The Web | Project Gutenberg (2024)

The Authorized History of
The American Protective League

The Web

By
Emerson Hough

Author of
“The Mississippi Bubble,” “54-40 or Fight,”
“The Magnificent Adventure,” etc.

A Revelation of Patriotism

The Web is published by authority of the NationalDirectors of the American Protective League, a vast,silent, volunteer army organized with the approvaland operated under the direction of the UnitedStates Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation.

The Reilly & Lee Co.
Chicago

THE CALL OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES

“It is a distressing and oppressive duty, Gentlemen of theCongress, which I have performed in thus addressing you.There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrificeahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peacefulpeople into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of allwars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But theright is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for thethings which we have always carried nearest our hearts....To such a task we can dedicate our lives and ourfortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have,with the pride of those who know that the day has come whenAmerica is privileged to spend her blood and her might forthe principles that gave her birth and happiness and thepeace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can dono other.”

THE ANSWER OF THE CONGRESS OF THE
UNITED STATES

“Whereas, The Imperial German Government has committedrepeated acts of war against the Government and thePeople of the United States of America; therefore be it

“Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representativesof the United States of America, in Congress assembled, Thatthe state of war between the United States and the ImperialGerman Government which has thus been thrust upon theUnited States is hereby formally declared; and that thePresident be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed toemploy the entire naval and military forces of the UnitedStates and the resources of the Government to carry on waragainst the Imperial German Government; and to bring theconflict to a successful termination all the resources of thecountry are hereby pledged by the Congress of the UnitedStates.”

On the occasion of the dissolution to-day of the AmericanProtective League and the final termination of all of its activities,I take the opportunity to express to its NationalDirectors and all other officers and members my personalthanks for their assistance to me and to my Department duringthe period of the war. I am frank to say that theDepartment of Justice could not have accomplished its taskand attained the measure of success which it did attain withoutthe assistance of the members of the League.

Your reward can only be the expressed thanks of yourGovernment. As the head of the Department of Justice,under which the American Protective League operated, Irender you such thanks with sincere pleasure. Upon theoccasion of a request from a member of the Committee onthe Judiciary of the House of Representatives for an expressionof opinion by me as to the adoption of a joint resolutionby the Congress of the United States, extending the thanksof Congress to the members of the League, I have urged instrong terms the adoption of such a resolution, as one justlyearned by the organization during an extended period ofdevoted and effective service.

The work of your organization will long be an inspirationto all citizens to render their full measure of service to theircountry according to her need, without reward, and withabundant zeal.

Respectfully,
T. W. Gregory
Attorney General

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

“Signed!”

The one word, spoken by a young officer of the U. S. Army,a strip of paper in his hand, confirmed to his associates thegreatest news the world has ever known. It was the correctedforeword of peace. The armistice had validly been signedby Germany.

In these first days of peace, the streets were full of shouting,laughing, weeping men and women gone primitive. Thesane and sober population of America, engaged in sendinga third of a million men a month to join the two millionson the front in France, turned into a mob. Their frenzywas that of joy. The war was over.

On the day following the confirmation of the armistice,some who had sat together in a certain room in Washingtonwere scattered. Six thousand resignations of Army officerswere handed in within twenty-four hours. The room inwhich the news of the war’s end was thus received was onein the Military Intelligence Division of the General Staff inWashington. There lie the secrets of the Army. All in thatroom were officers of the Army, or soon to be such. Allwere volunteers. I may with propriety say that for a time Ihad sat with those who had ear to the secret voices of theworld, in the tensest atmosphere I ever knew.

It was whispers that “M.I.D.” heard—the whispers ofperfidious men, communicating one with the other, plottingagainst the peace of America, the dignity of our Government,the sacredness of our flag, the safety of Americanlives and property. Here sat the authorized agents of theArmy, employed to hear such whispers, enlisted to catch themost skilled and unscrupulous spies the world has everknown, the agents of a treacherous and dishonorable enemy.

All those connected with the Military Intelligence Divisiondaily felt also the touch of this great, silent, smooth-running[Pg 12]machinery of the Department of Justice, whose governmentalmission it was to do detective work on the largestscale this country ever knew. We heard the voice of theWar College through the official liaison therewith; also thoseof the General Staff, the War Department, the Post OfficeDepartment, the cable censors, the censors of the ExpeditionaryForces. It all worked as an interlocking, vast, silentmachine—a solemnly, almost mournfully silent machine, ofwhich America knows almost nothing, the rest of the worldnothing at all.

Day by day, in ghostly silhouette, passed sinister figures,themselves silent; those who plotted against America. Allthe deeds that can come from base and sordid motives, fromlow, degenerate and perverted minds; all the misguided phenomenaof human avarice and hate and eagerness to destroyand kill—such were the pictures on the walls of “M.I.D.”

I have spoken of certain essential liaisons against espionageand propaganda. More often seen than any other initialsin the desk algebra of “M.I.D.” were three initials—“A.P.L.”This or that information came from A.P.L.This was referred to A.P.L. for more light. Every questionnaireof a man applying for a commission in the Armywas referred back to A.P.L., and A.P.L. took up thequestion of his unswerving and invincible loyalty. A.P.L.found slackers and deserters in thousands. A.P.L. foundthis or that spy, large or little. A.P.L., obviously, had abusy mind and a long arm.

Yet if you should look in the Governmental Blue Bookfor this powerful branch of our Government, you could notfind the initials there at all. Very many Americans neverheard the name of this wholly unofficial organization whichpassed on so many governmental questions, was of so muchaid in so many ways to the Government. A.P.L. is not andnever was a part of any state or national arm, service, department,or bureau. But openly and proudly it has alwaysbeen definitely authorized to carry on all its letter-heads,“Organized with the Approval and Operating under theDirection of the United States Department of Justice, Bureauof Investigation.” These are its credentials.

A.P.L., the mysterious power behind our Government,was no baseless fabric of a vision, as hundreds of Germans[Pg 13]and pro-Germans can testify through their prison bars; butit passes now and soon will “leave not a wrack behind.”As these pages advance, the word issues for its official demobilization.It was honorably encamped on a secret andsilent battlefield, but now, once more to use a poet’s word,it has “folded its tents like the Arab, and silently stolenaway.” It was, and is not. You never have known whatit was. You never will see its like again.

“A.P.L.” means the American Protective League. Itmeans a silent, unknown army of more than a quarter millionof the most loyal and intelligent citizens of America,who indeed did spring to arms over night. It fought battles,saved lives, saved cities, saved treasures, defended the flag,apprehended countless traitors, did its own tremendous sharein the winning of the war. It saved America. It did protect.It was a league.

It did all this without a cent of pay. It had no actualidentification with the Government. Yet it has won scoresof times the written and spoken thanks of our most responsibleGovernment officials. Its aid in the winning of the warcan not be estimated and never will be known. Not evenits full romance ever can be written. May these hurryingpages save all these things at least in part, though done inthe full consciousness that their tribute can be but a fragmentof the total due.

The American Protective League was the largest companyof detectives the world ever saw. The members servedwithout earlier specialized training, without pay, withoutglory. That band of citizens, called together overnight, rose,grew and gathered strength until able to meet, and absolutelyto defeat, the vast and highly trained army of theGerman espionage system, which in every country of theglobe flooded the land with trained spies who had made alife business of spying. It met that German Army as oursmet it at Chateau-Thierry, and in the Argonne, and on theVesle and on the Aisne. Like to our Army under arms—thatArmy where any of us would have preferred to servehad it been possible for us to serve under arms—it nevergave back an inch of ground. Growing stronger and betterequipped each day, it worked always onward and forwarduntil the last fight was won.

[Pg 14]

A.P.L. has folded its unseen and unknown tents. It willbivouac elsewhere until another day of need may come. Then,be sure, it will be ready. On the day that the American ProtectiveLeague disbanded, it had no money in the treasury.It had spent millions of dollars, and had brought to judgmentthree million cases of disloyalty. There, obviously, unwrittenand unknown, scattered in every city and hamlet ofAmerica, was a tremendous story, one of the greatest of allwar stories, the story of the line behind the guns.

When the men of long or of transient connection withM.I.D. had shaken hands and said good-bye, the NationalDirectors of the American Protective League asked me tostop on and write the history of the American ProtectiveLeague. And so, in large part, as a matter of loyalty andduty, with millions of pages of records at hand, with a quarterof a million friends I have never seen, who never haveseen one another, who never otherwise would know the identityof one another, I began to do something which mostobviously and certainly ought to be done. This book is writtenalike that these quarter million unpaid soldiers mayknow of one another, and that a hundred million Americansmay also know of them accurately, and thank them for whatthey did.

Before I had done the last page of the strange history, Iknew that I had felt an actual reflex of the actual America.I knew that I had been in touch with one of the most astonishingphenomena of modern days, in touch also with the mosttremendous, the most thrilling and the most absorbing storyof which I ever knew.

EMERSON HOUGH

Washington
District of Columbia
United States of America
February 14, 1919.

[Pg 15]

CONTENTS

THE WEB

CHAPTER I
THE AWAKENING

The “Neutral Cases”—First Realization of the GermanSpy System in America—Overcrowding of the Departmentof Justice—The Birth of a New Idea—Formationof the American Protective League, Civilian Auxiliary—AstonishingGrowth of the Greatest Semi-Vigilante Movementof the World.

We Americans have always been disposed to peace. Wehave not planned for war. Our Army has never been amenace to ourselves or to any other nation; our Navy,though strong and modern, never has been larger than acountry of our extent in territory and industry admittedlyought to have. No one has feared us, and there has beennone of whom we have had any fear. We have designedlystood aloof from entangling alliances. The two greatoceans traditionally have been our friends, for they haveset us apart from the world’s quarrels. An America, faroff, new, rich, abounding, a land where a man might befree to grow to his natural stature, where he might be safeat his own fireside, where he might select his own rulersand rest always secure under his own form of government—thatwas the theory of this country and of this form ofgovernment. That was the reason why this country, naturallyendowed above any other region of the world, hasgrown so marvelously fast.

There was reason for America’s swift stature. She wasa land not of war, but of peace. Rich, she threw open herdoors. Frank, free, honest, generous, she made welcomeall who came. She suspected none, trusted all, and to[Pg 20]prove this, offered partnership in her wealth to any manof the world, under a system of naturalization laws whoselike, in broadness and generosity, does not exist. Peace—andthe chance to grow and to be happy. Peace—and apartnership in all she had. Peace—and a seat free at therichest table of the world. That was what Americaoffered; and in spite of the pinch and the unrest of growingnumbers, in spite of problems imported and not nativeto our long-untroubled land, that was the theory of Americanlife up to a date four years earlier than this.

