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Show LONDON NOW FEARS ALLIES Writing to tho London Times on tho subject of suspected concroto platforms In and near tho British motropolls which timorous citizens feared were planned for nnd would be used by tho Germans in tho ovenl ot Invasion, Major General Desmond O Calllghan, It. A., makes a statement state-ment which The Times publishes n3 decidedly "reassuring." It appears In the Issue of November 19, and Is as follows: I havo had tho privilege for tho last few weeks of assisting Scotland Yard In tha inspection of concreto , platforms and appraising their danger dan-ger from a military point ot vlow. Slnco tho dlscovory of a socalled gun .'platform at Willesdon, reports ot similar preparations for the bombardment bom-bardment of London havo been received re-ceived from all quarters, and floors luid roofs of new factories, and lawn 'tennis grounds havo alike boon view-cd view-cd with gravo suspicion by residents .in their neighborhood. Let me give an example. A now factory (tho report runs, nn alien company with a German manager, I and employing exclusively German workmen, has a concroto floor fully Jilx feet thick, evidently out ot all proportion to tho machinery It has to support; tho roof Is flat, resting bn thrco feet six Inches turned concroto con-croto arches, on which guns could jeadlly bo mounted. Tho building occupies oc-cupies a commanding position, dominates domi-nates tho railway and tho adjoining country, could bo mado into a really real-ly powerful fort, and Is a danger In our midst. In company with an Inspector In-spector I visit the factory and nm received by a pleasant spoken Am erican. Ho shows me tho -list I of shareholders. There aro probably somo German names among thdm. "Directors?" "Yes, wo had ono German Ger-man gcntlemnn on tho board, but ho has retired.'" "Any German workmen?" work-men?" "None." (lu somo cases a Gorman manager or foreman litis been retained slnco ho alouu under stands somo complicated machinery employed In tho factory and ho ro-mains ro-mains under strict police supervision. supervi-sion. Otherwise! somo "00 or 300 hands would bo turned adrift). Tho iimim'gor tlien takes mo round tho building. The floors aro certainly of concrete, bdt they aro six Inclios not six feet thick, and In ono or two of such buildings erected on marshy ground, thX'hlckness is 'visibly Insufficient, In-sufficient, as tho floor has sagged In places under tho wolght ot machines or stores. The roof Is certainly flat, but ot glass, top light being a great featuro In thoso nowly planned factories. fac-tories. In another lnstanco tho flat root of a threo story building came under suspicion, but tho scantling of this was so slight that it vibrated freely under my tread. Lawn tennis grounds In all directions direc-tions havo been reported and their tremendous solidity vouched for by nervous communities, but all turn out on examination to bo of tho usual type, a fow Inches of rough concroto and a thin surface of asphalt. Now, tho origin of this scare, for It can bo described by no other name w-as tho purchase of ground by tho Gormans In Belgium nnd the subso quent preparation ot musstvo concrete con-crete platforms for tho reception of, tho 42cm. (10-Sln) howitzer. This pieco was probably used at Mnubou-ge, Mnubou-ge, Namur, and perhaps at Llcgo unci requires a specially prepared concreto con-creto bed furnished with holding down bolts. As thoso bolts must have flangesi at their lowor ends, It Is obvious that they must bo flrst placed In position unUMho concioto aMa .then flllod In touud tliem, or. that fV largo hbies must bo left In which tho TJ bolts can be Inserted, tho space bo Ing filled with cement. For tho 28cni (112 In.) howlUer no platronn ut all Is required as It Is fired from off Its wheels, and Indeed concreto would present an unsuitable surface, for, being unyielding, It would Increase the shock on tho axles and general structure of tho mounting. A good road would bo better than any made platform. It Is, of course, posslblo that nn alien enemy might oropare a platforu In a factory, with the bolts in situ, cover it with a light shed, and conceal con-ceal tho ends ot tho bolts under machines ma-chines or stores, but I submit that It would be a waste of enorgy and ammunition on tho part ot tho rnoiny to bring over to England a howitzer ot tho weight and unwieldtnesi or the 42cm. to reduce Lonlon to ruins whon any of the smaller nnd more portablo howitzers would very much better servo his purpose So far as sites ror guns are concerned con-cerned theso aro doubtless well known to tho gonoral officer commanding com-manding troops in London, nnd would be his especial care. To sum up. Thero Is no reason to suppose that tho floors or roors of factories, or concrete lawn tennis grounds constltuto In nny way a danger to tho public. |
