Evening journal., 1917-12-04
ANATIoN-s vIRILITY.

- HE great struggle In which we are engaged and the
dangers which threaten us land is Impossible 10
oyerstate these dangers should lead our people into
serios thought The forming Of army has brought
ou two facts that are alarming One is that large per-
centaee Of our young not able TO pass the phy
sca test and the other that scarcely any OF them know
ANYTHING at all about how TO shoot handle or take care oil
a gun. T.
This lack of knowledge Of firearms Is deporable-n Is
had for the country Il causes the making Of effective
army to he big undertaking and long or course
we know that viii Immediately cry WIN horror
that we are advocating instruction in the use of hrears
so that those who may be able to Kill people we
smnlv saw that life and government are conditions ana
moi theories and at last this stage of the situation we VIII
NOT waste time arguing with theorists. The world mas
always had war: has war now and IL Is likely 10 always
have war and the nation that negects to maintain the
familiarity with the weapons OF war Is inVths us OWL
disaster.
A the close of the Boer war Lord Roberts was greatly
r,nressed by the fact that handful Of unframed and
undlscplned Boers-because they were wonderful rie-
men-had been able TO Withstand greatly superior num-
Der Of British troops.
Tho british were drilled TO do everything but shoot in
,yav that would hit what they shooting at Lord
Roberts prophesed that England would soon be at war;
and ne urged and pleaded that and rifle clubs should
be formed and shooting encouraged in every practca
way He begged for a law enforcing military training III
the use Of firearms.
Great Britain failed TO heed the warning and resarued
him as crazy old man. attitude for which she has
since repented with blood and tears
| We are now calling out million men, and may
have to call more than double that number. We can
within few months uniform and equip these and teach
them considerable drill and some discipline But 10
teach them to shoot will take lot Of time which can
IN be spared and shooting, Lord Roberts said IS
seven-tenths OF a soldiers business"
II will be recalled that when Lord Kitchener was or
ganzng the st levy OF volunteers England sent to the
] front for which the need most urgent but which
required from six nine months to equip and rain nc
issued this order: mind how they drill or whether
they know their right from their eft-each them 10
shoot and doft quickly" But it was long Job to DO IT,
No one can learn to shoot in day or week or month.
/ It takes some study and a long time to make man
good shot with a. rifle shotgun. The man who is
familiar with the shotgun became an average
shot with a rile. He knows how to Judge the shorter
distance knows how to avoid the recoil and has general
idea Of the mechanism.
Because rapshootng teaches all these things and be-
cause it gets out in the open away from the cement
pavemens and tile floors ns their lungs with air fresh
and uncontamnated them to meet their fellows
keen but friendly competition and makes for better
brighter and more efficient business men, it has been wei
STYLED The Patriotic Sport and when the history OF TIT
present war is recorded, the craftsmanship Of Americ
win be given credit and in that credit trapshootn
will have a share.