The secret service of the Nanking military authorities has acquired information respecting certain Russian vessels said to be at the mouth of the river and which are apparently prepared to dispose of their military stores to any customer who may arrive on the scene with ready money. The Military Governor of Nanking has, in the circumstances, given orders that precautions be taken, and no doubt such will be done. Ships of this sort and consignments of munitions are an old story; and the interest in the present case lies in the price list which the secret service has been able to produce. It is instructive enough toe given in detail, as follows Tis. One cruiser, 1,300 tons, built in Russia, at Tis.
420 per ton 546,000 Three ships, 4,000 tons, average Tls. 54 per ton 216,000 55 machine guns,.7 (each with 5,000 rounds at Ts. 2,000) 110,000 2,600 Remington rifles,.79, each with 1,000 rounds at Tis.
80 208,000 4,000,000.79 rounds can be used by both at Tls. 102 per 1,000 408,000 5 large guns 75 min. at Tis.
650 with 2,700 shells 3,250 3,700 Mills hand bombs at' Tis.
6 each 22,900 One bombing plane 463 H.P. 15,000 Two pilot fighting planes 250 H.P. at Tis 5,000 each 10,000 Exrra—GIven Gratis. 87 rifles, 160 rounds each, revolvers, field glasses, range finders, accessories and remainder, for war purposes.
One ship, 1,700 tons built in England, One ship, 1,400 tons built in Russia. One ship, 900 tons built in Germany, One cruiser, 1,300: tons built in Russia, Our net price Tls. 1,400,000. When the price list is considered in detail it is hardly surprising that a few extras such as ships and rifles should be thrown 1n. Take a Mills bomb, for instance. The price was surely not more than half-a-crown during the war, and to charge Tls. 6 for one them to-day seems rather stiff.
The Rhineland Movement.
But for the receipt of this week's es announcing that a new leader has een secured for the movement, the probability is that most people would by this time have forgotten about the existence of the Rhineland Republic movement. It had for long been nurtured, but when it broke out its appearance spasmodically in ci~ ferent places over a large area did not augur particularly well for its final success. Then, as far as the outside public is concern-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.