Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-08
'THAuX ARMESE"
WHAT BELKRAP HAS TO SAY ABOUT
THOSE FRENCH ARMS.

WASHINGTON, March The sem
ate select committee on the sale of
arms commenced their examination
to. day.
The first witness was Secretary Bel
KNAPP, who said he did not know Of
any sales being made in violation of
the law. On the 18th of October, 1870,
having received q telegram which
gave him reason to believe that REM
ington was agent for the French gov
ernment, he Immediately gave orders
that no more arms should be sold to
him. He had never spoken to Rem
iugton, noy did he know until after
sfterWard that Richardson was his
agent at the subsequent sales.
In reply to the question as to
whether any precautiOn could have
prevented the French from receiving
these arms, he replied, Not after
they were Sold"
He presumed purchasers sold to
whom they thought proper. Official
orders, however, were given to the
ordnance bureau not to sell to agents Of
the French or Prussian governments.
The war department sold arms insult
able for our service, being engaged In
providing better ones.
He only knew from the newspapers
and general rumOr that arms were
sent to France. Whether they had
previously been purchased from this
government, or were manufactured
by private arms, he had no means OF
knowing.
He was asked whether Baron &C.
rolt made complaint that arms had
been sold to the French government,
and to this question he replied: son
the 18th Of October, 1870, Baron Ge-
rOlt called to request that the sale of
arms be postponed till next week"
The witness informed him that our
government would sell no arms either
to agents of the French or Prussian
Baron Gerolt said they
were not agents who wished to buy
put friends; when the witness said
they would have time to put In their
bids by next week; to this, Baron
Gerolt said they first wished. TO con-
suit with the Prussian government.
The eale however was not postponed.
The witness was then interrOgated
on other points, heretofore noticed in
the report of his testimony before the
house committee on expenditures OF
the war department.
Tomorrow the committee will ex-
anime General Dyer, chief of the ord
nance department, at his house, he
being unWell.
The house committee on eXpendi-
lures in the war department. held a
meeting this morning on the matter
of sales of arms and ordnance
stores, and examined, at great length.
Major B. Bennett, Of the 0rdance de-
partment, who explained Ia detail
the nzOdtSs oper0sld3 Of making sales
and accounting for the proceeds, BE
all knowledge OF pur-
chases being made In behalf OF either
France OF Prussia; but admitted that
the war between those powers stimu-
lated the demand for arms, In this
country, on speculation, be testlned
that the quantity Of arms TO Whlch
the stores of the government had been
reduced during that year was about
75O 600 stands of suitable and 400, 900
stands of unsuitable arms.
The term unsuitable armsn Is un-
derstood by the department as not
necessarily unsuitable. There are
thTee hundred thousand now In
use, Some of these arms were
sold during the year 1901. During
that wear there were sold five hundred
and fifty thousand cartridges. don't
know how many were manufactured
for that purpose. They wers manu-
factured for tWenty-six dollars ana
sold for thirty-five dollars per thou
sand. / think no cartridges were
manufactured that year and sold dur
ing the same year. I don't know OF
anv other case than this In which
cartridges were manufactured TO
effect the sales Of armB. Bids
had bean made contingent upon
being supplied with clrtridges,
and they have been flunished Of this