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Show ' AMERICANS ARE NOT j RIFLE SHOTS When this country was younger and there was a great frontier, the American Ameri-can was known as a "shoL" Every man and boy could use a gun and hit tho mark, and, as a result, Americana prided themselves on their marksman ship. But General George W. WIngate, in a recent contribution toihe literature litera-ture of the war knocks tho props from 'under our self-satisfaction by stating that tho average citizen of this coun-i coun-i try Is not a marksman and has much to learn in tho use of firearms. "One of the greatest Illusions that ! exists in this country," says General j WIngate, "is that we are a nation of marksmen. A hundred years ago, when game was plentiful and Indians not scarce, every man had a rifle and knew how to use it. Today, the ordi nary young American, unless he has served in the national guard or the army, knows nothing about a rifle and never had an army Springfield In his hands. In the cities there is no opportunity oppor-tunity for practice, and in the country there Is little desire. In the latter there are many who have shotguns but rifles are rare. It will be recalled that when Lord Kitchener was organizing organ-izing his first levy of volunteers, that England sent to tho front, for which tho need was most urgent but which required from six to nine months to equip and train, he issued an order stating, 'Never mind how they drill or whether they know their right foot from the loft teach tljcm to shoot, and do It quickly.' But it was a long ! Job to do it." j Recalling what England did after j the Boer war, General WIngate says: "At the close of the Boer war Lord Roberts was greatly impressed by the fact that n handful of untrained and undisciplined Boers- because they were wonderful riflemen had been able to withstand a greatly superior number of British troops. He was also convinced that It was certain that England would be engaged in a European Euro-pean war in tho immediate future, and he devoted all his energies to securo the adoption of universal service, and in the meantime to promote a knowl-' knowl-' edge of rifle shooting, both in the army and among the people of Great Britain. To the army he Issued an order which after specifying an elaborate elab-orate course of rifle firing, stated 'that tho battle of tho future would be won by snap shooting at short distances'an dis-tances'an assertion which has been more than borne out by the expert- '. ences of the present war. To induce the people to become marksmen he exerted all his great influence toward the -formation throughout Great Britain Brit-ain of what are called 'miniature rifle clubs and the creation of rifle ranges. In this he received the powerful back-lug back-lug of the premier, press, and other leaders of the people. Tho result was that within a few years thousands of rifle clubs were formed." j 1 |