Trench and camp. ([Admiral, Md.) 1917-1919, 1918-03-21
CRAFTSMANSHIP TRAINING
MUST BE GOTTEN HERE

II the soldiers now IN TRAINING AN
this country do not learn to shoot
accurately on the ranges in or near
their camps and cantonments, they
may not learn at all. For this rea-
SON every American officer returning
from France is urging that every pos
sible moment be devoted to training
soldiers how to shoot quickly and ac-
curately.
Major General Richard M. Batch
ford. U. 8. A., who spent several
months In France, urges that every
soldier be .y.son all possible instruc-
ton in Workmanship. He says:
II came very closely in contact with
what the needs OF our army are. Cd
far as France is concerned, IN reia-
tion to this subject Of rife firing. the
divisional areas cover tract or lan0
about eighty miles long and sixty
miles wide, divided up into various
areas and apportioned by the French
government, and In these areas was
required to arrange the billeting OF
troops to occupy each area, as well a.
to construct huts In which the men
were to live. In addition 1t was part
Of my task to supply division COM
manders with what lumber and mate
rial they would need for the cOnstruc-
ton Of their rife ranges. In no one
division was It possible to have g.
range which could be used by the en-
tire division. The brigades were split
owing to the location of the town
where we had to build huts. It is
absolutely impossible to properly
train troops in rife firing in France.
Inadequate Overseas Ranges
"The ranges we have built in
France are small, and the danger to
the inhabitants is great. Frequently
there are no backstops. In order to
get our troops properly trained for
service In France they must be trained
in rife firing in the United States. /
see no other way out of it. In order
against the German, he must be
be trained by capable instructors.
And we have them in this country. In
order to get the work going as Gem
eral Pershing wants it to go there
must be q uniform system Of training.
1.-TWO important things over In
Europe today, as far as the infantry-
man sis concerned, are the rife and
bayonet, and without being thor
oughly expert In the use OF these two
weapons the Boche Is going to get
him. There Is no getting away from
1t. Those men are thoroughly trained
under the very highest experts. They
have been planning for this for many
years and In order for US to meet that
condition as it must be met our men
must be trained in this country.
1.-THE proposition now is, as UNI
derstand it, to establish q central
training school of musketry. From
this school will be sent out the vari-
ous men qualified after having passed
through all the grades to the divisions
still remaining in the United States,
and through these people give these
divisions an intensive training in
musketry.
Muster whole Shooting Energy
''The specialties, such as bomb
throwing, can be learned Over There
We are short of time. In my opinion
q man can be taught all that 10 neceS-
sary In the use of the rife in the pres
emit war at short distances, on the
30O-yard' range. ANY firing beyond
500 yards Is largely dependent on eli
matte conditions that do not exist
Over There at this time. The
trenches in most instances are only
$50 yards, and sometimes much less,
apart. SO we have the ranges here
at home, together with many National
Cuardsmen and civilian shots, men
who can do this work, and l earnestly
hope that the whole shooting energy
of the United States can get behind
this movement and get these men of
ours properly instructed 30 that
when they go Over There they will
be in much better condition to 20 into
the trenches than were many Of those
who havn roma 1v0p -