Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-10-07 | Page 6 | Will use Rifle

WILL USE RIFLE. The new system of -warfare seems to have taken such a strong hold upon the soldiers upon the western front that General Pershing cautioned his men not to forget that the rifle is a distinctively American weapon and to use it whenever when-ever possible. The general had watched the men make an attack upon three supposed enemy trenches and he noticed they did not use their guns. The English Eng-lish and French soldiers, it is said, often pursue the Germans for a hundred yards or more for an opportunity to bomb or bayonet them. General Pershing Persh-ing is of the opinion that much better results could be secured by shooting at them. He is all the more of this opinion opin-ion on account of the fact that most Americans are familiar with the use of guns from their youth up, and that very many of them are excellent shots. General Gen-eral Pershing is right. It does seem foolish to chase a German with a bomb or bayonet when he can be potted with a minimum of exertion upon the part of an ordinary marksman. Also, there is always the chance of the pursuer being laid low before he can get close enough to hurl his bomb or thrust with his bayonet. If the Teutons on the westorn front are pushed out of the hilly country coun-try next spring there may be some open fighting, in which case the rifle will play an important part.