GERMAN METHODS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1915, Page 6

GERMAN METHODS.

PRIVATE MOTORS BUILT FOR WAR. DESIGNED TO CARRY GUNS. That many private motor-cars built in Germany during the past few years were designed for mounting of funs and searchlights is vouched for by Mr. Charles B. Pray, an American motor mechanic, who has arrived in England after eight months in a German internment camp. Mr. Pray was under contract a3 an engineer at a motor-car works in Ma-rienfeld-Zossen, just outside Berlin, and on October 7, under suspicion of heing a British su'b-ject because lie possessed British money and letters from England, was interned. From Zossen he was transferred to a camp in Wertemberg, from which he contrived to escape on the night of May 18. He has spent the interval in France, and hopes soon to Bail for America.

"My work up to the time of my arrest," said Mr. Pray, "brought me into daily contact with the German Mercedes car. The chassis of every car of the 1912, 1913 or 1914 models was perforated at the sides with two sets of four holes each, at equal distances from the front and rear, for the purpose of rivetting over the chassis frame a plate heavy enough to bear a weight of 1000 kilograms (22001b).

GUNS MOUNTED ON HUNDREDS of CARS.

"Rapid fire guns or machine guns and searchlights have been placed on hundreds upon hundreds of Gorman Mercedes cars since the war began. In May and June 1914 cars were called in for inspection—private motorcars in Ger'many were always subject to commandeering by the army—and returned with the plates mentioned duly affixed, without the owners' knowledge of what had been done. When the cars were requisitioned for the war, only the tops had to be ripped off and gun 3 and searchlights mounted in their places." Mr. Pray believes that he was "put out of the way" by the Germans for the double purpose of providing them with a passport for any spy purposes and also for impressing his expert services into their army motor forces. He declined, however, to do anything while in his captors' hands except "carry water" at the camps. He has never seen his passport again, nor his money, nor other property, including his tool chest, which were taken from him when arrested. Mr. Pray states that another American motor workman named Wigman is still in German captivity, and the United States authorities are proceeding to secure his release.