In that four years America has changed more than inany forty of her earlier life. But yesterday, young, rich,laughing, free of care, Homerically mirthful and joyous,America to-day is mature, unsmiling, grave, dignified—andwise. What once she never suspected, now she knows.She has been betrayed.

But America, traditionally resourceful, now suddenlyagonized in the discovery of treachery at her own table,has out of the very anguish of her indignant horror, outof the very need of the hour, suddenly and adequatelyrisen to her emergency. She always has done so. Whenthe arms of the appointed agents of the law ever havewearied, she has upheld them. She has done so now, at thevery moment of our country’s greatest need.

The story of how that was done; how the very force ofthe situation demanded and received an instant and sufficientanswer; how the civilians rallied to their own flag;how they came out of private life unasked, unsummoned,as though at spoken command of some central power—thatis a great and splendid story of which few ever haveknown anything at all.

It is a great and splendid story because it verifiesAmerica and her intent before all the high courts ofthings. These men did obey the summons of a vast centralpower. But it was no more than the soul of America thatspoke. It was no more than her theory of the democracyof mankind which issued that unwritten order to assemblethe minute men, each armed and garbed in his own wayand each resolved to do what he could in a new and tremendousday of Lexington.

It was not autocracy which gave the assembly call to[Pg 21]these silent legions. They mobilized themselves, so rapidlyas to offer one of the most curious psychological problemsof history. Why did these men leave their homes almostall at once, each unknown at first to the other, in largepart each unknown to the other even now? How did itcome about that an army of a quarter of a million menenlisted themselves and then offered their services to agovernment which needed them but never had asked forthem? How did it come that—contrary to all Europeantraditions—this tremendous striking-power began at thebottom in our democratic war-born instinct, and workedupward into the Government itself, as a new institution,wholly unrecognized in the constitution of state or nation?Usually the Government issues the order for mobilization.But here the greatest band of minute men ever known inthe world mobilized as though unconsciously, as thoughto some spiritual trumpet call. Having done so, it offereditself to the Nation’s heads, saying, “Here we are. Takeus and use us. We ask no pay. We enlist till the end ofthe war.”

It was the spirit voice of anguished America which mobilizedthe American Protective League. There never wasa time when America could lose this war. The answer wasalways written in the stars. Somewhere, high up in theheavens, blind Justice let fall her sword in a gesture ofcommand; and that was all. The issue of the war wasdetermined from that moment. It was certain that Germany,brutal, bloody, autocratic, destructive, would be defeatedbeyond the sea. Yes, and on this side of the sea.

On this side, much was to be done, more than we haddreamed. Troubled but unparticipating, we stood aloofand watched the soil of all Europe redden with the bloodof men—and of women and children. Even we still stoodaloof, hands clenched, gasping in an enraged incredulity,watching the sea also—the free and open highway of theworld, redden with the blood of men—and of women andchildren. But still we took no part, though indeed someof our young men could no longer stay at home and soenlisted under some Allied flag.

We held in mind our ancient remoteness from all this.We heard still the counsel against entangling alliances.[Pg 22]And, quite aside from the idea of material profit, we triedto be fair and impartial in a fight that was not yet ours,though every American heart bled with France and Belgium,ached in pain with that of Britain, locked in deathgrapple in her greatest war—that which must name herstill free or forever enslaved. And from Washington cameadmonition to be calm. President Wilson’s appeal wentout again and again to the people, and whether or not itever once seemed to all of us a possible thing for theUnited States to keep out of this war, at least we soughtto do so and were advised and commanded to do so by thechief of our own forces.

Whether or not we all wished to be neutral so manyyears, we officially and nationally were neutral. Thereforewe retained our commercial rights under neutrality.Doing no more than Germany always previously had done,we made and sold arms and munitions in the open marketsof the world.

But Germany could not come and get her arms and munitionshad she wished to do so. Great Britain had somethingto say about that. Wherefore Germany hated us,secretly and openly—hated us for doing what she once haddone but could no longer do.

The enforcement of blockade made Germany hate us.Germany’s psychology has always been double-faced—oneface for herself and one for the rest of the world. TheAustrian double-headed eagle belongs of right also on theGerman coat of arms. “What I do not wish to have doneto me is Wrong; what I wish to do to others is Right!”That is the sum and substance of the German public creedand the German private character—and now we fairlymay say we know them both. The German is not a sportsman—hedoes not know the meaning of that word. Hehas not in his language any word meaning “fair play.”Nothing is fair play to a German which does not work tohis advantage. The American neutrality in combinationwith the British blockade did not work to his advantage.Hence—so he thought—it was all wrong.

The Germans began to hate America more and more.We did not know, at that time, that Germany had beenplanning many years for “diesen aufunsangehängten[Pg 23]Krieg”—“this war forced on us!” We did not have anyidea that she had counted upon two million German-Americansto help her win this war; that she knew every nookand cranny of the United States and had them mapped;that for years she had maintained a tremendous organizationof spies who had learned every vulnerable point ofthe American defenses, who were better acquainted withour Army than we ourselves were, and who had extendedtheir covert activities to a degree which left them arrogantlyconfident of their success at war, and contemptuousof the best that America ever could do against her. Germanynever doubted that she would win this war. It wascharted and plotted out many years in advance, move bymove, step by step, clear through to the bloody and brutalend which should leave Germany commander of the world.

Now, in the German general plan of conquest, Americahad had her place assigned to her. So long as she wouldremain passive and complaisant—so long as she wouldfurnish munitions to Germany and not to England orFrance or Russia, all well, all very good. But when, byany shift of the play, America might furnish supplies toGermany’s enemies and not to Germany—no matterthrough whose fault—then so much the worse for America!It never was intended that America should be anythingbut expansion ground for Germany, whether or not sheremained complaisant. But if she did not—if she beganin her own idea of neutrality to transgress Germany’s two-headedidea of “neutrality”—that meant immediate andpositive action against America, now, to-day, and not aftera while and at Germany’s greater leisure.

“I shall have no foolishness from America!” said WilliamHohenzollern to the accredited representative of thiscountry in his court—William Hohenzollern, that samepitiable figure who at the final test of defeat had not thecourage of Saul to fall on his sword, not the courage ofa real King to die at the head of his army, but who fledfrom his army like a coward when he saw all was lost—evenhonor. His threat of a million Germans in Americawho would rise against us was not ill-based. They werehere. They are here now, to-day. The reply to that threat,made by Gerard, is historic. “Majesty, let them rise. We[Pg 24]have a million lamp-posts waiting for them.” And thisherein tells the story of how the million traitors atAmerica’s too generous table were shown the lamp-postslooming.

The German anger at America grew to the fury point,and she began covertly to stir herself on this side of the sea.The rustling of the leaves began to be audible, the hissinggrew unmistakable. But America, resting on her oldtraditions, paid no attention. We heard with sympathyfor a time the classic two-faced German-American’s wail,“Germany is my mother, America my wife! How can Ifight my mother?” The truth is that all too many German-Americansnever cared for America at all in any tenderor reverent way. Resting under their Kaiser’s Delbrueckinjunction never to forget the fatherland, they never wereanything but German. They used America; they neverloved her. They clung to their old language, their oldcustoms, and cared nothing for ours. They prospered,because they would live as we would not live. It wouldbe wrong to call them all bad, and folly to call them allgood. As a class they were clannish beyond all otherraces coming here. Many who at first were openly pro-Germanbecame more discreet; but of countless numbersof these, it is well known that at their own firesides andin supposed secrecy they privately were German, althoughin public they were American. Of Liberty bond buyers,many of the loudest boasters were of this “loyal German-Americancitizenship.” They really had not earned eventhe hyphen.

Open and covert action was taken by Germany on bothsides of the Atlantic to bring America into line. Not fearingAmerica, nor knowing the real America at all, Germanydid much as she liked. Outrages on the high seasbegan. All international law was cast aside by Germanyas fully as in her invasion of Belgium. She counted sosurely on success and world-conquest that she was absolutelyarrogant and indifferent alike to law and to humanity.The militaristic Germany began to show—brutal,crafty, bestial, lacking in all honor, ignorant of the word“fair play,” callous to every appeal of humanity, whollyand unscrupulously selfish. We began now to see the[Pg 25]significance of that “efficiency” of which our industrialcaptains sometimes had prated over-much. Yes, Germanywas efficient!

The strain between the two countries increased as theblockade tightened, and as the counter-plot of the Germansubmarines developed. Then came the Lusitania....I can not write of that. I have hated Germany since then,and thousands of loyal Americans join in hatred for her.All of good America has been at war with her at heartfrom that very day, because in America we never havemade war on women and children. We are bound byevery instinct to hate any nation that does, Turk, Germanor ignorant savage.

The Lusitania was Germany’s deliberate action. Shearrogantly commanded us in a few newspaper advertisem*ntsnot to sail on the Lusitania—as though she ownedus and the sea. After the deed, she struck medals in commemorationof it. German church bells rang to glorify it.A German holiday was created to celebrate it. Germanpreachers there and in America preached sermons laudingit. It was a national act, nationally planned, nationallyratified. From that day we were at war. Let those wholike, of whatever station, say “We are not at war withthe German people.” That is not true. The Germanpeople, the German rank and file, not their leaders alone,were back of all these deeds and ratified them absolutelyon both sides of the Atlantic.

From that day, too, the issue might really have beenknown. I went into the elevator of a building in my city,a copy of a newspaper in my hand with the black headlineof the Lusitania across the page. The German operator ofthe elevator saw it as I turned it toward him silently.“Vell, they vere varned!” he said, and grinned.

That incident shows Germany in America, then and now,covert, sinister, sneering, confident, exultant. You couldnot find an answer you would dare speak to such a man.There is no deed that you could do. I pulled together, andonly said, “It will cost Germany the war.” And so it did.

But we did not go to war; we tried to keep out of thewar. The daily page of red horrors fresh from Europetaught us what war meant at this day of the world.[Pg 26]Women naturally did not like the thought of casting theirsons into that brutal hell. And then arose the female-men,the pacifists, forgetting their sex, forgetting their country,forgetting the large and lasting game of humanity’s good,which cannot count present cost, but must plan for thelong game of the centuries.

With the pacifists suddenly and silently rose the hiddenarmy of German espionage and German sympathy in ourown country, quick to see that here was their chance!Millions of German gold now came pouring across tofinance this break in America’s forces. Her high ministersto our Government began their treachery, forgetful of allambassadorial honor, perjuring themselves and their country.The war was on, on both sides the Atlantic now.

