DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 645, 23 October 1909, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

.■■..'•' (Br EcnSLON.) ''. ■ \ '■'"';

' In a recent issue of the "Nation in- Arms," .•'':■',':' tho journal of the' National Service Leaguo, a '. correspondent writes as follows:— ' "Tho following incident, which took place a : : short tiino a^o, -may provo'of .interest to tho'-.: ''.-.] readers of this journal.' .A gentleman with'a.-! thorough knowledge of tho Gorman lnngungo . ~.;■ was having.luncheon at a restaurant in Lon-'.'/ v don, and sitting at the next table to him was J' a foreigner, vfho, speaking in German\iu an' .'.-','': undertone (but which, nevertheless, my'friend ":.{.' was able to hear),. adiiiessotl tho waiter vfho'.■.'. was attending to him as follows; 'Whero do you mobilise? Answer: 'iShoorness.' My friend thought this somowhat 'strnngo and startling,'. . so decided. to try tho same question himself,, . V'which ho did the' following day at another restaurant, and got tho reply,','Chathani.', I . think tho' abovo is only anotuor of ninny such ' v indications of foreign organisation in. islands." ' . ' . , .'■■';' ■ An editorial nolo appended to tliis lottbr states that it would not have'been published ~ < if it had not cohio fronv an absolutely reliable .' source, - ■•■'■". ' ".-.", -~:•'..-.>. :, ■ .•. :. Tho movement which advocates tho car-mark-ing of horses for tho purposes of national do- ■• fence has .now received, tho support of sovonty ' horsa shows, and it is growing favour all ovor the country (states the .Aldf-Shot. "Mill- ■' tary Mail').' Tlio announcement;.<£ol a Gov-', eminent grant k- to be given'for hbrso breeding has. caused ronowed interest' in tho question,, and tho promoters of tho Ear-marking Associa- :.. ' tiou out that' unless'..' their scheme is- ,' adopted much of tho grant" will simply, goto, brood horses'for foreign nrmios' which '.tho , country may eventually have to meet.in tho •-. field. Tho idea of tho association is simplic- '•■ .• ity itself., It.is to ear-mark a certain number '■-.'■'■■ ot horses with a Government mark, easily re- ,: cognisable by Cifstoniß officials,' and to make', r,,;, it illegal,for. such horses to leave tho country.; Premiums would need to ho paid to brooders V. ■'.'■' as.a rcconiponso'.for :tko restriction on their , field of sale.' The'agonts for the'ear-marking .V.' would bo tho''various kbrso shoVs, which could .-':-' V cosily be combined in a federation for the '<<■ . purpose.,.-. ; v\ ■* ■ : -.v,■-'■:■£•.'. x ?or somo time, 'past tho' Commonwealth jMinister for Defenco has been considering how tho present system of. club riflo shooting-could -■,; bo-altered so as to moko tho training of practical valuo to possible futuro combatants'.' Ho, v -. recognises tho value of rifle clubs: as potential'-!, defence assets, bht considers that they might"': be.more wisely handled.' During his last.week-f.,, ,Y end visit to Sydney.he was present.at tho.rlfle '-. ■','• matches in progress there. -~He- stated to-day .'•;>> that ho had boon highly pleased with tho en- ,'■ • thusittstic. interest -manifested by the hundreds ■~■'■■' of competitors,- but. saw'need for, an,alteration of tho programmed to include, more matches',under.service conditions. "Rifle club : (iuthori- " -': tios.ttill bo invited to,confer with tho; Depart- -. merit," concluded the , Minister, "and notion,-: '- ,will •bo taken very. shortly." -i --,;..;','-'

• The Wostport Garrison Artillery is.at present . armotl with 0-pr..Q.l i '. guns on iiold mountings ■/? ns a temporary arrangement until the new gaf- : : Hson guns' aro supplied: -Arrangements;, are.-' now. being made to enlarge tho drill-shed.*.and build special railway: trucks for using ■ 12-pr..•-Q,F. guns as mobile armament for: tlio dofcnio. > Of tho port. ' •..,-,.■■ , ..■■'•■ ;., , , ■~",,' .'•,■■.■'■

