The times., 1898-09-12
MAY BUY BACK HER GUNS
Spain Desirous of Regalning
Her Lost Equipments.
GERVERA DROPS A HINT
He Says His Government Would he
Pleased TO Enter Into Business
Negotiations With America Aiter
Peace Is Established - President
for Selling the SpoiIs of War.

Soon after peace is declared between the
United States and Spain the Spanish gov
ernment will make a proposition TO pur-
chase from this country for cash the
thousands of Mauser rifles, cannon and
other spoils of war captured by or sur
rendered TO the American forces at Sam
tiago, Porto Rico, Manila and elsewhere.
This statement was made by Admiral
Cervera during his brief visit TO Wash
ington last week and a naval officer re-
peated # last night at the Navy Depart
ment.
The Spanish officer represented that
these equipments would be comparatively
useless to the American Government, as
it would be necessary TO purchase ammu-
sition for them abroad, or else establish
factories for its manufacture, either of
which he believed would be poor invest
ment.
The armies of Spain are equipped with
the Mauser rifles principally. and the ad-
miral felt certain that if this Government
would sell the captured arms as job lot
at a reasonable figure the Spanish gov
ernment would purchase them and pay
cash.
The ordnance department will prepare
a schedule of the captured arms as soon
as fun list of the property is received
from the several commanding generals in
the field. Army and navy officers say ii
is more than probable that arrangements
will be made TO dispose of the spoils of
war as Admiral Cervera has suggested.
The ordnance department has received
many letters from persons who are anX-
ious TO purchase as relics Mausers and
other Spanish arms from the battlefields
OF Cuba
An army officer stated last night that
there were numerous precedents for sell
ing to Spain the arms captured from her
after peace has been established. The
arms in question, he said, would be
turned over TO the ordnance department
of this Government and condemned as
property useless to the army or navy.
Then the ordnance department could,
under the law, dispose of it 10 the best
advantage.
He cited the case of the arms captured
from the Confederates. At the close of
the Civil War this Government found it
self in possession of d variety of guns of
every make and pattern. There were
many thousands of them, and they ranged
rifles and shotguns TO the most approved
breech-leading rifles in use at7that time.
To get rid of this variegated assort-
ment of guns was problem which fin lily
solved itself. The old muskets We're dis
posed of singly and in lots, to be convert
ed into shotguns, principally by the col
cred people in the Southern States. Mer-
chants purchased many of them and more
were sold to colleges at which the stu
dents were required to drill and observe
military rules and discipline. Grand Ar
my posts and other organizations bought
hundreds of the old guns from the Gov
ernment, as did also Independent military
companies not connected with the Ma.
tional Guard in many States.
An interesting feature connected with
these sales was the disposition of q
large number of old 1int-Iock muskets
some of which had seen service in the
war of 1872. These were sold in a lot tC
the government of Liberia for use by the
small standing army and militia force o
that country. 1t was then difficult mat
ter TO procure percussion caps in Africa
and as flint stone abounded there, tbs
fint-lock guns We're very desirable and
eagerly purchased by the Liberian au
thorities.
Some of these ancient arms were alst
sold to agents of different tribes of ma
tives in Africa, and are said to still b'
in use by them.
AS soon as the Spanish arms reach thi
country they viii be sent to the severa
ordnance depots, condemned, perhaps, anC
held until negotiations are concluded 70
their final disposition.