IN ABYSSINIA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1947, 2 January 1914, Page 9

IN ABYSSINIA.

ILLICIT TRAFFtC IN GUNS. METHODS OF THE "RUNNERS." I ' -J: tJeniaiffVha Itas:boe]i'-frosicSentJjn'j Abyssinia - and : ; trips for tho past .ten 'yearsjiwho^knoivs' the Abyssinian. conversant: with. the -politicals conditions: . of tlio country, Post'' representative- recently;*.;sajd:— v "Ibat Abyssijiiij .js . tho? ; fpciie of ■ all the disorder in East .Afwa is.,t'prt.ail)ly a Inct," uo gajd. "ihit ido ndt thiol: that xam 1 i'Drrespofident ifc iwnro <>1 aji tho ramifications of tho supply; pf gi;ns to jybyssijiia phjefs : fijtid pIW-s : Motives t-Mropesn squirces.s"" jU' hayo bad thi) best pf reason? j'grknowing abput tlie guji trade, imv'jiig been uitiwked on throq occaeiftDs and foreed to ligbt what you mighty c»li . 'battles' against ii> 'Freiic-ljSowaii-ianil. It is not aji cxaggeriftipp tfl si>y that I'Ychcli SomsJiJi'ind js kept , alivfi I'y isun-rurjiiing.. ..-, lint it is nqt. tf) bo concluded that all t||# triiije. or cyen too bulk pl : it,' is in jtyencu hands. I'bere f>rp to my knowledge two German firms and otic I'Venrii' (jini actively engaged jn tljo business. ■' The Fren-rn. firm deals ill-rifles which were'the spoils of the Russo-Japanese .War. Of tho German firms, . one js a' jiiglijy respectrible oifaiHssciQii, haring.a. member of the Reichstag as one of its' direet'ers. ft deals |n discarded- .3J.ajj§or riJjps, which are purchased-at; JQs- esich, and in Abyssißja .are-sold each, allowing a profit of. £4 Ills, per rii!e. ' "Tho method of. cpndiictjpg^ho.trade, is this: .Under an' international agree-, incut between tho Powers no . riflesi .oammunition are to.- be <: ; iinportod ■>~ info Africa except on the order, of an African Government. >■ But the'-gun-running firms send their;.,agents..Huto;Abyssinia to sccurc''orders;:foa,/rifles'.from.; sonic Ras or chief . (not from-the Central Abyssinian Gorcrnmenti*such-jaV.;it„is).", Those orders.,:aro- by .'-"giving backsheesh;?.-;:•' They 'are not' intended to bo fulfilled.. .-: But the. order gives some warrant of authority for. the importation' of the-arms..-., I pm.sorryJ'to say that some of,tho agents-..0f the Powers....at Adis-,Ababa, lend .themselves to. the assistance ol tlio_ traffic,.by giving',their, 'vise' to-i-orders-for rifles from Abyssinian; chiefs which;:tlioyrimist know-; are,: not', genin,'ie, but' are,.intended, as . a .chuk ■for the importation, of arms, fori general traffic, '~ s

"The local. agents ! of.Vth6fgun : ruiining firms., having secured orders from soinu Abyssinian JJas—orders '.which,everyynp liiiows to-bt;' : fictions —forward tbeso oj> to their principals, and r-h'ey .aro found to-be suificieiit to got. tho consignment througji tiio• port- of oxport..in Kuropo and through the port' of.' Jibuti in French Somalilaiid.' .. The.rifles pass towards tho interior by the' French railway to Dirro used ,to bo' the rail head), and' then usually go to. l|ahah. That is ibo great'market, for. rilles and iuiirminitkui. .... To these .can come the traders, ..who ■ v/ill ■ distribute arms aiiywhero ■ig lawless: .tribes—in Somaliland, or along the Sudan, frontier. The Has. who has given -•,tho order for the rifles may. never.-sco a'single one of die consignment-if he-lias .t.-ikenflns bachshoosk in money.- *v Ordinarily)i ho. takes it. in rifles,-and then a small proportion of the importation goes to him. "I have traced up a consignment -to Hnhah of-S'JOO rifles and !2.Q00,0Q0 cart-ridges."l.-1 recall .another order, giv'Gn in iWL'the L;-:lk of which' went there, ivhich was for 30,000 old' Mausers and' £0,000,000 cartridges. - .The profits of the trade'are enormous." A riilo tho .tho "European cost -of which -is 10s. brings £5. ■ On cartridges the proportion of profit is greater. ■ Of course, the expenses -are heavy. The ras. giving tho order must bo bribed; ■ other people, perhaps, must, bo bribed. . But when all is met the original vendors flourish exceedingly, and do not seem to object that' on their profits "is. tho stain of tho blood-of tbo'oificersiand men who ars shot down whilst holding tho frontier outposts. The joss of a Corfield does ntit trouble ffyp inpj'chaiits .of guns at Paris pud Bcrlfrl,

"It is trjje tbsib thp Frepfih Govprnmoijt could practically stop the traffic .by excrcisiijg rigid supervision ill French %>i;ialikijd. " It js true ajjio limp ftp Gernpjj Gpvorn'mept poiilfl cripp|p ftp .traffic tyjr 'ivitli<lrawjfl£ 'it.? cbiinjvaiiee from the operations of the Betfii) firms. But neither Govcriment docs anything practical, and now a Belgian firm is beginning to enter into competition far the rich profits of -the trade". I do)rt know of any British flrri) b-sjng epgngcfj in the business. Certain!}-lljo . British ports pre very, closely watched. ;}s also are the Italian ports,.tjiongh sonic rifles tricfelo through A?,a fa/ On France primarily and Germany secondarily rests'the responsibility of tho murderous . ti'affie." , , :.. <, "'" |