Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-27
Washington. D. c., Nov. 24.-rhe

|t1 SOAS -. o.S "
opening OF the winter program Of gal
lery rifle matches reveals that more
people. than ever are interested In
craftsmanship 1t Is estimated that
about 1000, 900 rifles are in use In this
country. and more than 200, 900 are
enrolled with the National Rifle asso-
citation.
Rifle shooting has been promoted
by the association ever since 1871 as
"a preparedness measure, and now the
war department is working through
a board, lin Corporation with the as
ISOLATION, to stimulate interest in tar
get practice. National matches fired
on n large range and gallery and
outdoor small bore matches fired on
competitors home ranges are held
each year. Cups, medals, and other
trophies are awarded.
But, according to the, rifle board,
the government is not advocating rifle
shooting entirely in the inteEests OF
national defense. Whether Il man
ever shoulders a gun in the army or
militia, the exercise and personal. de-
velopment of target shooting are
worthwhile, and the board wants to
see rifle shooting even more of q pop
ular sport than it>has grow to be.
Because rifIe~fhooting does not at
tract large public audiences knowledge
of the sport is confined chiefly I'd
marksmen. Unlike football. it has
lines and yell. An audience at a
match is made up mainly Of marks
men with a sprinkling o. casually in
terested friends. When one of the
,onlookers becomes a fan he gets a
gun. ~ &
This is a healthy condition. 1t is
an ideal of sport to have a large per-
centage of the people interested en-
gaging in the activity, leaving a small
percentage Of chronic onlookers. Rifle
shooting Is one of the few sports that
approximate this ideal.
In fact, rifle shooting :s an unusual
sport in a number Of ways, according
to the raj departments rifle board.
In the first place, because of its rela-
ton to national defense it is hacked
by the government, a unique distinc-
ton for a popular sport. 1t requires
more concentration than the ~exact.ng
game of chess and it calls for general
physical fitness rather than the spe-
ciallzed muscular Development de-
manded by most sports,
Many Girls Interested.
The tools Of rifle. shooting are i'm
plements of destruction. yet it is q
sport in which almost no casualties
occur: AS one marksman puts It,
compared to football. rifle shooting
Is a ladies' game" And, as a matter
number of schools have girls rifle
teams, and"the girls are proving to be
good shots. Last year a Washington
high school girls team won the Aston
cup match which carries the high
school championship for the country.
High schools and many colleges
have come to regard shooting as a
standard sport for which the school
letter u to be regularly? awarded. The
Naval Academy. the University of
Pennsylvania. Yale and Princeton are
among the colleges at which rifle
shooting Is rated with other sports.
Police departments in m cities
have formed rifle teams, and .ex-sol-
diers and sportslnsn al12over the coun-
try are organized in more than 1000
clubs Of the National Rifle, ~associa-
ton. Rifle shooting would cost about
rs cents-and5 because OF this a large
number OF working men are enrolled
In the clubs. It also appeals to sci
entists and technical workers who are
attracted by the problems Of marks
manship. N
One big advantage Of shooting as a
popular sport is,that anyone can shoot,
tOaan official Of the rifle
A husky athlete may not be
good marksman Is q man OF
wiry build. "A person wearing
may be a first class shot.
eyesight rather than unusually
keen$sight isSneeded.