The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-01-14
RESERVES WOULD APPRECIATE
some OF The ARMY RIFLES
Local Organization Of Naval Reserves
Could Make Use OF Guns to Be Dis
tributed by Government Among
Rifle Clubs Of the Country.

winter regarding the distribution of
army rifles of a type no longer in use
by the regulars, but still serviceable.
among rifle clubs of the country. has
elected a remark from a local officer
of the Naval Reserves that some of
these rifles would be appreciated by
the Reserves In place of the obsolete
weapons with which that organization
is now equipped.
Ever since the formation of the
Hancock division there has been diff
hculty I'm securing suitable guns and
ammunition for rifle practice. and II the
government is going to dispose of its
old Krags the organized militia might
be given some OF them. A couple of
years ago a medal, known as the
Henry l.. Baer medal, after its donor,
was offered for competition in rifle
practice, but as yet il has never been
competed for on account of the mad
equacy of rifles and ammunition fur
nished the men. Some months ago.
when Ii was planned to begin marks
manship contests, some ammunition
was sent here from Lansing, which,
when an attempt to use it was made.
was discovered to be of so inferior a
quality as to be useless. With proper
equipment in the way of rifles, inter-
est in craftsmanship would be aroused
and the competition for the medal
would result in greatly improving the
RffirianQU nf fha NJ ha iUfc
Outside of the naval reserves and
the militia companies of the copper
country, there is but one other rifle
organization. the Hibernian Rifles of
this city, n well drilled body of men
of considerable efficiency. Some time
an effort was made TO have the state
furnish rifles for the corps. But moth
ing came of the movement Under the
terms of the bill introduced i'm Con-
gress by Representative Hull of Iowa,
chairman of the House committee on
military affairs, the Hibernian Rifles
would doubtless be eligible to receive
some of the guns to be given out by
the government.
The despatch relative to the matter,
which is OF considerable interest to
local officers and men of the naval
reserves and infantry, is as follows:
Important legislation designed to
promote practice with the military
rifle may be enacted by Congress this
winter The Army and national guard
have been equipped with the new
Springfield. but the expense of obtain
ing these weapons from the govern
ment has restricted practice among
civilians. Some hundreds of thou
sands of Krags have been retired,
however and If available for issue
would doubtless be an incentive to civil
ians to practice. Representative Hull
of Iowa. chairman of the House COM
mittee on military affairs, has, there
fore introduced bill on the subject
which has the approval of the War De-
partment as represented by the Secre-
tary of War, Assistant Secretary of
War Oliver, chief OF staff and chief of
ordinance, as well as of the national
board for the promotion of rifle prac-
tice and the National Rifle Association
of America.
"The bill provides that the Secretary
of War Is authorized to issue, without
expense to the United States, maya
zine rifles and appendages. not of the
existing service model. These are to
be issued to rifle clubs organized un-
der the rules of the national board for
promotion of rifle practice, and TO
schools having uniformed corps of ca
diets. The Secretary of War is auth
orized to prescribe regulations to safe
and for the proper care of the arms.
Should the bill become a law the
limit OF issue would probably be fixed
at about one rifle to each ten mem
bers of a club i'm good standing.
"a second section of the bill pro-
vides for the promotion of rifle prac-
tice in schools. colleges. universities
and civilian clubs by supplying GER
tain ammunition, prizes, the holding
of matches, and in other directions,
for which the sum of 100000 is APP
propriated
up to the present time this country
has done nothing for its civilian rifle
clubs. which are comparatively few in
number, while in England II Is esti-
mated there are nearly 5000, with a
membership of possibly half a million
men and boys. The work of the
civilian clubs is designed TO reach the
"unorganized militia" which would
constitute the bulk of our volunteer
armies in case of war.
con this subject General Bell, the
chief of staff, recently said: The en-
enlargement of rifle practice among
our citizens and schoolboys Is of the
greatest Importance in this country,
where preparedness for war is large
ly based on the employment of an
army of volunteers. and wisely franz
ed laws which will give n healthy
stimulus to this branch Of military
preparedness would receive the hearty
support of the War Department.
The Naval Reserves are holding reg
ular weekly drills every Monday even
ing at the armory in the Germania
hall. Last Monday nights instruc-
ton consisted of lessons in knotting'