Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-09-10
NAVY RANGES ARE
OPEN To PUBLIC
Chance Given for Men to Learn
to Handle Service Rifles
at Stations
(As8ocioted Press Correspondence.)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1910 that
every American may nave his chance
to learn to shoot, the navy department
has sent letters to the governors OF
all states, directing their attention to
he fact that naval rifle ranges are
open to the use of civilians and that
instructors are provided to give all
corners a thorough course in marks
manship and the handling of the rife.
There are ten navy ranges. located
in the Eastern and Western s~eaboards
and on the Great Lakes in which civil
ians will be trained. Those located
within Navy Yards or nava training
stations are reserved for exclusive use
of the navy personnel.
This move is in accordance with a
provision of the National Defense Act
which provides that, where practice
able. ranges shall be open for use by
men in any branch of the military o.
naval service or by n a~ble-bodfed
male citizen capable of bearing arms.
The particular purpose is to permit the
training of state troops and citizens
who are likely to be called into mill
tary service through the draft.
Arrangements have been made to
quarter the civilians desiring to stay
at h range for a day or more. At all
the ranges there are cantonments or
tent camps and for those staying over
night, cots will be provided in COM
Portable quarters, the only thing the
citizen is required to provide being his
own blankets. Meals win be served at
the regular mess for twenty-five cents
for n meal. or fifty cents a day. the
food being the regular ration issued to
men in the service. Men going to tho
ranges should carry mess gear (mess
par, knife, fork, spoon and cup) IL
possible, but such gear will be issued
to those who come u~nprovided. The
same is true OF dungarees ~(overalls)
which will be issued-if available, to
those men who do not bring their own.
A full course of instruction and
practice leading to the qualification of
expert rifleman can be taken in a short
time over the ranges. There are three
qualification courses: marksman,
sharpshooter and expert rifeman:
and as the student qualities in one
course he Is privileged to begin the
next until all have been taken. Rec
ords of firing will be kept and will be
regularly furnished to organizations
when so desired. individuals will be
furnished with certificates of qualifi-
cation.
The range are equipped with both
Springfield and Enfield rifles. The
. ~ ell ~ 10 9AlOkW ~
first. with the Enfield rife, which is
the type in use by the army abroad
and supplementary courses will be
shot with the Springfield.
A special course in machine gun
merry is available to a limited number
of men, extending over the period Of
a week New classes in machine gun
merry will be formed each week from
among those who have qualified with
thu rifle and dacfro 4h1 ~ a. - IN
ing. This ourse will include all the
types of machine guns now in use:
Colts. Lewis, Browning and Marlin
types.
All organizations or individuals de-
string to enter are requested to write
or telephone the range nearest them
and NOT to write to the Navy De-
partment at Washington, which al
really is receiving a volume of neces-
say mail that taxes its capacity. All
information a bee obtained by ad
dressing the commanding officer of tho
range nearest the applicant. In cases
where IL is possible to appear in per-
son at the range. this is even more
desirable than writing.
Camp Logan, Zion City, HI.-The
old Illinois state range has been taken
over by the Navy 10 supplement the
range at Great Lakes, ILL.,, has 14I
~ 60N9 0AhA VIII a11OInAtABudlG CNNAAlaN
| students of the Central West.
Wakefield. Mass, formerly the Bay
State military range. but now oper-
ateG by the navy. has 101 targets and
/ viii take the students OF northern
New England.
Rumford, II. T., near Providence,
formerly was the Rhode Island state
range. a So targets and may be
reached by trolley from Providence
peekskill, N. Y. which will accom-
mo'late the northern and western New
Workers has IL targets.
Caldwell. N. J.. will be available hoI
use Sfter September 1. 1t Is the lar8-
est range In the country and is expect
cd TO accommodate the applicants
from the 5000. 600 inhabitants of Met
r9politan district of New York CITY
and Philadelphia, and intermediate
points.
: Cape May. N. J.. with % targets viii
provide for applicants from New
Jersey and Delaware.
Glen Burnie, Md. formerly the
Maryland state range has 81 targets
for students from Maryland. the Dis
trict of Columbia and northern Vir-
ginia.
Virginia Beach. Va. formerly wa.
usd as the Virginia state range. il be
ing equipped with ITO targets
Mt. Pleasant. 8. c.. is the furthesi
south OF the ranges on the Atlantis
seaboard.
Sar Pedro. Cal. has 20 targets an
Win h. avaIIahla n mon fr0m chs