Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19
WAR DEPARTMENT
PLEASED AT ACTION
HOPES AMENDMENT WILL NOT
PASS HOUSE
Law Preventing Officers of Army,
Navy and National Guard from
Participating In Rifle
Shoots Obnoxious

amendment to the army appropriation
bill which would have prevented Off
GERS of the army navy and national
guard from participating in the ma
tional rifle and revolver matches at
Camp Perry, Ohio. this summer, is
highly gratifying to the war depart
ment, which had received flood of
protests from all sides against this
proposition.
Gen. Robert Shaw Oliver assistant
secretary of war and president of the
national board for promotion of rifle
practice, presented the views of the
war department to the senate commit
tee on military affairs, and has also
addressed letter to Chairman Hull of
the house committee. 1t is not thought
likely the house will insist on the
amendment.
Roosevelt Objects
In presenting the matter, Gen. oliver
said that President Roosevelt himself
had asked him to call the attention of
the committee especially to this pro-
vision and to ask that it be stricken
out. He quoted Gen. Bird w. Spencer,
the famous New Jersey expert in rifle
shooting. for many years president of
the National Rifle association, as say
ing that 1t would practically destroy
the effect of the national matches in
the establishment Of which Gen. Spen-
GER and his colleagues took such an
active part. Gen. Oliver said: In case
this amendment becomes law it will
almost If not entirely defeat the ex-
cellent purI ose for which the first law
upon the subject of the national trophy
was enacted in 1903 The reason for
the enactment of the law was 10 en-
courage excellence i'm Workmanship
with rifles and pistols in the army.
navy. marine corps and national guard
I'm this most important of all duties
the officers are the instructors of the
enlisted men: and this they are not
competent to be unless they thor
oughy understand themselves all the
details of military rifle and revolver
shooting. They attend the national
competitions. some of them from states
and territories which have not even a
rifle range.
Absorb information
These officers and enlisted men mix
with the finest rifle and revolver shots
in the world and absorb much valuable
enthusiasm ON rifle and revolver shoot
ing. They return to their organiza-
tions and tell all they know. which is
readily a. ssorbed and disseminated
throughout the entire military force of
the state or territory. This has been
going on with the militia for the past
four years and during that short period
the Improvement and interest in mill
tary craftsmanship have been remark
able. In 1884 competitions were inaug-
urated in the army, where officers and
enlisted men shot together for prizes;
this soon developed many officers and
enlisted men who were expert rifle
shots, and it created in the army much
enthusiasm. AS a result, when the
Spanish war came on our regular army
was the finest body of expert rifle shots
in the world.
"Those who started the national
trophy are working upon a small scale
to accomplish the same thing for the
national guard. 1t certainly needs no
argument to prove that an educated
officer in his military duties is of FAR
more value to the government than an
educated enlisted man, for the reason
that the officers can be sent to in
struct other officers and enlisted men.
1t would really be for the best interest
of the United States to have the teams
sent to the national matches composed
entirely o. commissioned officers; on
account, however, of other consldera-
tions, it has been found advisable to
have a fair proportion of enlisted men
in each team
SchooI Iboys to Shoot I
The schoolboys of Washington are
looking forward to the Easter week
tournament, which will be the first
held in this city where schoolboys will
shoot with military rifles. The move
ment for schoolboy practice is spread
ing rapidly throughout the country,
having been greatly stimulated by the
success which it has met in New York
city, where it is conducted under the
auspices of the Public Schools Ath-
| letic league.
Washington has no such influential
or wealthy organization, but the Ma
tional Capitol Rifle and Revolver club.
which is an organization composed of
! civilian and military men in about
equal numbers. undertook the task and
all indications point to a most sue
cessful tournament. The schoolboys
fell in line and for some weeks the
officers of the High School cadets,
which is {, crack corps, have been re-
ceiving instruction and imparting it
| to their companies. During Easter
week there will be individual matches
for the junior marksman's medal. given
by the National Rifle association, COM
pany, battalion and school team
matches, ending vita special matches
for the officers.
| Heartily Seconds Movement
| The war department, and especially
| the national board for the promotion
of rifle practice, is heartily -seconding
| the movement Gen. William Z. Hall
and Capt. II. n. Slayden of the board
will be in attendance, and Gen. Oliver
president of the board and assistant
secretary of war, will present the
medals and prizes. The National Rifle
association will be represented by
Lieut.. Albert s. Jones. it's secretary,
who did SO much toward making the
New York tournament a success.
Capt. Sheridan Ferree of this city,
the well known expert pistol shot,
president of the club, will be the ex-
ecutive officer, assisted by Col. e. j.
Dimmick, who is known to all leading
riflemen. In addition to providing the
marksmen. the cadets will also fur
nish officers for range officers, scorers,
markers, etc. and will thus obtain not
only instruction in shooting, but in
the actual conduct of real military rifle
matches Each of the ammunition
companies and several of the arms
companies win have their experts in
attendance and the tournament is ex-
pected to attract wide attention. The