OCR Text |
Show ARMS DENIED ID " BODDERJESIDENIS WAR DEPARTMENT REFUSES THE REQUEST MADE BY THE GOV-. GOV-. ERNOR OF ARIZONA. Secretary Believes Arms Should Not Be Placed in the Hands of Any Body of Men Except Those Under Severest Discipline. Washington. Senator Ashurst was informed 'by the war department on Monday that it could not under the law furnish citizens of Arizona 3,000 rifles requested by the governor for purposes of self-protection against raids from Mexico. Senator Ashurst made public a telegram tele-gram from Secretary Baker to Governor Gov-ernor Hunt explaining the department's depart-ment's refusal. "There is no authority of law for this issue of arms," read the telegram. "In the present apparent panicky slate 'of mind of citizens along the border, I do not think that arms should be placed in the hands of any body of men except those who are under un-der the severest discipline. The presence pres-ence in 'border towns of armed bodies of citizens is liable to result in some unfortunate incident which might precipitate pre-cipitate the very trouble that all wish to avoid. 1 cannot recommend the Indiscriminate In-discriminate arming of the civilian population. Consular reports Indicate that there are few Mexican troops along the 'border. General Funston is aware of the conditions and is believed believ-ed to ibe taking such steps for protection pro-tection of citizens as It should demand. |