The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-08
GERMAN PLANT ADAPTED
TO USE OF SIEGE Guns
London Greatly Excited by Report
That Building I'm Suburbs Is De-
signed TO Act US Base.
BUILT OF HEAVY CONCRETE
Employees of Firm Taken Into Gus
tody, Willie Military Experts Are
Carefully Making Study OF Struc-
ture.

correspondence of Associated Prcss.1
~ LONDON, October 29.-London has
been greatly excited by tho report that
a German-owned music-printing plant
In Willesden. a prominent manufactur-
ing suburb of London, has an immense
building whose heavy concrete founda-
lions. floors and roof are well adapted
to the uao OF siege guns.
Twenty of the German employees of
tho firm were taken into custody. and
military experts are studying the build
Ing carefully. Meantime the excited
public Is fully convinced that the plant
was designed to act as n German base
for attack upon London proper. The
building unquestionably occupies
strategic position. 1t stands high, with
n clear range to Crystal Palace. VIII
lesden Junction. where two main lines
entering London centre. Is but Il short
distance from the plant.
However. the English architects who
designed the building and supervised
it's construction eight years ago. say
II Is similar to many other printing
plants. and has no heavier foundations
and floors than are required where
heavy machinery is to be installed.
Tho building is about 200 feet square
on the outside. and Is constructed about
n court 260 feet square. II is but one
story. and tho foundations are of con-
crete and six feet thick. The English
manager OF the concern says this un
usually thick foundation was laid as
the firm expected TO add additional
stories to the plan when business ex-
banded. a concrete roof covers most
OF the building.
Discovery by the allies that Germany
has prepared concrete bases for it's
howitzers surreptitiously In many
IL. t,,f lnN a I ha Il
all Englishmen suspicious OF possible
German preparations In England.
In discussing the Willcsden factory.
the Sunday Times says:
sin situation which commands an
almost uninterrupted view Of that
great tract of London which lies be-
tween Willesden and the Crystal Pal
ace is discovered n building whose
roof. floor and foundations are con-
structed Of exceptionally thick con-
cretc and might apparently be en-
pfoyed rs the cmplaccment of~a heavy
gun. In fact, one of those seventeen
inch howitzers for which such careful
arrangements were found to have been
made around Antwerp and Namur. We
arc very far from suggesting that :he
premises at Willesden were delibe-
rately arranged. Considering the Ger
man workmen, II is at least probable
that in the event OF an attack upon
London the attention of the Germans
commanders would have been called
to that convenient concrete floor. even
IL they had not known of 1t before
their arrival.
1T Is highly probable that there
do exist such places around London
and in the neighborhood OF our great
fortress positions which have been
carefully prepared for siege guns, and
the chief value. to our mind. of the
Willesden discovery, is that II may be
expected to stimulate authorities TO
search for them.
THE suspicion that many wireless
equipments are operating In London
was justified by tho discovery OF such
plant in the home of n German pro-
lessor. as wireless apparatus can be
operated for so short distance as
from London TO the European coast
without an outside tower. the discov-
cry Of Illicit wireless stations Is very
difficult. The Times advocates that the
War Office Issue n statement stfpulating
that persons found shcltering such APP
paratus VIII be treated as spies and
handed over to military power"