BOER MAUSERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 198, 21 August 1900, Page 2

BOER MAUSERS.

A Stratford New Zenlander writes to the "Times" asking what will be done with the thousands of Mauser rifles captured from the Boers, and suggesting that they be distributed amongst the several colonies now contributing their best blood in defence of the Empire. These rifles, he says, would be a valued.help in training our young people, not only to defend the land of their birth, but as a grand preparation should the occasion arise when their services are again required in defending- the rights of the mother land. At the same time the big guns, Maxims, "pom-poms" et hoc genus would, he thinks, be gladly welcomed and received by the colonials. A very widely held notion at Home is that the captured Mausers should be placed at the service of the various rifle clubs now being raised in Great Britain and the colonies, and if this idea is pressed upon the authorities by responsible people the Government will doubtless fall in with the suggestion. Otherwise the Mansers and other weapons not of patterns common to our military equipment of today will be sold for what they will fetch, and eventually no doubt will be found in the hands of some of our troublesome West African friends, or find their way to the region of Dargai via Birmingham or Germany.