And still America did not know, and still America didnot go to war. We dreaded it, held back from it, monthafter month—some, as it seems to many, wrongly andunhappily even did what they could to capitalize the factthat we were not at war. But the hidden serpent raisedits head and began to strike—to strike so openly, in solong a series of overt acts, that now our civil courts andthe great national machinery of justice in Washingtonbecame literally helpless in their endeavors at resistance.

We were not at war, but war was waged against us inso many ways—against our lives and property—that allsense of security was gone. We offered as our defensenot, as yet, our Fleet or our Army, but our Departmentof Justice. Day and night that department at Washington,and its branches in all the great cities, in New York,Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Francisco,labored to clear the constantly increasing dockets, to keepdown the constantly increasing heaps of suspect cases. Itwas evident that America was hearing from the Kaiser’smillion Germans in America. But where were the lampposts?

The Department of Justice found itself flooded and submergedwith work in the Bureau of Investigation, collectingevidence against German spies and German lawbreakers.It was plain what efforts now were making toundermine America. But the truth was, the grist was toomuch for the mill. We had never organized a system to[Pg 27]handle covert and hidden war as Germany had done. Wehad fought in the open when, rarely, we had fought at all.The great mill of Justice clogged up and broke down, notfrom any inefficiency or inadequacy in average times, butbecause it never could have been predicted that “NeutralityCases” such as these ever would be known in ourhistory. In this war, giant figures only have ruled. Theworld was not prepared for them.

The outrages went on. Germany, confident of the successof ruthless submarine warfare, told us when we couldsail, how we must mark our ships—said, sneeringly, “Vell,you vas varned!”

It had very early become plain to all Americans that wecould not always submit to this. More and more now wewere browbeaten and insulted. More and more also ourhearts were wrung at the sight of splendid France, fightinggamely and proudly and silently for her life; at the listsof the gallant British dead; the whole story of the staggeringlines of Liberty. It was plain that the great prizeof free institutions, of human liberty itself, was about tobe lost to the world forever. It became plain that theglorious traditions of America must perish, that her answerto humanity must be forever stilled, that she, too, must beincluded in the ruin of all the good things of the world.It began also to be said more and more openly thatAmerica would come next—that we must fight; if not now,then at some later day, and perhaps without these Allies.

So our war spirit began in the total to outweigh andovertop our peace spirit and our pacifist spirit and ourhesitant spirit. We knew we would be at war. Many ofus deplored and do still deplore the fact that we waitedso long in times so perilous. We lost two precious years;billions in treasure, and what is immeasurably worse, millionsin lives. So much for hesitancy.

But now, as bearing upon the purpose of this accountof the American Protective League, it is to be kept inmind that for months and years the Department of Justicehad been at war with the hidden German army here. And,as the Germans were pushing back the Allies over there,they were pushing us back here, because we were not readyfor so unforeseen a situation.

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What saves a country in its need? Its loyal men. Whatreinforces an army called on for sudden enlargement? Itsvolunteers. What saved San Francisco in its days of riotand anarchy in 1850? Its Volunteers for law and order.What brought peace to Alder Gulch in 1863 when criminalsruled? Its Volunteers for law and order. America alwayshas had Volunteers to fight for law and order againstcriminals. The law itself says you may arrest withoutwarrant a man caught committing a felony. The line betweenformal written law and natural law is but thinat best.

There was, therefore, in the spring of 1917 in America,the greatest menace to our country we ever had known.Organized criminals were in a thousand ways attackingour institutions, jeopardizing the safety, the very continuityof our country. No loyal American was safe. Wedid not know who were the disloyal Americans. We facedan army of masked men. They outnumbered us. We hadno machinery of defense adequate to fight them, becausewe foolishly had thought that all these whom we had welcomedand fed were honest in their protestations—andtheir oaths—when they came to us.

So now, we say, an imperious cry of NEED came, wrungfrom astounded and anguished America. It was as thoughthis actual cry came from the heavens, “I need you, mychildren! Help me, my children!”

That cry was heard. How, it is of small importance toany member of the American Protective League, whosewireless antennæ, for the time attuned, caught down thatsilent wireless from the skies. No one man sent that message.Almost, we might say, no one man answered it, somany flocked in after the first word of answer. No oneman of the two hundred and fifty thousand who first andlast answered in one way or another would say or wouldwant to say that he alone made so large an answer to solarge a call. None the less, we deal here with actual history.So that now we may begin with details, begin toshow how those first strands were woven which in a fewweeks or months had grown into one of America’s strongestcables of anchorage against the terror which wasabroad upon the sea.

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CHAPTER II
THE WEB

Methods of Work—Getting the Evidence—The Organizationin Detail—The Multifold Activities of the League.

It is to Mr. A. M. Briggs of Chicago that credit shouldgo for the initial idea of the American Protective League.The first flash came many months before the declarationof war, although, for reasons outlined, it long was obviousthat we must eventually go to war.

The Department of Justice in Chicago was in a terriblycongested condition, and long had been, for the neutralitycases were piling up.

“I could get ten times as much done if I had men andmoney to work with,” said Hinton G. Clabaugh, Superintendentof the Bureau of Investigation. “There are thousandsof men who are enemies of this country and oughtto be behind bars, but it takes a spy to catch a spy, andI’ve got a dozen spies to catch a hundred thousand spiesright here in Chicago. They have motor cars against mystreet cars. They’re supplied with all the money theywant; my own funds are limited. We’re not at war. Allthis is civil work. We simply haven’t ways and meansto meet this emergency.”

“I can get ten or twenty good, quiet men with carswho’ll work for nothing,” said Mr. Briggs one day.“They’ll take either their business time or their leisuretime, or both, and join forces with you. I know we’re notat war, but we’re all Americans together.”

In that chance conversation—only we ought not to callit chance at all, but a thing foreordained—began the greatestsociety the world ever saw,—an army of men equippedwith money, brains, loyalty, which grew into one of themain legions of our defense. That army to-day probably[Pg 30]knows more about you and your affairs than you everthought anyone could know. If you were not and are notloyal, those facts are known and recorded, whether youlive in New York or California or anywhere between.

Once started, the voluntary service idea ran like wildfire.It began as a free taxicab company, working for themost impeccable and most dignified branch of our Government—thatbranch for which our people always have hadthe most respect.

The ten private cars grew to two dozen. As many quiet-faced,silent drivers as were necessary were always ready.Word passed among reliable business men, and they camequietly and asked what they could do. They were thebest men of the city. They worked for principle, not forexcitement, not in any vanity, not for any pay. It wasthe “live-wires” of the business world that were selected.They were all good men, big men, brave and able, elsethey must have failed, and else this organization nevercould have grown. It was secret, absolutely so; clandestineabsolutely, this organization of Regulators. But unlike theVigilantes, the Klu Klux, the Horse-Thief Detectors, it tookno punishments into its own hands. It was absolutely nonpartisan.It had then and has now no concern with laborquestions or political questions. It worked only as collectorof evidence. It had no governmental or legal statusat all. It tried no cases, suggested no remedies. It simplyfound the facts.

It became apparent that the City of Chicago was not allAmerica. These American men had America and not Chicagoat heart. Before long, five hundred men, in widelyseparated and sometimes overlapping sections, were atwork piling up evidence against German and pro-Germansuspects. These men began to enlist under them yet others.The thing was going swiftly, unaccountably swiftly.America’s volunteers were pouring out. The Minute Menwere afoot again, ready to fight.

This was in March of 1917. Even yet we were not atwar, though in the two years following the Lusitania murders,the world had had more and more proof of Germany’sheartless and dishonorable intentions. The snake was nowout of the leaves. The issue was joined. We all knew[Pg 31]that Washington soon would, soon must, declare war. Thecountry was uneasy, discontented, mutinous over the delay.

Meantime, all these new foci of this amateur organizationbegan to show problems of organization and administration.The several captains unavoidably lapped overone another in their work, and a certain loss in speed andefficiency rose out of this. The idea had proved good,but it was so good it was running away with itself! Noset of men could handle it except under a well-maturedand adequately-managed organization, worked out in detailfrom top to bottom.

We may not place one man in this League above another,for all were equal in their unselfish loyalty, from privateto general, from operative to inspector, and from inspectorto National Directors; but it is necessary to set down thebasic facts of the inception of the League in order thatthe vast volume and usefulness of its labors properly maybe understood. So it is in order now to describe how thisgreat army of workers became a unit of immense, unitedand effective striking power, how the swift and diversdevelopments of the original idea became coordinated intoa smooth-running machine, nation-wide in its activities.

Now at last, long deferred—too long—came April 6, 1917.The black headlines smote silence at every American table.

WAR!

We were at War! Men did not talk much. Motherslooked at their sons, wives at their husbands. Thousandsof souls had their Gethsemane that day. Now we were toplace our own breasts against the steel of Germany.

The cover was off. War—war to the end, now—war onboth sides of the sea—war against every form and phaseof German activity! America said aloud and firmly now,as, in her anguish, she had but recently whispered, “Ineed you, my children!” And millions of Americans, manyof them debarred from arms by age or infirmity, cameforward, each in his own way, and swore the oath.

The oath of the League spread. Not one city or state,but all America must be covered, and it must be done atonce. The need of a national administration became atonce imperative.

In this work on the neutrality cases Mr. Clabaugh and[Pg 32]his volunteer aids often were in Washington together.The Department of Justice, so far from finding thisunasked civilian aid officious, gladly hailed it as a practicalaid of immeasurable value. It became apparent that theLeague was bound to be national in every way at no lateday.

All this meant money. But America, unasked, openedher secret purse strings. Banks, prominent firms, loyalindividuals gave thousands and hundreds of thousands ofdollars for a work which they knew must be done ifAmerica was to be safe for decent men. And so the silentarmy of which you never knew, grew and marched outdaily. Your house, your neighbor’s, was known andwatched, guarded as loyal, circled as disloyal. The natureof your business and your neighbor’s was known—andtabulated. You do not know to-day how thoroughlyAmerica knows you. If you are hyphenated now, if youare disloyal to this flag, so much the worse for you.

