RIFLE SHOOTING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1379, 4 March 1912, Page 6

RIFLE SHOOTING.

gi r> —It is to be hoped that every man who-has the safety of his country nnd home at heart, will resent any attempt to introduce incongruous methods into tho system of defence, now adopted for domestic protection. From newspaper gossip, it i.ppears that tho rifle meeting at Trontham does not meet with the approval of certain gentlemen, who certainly have the courage of their opinions, but whoso opinions clearly show oh the face of them, that they aro not founded on any study of the art of protecting a country against invasion. No one will deny that ability to shoot is a useful accomplishment for a soldier, but it has a correlative whii'h is equally important, and (hat is, that the soldier who can avoid being shot himself before lie has an opportunity of discharging his weapon, ie tho more- useful man. This

ability to avoid being shot first, depends only to a very small extent on tho individual holder of the weapon. It depends mainly on tho ability of the general to Marshall his troops into a favourable position before a shot is fired. It is indeed not an uncommon event in the history of warfare, that a battle has boon won before a shot has been fired. One of the earliest known writers on the "Art of War" said: "The .skilful lighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating tho enemy. Thus it is that in war tho victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been wen, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory." Ability on the part of tho general is of little avail, if his orders are not obeyed implicilely, and this obedience t< , orders is requisite in every person who is part of the fighting machine, beginning with the general and ending with the scouts in front of the firing line. Obedience to orders implies the ability to understand them, and to give effect to them, and this does not exist unless each part of the fighting machine knows his individual dutv, and understands the bearing of tho orders not only upon his own actions, but upon the actions of all those below him in the chain of command. Of what use are the schemes of the general if he and the troops in the firing line consider that they are at liberty to tako up what position they please in direct contradiction of orders? If tho machinery does not work in concert and under tho control of tho governor, or other regulator, disaster must follow. It is within tho memory of the writer that in a sham fight held not many years ago, a mixed force consisting of volunteers, cadets, and rifle clubs, was detailed for the defence of a. position about to bo attacked. Dispositions were made beforo the attack commanding tho whole of the front, but as tho attack developed a certain portion of the front wh're tho riflo chib men were posted, appeared to be likely to bo too much exposed to tho fire of the advancing enemy who had adopted a peculiar line of attack, and the officer in command ordered a change- in disposition by which tho defenders would be in a less exposed position, but with an equally good command of the field of advance. The man in charge of the rifle clubs sent back word to say that they had a good spot to shoot from, and they were not going to move. They were allowed to stay for the moral to bo deduced, which it is needless to say was found in the criticism of the Com-mander-in-Chief, who was present on the occasion. . . This experience shows the utter folly of thinking that a man may be a soldier if ho merely knows how to snoot. Thoso rifle club men were undoubtedly in a very good position for the command of the ground, and many of them were splendid target shooters, but they stood the chape* of being smothered before they had time to do any harm. Automatic but intelligent obedience to orders, attained after long practice and study first, and good shooting next, are tho factors necessary to the success of tho well devised scheme of the general in command. From this it follows that any attempt to take military training out of tho hands .of those whose profession it is, is courting disaster. The Trentham meeting is, after all, only part of the military training, for it is there that the result of the. teaching can best be observed. But if Trentham ia to bo taken over by the bull's-eye men then tho soldiers (save the word) will be trained to ehoot; but they will also be trained to be shot beforo they have the opportunity of shooting.— I am, etc., A. do B. BRANDON. Wellington, March 2, 1912.