ARMS FOR THE AFGHANS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 5

ARMS FOR THE AFGHANS.

A MIS-INFORMED .MINISTER. (BT TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) ; Melbourne, May 14. In connection ivith ,tho; report that, rifles bearing th© .New, .Zealand i and Australian Government marks have been found in the possession of hill tribes in. North-west India, inquirif i Have been mado which show that about the year 1903-several thousand," discarded Martini■' rifles were sold- by ;auotioii, and were purchased by a Melbourne firm; also, that ir* 1908 between eight and 11 nine thousand were sold to Greener!s;;the English firm of gunmnkcrs. The Federal Minister of Defcnce (Senator Pearce) was surprised at learning this, and 'has now issued instructions that no old rifles shall be sold unless they are firßt rendered absolutely useless. ' _ [In yesterday's cablegrams the Federal Minister of Defence was reported to be "snre" that the rifles were not bought in Australia— at least, that they had not'been bought sinco Federation (1901). The Minister now admits that ho was misinformed.] BIG SALES IN 1905. (Rcc. May 15, 1.15 a.m.) Molbourne, May 14. . It has been ascertained that the Federal Government in 1905 sold. 13,000 Martin Henris to the British firm! of. Greener and Company, who in turn resold to reputable English firms. : LOCKING THE STABLE AFTERWARDS. CBI TfIiZCnAPE —PRKSS ASSOCIATION.' _ . . ■ Christchurch, May 13. . deferring to tho recent cable messages dealing with the smuggling of old rifles—among them some old rifles from New Zealand—to the hill tribes in India,' Sir Joseph' Ward states that, so far as ho is aware, tho- reference must be to 6ome' old rifles that were returned to England some years ago from, the Dominion. It was understood at the time that they went to a manufacturing firm in England, and that tlie English authorities were duly advised of this. It was further understood that the rifles were not to go ont of England. Sir Josopli has given definite instructions that no rifles that go out of use in New Zealand are to bo sold for-exportation'to' England or any other country. •