'A note of warning in regard to the sale of rifles and other contraband of war to the Chinese has just been sounded here, almost simultaneously with the rumours of another anti-foreign rising. Immense ties of arms, it is said, are being, sledsinto China with the connivance of the Imperial Maritime Customs and with the help of the excessive tolerance displayed by certain governments towards manufacturers of their own nationality. The chief offenders are Germany, Belgium, and the United States. Germany's output is so large that she cannot afford to ive very scrupulous as to her methods of finding a market, and China has, alway: hoon a very good one for her. Germ now has a large stock of two kinds of Mansers discarded by the army, and millions of these deadly weapons will soon ho in the hands of the Chinese unless something is done to stop the traffic. Moreover, the four great arms factories two in' Gery tone in Austria, and one in Belginm—being subsidised by their respective governments and having im-
in the manufacture of arms fo mone plant which they. are free 0 in the manu trae 4 put of first-rate rifles for which customers private treat isa
must be found, oven at absurdly low prices. Mauser,' Nerudt and Mannlicher rifles are sold in large quantities at from six to eight shillings each. This has quite killed the trade in inferior arms formerly manufactured expressly for the African and Asiatic markets, and the poor savage allose untutored mind once upon a time Jed him to part with his produce for trade guns that burst at the first time of asking ix beginning to find out that he can get a first-class rifle just as cheaply.
France, it is alleged here, is the only country which has scrupulously respected the international convention prohibiting the sale of war material to China. All shippers of arms from French ports are obliged to supply a detailed statement of the consignment, to whatever country it may be sent. This statement is forwarded to the French Consul at the port of destination. with instructions to verify the contents of the cases, and unless the Consul returns the statement, duly confirmed, within six months. the unfortunate exporter is made to pay a fine canal to the value of the consignment. French manufacturers say this arrangement has effectually prevented any sale of French arms to China and has also mined their export trade generally, out this of course refers only to sporting rifles, the manufacment monopoly in France. Most of the old Gras rifles were chipped to the Red Sea colonies, whence they found their way inia, but there is still a large stock on hand in the arsenals.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.