: From the ."Sydney Morning Herald" tho fol-, lowing..interesting account, of the finish-- for .'i . thd lung's Prizo'at the llandwick rifle range, • reproduced .for ,tho edification of local r sliootirig men;— , ~'. •■-;: ■'■'.■■■.■■-.:■ -On lining up for the final.-Strugglo K Sergeant,.: v ■ New Zealand, had a lead of ono point '■.■' from S, A. Kofford.'of BathUrst,.whoriit turn,.'' was a'faint .ahead of Goo, Howitt,'of: South •'• Australia.'' Cloge in 'attcildanco were 0. E: . Boyd, of Murwillumbah' Private Hill, oftW 3r<f Hcgiment, and W. Wnrnb, of Victoria. A- ' oeuplo of Chleenslandorsand TasManians vbro '■.■'. close up...The.cracks of• six,, States were;thus fighting for.. Tho 'Uathufst'Mpre-, ; sentativo'was'first dow*h,and-ho set a total of > 299;f0r those who followed'.'.This'Was nothing '■ out, o(the ordinary, and 'it looked,as if Kef-.-, ford had shot his bolt. .Sergeant James got.to,, work, but fell away badly,, scoring Only 3G at': the; long distance;' and bringing his aggregate • to 235.\: It then 'looted as'= if nothing ;wduld pro-' ■'■' vent George' HovHtt from romping in o. winner,' ■ -, ' but ■■■'ha alsO' : collapsed,'' his" ton.' shots, yielding' . only 24. It seemed as if. Bathnrst was to olaiitf l -" another King's prizeman.' Private Hill,,of< the Brd Itegttnontj made a great.'.ftffort to hoad tho lbador.but only rOaohed 29& V.' W,, Warno, thecrock .Victorian fancied, :-.by ni.any,-,. ami his effort was watbhod with great interest, but no mot the fato of tho others, and finished' . up at 295. The match then resulted in'succossivo attempts to better.tho299putupbyKoriOrd.* "Young Roberts, of ,Blytho,S.A.,. wanted ft possible, and considering the 'distanco and.wind, this was quite Out Of the range of prac- ; . tical marksmanship. Meanwhile, ho-was fir-: ing all unattended-awiiyVin,Siberia, Hiß,.urst . . shot was'an inner,: after failing to locate Ms... target in bis two sightcrs. . As., ho needed a : nbssiblo to win* his mound was deserted, LButr the youth, kept goingr and, notched nlno.coiir: Seoutive bullies.. This ■ Splendid' aohiovenient-' > put him lovol w-it'h'Keiford,;,-..So.while;the,' orotvd was estimating, how.remote whs theehnnco- of,- anyone, displacing, the Westerner, Roberts coolly walked up and banded his card, to the Wngo. officer. > ,h. ;.',,•,' ' : ' .' .'■ An'anssmouts.woje-.inlmediafely.madb.fbr the. . shoot-oft'.. itt a'few minutes' hundredsicongro-, gated in a great semi-circle, while'tho rest'of'.' : the; range was deserted. \. Escitoillont Was. now '■'' . intense/ For .tho first time during ■■ tho .meet- _ ing thefo was a.complete,silence oh the ranged:. Then two' shots'rang out. 'There Sros a wait, 1 - ~ followed by laughter. ; Both had failed •',to '■: ~ locate-the target with ; the sighter, Roberts , ' laughed,'and'took a Shade,moro'Windage. :i Tho I ', -"',, first shot biougbV urrtho 1 red, wMlo Kofford'i. failed til 'make: good. - ; Then 1 two- more iiiners , went l to. 'South .Australia, while ; Koffordv .challenged. 'A "wash-out'';showed nOiscore to . the latter; Thon the. choors broke forth,: and ' / the • Adelaide. contingent rushed , forward: to; . congratulate the winner.- Ho : .was hoisted -.■■'. shoulder high by his* clubmntos,'a procession" .'. was formed; headed by-the R.A;A. Band,-and:' tho Kiftg'6 Prize wiliner' was boriio : iii triumph ■ from, the'mound:-: Tho band: pjiiyed "Sob tna'■•.'■" Conquering Hero ,Comes," Roberts. w*as: cotigratulatod on his. win by Lord' Dudley, and cheered by a great, crowd .at tho - musketry: school: .''■';.' '■ ' ■'•■' '..'-''■ ■■'<■ -•-' -■';■, ':;■ * :.•