TRAFFIC IN ARMS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1925, Page 16

TRAFFIC IN ARMS

AMERICA'S SURPLUS WAR

MATERIAL.

Figures collected in Washington, showing that America sells abroad annually millions of dollars', worth; of arms and ammunition, emphasise the importance of the coming International ..Conference on traffic in -arms";\wfiici ;V.'-:tKa,\ v.TJni.t-e'&; States'Vwill attend on.^tn'' Mayj-1925.f0ii the invitation: o! the.League of Saiions. In 1923,V:according-to statistics obtained by * a representati ve';,of; the: " Christian • Science ;:Jtoiitor/%;froni> the. United States' Departmental;' Commerce,* private ammunition firms exported:-close to 5,472,884 dollars' worth of:firearms;"ordnance and ammunition abroad. Lr the first ten months of 1924 the earlier figure has* already "been, surpassed with a total of-. ab'oat ■■ ls',sßsill7"ddllars",:'-'! A -large 1 part of. these exports, it is shown, went to Soutbj-Arnerieah r'cbuntrieß'.-^tlnS-1923;;Ji6r" example, Argentine got 225.161 dollars' worth of revolvers; and Mexico received 234^790 dollars' worth' of cartridges. ' Private 1 firms are not alone; is, export-: ing .arras from: the United ''States:; year;, according --'to' "War 4Department; : Statistics, the American •Government »ilißp:-. Bold'iarge stocks of surplu's'war material-" ;To "She Obregoa Adnmustrition^'ittTMex:- ■ ico,*:,which was then beset by aiv'iupris- ■ iiigjr-:1\vas sold or turned;: over, -between 7th V January arid : 12th ] Maxell,; 1924, l ; 286j611 dollars' .-worth of '-aeroplanes, machine-guns, revolvers, rifles, and other stocks at bargain rates, while negotiations were [under ..way. -for .an additional 15,000 ex-Russian;rifles. '■■ ■•"-""■■, -j,. ~J-''.'. "; -. . It.js recalled that not: long before. the trouble broke out .. in -Mexico in 1923, the SSmerican State Department abruptly 'Injected -an I.invitation. 1 from; the League^ of. Nations to : attend Van international conference oh the trafficin; £arms. V The original : conference would have; discussed "the of tKe traffic ; and -private of arms as^'s'etiiorthinthe Saint-Germaiu convention.^ first; formulated in 1919. Two | Teaspis.are now unofficially ioffered^here to. explain the original refusal last';sear. ;'/';'.■ - '•^' l '.}y,\-. '. v ;:;- -. .-•■ ■'■■'■''; - F^rst, it is said'ilia'tth's proposed international protocol-under3-the ' Saint-; Germain Convention -was so phrased thai, ' it. woiild have prevented "America's ■selling 'arms, to a Latin-American republid like Mexico,; if the latter "were;not itself a, signatory'to the'protocol. .Secondly, ;'it is;Srecalled; .that at 'the - time -of •■ the' rejection 'President, Coqlidge., was hardly a month in office, having taken, the'oath unexpectedly 3rd ; August, 1923.";" A presidential campaign was -in prospect, and American. co-operation." With^the • League: of ■ N.ations 'was'a -delicate Utopia -' Sines that.time the election has come and gone and "left; Mr/ Coolidge, "it-is; said, master in. his own house to co-operate with the Xeagjjp pi Nations afe'ie '.sees'."fit. .. '— '- . ThsJ.present draft, for ; an -arms; con*-fereace-wastdrawn^p-rby thetemporary Mixed Comimssion~6f "the League of Nations, and. the views of the United States _ have been expressed upon each point involved as it came up. Anv-un-questiongar'autEofitynn: "the \State ■■■Deparfraent says this; makes all tie^differ-.! ence: in the American^ attitude to: the proposal now;and last year. .The Ameri- . can'iMinistef of Switzerland has been sitting, .'constantly with .the ''■ .Commissfpri/' ■while the drafting'was "done, maxMng a j -D&w-step in America's co-operation with theieague. First Mr/ Joseph C. Grew formerly Minister,at Bernev sat with the I OommisEion, and later the present Mm- ' -ister.- .' :■ ■■■:■'•: ■■ ■',-■■