Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-06-17
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICA GOING AHEAD
WITHOUT ANY AID.
TRAINING IS STRONG
instruction to be Given In Eighty Per
Cent Of the Requisites Of
an Efficient
Soldier.

While the leading military authorl,
ties Of the country are all Of one &C
cord in urging congress to provide for
reserve to our established military
forces, the National Rifle Association
of America is going ahead without the
fare Of trumpets or financial assist
ance from congress in the building up
of reserve in this country that will
be most efficient in that it will be
trained In eighty per cent OF the requi-
sites of an efficient soldier; that Is,
the ability to handle the rife and
shoot straight. The National Rife
Association is doing this through It's
organization Of rifle clubs throughout
the country, especially among civil
ians.
A great impetus to the movement
was given through the enactment OF
legislation at the last session OF con.
gress authorizing the free issue OF
"Krag" rifles and ammunition to rifle
clubs under rules and regulations ap-
proved by the secretary Of war. The
secretary of war placed the organiza-
ton of the clubs and distribution of
the rifles in the hands of the N. r.
A., which had an efficient organiza-
ton with secretaries In every state
and was in close touch with the class
of citizens whom 1t was desired to
reach. The splendid military features
of this movement and one that Will
add considerably to the national de-
lenses Is that not only are citizens
being organized into clubs and train
ed in rife shooting but the statistics
show that about sixty per cent Of the
members Of these clubs are ex-army
and national guardsmen SO that they
are not only keeping up their training
in rife shooting but are already train
ed in, other necessary attributes OF
soldier. All that is necessary for con-
gress to do to secure an efficient re-
serve for the regular services and one
that would be along the lines that
have proved 50 efficient In Switzerland
Is to make the rifle club movement
really broad and national in It's scope
by proper appropriations for the
building of rifle ranges throughout the
country and the purchase of target
supplies and other paraphernalia Tor
the carrying on Of rife training amons
citizens. When this has been accom-.
plished then will President Wilson
really see the contamination Of his
desire to have "citizenry trained IN
the use Of arms.
Have 4ss Clubs.
Since the free issue of rifles ana
ammunition was authorized the Ma
tional Rife association has organized
43s clubs. These clubs are not con-
fined to any particular locality but
reach from Maine to California. It Is
q fact, however, that the most success
full ones are organized In the west
where there are better facilities Tor
the acquiring of ranges and where
the class of young men who compose
the membership of the western clubs
are not that class to whom golf and
tennis appeal. A great aid also to
success in these western clubs Is their
being allowed to do their training on
Sunday. A great many OF these CLUBS
have been organized IN fraternal ana
patriotic societies. At the present time
there are organized and affiliated with
the N. r. A. 438 clubs with member.
ship Of 1928.
One feature OF this movement has
been the organization Of numerous
clubs by the employees Of large indus
trial corporations. In some cases the
employers themselves have donated
the land and assisted in the construc-
ton of the ranges, believing undoubt-
eddy that 1t was better to have their
men engaged in the healthy open air
sport Of rifle shooting than decreasing
their efficiency by loaflng around cor
ner saloons. Recently rifle clubs have
been organized in the United Shoe
Machinery Co., the Springfield Tele-
phone Co.. the Goodyear Rubber Co.,
the Packard Automobile Co., the
Willys-O Overland Automobile Co., the