New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-08
Secretary Bryan Tells Ger
man Ambassador Neu-
trality Prevents.
ALSO CITES DENlALS
TO Won BERNSTORFF
Declares President Will Take
Action if Envoy Can Fur
niSh Any Evidence.

is
informed Count Bernstorf, German
Ambassador, to-day that the United
States. in maintaining strict neutral
ity. must refrain from officially inyesti-
eating or commenting on his charges
that dumdum bullets we're being fur
nished from this country TO the Allies.
In his letter to Count Won Bernstorf
Mr. Bryan cites fat denisls by Ameri-
can firms of the ambassadors charges.
The Secretary writes:
Il can assure your eXcellency that
am not unmindful OF the spirit IN
which you bring to the attention Of
this government the improper practices
which are alleged TO have occurred IN
the conduct of the present war. But
while this government may take these
statements and charges under consid-
Grafton, IL is, in its effort TO maintain
strict neutrality in the present conflict,
obliged TO refrain from investigating
their truthfulness or making any COM
ment in regard to them.
Your eXcellency also states that the
British government has ordered from
the Winchester Repeating Arms Com
pany twenty thousand riot guns
model 1897, and fifty. million 'buckshot
cartridges for use in such guns.
This department saw a published
statement of the Winchester com
pany, the correctness of which the
company has confirmed TO the depart
ment by telegraph. In this statement
the company categorically denies that
il has received an order for such guns
4rtl 10 Ia
Of such material TO the British gov
eminent, or TO any other government
engaged in the present war.
Mushroom Bullet Charge Denied.
your excellency further calls atten-
tIon TO information. the accuracy of
which is not to be doubted that eight
million cartridges fitted with 'mush-
room bullets have been delivered since
October of this year by the Union
Metallic Cartridge Company for the
armament of the English army.
ain reply, | have the honor TO refer
to the letter of December 10, 1914, of
the Remington Arms-Union Metallic
Cartridge Company, of New York, to
your eXcellency, called forth by GER
tain newspaper reports of statements
alleged to have been made by you in
regard to the sale by that company
Of soft-nosed bullets. From this let
ter. a copy OF which was sent to this
department by the company, 1t APP
pears that instead of 100000 car
tridges having been sold. only little
over il7,000 were manufactured and
l09.0 900 were sold. The letter further
asserts that these cartridges were
made to supply a demand for better
sporting cartridge with a soft-nosed
bullet than had been manufactured
heretofore, and that such cartridges
cannot be used in the military rife OF
any foreign power.
1.-THE department is now in receipt
from the company OF complete, de-
tailed list of the persons TO whom
these cartridges were sold. From this
list il appears that the cartridges were
sold to firms in lots of twenty TO
1000 and one lot each of 5000, 1000
and 5000. OF these only $50 car
tridges went to British North America
and 100 to British East Africa.
"If. however, you can furnish the
department with evidence that this or
any other company is manufacturing
and selling for the use Of the contend
ing armies in Europe, cartridges whose
use would contravene The Hague CON
vention. the government would be glad
70 be furnished with the evidence
and the President directs me to inform
YOU that. in case any American com
nanv is shown to be engaged in this
traffic. he will use his influence to pre-
vent. so far as possible. sales of such
ammunition to the powers engaged III
the European war, without regard to
whether il is the duty of this govern
ment upon legal or conventional
grounds to take such action.