Evening star., 1909-05-01
Georgetown University Stu
dents Will Learn to Shoot.
CLUB WILL BE FORMED
Gen. Crozier Points Out the Duty Of
Preparing for War.
EXPERIENCE AT NEW ORLEANS
Justice Shepard, Gen Bates, Gen.
Drain, Lieut.. Jones, Maj. Bell
and Capt. Kerth Commend
Movement

and Capt. Kerth Commend
Movement.
Rifle clubs are valuable adjuncts to the
country said Lieut.. Gen. J. c. Bates.
U.S.A.. retired. to a meeting OF George
town University students last night I've
Americans have been distinguished above
all other nations for craftsmanship ever
since the revolution. At the battle OF
New Orleans the casualties on our side
were utterly Insignificant and the losses
on the other side very heavy.
Did you ever realize that 1t is possible
that in the near future the country may
need you? / am sure you would feel
much better walking on a battlefield
when you were able to shoot well than
II you never handled q gun. and be-
lieve you would live longer"
Believing that the Georgetown Univer-
sity ought to be represented with q rife
team to compete in the intercollegiate
match In June against the other college
teams OF this country, a large number OF
students of the university gathered in the
law department building and. following a
number of speeches on the subject OF
Illc SHOOlilS Ny O. NY %
a club was projected.
James McKernan, class II. was elected
temporary chairman of the club. He an
nounced that another meeting would be
held next Friday evening in the law
school building. when the organization
will be perfected and officers elected.
Justice Shepard OF the District Court Of
Appeals presided at the meeting last
night He delivered a brief address in
which he said he knew of no better sport
than that Of shooting, IL the men have
the time to devote TO it. He declared
himself q man of peace. and yet he said
II is well to prepare for war In time or
peace. and this can best be done by edu-
eating the men of the country in the art
Of shooting.
Duty Of the Patriotic Citizen.
Gen. William Crozier. chief OF ordnance.
U.SA., delivered an address in which he
said:
'The trouble about peace is that 1t
takes two parties to keep 1t: and that
we can only control one party when We
can do as much as that
What should the citizen do in time OF
peace IL he Is convinced that war may
some time come upon the country? l DO
not refer to the influence which he should
endeavor to produce upon his country
legislature nor do have in mind the
devotion Of his life to the subject OF the
best method of making military prepara-
ton, as is done by the intensely patriotic
citizen who thinks little OF his own ma
terial success in the world. But l have
In mind the man who. mindful OF MS outy
to take part. upon occasion. In the oe-
fense Of his country, doubts whether ne
zenship II, in time Of peace. he takes no
pains to learn anything OF the duty which
may devolve upon him In time Of war:
"Of all the material which Is provided
AI,1sSr ,tS$ Ao IN "a
living in designing and procuring 1t the
most important is the infantryman's rine,
and the best military art which the fndi-
yidual can acquire Is the knowledge or
who are all the time pegging away at 1t
the rifle itself Is continually becoming .
better weapon.
Misjudgment Of Range.
1.-THE most fruitful source OF inaccu-
racy Of fire on the field is misJudgment
of the range. Owing to the curved path
followed by the bullet, II the range be
wrongly estimated the bullet Is apt either
to pass over the head of the person aimed
at or to plunge into the ground before
reaching him. II the path or the bullet
were a straight line 1t is easy to see that
this would not be the case. All that
would be necessary would be to point the
rifle accurately at the Individual. pun the
trigger, and the bullet would strike nlin'
no matter what the distance. 1t Is easy
to see that the more nearly the TRAJECTORY
approaches a straight line-that Is. the
fiatter it is-the less significant Will be
the error in estimating the range
..There is a great deal Of know how
in the process of shooting; some people
can learn to shoot better than others.
but all people can learn to shoot better
than they do IL they do not try 10
learn. Viewed from a distance the proc
ess seems to be an easy one. out ~ Is
not altogether easy. Skill can be ac-
nuired with practice. but it can be ac-
ouired much more quickly by practice
guided by instruction. People interested
in the subject have thrashed out goou
methods of instruction. combating al
WAYS the item of expense which Is ever
in the way. and some Of the most deVot-
ed of them are ready to pace the results
of their experience at your service. 1ou
can do nothing better as acitizen ana
patriot than to take advantage OF H.
Cause Of Lack Of Interest.
Gen. James A. Drain. president of the
National Rifle Association Of America, In
his address said: Mothers and ministers
are the causes of the lack or interest ex-
hibited by young men In military aHairs.
1t is the people who know nothing ABOUT
war that have generally been the means
of bringing 1t about"
Lieut.. Albert S. Jones. secretary or the
National Rifle Association Of America.
told Of the advantages OF shooting
straight. He also described the arms and
ammunition, in connection with which ne
explained to the students the pest melh
ode of farming the club. He stated that
ii was the purpose to arrange field day
on the range of the National Guard OF
the District, so that all Il the schoolboys
and college students In this city couio
NOV
cen college rifle clubs and hoped that
Georgetown would have the nineteenth
Mai. James +. Bell, inspector OF rine
practice. National Guard of the Dlstrict
assistant chief militia division, War De-
partment. also delivered addresses IN
which they dwelt on the benent TO 'hs
country of having good marksmen.