It early became plain to manufacturers and owners oflarge industrial plants of all sorts that they were in immediatedanger of dynamite outrages. Many plants agreedto present to the League monthly a considerable checqueto aid the work of safeguarding. Many wealthy individualsgave additional amounts. A very considerable sumwas raised from the sale of badges to the operatives, itbeing explained to all that they were sold at a profit forthe benefit of the League. At all times large amountscame in, raised by State or local chiefs, each of whomknew his own community well. On one day in October,1917, a call went out to 6700 members of the League tomeet on a certain evening at Medinah Temple in Chicago,admission to be by credentials only. That meeting wasaddressed by Chiefs and others. In a short time $82,000was raised. Later on, certain bankers of national reputation—F.A. Vanderlip of New York, George M. Reynoldsof Chicago, Festus Wade of St. Louis, Stoddard Jess ofLos Angeles, and others—sent out an appeal to the bankersof America in the interests of the League. This perhapswould of itself have raised a half million more, but itcame among Liberty Loan activities, and before it wasfully under way, the news of the Armistice broke, which[Pg 33]automatically ended many things. But the American ProtectiveLeague had money. It can have all the money itmay need in any future day.

It was not until fall of 1917 that, in answer to theimperious demands of the swiftly grown association, nownumbering thousands in every State of the Union, and inorder to get into closer touch with the Department ofJustice, the League moved its headquarters from Chicagoto Washington. Mr. Charles Daniel Frey of Chicago, whohad worked out with his associates the details of a perfectlysubdivided organization, was made Captain U.S.A.and liaison officer for the League’s work with the MilitaryIntelligence Division of the Army, a division which itselfhad known great changes and rapid development. Thethree National Directors were now A. M. Briggs, Chairman;Captain Charles Daniel Frey, and Mr. Victor Elting,the latter gentleman, an attorney of Chicago, having beforenow proved himself of the utmost service in handlingcertain very tangled skeins. Mr. Elting had been AssistantChief in Chicago, working with Mr. Frey as Chief.Then later came on, from his League duties in Chicago,Mr. S. S. Doty, a man successful in his own businessorganization and of proved worth in working out detailsof organization. Many others from Chicago, in manycapacities, joined the personnel in Washington, and goodmen were taken on as needed and found. It would becheap to attempt mention of these, but it would be wrongnot to give some general mention of the men who actuallyhad in hand the formation of the League and the conductof its widely reaching affairs from that time until its closeat the end of the war. They worked in secrecy and theyasked no publicity then or now.

One thing must be very plain and clear. These men,each and all of them, worked as civilian patriots, and,except in a very few necessary clerical cases, without payof any sort. There was no mummery about the League,no countersigns or grips or passwords, no rituals, no rules.It never was a “secret society,” as we understand thatusually. It was—the American Protective League, deadlysimple, deadly silent, deadly in earnest. There has beenno glory, no pay, no publicity, no advertising, no reward[Pg 34]in the American Protective League, except as each man’sconscience gave him his best reward, the feeling that hehad fulfilled the imperative obligations of his citizenshipand had done his bit in the world’s greatest war.

By the time the League was in Washington, it had aquarter-million members. Its records ran into tons andtons; its clerical work was an enormous thing.

The system, swiftly carried out, was unbelievably successful.An unbelievable artesian fountain of Americanloyalty had been struck. What and how much work thatbody of silent men did, how varied and how imperativelyessential was the work they did, how thrillingly interestingit became at times as the netted web caught more andmore in its secret sweeping, must be taken up in laterchapters.

As to the total volume of the League’s work, it neverwill be known, and no figures will ever cover it more thanpartially. It handled in less than two years, for the WarDepartment alone, over three million cases. It spent millionsof dollars. It had a quarter million silent and resolutemen on its rolls. These men were the best of their communities.They did not work for pay. They workedfor duty, and worked harder than a like number in anyarmy of the world. Some of the things they did, some ofthe astonishing matters they uncovered, some of thestrange stories they unearthed, will be taken up in orderin the pages following, and in a way more specificallyinforming than has hitherto been attempted.

The League totals are tremendous, but the trouble withtotals is that they do not enter into comprehension. Amillion dollars means little as a phrase, if left barren ofsome yard-stick for comparative measurement. Thus,when we say that long ago the number of suspect casesinvestigated by the American Protective League had passedthe three-million mark, we hail the figures as grandiose,but have no personal idea of what they mean, no accurateconception of the multitude, the nature and the multiplicityin detail of the three million separate and distinctcases. It is when we begin to go into details as to thework and its organization from unit to block, from operativeto chief, that we begin to open our eyes.

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The government of this country had had thrown on itall at once a burden a thousand times as great as that oftimes of peace. We had to raise men and money, munitions,food, fuel for ourselves and all the world. We werenot prepared. We had to learn all at once the one andhardest thing—one which America never yet had learned—economy.We had to do all the active and positive materialthings necessary to put an Army in the field acrossseas—build ships, fabricate ordnance, arm large bodies ofmen, train them, feed them, get their fighting morale onedge.

Yes, all these things—but this was only part. Our negativedefense, our silent forces also had to be developed.We had to learn economy—and suspicion. That last washard to learn. Just as delay and breakdowns happenedin other branches of the suddenly overloaded government,so a breakdown in the resources of the Department of Justice—leastknown but most valuable portion of our nation’sgovernmental system—was a thing imminent. That wasbecause of the swift multiplication of the list of entirelynew things that had to be looked into with justice, andyet with speed. It is not too much to say that withoutthe inspired idea of the American Protective League, itsWeb spread out behind the lines, there could not long havebeen said in the full confidence of to-day, “God reigns,and the Government at Washington still lives.”

Besides being an auxiliary of the Department of Justice,the League was the active ally also of the Department ofWar, of the Navy, of the State, of the Treasury. It workedfor the Shipping Board, the Fuel and Food Administrations,and the Alien Property Custodian. It ran down, inits less romantic labors, sugar-allowance violators, violatorsof the gasless-Sunday laws, the lightless-day laws, violatorsof the liquor laws, as well as the large offenders—the spieswho got internment or the penitentiary as the penalty ofgetting caught. All these large and small activities maybe understood by a glance at the report-sheet of any divisionchief. The heads and sub-heads will show the differentiation.The chart following this chapter will show themethod of organizing the League’s personnel which was usedin practically all the great cities. The table of dates which[Pg 36]immediately follows, sets forth in outline the League’s earlyhistory, and indicates the rapidly broadening character ofthe League’s work.

This will close a brief and necessarily incomplete reviewof the widely ramified nature of that Web which Americamade over night in her time of need.

There was also a confidential pamphlet, originally sentonly to members, which elaborates and makes clear thebasic purposes of the League, whose personnel and methodsalready have been covered. It is given in full as AppendixB. A great historic interest attaches to this document,which tells the complete inside story of the League andthe manner in which it first was organized for its work.It is not necessary to say that this now appears before theeyes of the general public for the first time.

Lastly, there is for the first time made public the solemnoath taken by each member of the American Protective[Pg 37]League. Years hence, this page will have historic value.It records one of the most singular phenomena of theAmerican civilization.

THE OATH OF MEMBERSHIP

[Pg 38]

CHAPTER III
EARLY DAYS OF THE LEAGUE

“D.J.” and “A.P.L.”—The Personal Statement of theChicago Division Superintendent of the U. S. Bureau ofInvestigation—Early Days of the League—The NationUnprepared—Swift Rallying of the Minute Men.

“Without exaggeration, I think the Chicago Division ofthe American Protective League did seventy-five per centof the Government investigating work of the Chicago districtthroughout the period of the war. It seems to me thatthis one sentence covers the situation.”—Hinton G. Clabaugh,Chicago Agent, U. S. Department of Justice.

In previous pages a general outline of the birth andgrowth of the American Protective League has been given,with a general statement also as to its wide usefulnessin the exigencies of the tremendous days of the worldwar. There will be, however, many thousands of the membersof the League, and a like number of the lay public,who will be curious as to the specific and more personalfacts surrounding the early days of the organization. Suchfacts are part of the country’s history as well as that ofthe League, and therefore ought to be recorded, andrecorded accurately and indisputably.

Mr. Hinton G. Clabaugh, division superintendent of theBureau of Investigation of the U. S. Department of Justice,was asked for a written brief, historically covering thejoint activities of the Department of Justice and its A.P.L.auxiliary in Chicago during the early period of the war.The admirably comprehensive record which Mr. Clabaughhas furnished appears in this volume as Appendix A.

No statement of facts and figures, however, or of datesand details, can really cover the story of the AmericanProtective League. It has a character and a history which[Pg 39]refuse to classify or to run parallel with other organizations.It was an idea born out of a vast necessity, andits growth seemed to be a thing apart from ordinary businessmethods. Indeed, it sprang into such rapid staturethat in large part its officers followed it rather than led it.It was almost sporadic in a thousand towns, so quicklydid the achievement of organization follow the realizationof the need. Thereafter came the days of national organization,of system, patience, perseverance, and efficiency,which made it a well-knit power in all parts of thecountry.

It was Mr. Clabaugh’s privilege to have lent aid and encouragementin the days when the League was not yet areality, the early days when all was nebulous, when noone knew anyone else, and when cases were pouring intoD.J. that had to be handled in the best way possible andat the first moment possible.

The A.P.L. has always served the regular organizationof the law, has always worked with or under the supervisionof the D.J. bureau chief nearest at hand, and,indeed, never pretended to do more than that. But thiscoöperation and interlocking of forces was an easier thingfor D.J. superintendents elsewhere, later in the game, afterA.P.L. had become an accepted success all over thecountry.

It was at the very beginning that the greatest difficultieshad to be met, and it was during these early troubled daysof the League that its history became inseparably linkedwith that of the Chicago bureau of the Department of Justice.Set down in a seething center of alien activity—forso we may justly call Chicago in the early days of thiswar—with only a handful of men to rely on, with no laws,no precedents, no support, no help, no past like to the present,and no future that could be predicated on anythingthat had gone before, Mr. Clabaugh’s bureau was the firstto get swamped with the neutrality cases—and the firstto be offered counsel, friendship, support, help, money, menand methods, all in quality and amount fitted to win theday for him at once. The Clabaugh story, therefore, is themost important one told by any bureau chief, and it ishistorically indispensable.

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It is all very well to have confidence in our governmentand to believe in a general way that it cannot err andcannot fail, but government in peace and government inwar times are two distinct and separate propositions. Thesheer truth is that there was absolutely no arm or branchof our government which was prepared for war. In part,we never did get prepared for it, so far as essential equipmentof a military sort is concerned. In artillery, in aeroplanes,in various sorts of munitions and of equipment, wewere not ready for war when the Armistice was signed.We had no adequate military or intelligence system, andthe splendid force built up as M.I.D. was built after thewar was begun and not before. In the same way—although,of course, we had the American faith and respectfor our courts, believing them to be in some way supernalinstitutions which could not err and which needed no attentionon the part of the people—our judiciary also wasunprepared for war. It never would have been preparedfor war—never in the world—had it not been for theAmerican Protective League. It is certainly a mostcurious, almost an uncanny story, how the Minute Men ofAmerica once more saved the day, responding instantly toa great national need, not knowing overmuch of this newgame, but each resolved to fight—each, if you please, resolvingin unheroic and undramatic way—in much thesame frame of mind of those men at Verdun who wroteon the page of martial history the clarion phrase, “Theyshall not pass!”

