New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
VAC. Plans
A Big Season
For Cunners
Bv 7. S. Mitchell

THE New York A &. has already
taken steps toward the inauguration OF
.he trap shooting season. At the regu-
,.r meeting of the board Of governors
few days ago substantial appropria-
zion was set aside to popularize the
,rort a fact which indicates that
r~svers Island will witness a winter
of exceptional competition at the traps.
rhs four sets Of traps are to be en-
,.rved 80 that fifty men can shoot at
ora and the same time. This plan
r,esns that a greater number of events
.sn he raced off on all shooting days.
Heretofore shooting was confined to
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. but
+bis winter it is the intention of the
shooting committee to arrange for at
,sast three days each week, not to men
t;on special days for matches with out
eide clubs. George J. Corbett has been
again appointed chairman Of the shoot
;nc committee, and while he would not
cav how much money the New York
G. would spend on the trap sport, he
b;nted that the club would do as much
for the shooters as it did for the ath-
letes in giving weekly games on the
track all through this summer.
To the United States government 1t
ia now we'll known that the use of the
SHOTGUN is one of the main essentials
in the makeup Of the modern aviator,
the cavalryman, or, for that matter,
the infantryman. In each Of the three
instances the aiming at moving objects
imparts lightning decision, a keen
ness Of eye and quickness of range
finding not possible in any other form
of marksman ship.
Must Aim Quickly
For instance. the man standing on
the platform in front Of a trap has
not the slightest hint of what direc-
tion the clay-rock is about to be flung,
90 that when it flies from the hidden
spring he has, if he wants to secure q
kill" to find the direction and aim
like flash. The indecision of such a
trivial fraction Of time as the twcnti-
eth part of second may often be fatal,
especially if the shooter should hap
pen on a low driver, with the result
that he is liable to be credited with a
goose egg on the score sheet.
With this in mind the shooting mem.
bers of the New York A c. devoted
considerable time year ago and spent
some money on shells for the canton
ments 1t was mainly through the
efforts oil the Travers Island bluerock
experts that the United States govern
ment became imbued with the idea, and
for the purpose of training the SOL
diers to shoot on the wing purchased
eOO00,O00 clayrocks, the majority of
which were shipped to France and used
principally by the flying men.
In all, more than one hundred sets
Of traps have been in use among the
home training camps, not to talk of
the number that has been seTt abroad.
The trap shooting practice has been of
so much use to our airmen in picking
off the Bocnes that the sport is now
one of the official numbers of the a, ia
ton curriculum.
The motto of "Semper Paratus" so
ardently advocated by Ex-President
Roosevelt and his theory that the
tour-fifths efficiency of the soldier is
his ability to shoot accurately did
not dawn on the people of this coun-
try until the outbreak Of the pres
ent war.
OF course it must be admitted that
in 1916 the national defence act went
q long way toward improving matters,
when it authorized an appropriation
Of s920000 for arms, ammunitions
and other incidentals of rife range,
including 100000 for the transporta-
ton of rifle teams to all the big
matches. 1t bore good fruit, for to-
day there are upward of 1000 rifle
clubs in the United States fostered
contributed largely toward the i'm
a in q r-y =
manship Of the citizen is beyond
question.
Sacrifice Worth While
To the ordinary observer the policy
may appear to be useless burning up
Of powder at critical stage, but if
the soldier is to be benefited there
must be sacrifice Of ammunition,
more Or less. and there should be no
direction Of efficiency is taken into
account. The equipment of the fight
ing man in the line Of accuracy and
keenness on the field Of battle more
'nan counterbalances the outlay of
money on powder and other accessories
when he is in training.
AS an instance of what preparatory
ralnlng does for the soldier, England
may De pointed out as glaring ex-
ample. When the war started, in 1914
there were 5000 or more rife clubs in
the British Isles under the control of
the government, and this formidable
iis' did not include long array Of
gun clubs supported by amateur
sportsmen and which gave weekly
shoots for their members and to in
vited guests
Not alone could they handle the
saotgun. but nearly all knew how to
shoot with the rifle, so that when the
pig smash came those who volunteered
ior seryice were found TO need very
little practice with the rifle. and after
they had learned little of the foot
work of the soldier they were at once
ssole to take their places on the firing
line at the front. 1t was this "con-
emptible little army" that was mainly
responsible for the first big defeat Of
Germany at the Marne and later on a.
9pres and Verdun
Just now there is some talk Of Civ
ing a junior championship at Travers
s.!and in connection with the big ma