PRIDE OF BRITISH ARMY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3368, 7 November 1911, Page 5

PRIDE OF BRITISH ARMY.

TO INSTRUCT OUR YOUTHS.

IN ART OF SHOOTING.

AN OPINION ON MILITARY TRAINING.

[.SPECIAL TO TIMES. J AUCKLAND, Nov. 6. Tlie man who has in six different years established bis right to claim the proud title of “Best shot in tlie' British Army” and is admittedly one of the foremost authorities on musketry in the whole world, must be an acquisition to any country, and especially so to one that has just adopted a system of universal training. Lieut. J. A s Wallingford is the man whose services New! Zealand has been fortunate in securing, and he arrived by the Maheno yesterday to take up Iris new appointment. Mr Wallingford has, moreover, gained the gold medal for revolver shooting in the Imperial Army on two occasions, and the silver medal on nine others, besides which lie is credited with knowing as much about all arms (automatic and otherwise) from a maxim gun down to a pocket pistol, as any man on either side of the Equator. He is not only an expert marksman, but knows all about ball arms from A to Z. His opinion, therefore, that to turn out a satisfactory user of a rifle yoir must catch him young, will be useful news for those people who are protesting against the introduction of universal training. “I am positively certain of this fact,” remarked the Lieutenant, in the course of a talk this afternoon, “that you have adopted in this country the only available course for an efficient system of defence. The boy is always the enthusiast, and he enthuses by nature over a gun, which is necessary if you want to turn out a man to handle our modern weapons effectively when tlie contingency arises. By the way,, that was a splendid achievement which your King’s College hoys put up in getting eighth in the Empire Cup competition. I had a team in that match, but not in the senior- division. It was a team of sixteen Hytlie School boys, ragged little fellows most of them but chock full of enthusiasm at the notion of learning how to shoot. Do you know that after I had instructed those youngsters in the use of the rifle and put them up to the points, two of the sixteen found the bulls-eye every time of asking, out of the six first shots they had ever fired in their lives. Could you do that with the grown men ? Let me tell you what happened) to ia team of 108 old soldiers the oldest was about sixty years, and most of them had 20 years of service behind them. I nursed them gently and put them on to everything worth knowing, and believe me 11 out of the 108 didn’t find the target at all. That team of Hvthe boys came ninth in the junior competition. Start training the boy. It gives him confidence, nerve and self-disci-pline unconsciously, for be wants to become a good shot and tlie only way of becoming one is to be physically clean and fit. It helps to train both body and mind, and apart altogether from the military side of the business, goes more towards 'making a man of him than almost anything I know. Never mind: so much about turning out a soldier, as long as you turn out a man who has the qualities and the knowledge and nerve to use them' to the best advantage when the pinch comes along, and that is what the universal system of training will do. As for the military side the country that waits till a scrap is in sight before rounding up its citizens to show them how to keep the other fellow out, is badly in need of a little phrenological advice, especially in these days of high grade weapons and scientific fighting gear.”