive the subscriptions and it is expected there N1Ti1 hn a, periodically inclined citizens who wish to see American arms triumph at the Olympic Games. The new United States rifle will be used for the first time in competition with the world and it is up to us to send a team abroad capable of sustainins the reputation of Americans for craftsmanship against the finest shots of the world. To secure the best ammunition Tor the match there will be exhaustive tests, probably held in Washington, under the super vision of a committee consisting of Gen. James A. Drain, president of the N. R. A., and captain of the team, Gen. Wm. P. Hall, adjutant general U. s. A. and Gen. Lawrason Riggs. of Maryland. The team will be SC lected after a competition to be held on the range at Camp Perry. Ohio, June 10, II, 12 and 13, the range having been placed at the disposal of the executive committee for this pur- pose by Adj. Gen. CritchfieId, o5 Ohio. On the evening of June 13. the team will be announced and a few days De given for preliminary ar engagements before it reassembles on some Eastern range for practice. It will sail on June 20 from New York. on the St Louis, and will reach Bis ley range, where it will be uuartered, some nine days before the matches. While the team will thus have only 12 or 13 days practive as a team it Is expected that this will be sufficient and that America will sweep the boards. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and National Guard will all strive for representation on the team and it is expected several civilians will secure places. Several members of the naval academy team also ex pect to compete.
 J. B. Crabtree, secretary of the U. s. Revolver Association, Spring field, Mass, aas issued a call for subscriptions to send a revolver team
 
 that the expense will be $250 prr man The rules permit the entry of twelve individuals from which four must be selected as the team repre- senting the country from which they come. Points will count the same as in the rifle contest, and should Amer lea send a revolver team there is lit tie doubt it would be victorious.
 ho fa1f the decision of Secretary of the Navy MetcaR that rif1emen with the fleet on the Pacific Coast should not be sent East to compete for places on the naval team which will shoot in the national matches at Camp Perry in August. Last year the naval team carried off the prize and it was felt that it would be weakened beyond hope by the absence of those mem berS now with the fleet on it's world tour. Competitors who have been counting on this weakness will find themselves mistaken. Not only are a number of the members of this team still in the East and available for practice, but al number of the naval academy team of last year will graduate and be in line for the hawai- team. Altogether about thirty candi- dates will be assembled at Annapolis, where the preliminaries will take place and there is no doubt that the navy will be represented by team that will take high place in the na- tional match. It will be remembered that last year the naval team won the national trophy and a midshipman the individual rifle and also the na- tional pistol matches, while another middle captuFed the Presidents match.
 Extensive improvements are being made on the Camp Perry Range and the national matches will 1e better cared fer this year than eve- beIOg7 The Ohio legislature authorized the purchase of 63 acres of additional land which permits the building of