Phillips County herald., 1923-01-11
Wonderful Development Is Shown
by Gendarmerie After Two
Years Coaching.
FOUGHT FOE WITH Wild YElls
Natives First Had to BE Taught How
to Wink-offieer 10 Eager to Bring
His Marksmen to Compete In
United States.

national rifle match, held recently on
the-rlfie range on the capitals out
skirts, not only settled the individual
and team championships Of the Cen
darmerie d'Haiti, but brought out
shooting Of an order that amazed these
who, two years ago, saw the first ef-
forts TO make straight-shOOting sol
der out Of the most unpromising MAJ
terial. To add piquancy to the matches,
they were shot over field that, when
revolutions were the favorite outdoor
sport of Haiti, served as the scene for
the many executions Of political prIs-
'cners who had gambled on the wrong
turn Of the coin.
Two years ago 1t is doubtful II there
have hit the proverbial barn at 100
Yards with rife. When the gendarnes
took the field under American leader
ship In 1917, and came into contact with
"A band Of Cacos, the procedure was sim
pifcity itself. The two or three marines
with the column or patrol got down to
business with their rifles or machine
gun. The accompanying gendarmes
shot wildly from the hip, usually uim-
ing at tile sky, hut well content with
the sound of their shots and their yclls
NJ defiance to the Cacos. The Cacos
fought back In the same happy-co-
lucky fashion SO far ms the rifle was
concerned. II was Nal James !.
Meade. now assistant chief Of the
gendarmerie. who first made serious
effort to develop the gcndarmes of his
department Of the north into rifiemen
two years uro.
Would Bring Shots TO v. S.
When The last shot Of the recent
team match Ind been marked, two
marine officers who have capitalized
teams In the big national matches ;lt
home were seriously championlng the
idea of entering the Haitian gendarm-
erie In the international matches In
the United States IN I.23. That Is nm
Indication of how far along the road
NJ craftsmanship the untntored men
who fought their foes with wild yells
have Travelled In the last two years.
All the more remarkable Is this prog
ress, for. outside Of the isolated effort
Of Meade. nothing cf an organized ma
ture was attempted until less Than n
year ago.
When Lieut.. Col. Douglas &. Mae
Dougni took over the Gentlarmerle
d'Haiti little more than year aga.
with the rank of major general In
iIniii's nucleus of an army. he failed
Ia see the logic of giving n man IN uni
form rife and not making u shot of
him. MncDougni captnined the win
ming marine corps rifle team In the M.
tlonal mitch IN 1911. shot on nj least
three others and In n rifle shot of I'M
iionai reputation. At the time he be-
gan his campaign. there was. and for
four years llad been. n strong belief
That the development of good rifle
shots In the Haitian ranks wns not
only inndvisnbie huf impossible. He
lndoctrlnnted his command. however.
with his aims. and then the handicaps
i""incd large and unique.
IN the first place the Haitian soldier
iind been the most airoclous of shots.
fhc machcte had always been his fight
INK weapon. soldiers appeared on is,.
rnde NJ the Champ de Mars not 80
innny yemrs aro with man In The
fronf RINK the prond possessor of
rifle stock. while his renr rank fiir wns
content Ia rrnsp n barrel minus the
stock. The Haitian armies that fought
for control u, the behcst ~ nrltutors.
politicians an, foreign frn'lers were
nrmed with ns many varieties of IRE.
arms ns tii.r. nre seeds In u liniiinn
grapefruit. They fought the marines
IN 1915 With American. British. Ter
man. Belgian nni Spanish rifles ihni
ran from innzsIe Ionders Ia reporters;
with Mwed.ofr shotgiins md pieces
that the French nrmy abandoned IN
1904. Rifle sights were nm imre,limrni
That disappeared under the vigorous
strokes ~ u stout mnchete.
American System.
The system determined oh wns pure.
~ American. mud ninonv the American
ofiiccrs nnd the gcDdnrmcrlc were
many trained shots aud rifle coaches.
The nsuni troubles With recruit shots
were discontinued. hut ~ bolbrd u
handicap that bnd never been fore
seen. for seine renson the average
isitinn 10 physically incapable Of eios.
Ing one eye ar opening one eye with.
nut the other sciins IN sympathy. The
Haitian cnn stare into the tropical snn
with the boring glance of nm eagle.
thosigl, II would blind white man. tie
csn sleep standing ny with the sun
blazing inio HE fnte snd never fiinrh.
M II fell a. the iof of the rifle instrDc.
tors Ia overcome this peculiar defect
b, ienehins their men llternll, how io
wink. winllnr n mn unknown lnrr of
the Ifaltinn belle. In plnce of n .i,.
covert wink she sinrer with The direct
gnzs ~ n hni,. In n few week. the of.