The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-25
SENDING FIREARMS ABROAD.
Difficult to Prevent Their Shipment
From ThIs Country.


NEW YORK, March THE natural
market for the sale of arms to South
American Governments or revolutionary
juntas is New York City, and to this
port come their agents TO obtain them.
The manufacturers Of guns adapted to
the use of armies have representatives
here. and to some of them this branch OF
their business is so important that they
will say little about it, because Of the
possibility of interference with theH
business. a reporter tried to get some
information from one or two of these
firms REGARDING this branch of their bust
ness. and they politely, but steadfastIy'
declined to give any of definite char-
acter
General Uribe-Uribe, the leader of the
revolutionary party in the Repunhc OF
Colombia. who arrived here recently On
the steamer Philadelphia, with the al
legged purpose of buying arms, viii nave
little difficulty in doing SO The United
States in it's revised code of neutrality
laws has no provision for the prevention
of the purchase Of arms for war pur-
poses. The laws provide against the ac-
ceptance of commissions within the juris-
diction of the United States to serve IN
a foreign war against a Power with which
the United States is at peace. They also
provide against the fitting out of expedi-
tions military or naval but do not have
anything to say regarding the purchase
of arms for shipment out Of the country
To include arms, il is considered would
interfere with the right Of an individual
to buy arms for his own use The Gov
ernmeut would probably make an effort
to prevent the shipment OF arms until
their ownership was proved il com
plant were lodged with the State De
partment by a friendly nation against
which they Wee TO be used Should the
complaining country fail TO prove that
they were 10 be used as claimed. they
would be released, however.
This view was established at the time
OF the FrancO-PruSsian war 1t was the
subject OF = famous debate in the Senate
between Senators Sumner and Carl
SchurZ- \ man, supposed TO be an agent
of the French Government. was arrest
al. 1t WAS be4SsNed that the arms which
he had purchased in New England were
intended FOR the use Of ms country He
was afterward releases as il could not
be proved that the arms were intended
for France, and he was allowed to ship
his arms.
one Of the methods often used by
agents of South American countries 10
get guns out Of this country is 10 pur-
chase them through an outside party,
and have them shipped to some West
Indian port, where they are reShipped 60
their destination. Sometimes the arms
are delivered by the firm which sells them
at some warehouse, where they are taken
care of by the persons for whom they
are intended OF course. they do not ask
any questions Of the persons who come
to buy Of them.
The usual course for a foreign Govern
ment to pursue in obtaining the assist
ance of the United States in preventing
the shipment of arms Is to inform the
State Department of the expected snip
ment. The State Department in turn in
forms the Treasury Department, and the
customs collectors OF tie ports through
which an attempt To ship the arms may
| be made are warned 10 be on the lookout
for them. Clearance is then refused until
an attempt TO connect the arms with the
parties complained of has be Il made.