White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-21
CONGRESSMAN KAHN
DEMANDS INQUIRY
Charges American Officials with
Smuggling Arms Across the
Border.

Border.
Charges that American officials or
the border are involved In the SNUG
Cling of arms and ammunition into
Mexico were made recently by Repre-
sentative julius Kahn of California
ranking Republican member of the
house foreign affairs committee.
As a result of the refusal of the de
partment of justice to furnish infor
nation as TO border conditions, asked
for in a resolution of Representative
Kahn. informally transmitted to the
department by the house judiciary
committee. the California representa-.
tive tonight declared that he would
wage a. open war in the house TO Sc
cure an investigation by a congress
sional committee.
F preventative Kahn made a tour OF
~ border recently and he asserted
nat his statement was based on
proof collected on the ground. Rep
resentafiye Kahn said:
Death in horrid form from Ameri
can made bullets may be the reward
of patriotism for thousands of young
Americans who enter the United
States military service unless efforts
made to stop shipment into Mexico
Of dumdum bullets. manufactured by
American concerns. These concerns
include some of the leading munitions
manufacturers of the United States.
have in my possession samples of
ammunition now In use by Carranzis-
tas. villistas. Legalistas and all the
other istas' who have been making
our international boundary line .
shambles and northern Mexico a hot
bed of anarchy for the past six years.
These cartridges bear the imprint Of
such firms as the Remington Arms
company, the Winchester Repeating
Arms company. the Union Metallic
Cartridge company. the United States
Cartridge company, all American con.
Germs. Who sent these cartridges into
Mexico | don't say. but | know that
they were there and that they were
manufactured in this country. Many
of them are dumdum bullets with the
steel jacket of the bullet extending
only half way to the soft lead noses.
They are prohibited in all civilized
warfare. but | secured them directly
from the ammunition supplies of Mexi-
can soldiers south of the border.
1T is absolutely true 10 my mind
thai the conduct OF the federal agents
along the border. agents of the depart.
ment OF justice and Of the treasury. is
supinely Indifferent as to the need for
the restoration of peaceful conditions.
That is putting it mildly. 1t is evident
to me that there is connivance be-
tween some of the agents of this gov
eminent and the gun Re-
peatedly national guard officers have
brought to the attention of civil auth
critics on the border Instances of the
most fragrant character of the trans
portation of arms and ammunition to
the active belligerents in Mexico.
Sleepy-eyed official indifference has
greeted these reports.
These charges against Juan T.
Burns, arrested in New York in con-
nection with munitions shipments. are
an instance OF the sort of thing that
has been going on for years on the
border. For every man arrested scores
equally guilty have escaped. We are
sowing the wind that will bring a
whirlwind aharvest and congress
should step in and ascertain what is
going on
Il propose 10 press 10y resolution
before the rules committee providing
for the appointment Of a special inyes
tigation committee to probe border
conditions. That the executive de
partments refuse to furnish congress
with necessary information as to Dor
der affairs, it seems to me. shows q
need for thorough Investigation =