Arizona republican., 1919-11-30
By Tom A. Marshall.

Attention! Boy Scouts: The Boys Red Blood club endorse every phase of your ritual with one exception. We insist that every boy who has attained the age necessary to become a mem Der of the Boy Scouts has sufficient in- tellgence and good judgement, is men, tally and physically fitted to be taught the use and handling of fire arms abandoning the staff-acquiring a knowledge. which will later eliminate the element of danger, from ineXper- fence, 10 comrades and friends when afield or at practice on the range. Substitute gun for the staff. then teach the Scouts to correctly handle and accurately shoot Shooting is one of the most infatuating and manly Q sports eXtant There is no in or out door sport wherein there is less liabil- ity of accident or loss of life than shooting. For over forty years I have been a devotee of trap and field shooting, present when many million shots have been fired; as yet I have never been present when an accident occurred. The element of chance or good luck is not a factor neither does the folk lore That children and un- fortunates are cared for and protected T
 sence of accidents. Care, caution, eX- perience and education, with the in
 troduction of all safety first require
 ments are the answer.
 When a member of the rising gener ation answers the Gall of the Wild,
 which, beckoning afield is more seduc
 tive, it is the part of good judgement that he should be possessed of knowl- .r rfts, la .rag m how to execute and be conversant with every detail of the don't This will make every Boy Scout a desirable field companion and welcome shooting guest on every occasion. Our Amer ican soldiers are men of recognized shooting ability, which has been the cause of success perching upon their banners in the past. Their shooting education was an asset when accuracy was necessary for decisive victory. Wars of 1776 and 1872 were success fully negotiated because our soldiers had been intensively trained to accur- ately shoot and handle guns, fires pective of calibre. The world war fea- lures repeated instances where tide of battle was turned and the enemy forced to shout the pathetic kan erad," by the accurate barrage of bull lets. a solid wall of hurting lead, laid down by the Kanuck and dough boys whose training for shooting accuracy had been acquired afield and in the open of their native lands.
 Governing bodies in the United States and Canada are discussing the magnitude of their national police de- partment or regular standing army. General Pershing says this organization should be based upon the minimum, inst large enough to provide against sudden attack. Every enlisted soldier is eliminated as a necessary integral part, from our industrial or business world Expense for maintenance of an army bears down upon the dear people with burdensome taxation. It is always easy to tear down without offering suggestions or substitutes for reconstruction or betterment. To my criticism of an excessive standing army we offer an organization who are ef- ficient, willing. competent and aggres- sive The Boy Scouts, who now com pose America's rising generation. are the intelligent answer. Universal training, in moderation, with intensive instruction in accurate shooting and handling of fire arms places the Boy Scouts on a 70 per cent soldier ef- ficiencv. with consequent physical ben efits and manliness after a short period of training and experience. A limited reserve of seasoned veterans should be stationed where they would be available upon a moments notice. The government should give the Boy Scouts substantial encouragement. Instruc- tors, guns. uniforms and ammunition, for legitimate practice, should be gen. orally supplied by Uncle Sam, who in return would have, in few years an annual release of post graduate Boy Scouts, finished under the immed- fate supervision of competent com manding officers, dependable as g trained army upon call. thus elimin- ating the unnecessary over head eX- pense. We are not threatened with war. Men have returned to their homes and civilian life, imbued with spirit of peace and anxious to avoC repetition of wars carnage. The peace dove hovers over the world. anxious to light and become chummy when tht cannons of Russia and a few smaller countries cease to boom and annoy
 Preparedness does not invite war to the contrary, up-to- the minute preparedness, Pershing says, would have ended the war in 1917 and guar antees perpetual peace. Teach oul rising generation tactics accompanied by the art of accurate shooting; every manly boy will then become a member of Americas civilian standing army O Boy Scouts with power to act