Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-07
RlFLEMEN At THE OLYMPIAD.
Expert Marksmen to Compete During
Games at London.
Two STYLES OF SHOOTING GOVERN
Service Arm 60 Have Full show and
Expert weapons co Ne Used
as well for Inherent
Glasses.

LONDON. Jure 6-Ircluded in the pro-
gram OF the fourth Olympiad. which is
to be held this year In london, are a num-
Der OF competitions in Workmanship that
give promise Of proving OF exceptional in
terest. In the great Olympic festival no
fewer than twenty-three different nations
will be represented in the sports ARENA
and the various competitions. and Il Is
hoped that fully that number will send
teams or Individual competitors TO a k
part In the shooting matches, which will
take in the three week days. July 0. 10 and
II, Immediately preceding the opening OF
the great Bisley meeting.
The National Rifle association has. on
behalf OF the British Olympic association.
undertaken the ma nagement and control
of the competitions. and offered to the
executive the hospitality Of their magnifi-
cent ranges and plant. and 10 the foreign
competitors the bointeous accommodation
Of the camp and grounds at Bisley. and
the many sumptlnous pavillons and club
houses that stand thereon.
Rivalry in regard to Workmanship be-
tween the riflemen OF this country and
those OF the continent OF Europe has in
the past been practically non-existent, and
matches OF extremely rare occurrence.
This is readily accounted for. In Great
Britain. and it may be said also for the
overseas dominions 'of the British crown,
and in the main for ithe United states of
America, competitive craftsmanship has
almost entirely been conducted on what
are called service lines. with service"
weapons, l. e.. military a~rmE-whereas on
the continent. and TO some extent In Amer
lea. rivalry has not stopped at competitive
....lf...n O., fha rNnro zee ana handIfnu
OF rifles, but has extended to the de-
signing. the manufacture and the ex-
IRENE delicacy OF the complicated and
beautiful though utterly impracticable.
pieces themselves, and the ammunition
used with them.
1t is readily conceivable when what may
be called two schools are discovered pur-
suing an identical art from such widely
divergent staDdpoints, those concerned can
have had but few thoughts in common,
and but little to bring their action. into
harmonious unison. and 1t is by no means
an insignificant fact that the last occa-
sion upon which. under the continental
system, British marksmen took part in a
contest was as far back as 1899, when, in
response 10 an invitation from the Ligue
Rationale des Tireurs Hollandais, the Ma
tIonal Rifle association nominated a team
which competed in the grand. concouTs in
ternational, which was held that year at
The HAGUE. Using eserviee" rifles, and
unaccustomeo TO many Of the methods of
conducting rifle matches on the continent,
the British team at the close of the pro-
~ceedings found its entry relegated to the
nethermost position on the score schedule,
with no resultant encouragement whatever
to continued or sustained energy.
In the case OF the forthcoming Olympic
competitions in craftsmanship an arrange
ment has been arrived az which has already
secured appreciation and will eventually
afford satisfaction TO all concerned. This
is one by which INTERNATIONAL contests
for teams and individuals have been pro-
vided under both systems, the one being of
equal importance with the other. neither
depreciatipg nor enhancing their respective
values.
The service rifle match, like that on the
continental model promises to afford as
complete a test OF endurance as of accuracy.
The former will be fired at 200, 500, 600.