New-York tribune., 1912-02-04

Colonel william F. Morris of the 9Th
Regiment and the other officers, OF MS
command will be- pleased with an official
report made by Major w. +. Pence Coast
Artillery. L. 5. A.. on the work Of the Off
GERS and men of the regiment who at
tended the coast artillery instruction In the
district OF Portland, Ne, last summer. AS
pointed out in this column on Sunday, the
officers of the 9th. rg...y or wrongly, as
sumed that their regiment was among
! those which Adjutant General Verbeck re-
ferred 10 by innuendo In uncomplimentary
! terms in his recent annual report, where
| fore the following remarks in the official
report OF Major Pence will be pleasant
reading for them
The officers of the 9th are very strict IN
/ their observance OF the requirements oi
military courtesy and etiquette Their uni
forms were neat and we'll fitting. They
were a soldierly lot OF men-strong, active.
/ vigorous men-ready for active service at
! any time NOT more than three or four
would be rejected physically. Most cf
these officers possess the education and
mental training which tit them for coast
artillery work The enlisted men who came
along were all first or second class gunners
who had recently qualified. They were
selected for the trip as reward for the
time and trouble spent in qualifying as
gunners. They were a superior lot or men
in every way. This regiment is seriously
| trying TO qualify men as gunners and for
rated positions, as well as for the spe-
cialsts grades. Some have already been
secured. The officers have taken the first
iu a
merely perfunctory manner. This is the
most aggressively progressive regiment
! that came under my observation. The Off
GERS displayed a familiarity with their
duties and a disposition to take the initia-
tive not elsewhere observed"
With a view to increasing the efficiency
| OF rife fire under the conditions OF combat
| firing so far as can be conducted in drill
hail. the members OF the 7th Regiment are
! receiving a new course of instruction in
rapid firing as well as the more deliberate
| fire. An ingenious arrangement Of targets
has been installed at the eastern end Of
the drill hall and each company receives
instruction in aiming at them The tar
gets work on a swivel and each man has
so many seconds to aim and fire at them.
After the allotted time expires the target
is turned on the upright swivel so that
only it's edge appears. This Is for the
rapid fire instruction during the advance by
rushes. when 1t is necessary for men NOT
only 10 fire quickly but to hit what they
aim at. The errors in sighting are pointed
out and each man is instructed as 10 the
proper manipulation OF his rear sight. No
shots are fred in the drill hall, the trigger
only being pulled. The drill hall instruc-
ton is preliminary to instruction in actual
firing in the armory range and in the open
at disappearing targets. In the advance
by rushes II Is hard on the elbows OF the
men when they rest on the floor in the
prone aiming and also on the knees of the
men when they aim and fire kneeiing.
The list Regiment is to take up a sys-
tenn of rapid fire instruction similar to that
OF the 7th Regiment. The targets Of the
list. however viii disappear by having the
lights turned of them. Lieutenant Colonel
William ". Ladd has been invited TO re-
view the lst Battalion Of the list Reg-
ment under command of Major W. S.
Beekman, IN the aImory on Friday night,
February %.
Military men who attended the review of
the sgth Regiment by Cardinal Farley on
Saturday night were not only struck with
the excellent display made By the regiment
from a military point q view. but with the
wish decorations in the drill hall and the
immense crowd of spectators which jammed