Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-31
NEWS OF THE LOCAL
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN

team of twelve shooting members, togeth-
| err with coaches, range officers. substi-
| tutes, etc.
Last year there were fifty competing
teams and the services Of approximately
| one hundred army officers and 700 enlisted
| men were required to handle the match
Heretofore there have been six prizes.
which went to the six leading teams, but
this year the national board. with the APP
| prevail Of the Secretary of War. has de-
cided to change the rules so as to make
| three great contests In one. For this pur-
pose the teams will be divided into three
divisions on their record at Camp Perry
last year.
In the first division will be the United
States Infantry, United States Navy,
United States Cavalry. United States Ma
rine Corps. Wisconsin. Massachusetts
Naval Academy. Pennsylvania. District
of Columbia, Washington, Illinois. Iowa,
Oregon. Maine and Ohio.
In the second division will be Oklahoma,
New Hampshire. Colorado, California
New York. Maryland, New Jersey. Min
nesota, Kansas, Missouri, Hawaii In
diana. Michigan, West Virginia and Ken
lucky.
The third division will include Wyoming.
Connecticut, Georgia. Rhode Island. Ari-
IONA. Alabama, South Carolina. Nebras-
ka. Tennessee. Delaware, North Dakota,
Texas Vermont, Virginia, Arkansas. New
Mexico, Utah. Mississippi. Louisiana.
and territories which were not repre-
sented last year.
* x
The prize for the first division VIII be
the National trophy. for the second divi-
sion the Hilton trophy and for the third
the Soldier Of Marathon, In addition to
which there will be three or four money
prizes In each division. All teams will
t,1 toll xr-;v, Noff
but only the teams in the second and
third divisions will be eligible to win the
Hilton trophy, while none but teams IN
the third division can win the Soldier OF
Marathon. The same rule will probably
be applied to the money prizes so that
| the teams in the third division can COM
pete for any Of the prizes offered. those
| in the second division will be restricted TO
the prizes for the second and first dlvl-
sions, while the teams in the first division
will be eligible for only the prizes in
that division.
II the plans laid down are carried
through there will be about $4,000 in prize
money for this match, the prizes being
graded downward so that the highest
prizes for the second and third divisions
will be slightly less than the lowest prizes
for the first and second divisions respec-
lively. The prize money last year amount
of the winning teams will receive appro-
pirate, medals.
The action of the board Is expected to
encourage those states which have felt
that they were out of the race before
they started: Under the new plan no
team will be assured of trophy or prize
until the last shot in the match is fired,
and the increased prize money and In
creased chances should have wonder
fully stimulating effect on the preliminary
practice as well as on the match.
Another important change will be the
substitution of the B target for the Sill
houettes In the skirmish run. The sill
houette group consists Of two figures
representing a man kneeling and man
prone, the latter exposing the head and
shoulders. Hits on the prone figure count
five and on the kneeling figure four, and
shots striking elsewhere count nothing.
The B target Is divided into a bulls-eye
with a ring and parallel lines. the shots
counting five, four. three and two, SO
that the contestant will have chance to
benefit from what is known as a "close
hold" The change in this rule, it is said.
will profit the state teams and tend to
| equalize the difference between them and
| the service teams.
! For many years the claim has been
made by the manufacturers Of ammuni-
| tion and by many marksmen that the
government ammunition is inferior to the
private product. For the 1909 matches
the ordnance department will invite pro-
posals from each ammunition company to
furnish a million rounds under certain
specifications, among them being one
that the ammunition must be machine
loaded. The ordnance department will
also manufacture million rounds under
similar specifications.
~,-iJI I.A lo11 IN, In
spring and the ammunition which is adj
judged to be the best will be adopted,
whether Of private or government manu-
facture and will be issued for the pre-
liminary practice as well as for the
match.
There will also be changes in the
matches Of the National Rife Associa-
| ton, which will probably be shot just
| in advance of the national matches. The
| officers of the United States Marine Corps
have Joined to present a trophy for a
new match to be known as the Marine
| Corps match. 1t will be an individual
match with two sighting shots and twenty
shots for record at 600 and loo yards,
open to everybody, any military rifle,
any military sight and any ammunition.
All the money for entrance fees, less 30
per cent, is to be distributed as prize
money.
Another trophy has been offered by
Frank Stanton of Atlantic Mine. Mich,
| for a new ng-distance match at 1 200
yards. the first in this country.
| At the recent annual meeting of the
National Rifle Association steps were
taken calculated to extend it's influence
and membership. Additional directors
were provided by adding the adjutant
general Of each state and territory one
from each state association and three
to be appointed by the Secretary Of War.
representing the infantry, cavalry and
Of the Navy, representing the navy and
Marine Corps.
On invitation OF the Governor Of Ohio
! the national matches will be held on the
Ohio range at Camp Perry during next
! August.
What It Is to Be Drunk