Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-01

ly different. Land is owned by the
~aristocracy. and since feudal times
hunting has been a privilege peculiar
to that class. Unless he secures en-
ployment as a gamekeeper, the poor
maj has no chance to learn to shoot.
Nor have the middle classes any bet
ter opportunity. Ammunition is ex-
pensive. The license fee is excessive,
running as high as $25. The only
good guns are handmade, for the rea-
SON that gunsmith's look only to the
upper class as purchasers Hence no
manufactured. Lastly, there is no
open land upon which to shoot.
For all these reasons, the working
mar Of Europe knows very little
about firearms.
Man for man, the total number of
troops in the field. taken into consid-
GRAFTON, our Civil War was the blood
lest ever seen. The operations in Eu-
rope during the present struggle have
always been over a wide front. The
numbers engaged have been enormous
and the total losses staggering. Yet
the wastage of human life has been
relatively small, compared with that
Of the Union and Confederate Armies.
There a been. ne Gettysburg. no
Bloody Angle in the present conflict.
Why? Neither the forces under
Grant or Lee attained the perfection
Of training acquired by the armies of
today. with the exception Of a few
star corps composed of picked regi-
ments. The heavy casualties were
due to the individual fighting ability
Of the troops to their expert use of
the rife:
From the days of the minute men
Of the Revolution, the superiority of
the American rifleman has been con-
coded by all. Morgan's backwoodsmen
proved their efficiency as marksmen
in the War for, Independence. The
raw frontiersman demonstrated 1t
again at New Orleans under Jackson
against Pakenham's trained regulars.
At the Alamo. Crockett and Bowie,
with a little handful Of rifemen. held
the hordes OF Santa Ana at bay. Our
history is full Of incidents in which a
little band Of grim men, their backs
to the wall, have held. off many times
their number by sheer tenacity and
deadly rife execution.
The reason for this is not far to
seek, In early days America was a
virgin land peopled by nomadic tribes
with an amazing skill at woodcraft.
These natives had to be outwitted and
o%utfought.
No country in the world, with the
possible exception Of British South
east Africa, eve had such a wealth
OF game as this. The first settlers
were Anglo-Saxons, the greatest
sports-loving people on earth. With
them they brought little but firearms
and stout hearts. They had to defend
themselves against the Indians and
to live by the chase. Gradually they
learned to raise grain. fruit and vege-
tables native to the land Of their
adoption. But for a long time their
main source of supply was wild game.
It resulted that every boy grew up
with a rifle in his hands. Inevitably
these frontiersmen, faced with an OPP
p%ortunity based upon necessity, devel-
oped h keen eye the steady nerve,
and the workmanship that made him
the g shot ever known.
With the growth of the country the
d OF civilization rolled westward.
Clark opened the great northwest.
Pike led the way to the Rockies. AL
ways the adventurous son pushed to
the more. remote frontier. The great
est trek in the history Of the West
ern HEMISPHERE was on. For SO years
it continued. Almost every foot of
the West was won by toll and hard
ship at the cost Of sacrifice from
which men and women emerged
strong and s~elf-reliant.
The tradition Of the hunt persists
with US. The man used to tramping
the hills for big game endnres hard
ship and privation for the sake Of the
sport He learns to shoot at fast
moving game under difficulties of dis
lance and visibility. It follows that
when he is taken out to the rifle
range and instructed he learns in a
few lessons the proper sighting and
method Of using the military rifle.
These once acquired, he is in a class
by himself, for he is used to shooting
under the same conditions, though
with less dangerSto himself, that OBJ
tain at the front. No amount Of prac-
tee at the rife range can serve as a
ft substitute for his experience.
It IL this fundamental training
which lies back Of target practice that
" responsible for thet marksmanship
OF the American army. The Marine
Corps holds the finest record in the
service. Fully one-third Of this or
ganiZatfon wear the marksmanship
emblem. At least one-half OF the
Marines are f~irst-class rifemen.
To win the expert emblem q marks-
mar must shoot yer the qualifying
course at all ranges from 200 to 600
lyardsiin both rapid and slow fire. ana
m ust,make above 253 points out Of 4
possible 800. The sharpshooter must
average 23s out Of 800 onSthe am
course. It 10 no unusual record for a
candidate Of either OF these classes to
hang up 10 consecutive b~uIl's-eyes out
of 10 shots at the 6O0-yard range.
b German does not rely on his
Individual ability with the rife. He
y inclined 70 shoot Wildly and at ram