New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-04
A Central Organiza'
ton and Retired
Army Officers
Would W ED
Units into a
Whole

range. ] had the honor Of being an cX-
ecutive officer of that association for sew
eral years, and recall in 1884, three years
after the association was organized, the
score of the winning team was something
better than 200, and that means, with five
men, ten shots 10 a man, an average Of
four bul's-eyes and six centres; and this,
bear in mind, was shooting offhand from
a standing position. One of the men on
The Globe" team in those days was James
P. Frost, who few years later, qualified
to 90 to England with the All-American
team to shoot for the Palma trophy. II
party of newspaper men, with compare
lively few opportunities for practice, could
learn, in two or three years, TO shoot az
we'll as that men who take up rife shoot
ing in systematic way and under proper
instruction can learn 10 shoot well enough
to make it dangerous for an enemy TO
come within the range of a modern high.
powered rife.
OF course, this voluntary army cannot
! be organized or maintained WITHOUT con-
siderable expense, nor can it De maintained
successfully unless the men who engage
in it are ready to devote considerable time
to it. But it may be stated as fact that
most men waste more time, not counting
as waste that devoted to ordinary recrea-
ton, than would be required of volun-
teer. Moreover, considered as a matter OF
recreation, military training will give 70
a man fully az much benefit physically as
playing golf or engaging in any other
athletic or outdoor sport; and if the man
is greatly interested in military affairs he
: will undoubtedly get fully as much pleas
ure from it. The expenses need not be
prohibitory. Playing golf, for example,
is rather an expensive sport, when the
club dues, the cost of set of clubs and
the golf balls, etc. are considered. In
fact, one cannot engage in any phase OF
outdoor life or athletic sport without con-
siderable expense, and the expense Of
engaging in military training as a volun-
teer need not be any greater than that of
any other outdoor work.
Free Drill Halls.
4 Whatever the expenses may be will fall
upon the volunteers as individuals or as an
; organization. The general government
will give no help; neither will the states, as
long as the national guard has voice in
the matter. Possibly city or town govern
ments may provide suitable places for in
door drill if sufficient influence is brought
to bear. In many small cities and in some
!, of the large towns throughout the coun-
!, try the feeling is growing that a fuller
!, use should be made of public buildings, es-
!, pecialiy school buildings, than is made at
!, present. In many places meetings of civic
!. organizations, local interest clubs and the
like are held in the halls of school build
ings. and in some places such halls are
available for purely social affairs on the
payment of a nominal fee. Doubtless
rooms for indoor drill can be secured in
many cities without expense, or with a
. trifing expense at most.
The cost of military equipment, Of rifles
uniforms. etc, will naturally fall on the
individuals. but that is not heavy. While
uniform of any sort represents an initial
i, investment which may or may not be
quite convenient to make, it is not an item
of expense One cannot wear two suits OF
clothes at the same time, and every days
wear of a uniform saves a days wear OF
another suit of clothes. The cost or
military rifle is not very heavy. When
, company goes into camp there are tents
to be provided, mess equipment to be sup
!, piled etc, but wherever separate COM
panes go into camp at different periods
single outfit of camp equipment might be
used in common by several companies and
the cost divided among them.
, No Conflict with Camps.
= The volunteer movement is not in any
= sense antagonistic to the scheme Of train
l ing camps under government supervision,
t such as was put in practice at Plattsburg
? last year. The training camps will take
. care Of considerable numbers of men who
= can afford the cost in lump sum and who
p can devote four or six weeks time to the
7 work. But they are not available TO the
Y great mass of men who can devote only an
!, evening a week TO military training and
: who can pay the expenses only in small
c charges at stated periods. The training
+ camps are doing good work in so far as
!. they go, but they provide no means for ten
1 or eleven months in the year to keep the
/. men in good physical condition, nor TO
i keep at constant level their interest in
y military affairs. 1t is to be regretted, too.
l. that there is an impression that the train
/ ing camps are schools for officers, and that
$ a man may qualify himself for commits
sion by taking the intensive training at
these camps for year or two. You cam
not intensively train a man TO be anything.
s. One cannot learn 10 be an officer in a hurry