The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-22


same service. In addition Admiral HlSdS
mas engaged a number Of an1illarV COIN
mercial cTaft for cruising. ThssS have
been gathered from the harhOrs on India.
/ These smaller vessels will patrol the Coaat
line while the larger ships win oFuiao M
the Oiiing. u Il believed hat m
6lockads viii eventually end the Illicit
These prompt measures have already
brought some resultA A few dave aRo
tne hiding place Of arms landed By dhOwn
a. night was discovered In a cave IN thR
Guns below Muacat. The whole lot was
seized. Il consisted Of several thOuuand
rines and several hundred thousand
rOands Of ammunition. Az another time
one OF the small boats patrollinR the coasa
saw q dhoW dart into the shore. The
men m charge could ere acoran of man
scrambling over the deekn and unload
ma her with all haste. but bafors they
could come up 10 her Mho had made awav
and they could distinguish half a hundred
Afghans heavily loaded with packages
making for the highlands. They had
little doubt but that the British soldiers
might md these same contEAhand wea-
pona turned against them In aoms future
revOlt by the bill men Of nOrshsFn India.
The London ftmsa reported that laae
Sunday His Majesty's cruiser PhilOmal.
which is patrollng the Mskran coast
captured a dhOW having on board 1000
firearms and $4,000 rounds Of nmmuni-
ton
These captures have Riven conaldsr-
able satisfaction to the British. While
they indicate what may be accomplished
by the methods pursued they also show 20
what proportions the trade had crown.
IL may he an expensive job keeping war
In IA -
the supply Of arms and ammunition the
British viii 10 able TO throttle at their
conception many uprislngs Of tribes along
the Afghan and haluchistan borders IN
Asia and Of many interior tribes In north
ern and central Africa.
That the Yemen Of southeastern Arabia
have been able 10 continue for years
their rebellion against Turkey Ia due 20
a great extent 10 the assistance that they
have had from the gun runners. In spite
Of all their vigilance the Turkish author-
ties have made very few soixures Of sup
plies intended TO be used by the robels
against them.
In the same way the gun runners have
been a great menace 20 the Persian Gov
eminent. Not long ago u was reported
az Teheran that some Of the tribes in the
southern part Of the country were In re-
belliOn. The Governments congratulated
itself on tho fact that the natives could
have no weapons because Of the strict
laws that had been passed prohibiting the
Introduction Of firearms. When. however.
il ordered q body Of troops against the
rebels they found that the rebsla we're
rifles than were the Government soldiers
and that they had three rounds Of ammu-
milton 70 the soldiers one.
The discomfort in hRhanistan. 10 IL
charged. has reached lie present. proper
ton largely because the diacontented
trihesmen have found that thay could
secure weapons for revolutions 90 easily
through the gun runners. One OF the
first effects Of the British activity on
the MekTan coast was noticsd in the
general rise in the prices Of rinss and
ammunition throughout the country.
When the Afghan dealers tried 20 sell
they found that the people refused 10
pay the price and the trade was brought
almost 70 a standatill.
That the British have found these
gun runners their real enemies has been
the statement Of ofiiceFa who have cam
paigned in the district. A story n told
u how on one occasion ths covetotaneas
Of Afghan traders turned out 20 British
advantage. The dealers had an order
To supply a number Of weapons to . hin
tribe and about the same ttms another
order for weapons from a party Of native
revolutionists. How to IN both orders
bothered them. To one party they ssnt
bundles Of barrels saying that on account
Of the vigilance Of the authorities they
were compelled 20 delay the delivery % the
stocks for q few days until they had used
part OF the proceeds Of the aals In bribery.
To tho other party they sent q bundle Of
stocks with similar story regarding the
remainder % the outfit. Az neither
PARTY II rebela had a consignment Of
complete rifles each was compelled 20
call On its revolution.
The followers 81 the Mad Mullah were
supplied largely 10y gun runners. Among
the stories that are told Of the cunning
~ the Arab dhOw owners Il one 20 the
effect that they landed military supplies
on the SOmalilRnd coast for the Mad
Mullahs men. then went out TO sea e.
pirates and held up some smaller craft
for food and clothing for the troops and
again put out % sea and shipped from .
port further 90 the south slaves enough
10 carry the stores into tho interior Of
the country. All this was done while the
vessels Of two European countries were
patrolling the coast.
No one appears TO think that the sup
preston Of gun running will be an easy
or a short Job. The Arab and tbs Afghan
dhow owners and the dealers who dispose
Of the cArgoes consider gun running. along
with piracy and slave trading. perfectly
legitimate.