The enemy did not pass in Chicago, nor in New York,nor in San Francisco, nor in any place between. Notprepared—a whole nation in shirtsleeves at the plow—webecame prepared. We fought with one hand, while, withthe other, we buttoned on the new tunic for which we hadnot yet been measured, and in Army, Navy, Aviation, Intelligence,Supply, Motor Transport and Department ofJustice, we learned as we fought—and won. The organizationof the American Protective League reveals a curiousphase of life in this republic. It could not have takenplace in any other country of the world.

“A word as to the Chicago organization is in order,”says the writer of this first report of D.J. on A.P.L.[Pg 41]“The work of the League was presumed to be to reportmatters of a disloyal nature that came to the attentionof the members and to see that they were brought to theattention of the proper Government officials. However,the work of the agents of the Bureau itself increased sorapidly at this time that it was a physical impossibilityfor the small number to handle the same, and by degreesmembers of the League who showed aptitude for the workwere called upon to assist the agents of the Bureau. Gradually,more and more work was thrown on the League untilpractically all complaints coming to the Bureau by mail wereturned over to the League for them to investigate.”

If, during the later months of the war, you had visitedthe Department of Justice in the Federal Building in Chicago,you would have found extensive and well-equippedoffices, ably manned and humming with activity. Yet theChicago department, though large in personnel and efficientin administration, was greatly overworked in thishotbed of pro-German and enemy spy activity.

After leaving the Federal Building, let us say, you hadalso decided to visit the headquarters of the volunteerorganization in Chicago. Less than a block away from thefederal offices, in a stately building given over entirely tothe housing of organizations whose sole aim and purposewas the winning of the war, you would have found a setof offices as large, as well equipped, as full of filed records,and of as able a personnel as those of the U. S. bureau.There would be this difference: the latter offices—thoseof the American Protective League—were run by men whogot no pay—and there were almost one hundred times asmany of them as there were of the D.J. workers. Yetthe two great organizations are parts of the same system,and have worked together in perfect harmony and mutualbenefit. Together, they have held German crime andespionage helpless in Chicago all through the war.

Of course, the tremendously expensive operations of solarge a secret service organization could be met only bylarge-handed voluntary giving on the part of private citizens.For instance, the office rent alone of the A.P.L.in Chicago ran into thousands of dollars monthly. It wasall carried by one public utility concern, the Commonwealth[Pg 42]Edison Company, which turned over theneeded space in a building which formerly housed its ownoffices. It is a part of the private history of the Departmentof Justice, scarcely if ever mentioned, that long beforethe idea of the American Protective League wasbroached—indeed, at the time when we had just severeddiplomatic relations with Germany—Mr. Samuel Insull,afterward Chairman of the State Council of Defense forIllinois, called on Mr. Clabaugh and offered financial aidto the Bureau of Investigation. He said: “I know howmeager your resources are, and I believe there is a lot oftrouble not far ahead. Let me know if you need men ormoney, and I’ll see that you get both.” This, of course,had nothing to do with the later organization of theLeague, nor with the idea on which it is based, but Mr.Clabaugh always has said that Mr. Insull was the firstprivate citizen to his knowledge to offer financial aid to theU. S. Government.

The public has heard more of “D.J.” than it has of“A.P.L.” for obvious reasons. Of the two great officesystems, one has been running for many years as aknown part of the Federal Government. The other wastwo years old, and was always secret in its work andpersonnel. If it ever were a question of credit or “glory,”the palm must go and has gone to the Federal arm, becausethat is where the dénouements of cases had their home,and where publication of the printable facts originated.A.P.L. carried the evidence to the door of D.J. andstopped. It started cases, but did not finish them.

The public never had more than a very vague idea ofthe workings of the vast duo-fold machine which held lifeand property in America so safe in the dangerous days ofthe war. For instance, the average man reading newspapermention of Mr. Clabaugh’s activities as bureau head,usually thought of him as public prosecutor. He was notthat. It was his duty, as it was the League’s duty, only toprocure testimony. His work was not of the legal branch,and he himself never has been admitted to the bar, althoughhe—with his auxiliary, A.P.L.—has won thelargest and most stubbornly fought criminal cases in thehistory of the country, and is devoutly feared to-day bycountless I.W.W.’s not yet arrested.

[Pg 43]

The story of all these curiously interactive agencies,official and amateur, is indeed the greatest detective storyin the world, and it is very difficult to measure it in full,or to visualize it in detail, so simply did it all happen, sonaturally, so swiftly and so much as a matter of course.There is no like proof in history of the ability of theAmerican people to govern itself and to take care of itself.Mr. Clabaugh’s vivid and accurate story will bear out allthese statements, and it is requested that it be read byall who wish a clear and consecutive acquaintance with thehistory of the American Protective League. Attention isagain called to it as printed in full in Appendix A.

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CHAPTER IV
THE LEAGUE IN WASHINGTON

Summary of the League’s Results Throughout the UnitedStates—Report of the National Directors—Facts, Figuresand Totals for All the Divisions.

Facts now may be made public property which untillately might not have been divulged. We therefore shallfind profit now in studying the central organization bymeans of which the aroused Americans combined to fightthe hidden forces of their unscrupulous enemy. The originand growth, the general plans and methods of the AmericanProtective League, have been explained; and it willnow be well, before we pass on to the specific story of theLeague’s activities, to give some idea of the wide-reachingconsolidation of those activities which followed upon theestablishment of the National Headquarters.

The report of any official may seem dry and formal, butthe records should be made to show how America’s amateurScotland Yard organized to fight the forces of Germanyall over America. This portion of the League’sstory is therefore of great value to anyone desirous ofknowing the logical steps by which the League developedinto a truly national institution.

The liaison officer of the National Directors, CaptainCharles Daniel Frey, made his report and summary ofNovember, 1918, to Colonel K. C. Masteller of the GeneralStaff, Chief of the negative branch of the Military IntelligenceDivision. This report was a general assemblingof the national activities of the League up to the time ofthe signing of the Armistice. Certain extracts are madein consonance with the general outline above indicated.It should be noted that this report covers only a portionof the League’s work in Washington. The Department of[Pg 45]Justice figures, as was to be expected, exceeded those ofany other branch of the League’s work. The War Departmenttotals were also very high—evidence of servicerendered by the League which the War Department alwayshas been very courteous and grateful in acknowledging.Captain Frey’s report reads:

A very prominent phase of work in which the A.P.L.was of use to the War Department is covered very well bythe comment of the Department of Justice regarding thelaw under which the American Army was raised:

A curious personal quality attaches to the study of thework of the American Protective League, which is perhapsattributable to the fact that all the members were amateursonly and altogether unpaid. No doubt, did space and formallimitations permit, a very widespread comment on thepersonal relations of the members of the League to theLeague itself would be acceptable to many readers.Within the limits available, however, a certain martialseverity and impersonality must be employed. None theless, there ought to be some brief mention made of the workof the National Directors after the establishment of theWashington office. In this connection it is fitting that thenames of those men should be mentioned who labored soearnestly and so well to make the work of A.P.L. of vitalimportance in the winning of the war.

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The enormous growth of the American Protective Leaguein so short a time is sufficient evidence in itself that a vast,pressing need existed for the service it rendered. Indeed,the great local activity of the League became a nationalactivity in record time. Reports piled in from all over thecountry; the detail of correspondence became enormous; thefiling of records an endless task. All at once the NationalDirectors of the American Protective League found theyhad taken over a business—one of the largest businesseswith which any one of them had ever been identified. Itwould not be too much to say that they worked day andnight for a long period. Their task was a very heavy one,but they brought to it a knowledge of large business affairsand a quality of perseverance which saw them through.

The original headquarters of the League were at 1537 EyeStreet, Northwest, an old Washington residence—a quaintand none too convenient business home. All the directorslived in the upper part of this building, and such was thecrowded and impractical form of Washington life at thetime that they were glad to sleep and sometimes cook theirmeals in the same building where they did their work. Sucha thing as rest or leisure were unknown for two years’ time.No one who has not been in part acquainted with Washingtonin war times knows the handicap under which all suchwork needed to be done. Transportation, living accommodations,clerical help—everything, in that period of the war,became a problem or an obstacle of a very considerable sort.It was faith and enthusiasm which carried these men through,as was the case with their associates all over America.

So, gradually, from this central office, the web of theAmerican Protective League was extended until it reachedinto every state and territory of the Union, and until eachline of communication was one of interchange of intelligencefrom and to the central headquarters. It is only by referenceto the portion of this history marked as “The FourWinds”—showing briefs of reports from all over the Union—thatany just knowledge can be gained of the tremendousvolume of work done by the central headquarters. Nor doesthe assemblage offered give more than a mere indication ofthat volume, because thousands of reports have, for reasonsof space, received no notice whatever, unfair as that must[Pg 54]always seem to everyone identified with the compilation ofthis history.

In the fall of 1918, headquarters were moved from 1537Eye Street to 1719 H Street, Northwest, another old timeWashington residence of stately sort, which remained thehome of the National Headquarters until the signing of theArmistice and the dissolution of the League itself. HereMr. Briggs, Captain Frey and Mr. Elting remained until theend of the game in charge of a loyal band of workers. Forall of these men, and those associated with them, there remainthe recollection of a hectic two years of high speedwork, in connection with financial loss to everyone engagedin it.

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CHAPTER V
THE LAW AND ITS NEW TEETH

Insufficiency of the Espionage Laws at the Outbreak of theWar—Getting Results—The Amended Espionage Act—TheLaw of 1798 Revived—Statement of the AttorneyGeneral of the United States.

If predisposed to alien enemy sympathy, a critic mightdeclare that the League was made up of individual buccaneers,who did high-handed things and escaped punishmenttherefor only because of the general confusion due to a stateof war. Nothing could be more unjust or farther from thetruth than such a belief. On the contrary, the League andthe Department of Justice as well felt continually held backand hampered by respect for laws admittedly inadequate.

