▁intention ▁of ▁forcing ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁accept ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁real ▁risk ▁of ▁armed ▁resistance ▁to ▁Home ▁Rule ▁in ▁Ul ster ., ▁C raw ford ▁open ly ▁transport ed ▁weapons ▁to ▁B elf ast ▁from ▁several ▁locations ▁across ▁England . ▁These ▁were ▁intercept ed ▁by ▁custom s ▁officials , ▁▁ ▁Major ▁C raw ford ▁convinced ▁the ▁Ul ster ▁Union ist ▁Council ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁provide ▁the ▁weapons ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁needed ▁" to ▁equip ▁the ▁entire ▁U VF ". ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁when ▁C raw ford ▁spoke ▁with ▁Edward ▁Car son ▁in ▁London , ▁Car son ▁said ▁" I ' ll ▁see ▁you ▁through ▁this ▁business ▁even ▁if ▁I ▁should ▁go ▁to ▁prison ▁for ▁it . ▁You ▁are ▁the ▁bra vest ▁man ▁I ▁have ▁ever ▁met ." ▁ ▁Pre par ations ▁and ▁transport ▁▁ ▁C raw ford ▁secured ▁the ▁services ▁of ▁the ▁SS ▁F anny ▁to ▁transport ▁ 2 1 6 ▁tons ▁of ▁guns ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁purchased ▁from ▁Ben ny ▁S pi ro , ▁an ▁arms ▁deal er ▁in ▁Hamburg . ▁In cluded ▁in ▁this ▁cache ▁was ; ▁ 1 1 , 0 0 0 ▁Mann licher ▁rif les ▁brought ▁from ▁the ▁Ste yr ▁works ▁in ▁Austria ; ▁ 9 , 0 0 0 ▁ex - G erman ▁army ▁M aus ers ; ▁ 4 , 6 0 0 ▁Italian ▁V etter li - V ital i ▁rif les ; ▁and ▁ 5 ▁million ▁r ounds ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁in