Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-27

The American Is a hunter by tradition. 1t Is IN
his blood because his father and grandfather pc
fore him won the wilderness with the old muzz'e.
toader. Daniel Boone and Dnvy Crockett and
XII. Carson arc all old friends of his. The wild
West il amiliar territory, even though he may
never have crossed the Mississippi. For he has
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 a marksman by training
What boy has not spent long days In the WOODS
with a gun In his hands? What youth, excepting
.,niv some born and reared in the largest cities,
has not come home at night in triumph with II
bag of cottontalls?
The third reason why Sammy sticks to his rife
in the trenches is that it is the best military arm
in the world.
For these three reasons, then--because the rlne
is his weapon by tradition and by training, ana
because the one he carries Is the best manufac-
tuFcd-our infantryman backs the rifle against the
hand grenade and the bayonet. He can use any
OF the three. but for choice give him a clean Gov
yard shot ut 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 it was prior
to 1917, Is the finest body Of marksmen In any
army. Our teams competing ut Camp Perry and
at Esisiey against the best shots Of Europe aud
the western hemisphere, proved c0nclusively that
the superiority still rests with US.
The United States government has made for its
nrmy the most perfect military rifles ever pro-
duced. 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
weapons IRE the best now In use. Orders have
been placed for c,92O.O00 rifles. The production
now averages $1,000 a 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 1o5 600 during one month.
The policy Of the government has been to np.
Hrupriate about $l3 a year for the rife practice
Of each soldier In the army. Target ranges have
Aeen 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-
atlcus.
Germany has not been able to do this. With
q standing army 80 great as the one maintained
by the kaiser In peace times, such m a%ppropria-
Zion. would have i~nterfered with other plans. n
SIS n year had been spent on ammunition for the
ride practice Of each man In the German standing
army and reserve. the Teutons. would be fur bet.
ter shots than they are today. But this gain
would be Mt the expense Of the funds necessary
DOE the supply Of munitions the general staff was
accsmulatlng against the day Of need. Prior to
Tie war the German soldier fred only about u
hail cartridges a year on the range.
The rifle ranges In Europe are few and inferior.
land IL fur too valuable to permit Of much be-
sng used for such purpose. Scarcely any Of these
sanges IRE suitable for practice at a distance Of
over 400 yards. An appropriation OF &l3 to the
uan for ammunition would not have made Eu.
rspcan soldiers anything like AZ expert as ours.
The lack Of opportunity to shoot under the field
coalitions, which are the foundation Of a good
sideman's work In actual battle stress. would
necessarily have debarred this.
The American 10 q hunter. He used to be 4
etdeaan. from necessity. since his safety and his
fosd depended on his skill. He ID now one from
eAalee. There are few Of our yungsters who do
Ast own or have accsss to a % rife, and but few
~Ao do not get an occasional chance TO ase q
sAstxun. The hunting instinct IL still strong In
Il 10 estimated that about $4,000 sports.
.aea In this country hunt every year with 1 rife
- . shotgun.
Even IA thickly settled districts game il stiu
Ussntifui enough 10 otter entlcing sport. The II.
eaase Zee ID small, amounting ususlly to only 81,
Amanunlticn 10 cheaper here than elsewhere. The
9nsst and least costly machlne.made guns are
ugoduced IN this country. Most important. ~
have no established arlstocracy which controls The
~M--s''r orcsrrvcss TO tha e~Sclusion IL No req