We had matured a great system of jurisprudence, sufficientfor ordinary needs. Moreover, when war began, wehad passed more laws adjusted to the new needs; but it is acurious fact that, threatened as we were by Germany’s perfectedsystem of espionage and propaganda, we had no actualstatute by which we adequately could cope with it until May,1918—more than a year after we went to war, and less thansix months before the end of the war.

In the spring of 1918, the National Directors began, underthe editorship of Daniel V. Casey, the issue of a League organor confidential bulletin, called “The Spy Glass.” Thefirst number of the publication, in June of that year, tookup the amended Espionage Act, which was the base of practicallyall of the A.P.L. and D.J. work during the war.This amendment rebuilt and stiffened the original EspionageAct of June 15, 1917, which had been found insufficient, and“put teeth in the law,” as the Attorney General’s officephrased it. “The Spy Glass” printed a digest of the newenactment, which is of essential interest at this point of theLeague’s story as it determined the whole character of the[Pg 56]League’s later activities. This summarization of the EspionageAct is printed as Appendix C in the present volume.

Up to the close of 1917, we had had, duly amended, manynational statutes covering treason and sedition, foreign andhostile connections, pretending to be an officer, enticing todesertion or strikes, trespassing at military places, falselyclaiming citizenship, aiding or counseling offense, wearinguniform unlawfully, conspiracy, neutrality, counterfeitingseals, use of mails, trading with the enemy, censorship, foreignlanguage news items, sabotage, etc., as well as manyspecific enactments controlling persons liable for militaryservice, and covering the increase of the army, the questionsof evasion, desertion, etc. These powers, broad as they werealready, were extended under the blanket power of theArticles of War, to cover fraud, desertion, mutiny, insubordination,misbehavior before the enemy, traitors and spies,murder, rape and other crimes, and the general conduct anddiscipline of those in military service.

Not even all these laws, however, were found to stand theextreme demands put on the country by thousands of newand wholly unforeseen exigencies. As a matter of fact, oneof the most useful of all our laws against enemy aliens andspies was one not up-to-date at all, but dating back to Revolutionarytimes; that is to say, July 6, 1798![1]

This old law was unearthed by the agents of the Departmentof Justice. It gave almost blanket powers to the Presidentof the United States, and it was under the President’sproclamations, based on that old law, that most of the earlyinternment arrests were made. The old law, long disused,was found to work perfectly still! It was extended in forceby the regulations controlling enemy aliens.[2]

It became the duty of the newly organized League to takeon the accumulation of testimony under all these new laws;and what that was to mean may be forecast from the commentof the Attorney General of the United States in hisannual report for 1918:

Such, then, was the ultimate machinery of our nationallaws when, late, but with such speed as a willing Congresscould give after the gauntlet was flung and the issue joined,we began to face in dead earnest the peril of the times. Wenow had at last a full set of laws with teeth in them. Butit was a tremendous burden that the older institutions ofour administrative machinery had to carry. In sooth, theload was too much. The machinery buckled under it. Wecould not do the work we had to get done.

That work was more than ever had been asked of anynation of the world. We had a mixed population of whollyunknown disposition. Some said we delayed going to warfor so long because we were not sure our people would backthe Government. That, surely, could be the only reason forthe delay. All the races of the world were seething in rageand jealousy. We had racial war within our borders. Wecould not count on our own friends. We could not predictas to what percent of men would be loyal to our flag. Wehad two million men of German blood inside our borders,[Pg 58]guaranteed by their Kaiser to be loyal to Germany. Andlong before we had gone to war, we had had abundant proofof their disloyalty to us, of their hatred for Britain andFrance, and their discontent with our own neutrality. Wehad openly been warned by the German Kaiser that hecounted on the loyalty to Germany of many or most of thesem*n. Fear alone held the average pro-German back. Butit did not hold back their seasoned spies and the agents whoworked under cover. The sudden cessation of pro-Germantalk which fell when we declared war deceived none but thepacifists. The boasts of German-Americans as to their holdingsin Liberty Bonds deceived not at all the men who hadsat and listened on the inside; for even at this time the recordswere piling up—records of private acts and words oftreason to America which had been noted by the A.P.L.The full record of German craft and duplicity, of treacheryand treason to America, never will be made public. It wasalike a loathsome and a dangerous thing.

Obviously, the hands of our Government sorely neededupholding. Who was to do that? Who would apply allthese laws now that we had them? Who should watch twomillion tight-mouthed men whose homes were here but whosehearts were still in Germany? Who could cope with 300,000spies, in part trained and paid spies, many of whom weresent over to America long before Germany declared the warwhich was “forced” on her?

That was what the American Protective League alreadywas doing when war was declared; it is what it has done eversince, loyalty, patiently, indefatigably, to an enormous andunknown extent, in an unbelievable variety of detail. Ifever you have held its members irresponsible or deemed themactuated by any but good motives, cease to do so now. Beyondall men of this generation they have proven that patriotismis not dead.

The enforcement of the President’s proclamation governingthe conduct of enemy aliens in this country entailed atremendous amount of D.J. work, the larger part of whichdevolved upon the agents of the League. Thousands of investigationsof alien Germans were made under its provisions.Numerically speaking, however, the work in that imperativelynecessary line yielded to the more thankless laborof slacker and deserter hunting.

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The function of the League in all these matters is obvious.No case at law will “stick” unless supported by competenttestimony. We have seen that the League was organized forthe collection of evidence, and for nothing else. Limited asits power was, it really saved the day for our hard-pressedcountry. It increased our Army by many thousands ofevaders whom it found and turned over to the militaryauthorities. It put hundreds of aliens into internment. Itapprehended plotters and prevented consummation of conspiraciesbeyond number. It kept down the danger of thatlarge disloyal element, and held Germany in America safewhile we went on with the open business of war in the field.It is by no means too much to say that much of the Kaiser’sdisappointment over his German-American revolt was duenot so much to any loyalty to the American flag—for of allof our racial representatives, the Germans are the most clannishlyand tenaciously loyal to their own former flag—as itwas to fear of the silent and stern hand searching out in thedark and taking first one and then another German or pro-Germanaway from the scenes that erstwhile had known him.It was fear that held our enemy population down—fear andnothing else. It was the League’s silent and mysteriouserrand to pile up good reason for that fear.

At the crack of war, certain hundreds of dangerous alienswere interned at once. They simply vanished, that was all,behind the walls of camps or of prisons. It will be mistakenmercy if we shall not deport thousands more when we shallhave the time deliberately to do that. Fear is the one thingsuch men understand. Honor and loyalty, terms interdependentand inseparable, are unknown to them. Too manyGermans loved America only because they made moneyeasily here. Their real flag still was across the sea, exceptas they had raised it here in their churches and their schools.

It was sometimes rumored that many spies were shotsecretly in America. That would have been done in Germany—aswitness the deaths of Edith Cavell and others.It was not done here. We did not kill a single spy, a singletraitor,—more is the pity. By reason of the fact that wehad outspied Germany’s vaunted espionage, we nipped inthe bud none knows how many plots and conspiracies whichotherwise would have matured in ruin to life and property.[Pg 60]We did not shoot known spies, but we garroted them in thedark and hurried them to jail. That agency of the law isbest, after all, which keeps crime from becoming crime. Wedid not wait for overt acts—we filled our prisons before theacts were done! That is why the public was obliged to romanceas to German spies. They are in jail. The report ofthe Department of Justice itself, of June, 1918, on these waractivities will in this connection prove interesting reading:

In his annual report, issued December 5, 1918, subsequentto the signing of the armistice, the Attorney General statedthat six thousand alien enemies had been arrested on presidentialwarrants, based on the old law of 1798. Of these, a“considerable number” were placed in the internment campsin charge of the Army. The majority of these were Germanmen and women, with a certain number of Austro-Hungarians.He concludes: “I do not want to create the impressionthat there is no danger from German spies and Germansympathizers. There are thousands of persons in this countrywho would injure the United States in this war if theycould do so with safety to themselves. However, they areno more anxious to be hanged than you are.”

The foregoing will show, to any student of the strange andcomplex situation which has confronted America at homethese last four years, the main facts as to the emergencieswe met and the means by which we met them.

The surprising thing is that we Americans have not knownourselves! A thoughtful study of the American ProtectiveLeague is not a mere yawning over phrases of the law anymore than it is a mere dipping into exciting or mystifyingexperiences. It is more than that. It is an excursion intoa new and unexplored region in America—into the veryheart of America itself.

CHAPTER VI
GERMAN PROPAGANDA

How the Poison was Spread—The Press—The Pulpit—TheWord-of-Mouth Rumor—Various Canards DirectedAgainst American Morale—Stories and Instances of theHun’s Subtlety.

Germany made two mistakes—one in beginning the war,the other in losing it. The world has reckoned with her farotherwise than as she hoped. Now she learns what it is tofeel defeat. Shrewd as the shrewdest, more patient than themost patient, not lacking courage while victory was with her—yetalways showing that peculiar German clumsiness ofintellect—Germany fought with trained skill on both sidesthe sea. The world knows the story of the battles in France.Let us now study the battles fought in silence in America.

In actual practice the various secret methods which theGermans employed in America could not always be definedone from the other. A certain confusion and over-lappingexisted between the spy systems and those of propagandaand sabotage. Often one man might practice all three.The purpose of this chapter is to take the humblest formof German secret work in America, that practiced by theleast skilled and most numerous branch of her spies—thesort of thing which usually is classified as propaganda.

Let no one undervalue the work of propaganda. No armyis better than its morale, and no army’s morale is better thanthat of the people which send it to the front. The entirepurpose of enemy propaganda is to lessen the morale eitherof an army or a people; and that precisely was Germany’spurpose with us.

Anything is good propaganda which makes a people nervous,uneasy or discontented. Many of the stories which Germanyspread in America seemed clumsy at first, they wereso easily detected. Yet they did their work, even though[Pg 63]sometimes it would have seemed that the rumors put outwere against Germany and not for her. These rumors, repeatedand varied, did serve a great purpose in America—theymade us restless and uneasy. That certainly is true.

