The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-09-28
RIFLE TEAM
TRAVEL Cost
LAWS NEEDED.
TO Prevent interest in Rifle
Shooting M atches in C0ur-
try from Waning.

Try from Waning.
The admonition of Lord Kitchener.
head Of the British war ONCE, about
training the recruits for the second
army to be sent to the continent 70
fight the Germans, teach the men 20
shoot" hits the nail on the head. Lord
Kifchenor said further in his dispatch
from France: See that the new lev
les know how to handle their rifles.
It makes very little difference whether
they know their right foot from their
left. IL they know how to shoot
It lie very evident that the head OF
the British armies saw enough on ms
inspection Of the battle lines in France
to convince him that straight shoot
ing was the first lesson of good SOL
der. Reports from the seat OF war
have all agreed that the lack of this
training among the Germans has
greatly reduced the casualties Of the
allies and has been mere or less g.
detriment to the advance of the invad-
ing Teutons. What a lesson this Is to
the United States where rife shooting
has been more or less neglected not
only among the civilian population but
even in the army itself, where amone'
higher authorities the opinion pre-
walls. assimilated from German text
books, that individual training In
marksmanship is not essential. not
withstanding the lessons of our own
soldiers in the Revolutionary war and
in the Boer-British conflict.
After years of effort, the National
Rifle Association of America, a patrio-
tic organization closely allied with the
war department, has secured the pass
age by Congress Of a measure to issue
free to rifle clubs rifles and ammuni-
ton so that those citizens, who In
time of war, would compose the volun-
teer armies, would have some knoWl-
edge Of the care and use Of the mile
tary arm, knowledge which as Lord
Kitchener has stated is more Import
ant than marching and drilling I'm
der this act, the government will is
sue the rifles with which the regular
army was formerly equipped, popuarly
called the sKrag." 1t is a splendid
shooting arm and the equal Of any OF
the rifles which are now being used
by the troops in the European war.
With each rife will go 100 rounds OF
ammunition. This ammunition will be
issued annually to every club who will
guarantee to use the same In practice
shooting as prescribed by the war de-
partment.
Although this law has been in effect
only four months, there has already
been organized in different parts Of
the country more than forty rifle
clubs. These clubs all allied Them
selves with the National Rife Assoc
iatfon of America, which organization
has been delegated by the secretary
Of war to carry out the purposes OF
the new law, organize the clubs, SUI
pervise the record firing and issue dec
orations to those who make the quail
flying score
From the headquarters of the Ma
tional Rifle Association OF America In
the Woodward building, Washington,
d. G., there. is being issued tens OF
literature on the organization Of clubs, 4
the building Of ranges, and instruc-
ton In target firing. It is hoped that
the Initiating Of this new movement
will result In the revival of the noble
sport Of rifle shooting in this country,
sport which has almost become ex-
tinct owing principally to the cost OF
cartridges and the lack Of ranges. The
most serious problem to be overcome
in the proper promotion of this move
ment, so that the government viii get
whereupon members Of rife clubs can
practice The United States Is prac-
tical1y the only great power in the
world that has not set aside large
tracts of land for maneuvering, artil-
lery and small arms practice At the
present time, the government owns
only one range and that is located in
Wisconsin and for several reasons It
is not in commission. There are small
ranges located at or near most CT the
army posts, but such ranges are only
used at stated times OF the year for the
target practice Of the local garrisons
Practically all the states have state
ranges for the use of the national
guard, but these ranges are so hedged
about with restrictions and lack of
funds that they are only in use during
the period that the national guard is
practicing. What this country needs
above all other things In the military
line at the present time is the acquir-
ing of land and the construction OF
rifle ranges as near as possible to
large centers Of population. The cost
OF such land even at this date is al
most prohibitory and the longer the
government puts OF acquiring same.
the harder 1t will be to acquire and
greater the cost. Efforts have been
made from time to time in Congress
to pass legislation looking to the ac-
quirement OF sites for ranges, man
euvering grounds, etc. but without
success. A definite policy Of range
construction should be adopted by
Congress similar to the battleship
building plan, One range year