The Raymer enterprise., 1918-06-20

The American Is a hunter by tradition. II Is IN
his blood because his father and grandfather oe-
fore him won the wilderness with the old muzzp'
loader. Daniel Boone and .Dayy Crockett ana
Kit Carson are all old friends Of his. The WIN
West Is familiar territory, even though he may
never have crossed the Mississippi. For he mas
read the tales OF trappers and hunters and prac'
ticed them on a small scale In the woods out
side his village.
The American Is marksman by training
What boy has not spent long days In the WOODS
with gun In his hands? What youth, except'hs
only some born and reared In the largest Cities
has not come home ut night In triumph with
bag OF cottontails?
The third reason why Sammy sticks to his r'he
In the trenches Is that 1t Is the best military arm
In the world
For these three reasons then--because the rifle
is his weapon by tradition and by training. anu
because the one he carries Is the best manufac-
tured--our nfantryman backs the rifle against the
hand grenade and the bayonet. He can use any
of the three but for choice give him clean wv
yard shot at a moving spot of gray outlined
against the dun Flanders background of a scar
torn hill.
1t has been acknowledged for years that the
American regular army. small though v was prior
to 1917 is the finest body OF marksmen In any
army. Our teams competing at Camp Perry ana
at Risey against the best shots Of Europe and
the western hemisphere, proved conclusively that
the superiority still rests with US.
The United States government has made for lis
army the most perfect military rifles ever pro-
duecd These are the Springfield model OF 1908
and the 1917 model. both of which are beyond
question better guns than those used by any other
army in the world The cartridges for these
thp Orders
been placed for 100000 rifles. The production
now averages $4,000 week sufficient to equip
three divisions One billion cartridges have been
ordered for practice In the training camps. Our
manufacture of rifle cartridges eXcels In amount
that OF any other country One firm alone turned
out l25,0oo0o0 during one month.
The policy OF the government has been TO ap-
prupriate about $l3 a year for the rifle practice
of each soldier In the army. Target ranges have
been built In all parts Of the country. These
were available not only for the use Of the army
and the National Guard but also for rifle associ-
atlcns.
Germany has not been able to do this. With
n standing army so great MS the one maintained
by the kaiser In peace times, such an approprla-
ton would have lnterfered with other plans. II
Si3 year had been spent on ammunition for the
rifle practice Of each man In the German standing
army anu reserve, tne leutoUs Woulu De lhr pet
ter shots than they are today. But this gain
would be at the expense Of the funds necessary
for the supply ef munitions the general staff was
aceumulatlng against the day of need. Prior to
the war the German soldier fired rnly about II
ball cartridges a year on the range.
The rifle ranges in Europe are few and inferior.
Land Is far too valuable to permit. of much be-
lug used for such purpose. Scarcely any of these
ranges are suitable for practice ut distance Of
over 400 yards. An appropriation Of S13 to the
man for ammunition would not have made Eu
ropean soldiers anything like as expert ours.
The lack of opportunity to shoot under the field
conditions which are the foundation of a good
rifeman's work In actual battle STRESS would
necessarily have debarred this.
The American Is hunter. He used TO be
rifemen from necessity since his safety and his
food depended on his skill. He Is now one from
choice. There are few OF our yungsters who do
not own or have access TO % rifle. and but few
who do not get an occasional chance to use
shotgun. The hunting Instinct IL st strong In
u.s. II Is estimated that about 100000 sports
men In this country hunt every year with a rife
or a shotgun.
plentiful enough to offer entlcng sport. The H.
cense fee Is smaA. amounting usually to only 81.
Ammunition Is cheaper here than elsewhere. The
finest and least costly machne-made guns are
produced in thIs country. Most important, we
have no established arlstocracy which controls the
shooting preserves to the exclusion Of the gen.
aral public.