RIFLES FOR SAVAGES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 17

RIFLES FOR SAVAGES.

EXTENSIVE TRADE WITH SUDAN NATIVES. WHOLESALE GUN-RUNNING. Reuters Agency has received news from Abyssinia indicating tie existence of a situation w.dieh is becoming daily more serious awing to the aaiuisßiou by savage naked tribes in the Sudan and the vicinity of ifche Sudanese-Abyssinian frontier of large quantities of Gras rifles and amTminitk>n, In 4-he use of which (-apparently <by means of export (raining, the exact source of which Is not clear) tliey have already become proficient. Tie region chiefly affected is that between Northern Uganda, the western lK>rder of A'b3'*slnla t an4l the south-oastern corner of the Anglo-KgyptWiu Sudan, and the existing condition Is the result of the remarkable activity in gun-running undertakings and the largely Increased traffic in arms since the la«t International Arms Conference at 'Brussels some two years ago, which was without result owing to the inability "of France to fall in with the proposed rules for regulating the African traffic.

Ileei-nt reports show rhnt the growllh of tills trade has beconre such as to call for urgent suid effective repressive measures, In view of the KCrloiiß danger to lGuropean civ-ilisatlon. It is rail ma ted by competent nivthcriUes Uiat over a mill ion Gras rifles, with t-he ueccssarv oDiinuii 11ion -have I'ound Iho.ir -way Into 'dbe region lying between the eom'Ueru part of the Anglo-lCgrptlan Sudan and Lhe sea coast. ■MODERN" WICATUNS FROM FRANCE. These iweapons arrive Uy way of Jlbutll. They arc all marked "Manufacture d'siruiet*," and \>caT eiLfccr the words "St. Ktic.nno," "Tulle," ur "Chatellenurlt," fhe places of manufacture. All u-re stamped with the date 187ti, but ttere are hidk'aLions uliat this date i« n-etitioiw, it b,-ing positively declared that 'those found lately have been shipped brand new. Further evidence is to hand from a traveller who recently passed ■through. Uarrar, and reported limit at the so-called Customs House there .wore stacks of perfectly new French rilles, which had arrived from Jibuiil.

News of the efforts of this importation of arms has rantc to hand both from Northern Uganda and from the Sudan. Officers who] have come In contact witiu tome of the Hast! Africa Protectorate and Uganda tribes j s-prak in private letters of the remarkable j change that lias 'become, noticeable owing i to the -presence of modern rilles, the use of! wtiWh has been carefully studied. THE ASTONISHING FEATURE. But perhaps the nmst n-stoni.-fiihi;; feature was n> lie found in ;he recont operations against the Aminks In the Sudan. Wild and practically naked tribes such a-< the Anuaks, Nuers, Boris, and others are all arming themselves with these firas and other I effective weapons, wliieh have replaced tihe I t.Tx;a.rs and shields hitherto used.

la the case of Uio Anuaks along the I iSudnuesc-Abysslnian border the trfbe is j stated to -have between 12,000 and 23,009 Gras rules. During the operations against these people a few weeks ago the situation ou one day nt least was almost critical, iThrir firing ms regular mid their- aim good. There was none of the firing into the air In wihieh natives armed with old gains .were wont to Indulge. There was evidence of caref-il training. To find savages clothed only in ■beads plus new bandoliers and cartridges and to hoar words of command given by Dallas and Arabs -was at least mutter for surprise. In addition to Gras rifles a certain nunrber of Mausers are imported by alleged sportKinrn. ajid lafi winter a consignment of arr.ir. was rtrrpped lvhlle crowing tOie White Nile liridKe at Kos.ti. Jmviug been br.->iiß-ht by Arab traders from the Abyssinian border. As tlie result of TPr>rrKentn'tions the At>yssinians have promised to try and disarm t.Ti«> Amwks on n:oir side of Hie boundary, hut it is ibelievorl that the fnrm-r>r have asko.i to "be KTrpplio.-l wit-Ji a -:ic-n-cr weapon than ttis Gras.