ADVENTURES OF GUN-RUNNERS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12282, 8 July 1914, Page 8

ADVENTURES OF GUN-RUNNERS.

HOW ILLICIT TRADE IX ARMS IS CARRIED ON. The? amazing gun-running teat in Ulster winch resulted in the landing of va.-t quantities of munitions oi war. estimated 'at- 40,000 rifle*: and 5,CC0,0C0 cartridges, recalls snme. daring exploits of a similar character. Strangely enough, Engibh saiiors have always been prominent in giin-ritnningex-pedition.--.. During the Russo-Japanese War there was an English ship's captain in the Far East who was amazingly successful in taking great cargoes into Vladivus!:,l;. The -Japanese exhausted their efi'His to capture him. but in vain. The Srrciei of his success was this. It was his custom 'hi have two vessels, one steaming a mile or so ahead of the other. The Japanese fleets lying in wait around Vladivostok Harbour would during the night heui's observe- the first steamer as their searchlights fell on her. Instantly iliL-y would rush to capture her, only to find that she was a harmless cargo steamer hound for a neutial port and wiih her papers all in order. Meanwhile the stc-a-msr Iving behind., her hold 3nil ol contraband. would slip around the Japanese fleet reach her port. AX IRISHMAN'S FEAT.

I Quite a romantic instance of gun running—or, rather, ship-running—about the same time was carried out by a daring liishman, who ran a torpedo-boat destroyed out. of tlia Thames for the Russians. Acting for the Russian Government.. ho approached a great firm of tor-pedo-destroyer builders, representing himself as the agent of a millionaire, who wanted a new form of yacht of very high speed. He was willing to pay a, big price. He picked a finely-engined torpt do-destroyer as what, he .wanted, and all lie required was a test of speed. The makers took him and. his friends on an experimental run down the Thames into the North Sea. As the ship entered open water and was about due to return, the Irishman and his companions drew revolvers from their packets, covered the crew, overcame them, took over command of the ship, and conveyed ic safely to the Russian, fleet.

As interesting was the case of the famous steamer Ban Righ, which once ran as a passenger and cargo boat between Aberdeen and London. After being sold by the. Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company, ilis vessel was fitted out by General.Matos. a. candidate for the Presidency of Venezuela, under Castro.' The Customs authorities detained the Ban Rfgh for a fortnight,'hut .at last they were satisfied that she was a pleasure yacht, chartered bv a scientific gentleman who was exploring the .Carribbeap Archipelago! The Ban Righ left the Thames-on her scientific mission, dropping down to the mouth of the river near Canvey Island, wherein the night barges came down and loaded her up with small arms and ammunition. Then she went across to Antwerp, where she took on.board heavier guns and General Matos and a number of Venezuelan patriots revolutionists), and sailed as the Libertadoi- for the Venezuelan coast, where she landed her rifles and revolutionists.

ARMS FOR THE AFGHANS. The incident is also recalled of tho British collier, John Grafton, which was blown up by her crew in the Baltic with 5000 i-illes' on board. She was a "Channel Islands coaster, and one morning was seen outside the three-mile limit north-east of Sark, a 60C0-ton steamer being anchored alongside her. All day large cases were being transferred from the steamer to the 500-ton collier,.and then they parted. The John Grafton's crew, finding themselves chased by Russian gunboats, blew her up and escaped in boats to the Swedish coast of the 'Baltic, while rifles and revolvers were afterwards washed up in cases on ..the. .-Finnish, coast. . .... . Gun-running is a particularly serious matter, for Britain, for in the event of an.outbreak on the North-West Fron-tier-all these secretly-imported arms would ,be used against us. The arms are sent- to the Persian Gulf in a variety of ways. For instance, a fewyears ago a French expedition was ' planned in Paris. A steamer was chartered,. and it was given out that the object was to engage in pearl-fishing. An English lady resident in Paris gave the expedition considerable financial support. Later, however, it was stated that ihe vessel was to be used in a -gun-running expedition. The lady withdrew from the project. She was . sued in the Paris courts for breach of contract, and, although' her defence was that- she did not withdraw her support until she heard of • the true character of the expedition, she was ordered to pay £2400 damages. When a gun-running vessel arrives in the Persian Gulf she is met by native •dhows, into which the arms and ammunition are placed and taken aschore. They are then conveyed by Afghans in- caravans, which make the journey'to Afghanistan through two main roads-to the Halrnund Rivc-r, on the border of Afghanistan, and thence to Kandahar and Kabul. WATCHING THE PERSIAN GULF.

The* 1 British Government has repeatedly appealed to- the Persian Government to observe the convention between the two countries and assist in suppressing the illicit arms trade", but the Persians have done practically nothing. Some years ago the British Government decided to inaugurate a regular blockade, and a number of cruisers and tugs were specially engaged to capture cargoes of arms and ammunition.

The headquarters of the gun-running traffic are Antwerp and Hamburg, and the profits of the trade are so large that the promoters are ready to take any risks.' JJei'ore 1907 about- *-000 rifles were smuggled through ' annually from Muscat (the port of Oman from which the gun-riin-ning expeditions start) to the wild Mekran coast, which extends along the south of Persian and British Beluchistan, and is the" favourite landing-place for the cargpes of rifles, especially in the Persian sphere. Lingah, a port in the Persian Gulf, is also, a gocd deal patronised. But in 1907 /the .gun-rutiners began to send their goods \through. Afghanistan, and the profits were ;so enormous than in 1908 10,000 rifles were 'bought by Afghans in Muscat and sent tint#;Persian Baluchistan, en route to Afghanistan and the North-west frontier of ilndia. It was stated that 40,000 breechloaders got to Afghanistan during theiyear. -In 1909 the total rose to 20,000 ■ rifles, but the British naval force watching •the Persian Gulf captured half of them. iSteamers of many nationalities.land arms : at : Muscat, where they are stored until the ) gun-running "season" begins. This lasts .from December till April, the heat at other times being too intense. Caravans can-only travel when food and water for :camels are obtainable.