One of the favorite objects of the German propaganda wasthe Red Cross work. Hardly any American but has heardone or other story about the Red Cross. The result has beena very considerable lessening of the public confidence in thatgreat organization. The average man never runs down anyrumor of this sort. At first he does not believe what hehears. At the fourth or fifth story of different sorts, allaiming at one object, he begins to hesitate, to doubt. Withoutany question, the Red Cross has suffered much fromGerman propaganda. Not that this organization should becalled perfect, for such was not the case with any war organization.Not that the Y.M.C.A. work was perfect, for itwas far from that. But the point is that all of these organizations,all the war charities, all the war relief organizations,were more nearly perfect than German propaganda has allowedus to believe. The most cruel and malicious statementsagainst the Red Cross, wholly without foundation,were made, with apparent feeling of all lack of responsibility,by German-loving persons in all parts of the country. Acomplaint came to Washington Headquarters all the wayfrom Portland, Oregon. Comment is unnecessary:

I am informed that one Bertha A——, who is in theGovernment service, Bureau of Aircraft Production, ExecutiveDepartment, Cable Section, office in “D” Building, 4½ MissouriAvenue, Washington, D. C., has written a letter to a friend ofhers here that a ward in one of the hospitals in Washingtonhad been set aside for some seventy-five girls who were workingin the different bureaus in Washington and had becomepregnant since arriving in Washington; and that it was rumoredthat there were about three hundred in addition to theabove who had been sent home for the same reason. Wouldsuggest that she be interviewed. We will look up her antecedentshere and if possible secure the letter which she haswritten or copy thereof. Upon being advised that such aletter had been written, I interviewed the husband of thelady to whom the letter was written, he being bailiff in oneof the circuit courts here, and he stated that the quotation asmade above was substantially correct.

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Nearly everyone has heard the story of the Red Crosssweater which had a five-dollar bill pinned to it for thelucky unknown soldier who might be the recipient. Thissweater is always reported to have been sold and to haveturned up in some part of America with the proof attachedto it. In no instance has there been any foundation for thisrumor. A like baselessness marks the stories of Red Crossgraft and misappropriation of funds and waste of money.No doubt there was a certain amount of inefficiency in thiswork; but that the Red Cross was looted or conducted bydishonest persons was never believed to be true even by theGerman agents who started the stories.

During the time of the influenza epidemic, a common storywas that doctors had been found spreading influenza germsin the cantonments. It was reported, as no doubt everyreader will remember, that two doctors had been shot in onepost. Sometimes the story would come from a man who gotit from an enlisted man who had been one of the firing squadwho had executed several doctors in this way. There wasnot a word of truth in any of this. The inoculation propagandawas German propaganda, pure and simple. It mightnot seem clear how such mendacity could be of direct helpto Germany; but it had this result—it made American mothersand fathers more uneasy about their sons. It madethem want to keep their boys at home.

The powdered glass rumor was one of the most widelyspread instances of German propaganda. Who has notheard it divulged in secrecy by some woman, with the injunctionthat not a word must be said about it? A Germannurse had been detected putting powdered glass in therolled surgical bandages in the Red Cross work rooms. Shehad disappeared before she could be arrested, and she hadnot left her name. That mysterious German woman whoworked with the Red Cross is still absent. The rumors ofpowdered glass in bandages have been practically groundless—onlyone division, that in upper New Jersey, reportsany case of that sort actually run down. The charges ofpowdered glass in food sent to the soldiers or put in tinnedgoods have been found equally baseless. Two cases of glassfound in food stuffs are authentically reported,—both accidents,and the glass was broken and not powdered.

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The charges of poisoned wells around cantonments wasanother canard. Rumors came out that horses, and menalso, had been killed by the poisoned water. The entireinvestigating force of the United States has found one caseof poisoned water in a horse trough in West Virginia—andno horse drank of it. The charges about poisoned court-plasterwere proved to be equally groundless—indeed, theywould seem to be of small reason in any case, because, ifGermany was putting out the court-plaster, why should shespeak of it; and why should America put it out at all? Thepsychology of it is this: anything which makes the peoplefeel uneasy or anxious is good propaganda for the enemy.

Stories were spread very widely at one time that Canadaand England were not practicing food conservation—that wewere shipping our food to England and she was eating itwithout reservation, whereas we were denying ourselvessugar and butter. Perhaps you had best talk with someonewho lived in England during the war as to the truth of that.It was one of the many German lies. There was the chargethat the price of gasoline was due to the fact that the StandardOil Company was dumping and wasting large quantitiesof gasoline. There was nothing in that, of course.

The report of Polish pogroms, general Jew killing expeditionsby the Poles, were magnified and distorted, all withthe purpose of making both the Poles and Jews dissatisfiedwith the conduct of the war. Continually these anti-Allystories got out, and always they were hard to trace.

This form of propaganda, spread by word of mouth, wasthe most insidious and most widely spread of all forms. Itwas of course, made the more easy by the excited state ofmind of the people during war times. You will rememberthat you yourself bought more newspapers than you everdid in your life—you looked for new headlines, new sensations,all the time. At home, your wife also was eager forsensations, for the news, for the gossip. It was ready forher and every member of her family, and her neighbors andneighbors’ families. The spread of a rumor is not governedby the laws of evidence; and hearsay testimony rarely isgiven twice the same—it always grows.

Into this form of German propaganda came spite workagainst German-Americans who themselves were loyal. A[Pg 66]great deal of League activity had to do with running downrumors against persons declared to be pro-German. Sometimesthese things were found baseless; and again enoughpro-Germanism was found to warrant a stern rebuke.

Sometimes, public speakers, well trained in their tasks,put out propaganda which at the time seemed an innocentstatement of facts. To the Lake Placid Club of New Yorkcame a certain “Belgian officer” who spoke very good English,and who purported to be able to tell all about the war.He made a long speech, regarding which many members ofthe local Red Cross complained bitterly to the AmericanProtective League. This man’s talk, while purporting to bethat of an ally of this country, was really German propaganda.He denied or justified German atrocities, deploredRed Cross knitting, declared it would take ten million Americansto beat the Germans; that they were going into a hellof vermin, dirt and disease; that our army as yet was difficultto find. There was a German orchestra at the Club,supposed to have come from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.They all applauded vociferously when the speakermade such statements as, “After the war there will be aday of reckoning.” Further details, which proved that thisspeaker really was spreading German propaganda, led tohis being traced to New York. He was found to have workedat different times in Iowa, Kansas, and elsewhere. The lastreport was that he was supposed to have sailed for his nativecountry.

There was no way, shape nor manner in which Germanydid not endeavor to embarrass us. She had, besides her carefullytrained public speakers, her secret workers who hadassigned to them definite objectives. For instance, it wasknown that the negro race would furnish a considerablenumber of soldiers for our army. A very wide Germanpropaganda existed among the negroes in Georgia and Carolina,and in such northern cities as Indianapolis, where largenumbers of that race were located. A certain German wasindicted under seven counts for this manner of activity. Itwas proved that he had told a great many negro privates inthe army that they would be mutilated if captured, andthat they were going to starve to death in France if theyever got across. The horrors of war with the American[Pg 67]forces were pointed out to these simple people; but, on theother hand it was explained to them that if they wouldwork for the German interests, they would be allowed to setup a government of their own in America if Germany wonthe war! They were told Germany loved the negroes andbelieved in their equality with the white race in every way,and would support their government when once her war waswon! One such secret German worker among colored soldiersand civilians was M. F—— of New York, indictedunder seven counts in June, 1918, under the newEspionage Law. F—— put out much the same story tofrighten the negroes and make them discontented—wholesalemutilation at the hands of Germans if they were captured inFrance. He declared that their eyes would be gouged outand their ears cut off. He also said that Germany was allowingour transports to reach Europe unharmed becauseshe wanted a lot of Americans in France, where, after cuttingoff their supplies, she intended to starve them all todeath.

This looks like making out a bad case for Germany—butsoftly. F—— also said that, on the other hand, Germanydid not want to kill the negroes if they would not fight;that if only they would work for Germany’s interests, theyshould have their own country and their own government.Stories like this were circulated in the South and amongcities in the North with a heavy negro population. F——was the first propagandist to be caught with the goods. Hewas talking much with colored privates in the draft army.

Of course, a prime object of propaganda was to obstructthe draft and to prevent the shipment of munitions. Itlargely failed, as everyone knows. But still it cannot besaid that Germany did not invest such money well as shespent on her secret pro-German propaganda in America.She knew that she had ruined Russia by propaganda. Wemight further have learned the danger of propaganda as aweapon had we heard the rumor that Germany herself hadher collapse hastened by propaganda which Great Britainmanaged to spread among her people. It is a matter of historythat German propaganda caused the Italian debacle inthe first Austrian advance into Italy.

Nor is it to be believed that Germany has ceased in her[Pg 68]propaganda. She does not believe herself defeated evennow. The undying occult spirit of the old Teutonic Knightsstill lives to-day in America. Now, you will begin to hearattempts to make us dislike England, attempts to incite Irelandto revolt against England, attempts to make us dislikeFrance, stories that England and France owe us much foreverything they gave us in the way of equipment, aeroplanes,munitions; stories that we will never get back any of themoneys we loaned to the Allies; stories of how simple andinnocent the German people are, how anxious they are tobe friendly to America. That is all propaganda. By thistime we ought to know how to value it.

Of course, the German language papers in this countrywere hotbeds of propaganda and sedition. Some of themwere suppressed by the censorship, some by the indignantAmerican people who informed the courts of justice. Mostof them by this time have become tame since they have seenthe penitentiary sentences imposed upon the more outspokenof these German editors living in America. These foreignlanguage papers were prominent in New York, Chicago,Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and other cities. Theyshow the strength of German sentiment in America. Everyone of them was a center of propaganda, at first outspoken,then more careful. The great majority of these papers, inorder to protect their business investments, tried to cover upwhen they found which way the wind was setting. Thecensorship officers were flooded with complaints against thesepapers. For instance, there came all the way from Indianapolisa complaint against a paper printed in Baltimore,Maryland, “The Bavarian Weekly.” A.P.L. had manyextended translations of articles printed in this paper, thegeneral tenor of which was a laudation of Germany andGerman methods. One wonders what Germany would havedone to any American newspaper printed within the confinesof Germany which might have expressed such hostilesentiments against the country harboring it.

In addition to these, there were, of course, the Englishlanguage papers which for one reason or another werecovertly or outspokenly in favor of Germany. Papers allthe way from New York to Pueblo, Colorado, were boughtor were attempted to be bought outright by German capital.[Pg 69]The most sensational scandals of this sort came out of NewYork.

It is known that in many towns the German elementundertook to sow seeds of discontent in the minds of savingsbank depositors. Rumors got out—no one could tellwhere they started—to the effect that the United StatesGovernment was going to confiscate all the savings of thepeople; that the bonds would never be paid off. Of course,all this was absurd, but it had its effect upon servant girlsand others who were loyally putting their savings into thesecurities of the government. It cost a great deal of timeand expense to run down such rumors.

