SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 25 March 1936, Page 7

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS

AMERICAN FIRMS AND PURCHASE OF ARMS FOR USE IN LABOUR TROUBLES Press Association—By Electric , Telegraph—Copyright) NEW YORK, 23rd March. A number of leading American in- . dustrial corporations have been secretly accumulating largo stores of tear gas bombs, revolvers, automatic rifles and ammunition in anticipation of labour troubles. This allegation is made by the New York “World Telegram” in a dispatch from Washington to-day, which stated that evidence had been unearthed by a group of senators from the files of the “Federal Laboratories .Corporation” ~ which supplied tear gas and acted as broker for the purchuso of arms ffomvarious gun manufacturers. ; " _ ' One large steel corporation which.,, has been a leader in the fight against • 1 unionisation ordered 47 .38 calibre police type revolvers some time ago when a steel strike was threatened. A Pitts-, - burgh firm ordered 3391 dollars’ worthof riot guns, gas masks and other equipment. Throughout the transactions purchasers warned dealers to keep the or- • tiers secret. From the correspondence it also appears that the corporations frequently ordered superior equipment with the intention of supplying National Guard troops although they are already supplied with standard United States army equipment.