The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-01-08
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

-
Washington. Jan. 7.--Secretary
Bryan today informed Count Bern
storff. the German ambassador. thar
the United States. in maintaining strict
neutrality. must re rain from ofIicially
investigating or commenting upon his
charges that dum-dum bullets were
being Furnished from, this country 90
the allies.
Secretary Bryan told the ambassa-
dor, however. that Il he could furnish
proof that forbidden war materials
were being shipped by American firms.
President Wilson would use his In
fiuence to stop the traffic without In
voiving legal or international guess
lions.
In letter to Count Bernstorff, 6ec-
rotary Bryan referred to denials Of
American manufacturers TO his recent
charge that dum-dum bullets and riot
gums were being furnished to the al
lies. The letter follows:
II have the honor TO acknowledge
the receipt OF your note OF the 9Th I'LL
tirno. calling attention TO fresh viola
lions OF the Geneva convention al well
Gas OF section 2. article 2Sa. OF The
Hague convention of July 20. 1899. by
the British government In the use Of
dunn dunn bullets.
CANNOT INVESTIGATE.
II can assure Your Exceliency that
/ am not unmind .ul 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
consideration, 1t Is, In its effort to
maintain strict neutrality IN the
present conflict, obliged to refrain
from investigating their truthfulness
or making any comment in regard to
them.
"The time win come, however, when
the truth may be impartially deter
mined. and when the Judgment of the
world will be passed upon the charges
made by the various belligerents Of
violations OF the rules OF civilized war
fare.
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 buck shot cart
ridges for use In such guns. This
department saw published statement
of the Winchester Company, the cor
rectness of which the company has
confirmed to the department by tele-
graph. In this statement the COM
pany categorically denies that 1t has
received an order for such guns and
cartridges from. or made any sale OF
such material to the British govern
ment or to any other government en-
gagged I'm the present war.
your Excellency further calls at
tention to information, the accuracy
OF which Is not to be doubted that
eight million cartridges fitted with
mushroom bullets has been delivered
since October of this year by the I'm
ion Metallic Cartridge Company for
the armament Of the English army.
THE REMINGTON ORDER.
TN reply have the honor to refer
to the letter Of December 10. 1914, of
the Remington Arms-U Union Metallic
Cartridge Company OF New York to
your exceilency. 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 letter,
a copy OF which was sent to this de-
partment by the company, it appears
that instead OF eight million cartridges
having been sold, only q little over
lit 900 were manufactured and los. 900
were sold. The letter further asserts
CONTINUED on Page rhree.)