GUNS FOR THE AFGHANS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 92, 14 May 1909, Page 2

GUNS FOR THE AFGHANS.

A BIG CARAVAN. Loudon, .May 12. A caravan of forty camels with contraband arms and ammunition for Afghanistan traversed Seistmn. THE AUSTRALIAN SNIDERS. Sydney, May 13. In reference to the smuggling ol arms in Afghanistan the Minister of Defence states that before selling* the old rilles the barrels were beut and otherwise treated ho iis to lender t'iiem inellective for shooting purposes. He ■felt sure the lilies referred to in the cable had not been bought ill Australia at least since the Federation. In military circles it is held that the only possible chance of the rifles being Australian is that they were so old ai to have been put out of use long before the Federation era.

THE XEW ZEALAND RIFLES. Jiy Telegraph,—Press Association. Clirintchurch, Liibt Xiglit. Referring to the veeent cubic message dealing with the smuggling of old rifles, amo-.igst tlicm being sold old rifles from New "calami, to the hill tribes in India, Sir Joseph Ward states that so far as he is aware the reference must be to some old rilles tlmt were returned to England some years' ago from the Dominion. * It wag understood at the time that they weat'to a manufacturing firm in England, and that the English authorities were duly advWd of these. It was further understood that rifles were go out of England. Sir Joseph has given definite instructions that 110 rifles that go out of use in New Zealand are to be «old for export again to England or any other country,