The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-24
The Dumdum Mystery l..

In spite of the official denial OF Sir
EDWARD GREY, who has stated over
his own signature that only the APP
proved patterns of rifle and revolver
ammunition which do not infringe the
provisions of the llagI" Convention"
ire issued to the troops. belief
that British soldiers use dundum bull
let's persists in Berlin. Perhaps this
is not surprising when the alleged
proof consists not only of gaping
wounds suffered by German soldiers
but OF rough bullets labelled Art.
Dept Iye.." which lave been exhibited
to the press in Berlin with the official
explanation that i've" Is u place in
Cornwall used as an artillery depot.
There Is. however, no I've" in thnt
English county. There is an ancient
market and fishing town 81. Ives in
Cornwall, but aside from pilcharls,
behring's and sprats its products are
entirely agricultural. Possibly the
dumdum bullets exhibited are as au.
thentic rs the forged John Burns
speech which the Berolina news agency
Of Berlin says 1t bought of LIONEL
BEAG Of II High streF, Edinburgh
who proved to be mythical.
The wounds OF German soldiers are
no doubt as described, but according
10 Mr. +. {. SELOUs, the veteran hunter
of big game In Africa. these wounds
showing ugly lacerations were made
by the sharp pencil bullet used by the
Germans as well as by the French
and British. At medium or long range
these bullets make, as a rule, a small
clean wound that heals quickly: but
az range of three hundred yards or
lcss the result is a rough gaping wound
which has all the appearance OF the
havoc wrought by the prescribed dunn
dun. Mr.. SELoUS says:
''TNe new pointed bullet--itself a Ger
man invention-nOw for the first time
being employed In warfare In western
Europe, infi!ctS at short ranges more
grievous wounds than any form OF soft
nosed expanding bullet In 1910. on his
journey through British East Africa and
tho Sudan. Mr.. ROOSEVELT used for all
lean Springfield rifle OF $50 bore, taking
the American military cartridge, which Is
loaded. like our own military cartridges,
with the solid nickel covered pointed bull
let known In Germany as the 'spitzkugel.'
These solid pointed, military bullets Mr.
ROOSEVELT told me, although they never
broke up on striking an animal, inflicted
more serious wounds than any kind Of
expanding bullet ho had ever previously
used for big game shooting"
Mr.. SELoUs adds that since 1910 he
has used In his hunting the Ross (Ca-
madam army rifle of go bore, firing
nickel coated sharp pointed bullet,
which AT distance up to 800 yards
causes more grievous wounds than
any form of expanding bullet As
the British In the campaign in France
often reserve their fire until the charg-
ing enemy Is almost upon them, Mr..
SELoUs doubtless gives the true expla.
nation of the shocking wounds which
German soldiers show To the surgeons
'On several occasions | have found"
he says, "onc of these long. solid
pointSi bullets, absolutely unimpuir,Si
in shape, lying broadside under the
skin of an animal, through whose body
Il has torn Il large larrated wound"
The testimony of Colonel ROOSEVELT
would be- valuable. lie would be de-
lighted 10 give 1t. The dumdum mys-
terry seems To be clearing up.