New-York tribune., 1919-08-06
Titular Rifle
Matches Begin
On N. J. Range
A. E. F. Champions to Shoot
at Caldwell in Tourna-
mcnt Which Starts To-day
By Edward Cave

The national championship rife
matches will start to-day at the great
Caldwell On. J.) range. in the Passaic
River Valley. only twenty miles from
Manhattan. Thanks to the United
States navy. in charge OF tho matches
the partial flooding OF the range n
fortnight AGO by the bursting Of a near
by dam in the river, following the
nine days OF rain which began on St
Swithin's Day, July 1C. will not result
in any curtailment ut the programme
or change OF plans Tor accommodates Il
OF the men.
Rows upon rows of khaki tents now
stand right where it was originally
planned they should stand, and last
night they were occupied by upward OF
a thousand crack-shot soldiers, sailors
marines and civilians, sleeping on
spring cots, with board floors under
them. and with dry cinder and duck,
board walks replacing the mud of q
week ago.
Monday was the opening day for
practice. and the first match will be
shot to-day. This is for one of the
most highly priced trophies for which
the individual riflemcn will compete
the famous Leech Cup, and the com.
petition will be under the auspices OF
the National Rifle Association. The
matches will last throughout the en-.
tire month of August, and include, ir
addition to long range rifle shooting
pistol shooting, trap shooting and the
first small-bore rife matches held in
this country in connection with mill
tary target shooting matches of ma
tional Importance.
When recall, the cease firing call OF
the rife range, was blown last evening
more than half of the competing teams
were on hand Among those which ar
rived Monday was the A. E. F. rifle
team, fresh from France, with the dou-
BILE prestige of being not only veterans
of the war, but winners by clean
sweep of the great international team
and individual matches Of the inter
Allied games, held at lie Mans, France
in June.
Lieutenant Colonel William c. Harl-
lee, of the Marine Corps, executive
officer of the matches, yesterday was
busy greeting officials of the govern
ment's National Board for Promotion
of Rifle Practice, and showing them
the range. He said that high scores
were expected, due partly TO the range
being favorably located for good shoot
ing, and also to the fact that good
AMIN uultlOll is ODldlnaDto lnlS year
meaning that It was much better than
the government supplied last year for
the national matches at Camp Perry
Ohio.
In this connection, it should be added
that feature of which Colonel Harl-
lee apparently took much pride was
Commercial Row." where leading
manufacturers of arms and ammuni-
ton have complied with Colonel Harl-
lees invitation and installed exhibition
quarters. Those represented are the
Remington Arms Union Metallic Cart
ridge Company, Of New York, with
factories in Bridgeport, Conn, and
lion, N. Y; the Winchester Repeating
Arms Company, of New Haven, Conn;
Colts Patent Firearms Manufacturing
Company, of Hartford, Conn, the Blr-
mingham Small Arms Manufacturing
Company, OF Birmingham, England
the United States Cartridge Company
of Lowell, Mass, and the Western
Cartridge Company, Of East Alton. III