Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-23
INNER SECRETS or vERNMENT
ARMS DEPOT BEING
SOUGHT.
STRICT GUARD BEING
KEPT ~ OFFICIALS
Taking no Chances, Following Reports
Of Plot to Destroy Plant-coneIusivs
Proof 81 Spying obtainsd-Most I'm
portant Of United States Military
Plants.

Davenport, Aug. 23.-Spies OF for
eign governments are striking for the
inside secrets Of the United States ar
senal at Rock Islanh-the one and only
supply station OF the entire United
States army ready for business, should
the arsenals and depots within 100
miles of New York city go out Of COM
mission for any reason.
One Of the secret service operatives
Of European government was caught
in the act by officials Of the ordnance
department, in charge of Arsenal is
land. The government officers went to
the limit of their possibilities in deal
ing with this man and ordered him to
stay away from the arsenal.
Officers Power Limited.
It Is explained that the army officers
have no authority to proceed past the
point Of OBTAINING a person suspected
as trouble maker until he can be
turned over to the police of Moline on
q disorderly charge. This is one Of
the weak spots. apparently, in the
scheme Of defense Of the arsenal and
its Immensely valuable stores Of sup
cry.
Later the government intercepted a
code telegram sent by this alleged spy
In Washington. The code message.
clumslly constructed. it Is claimed.
carried the information that train
load OF war supplies had been shipped
from the Rock Island arsenal to Can
ada.
Proof Of Spy System.
The message was deciphered easily
enough at the arsenal headquarters. It
was convincing Of the truth Of repeat
ed and cumulative rumors that tight
ening Of the espionage system directed
against the United States govern
ment's military and naval activities
had brought the Rock Island arsenal
directly within the net.
Lieut.. Col. George w. Burr, COM
mander Of the arsenal; lost no time in
establishing such precautions as could
be taken under the circumstances.
Arsenal Closely Guarded.
Arsenal island is now in an actual
condition Of physical isolation, except
from those persons known to have
business In the federal reservation.
The strength of the regular army
detail. which nominally has stood at
twenty five or thirty men, is now $50.
The bridges and approaches to the
island are doubly guarded, particular
ly by the regulars at night, and the
shore lines are patrolled as effectively
as possible with the troops at hand.
Civilian employees, who are prefer
ably Grand Army veterans, in charge
Of the gates are active and alert-men
who demand to see pass. take the
number Of an automobile tag and give
would-be visitors a thorough "once
over"
Burr Taking No chanees.
"As the responsible authority here,
am taking no chances" Colonel Burr
said. There are and have been many
flying rumors, ninety per cent OF which
have had no basis in fact. We are
doing the very best that we can I'M
der the circumstances"
There have been rumors many and
wild and some most serious. Because
Of the absolute termination of visit
ing rules, these rumors have been
given more or less credence in the tri-
cities, Rock Island, Moline and Dav-
EXPORT.
The pro-German sentiment which
IL dominant with its greatly prepon-
derant German-American population,
had added to the flood Of gossip that
has been extant.
One story, which was obtained thru
three different sources, was that there
were in confinement in the arsenal
prison eleven men accused as being
spies.
Colonel Burr denied this report.
There is no one under arrest here"
Colonel Burr said. land 1t is impos-
sible for me to ascribe any basis for
such report. The only men we ever
have in confinement are those regular
army men who may have been guilty
OF minor military attractions. and these
cases are few and far between"
Plot to Blow Up ArsenaII
Another story, which seems to get
plenty OF confederation everywhere
except in official circles where the
facts are known, IL that q solitary man
in a row boat was arrested trying to
land on Arsenal island and that $50
pounds OF dynamite were found in the
boat, the presumption existing with
the story that the plot was to blow up
the government factories and munition
plants.
IAN explanation Of this story may
go back to the fact that q man was
arrested after he tried twice to land
on the island and was turned over, as
ii necessary, to tho police authorities
Of Moline" Colonel Burr said: "The
man was drunk. apparently. His inn
preston seemed to be that he wanted
to 50 to Muscatine. Iowa, and had to
cross the island. The next morning he
was discharged. know Of no dyna-
mite plot