The pulpit was a recognized part of the German systemof spy work in America, as has elsewhere been noted. Itis not just to accuse all Lutheran ministers of desecratingthe cloth they wore. There are good Lutheran ministerswho are loyal Americans without question. At the sametime it is true that more charges have been brought againstpastors of the Lutheran church, and charges of more specificnature, than against any other class or profession inour country. There are scores and hundreds of such reportswhich came into the National Headquarters of theA.P.L. from all parts of the country, more especiallythose parts which have heavy German settlements. Theseare so numerous that one cannot avoid calling the Lutheranpulpit in America one of the most active and poisonousinfluences which existed in America during the war. Asample report comes in from the Chief of the A.P.L. atArmour, S. D.:

I have reported on five German Lutheran preachers of thisvicinity. They are all of the same stripe—profess loyalty, butactions speak otherwise. It seems strange to me that theyhave such an anxiety to get into active war work in the armyand navy.

In yet another and longer specification, the same chiefstates:

I am becoming concerned about the large number ofreports I get locally regarding German Lutheran ministers inthis part of South Dakota. They are attempting to obtain[Pg 70]positions of trust in Government work in the army and navy.I would not trust one of them in this part of the State. Wehave had trouble continually with the German communitieswhere these ministers are located. Twenty-nine were convictedfrom Tripp.... Our Government might as wellchoose men from Berlin as to select German Lutheran ministersfrom this part of South Dakota. It seems to me thatthe A.P.L. should investigate and see what is inducing allthese German Lutheran ministers to apply for Governmentpositions. If even one succeeds in obtaining an appointment,it would be an opening.

This matter went before the Military Intelligence Divisionin Washington and received proper handling there.

A report from Osage, Iowa, came in against a certainpriest in another Iowa town. The entire record of thisman is given, besides other details regarding his parentage,his education, and his conduct of his church. “Previousto the entry of the United States into the war, he upheldGermany in all particulars. Since war has been declared,he has been more careful in his speech. A service flag wasdedicated in our village, which consists of but one street.The ceremonies were held in front of this man’s house. Hedid not attend the services. The next Sunday he roastedhis congregation for giving money toward the flag and toldthem they should give quite as much to the church. Acommittee of five men visited him and invited him to subscribeto the Third Loan.”

One of these clerical gentlemen who have remained loyalto the Kaiser, though not to Christ, is the Reverend JohnFontana, Lutheran clergyman of New Salem, North Dakota.He was convicted for preaching sedition, and got athree-year sentence in a Federal Court. This did not deterhis likewise loyal Kaiserliche congregation. By a vote offifty-seven to twenty-two the members decided to continuehim as their beloved pastor. Yet this is what Judge Amidonsaid to Fontana when he was arraigned,—words whichought to be printed in large letters and displayed prominentlyin every street of every city of every portion ofAmerica. The Judge said to the prisoner:

It must be pointed out that in spite of this charge ofthe judge, and in spite of the sentence of this minister ofthe gospel, his flock remained loyal to him and invited himback to preach when he got out of jail!

It has always been charged against the Germans inAmerica that they were the most clannish of all the foreigners[Pg 72]coming to settle in this country. They, longer thanany other people, retain their own institutions, their ownlanguage, their own customs. In parts of the country thereare schools which teach the German language more thanthey do the English—a practice which, in all likelihood,will be discontinued when the troops come back fromFrance and Germany. Without any doubt or question,pro-German school teachers were German propagandists,usually of the indiscreet and hotheaded sort.

From Terre Haute, Indiana, comes a complaint regardingMiss Lena Neubern—that is what we will call her—a hotsocialist and worse, who was a school teacher. Miss Neubernhad two brothers in that city who refused to allow anAmerican flag to be placed in front of their store, or toallow their clerks to attend the parade of the Third LibertyLoan. A committee of citizens called on them and toldthem “in strong term what was expected of them.” MissNeubern taught her school children, Americans, that the“Kaiser was just as good a man as President Wilson; thatthe United States was in this war, not for democracy, butfor commercial supremacy; that the United States was asgreedy as Germany; that we were controlled by England,always the enemy of the United States.” Miss Neubernrefused to allow the Star Spangled Banner to be sung inher room, and did all she could to hinder the sale of ThriftStamps among the children, though in other schools largenumbers of stamps had been sold. This active and intelligentyoung woman pleaded guilty of this charge and wasdismissed by the school board. One wonders whether theGerman Government would have stopped at the dismissalin a similar instance!

Another form of German propagandist might have beenfound higher up in educational circles. The faculties ofour great universities have always been made up in partof a class of men who are of the belief that intellect andscholarship are best shown by eccentricity and radicalism.More than that, we had a number of actual Germans inour university faculties in America. Since it is the propositionhere to deal in concrete facts and not in mere generalassertions, let us print something which came in,embodied in the report from Champaign, Illinois.

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Champaign, Illinois, is the home of the University ofIllinois, and for some reason university towns seem to actas chutes for all sorts of independent thought. There aretwo strong German settlements in Champaign County, anda very strong German settlement in the city, where manyresidents have shown very pro-German tendencies. TheseGerman settlements have their own German schools, taughtby their German Lutheran ministers under the pretense ofteaching religion. Sentiment became so intense that thelocal A.P.L. Chief was requested by the Government toclose these schools if possible. Some of them have reopenedsince the armistice. In such localities the Germans havebeen very independent and often quite outspoken, so thatit was necessary in many cases for the A.P.L. to useinfluence to prevent violence to them. There were onlyone or two cases where the citizens got out of control,although many citizens of German descent refused to buybonds and made disparaging remarks regarding the war.

The A.P.L. Chief says: “We were confronted withthe problem of ousting five alien enemies at the Universityof Illinois, two of them regarded as dangerous. We alsohad to handle a cook at the aviation barracks, an alienenemy who was deliberately wasting food. We convictedthe wife of a German minister in the Federal Court formaking disloyal remarks. We had some difficulty withRussellites, Mennonites, and radical Socialists, but all havebeen kept in hand. Our organization consists of seventy-fivemembers, but about twenty-five of us have done mostof the active work.” A good and worthy twenty-five.

The reference to Russellites and Mennonites covers tworegions of great A.P.L. activity. Pastor Russell, as hewas known, passed away from this scene some time ago,but he left behind him seeds of discord. He was perhapsnot so much disloyal as he was eccentric and fanatical inhis mental habit. His book, “The Finished Mystery,” wasso open a plea against war that it was proscribed by theUnited States Government. A.P.L. operatives ran downa great deal of so-called pro-German talk which originatedin the Russellites. An instance of this comes from Coloma,Michigan, which reports: “Radical socialists became activeduring August, 1917. Acting under instructions from[Pg 74]the Department of Justice, we put all of these meetingsout of business in the territory of our jurisdiction. Nomore socialist meetings of any kind here. We got informationwhich resulted in my calling upon certain Russellites.Collected five books of ‘The Finished Mystery,’ andsome copies of the ‘Kingdom News.’ Russellites werewatched, and they promised to discontinue activities untilafter the war. They have done so.”

It is not to be denied that the following of the radicalbanner among all nations of the world is an increasing oneand one which will demand great care on the part of thegovernments on both sides of the Atlantic. Bolshevism isthe great threat of the day, and we shall have to meet itin America as it must be met in Germany and Russiabefore there can be any lasting peace.

At times some of these radicals have got caught in thejaws of the amended Espionage Act, as for instance, EugeneV. Debs, the veteran Socialist candidate for the presidency,who was given three concurrent sentences of tenyears each. Early in the fall of 1918, Dr. Morris Zucker,a well known Socialist in Brooklyn, was arrested on acharge of sedition and locked up. He is said to have declaredthat the stories of German atrocities committed byGerman army officers were not true and that they werecirculated by capitalists in this country to further theirown purposes. Dr. Zucker was of the belief that Americansoldiers are “make believe” soldiers. On September 6,1918, in Philadelphia, Joseph V. Stillson, secretary of the“Kova,” a Lithuanian newspaper, was caught by theEspionage Act and sentenced to three years’ imprisonmentat Atlanta.

In Chicago, in December, 1918, there began the trial ofVictor L. Berger, Congressman-elect from Milwaukee, forviolation of the espionage act and conspiracy to obstructthe United States in prosecuting the war with Germany.With Berger, four other Socialist co-defendants were arraigned:Adolph Germer, National Secretary of the Socialistparty; J. Louis Engdahl, Editor of the AmericanSocialist; William F. Kruse, Secretary of the draft-evadingorganization of the anti-war Socialists, and Irwin St. JohnTucker, a radical Episcopalian rector.

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The trial before Federal Judge Kenesaw M. Landis lastedfor more than a month and resulted in a verdict of guiltyagainst all of the defendants. On February 20, 1918, JudgeLandis sentenced the convicted men to twenty years’ imprisonmentin the federal penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth,Kansas. In sentencing the men, Judge Landis said:

Their writings and utterances fairly represent the consistent,personal campaigns they conducted to discredit the cause ofthe United States and obstruct its efforts. By no single wordor act did they offer help to the country to win the war. Itwas a conscious, continuous plan to obstruct the country’smilitary efforts. What has been said in this courtroom bythe defendants is but an apology by them for obstructing thecountry’s effort.

The convicted men were granted an appeal to the UnitedStates Circuit Court of Appeals by Judge Samuel Alschuler.In the upper court the defendants were compelledto give their personal pledge to Judge Alschuler thatneither by word or act would they do any of the thingsfor which they have been convicted, pending the final dispositionof the case. It should be understood and rememberedthat these men were convicted not for their personalor political beliefs, but for violation of a law of the UnitedStates.

A.P.L. reports show that Lake Mills, Iowa, had a statesenator who advised young men that they could not beforced to cross the water to fight, nor forced to buy Libertybonds. He also was alleged to have obstructed the UnitedWar Work campaign by telling a client that he did notneed to assist. He was connected with the Non-PartisanLeague and promised the farmers that they would securecontrol of the Legislature. Affidavits to this effect werehanded to “D.J.” The Non-Partisan League was wellinvestigated in that neighborhood. The organizer of thelocal chapter was forced to buy bonds and stamps and toremain inactive until Peace was declared. “He movedaway and never came back,” says the local chief.

In another Lake Mills office, there was found by AmericanProtective League operatives a picture drawn by a rathergood amateur artist depicting a single German blowing to[Pg 76]pieces the head of an American column of troops. Investigationshowed that this picture was drawn by a clerk in alocal store. He was drafted and is in France, and the reportregarding him is filed with “D.J.” His original drawingis in the possession of the National Directors of the A.P.L.

A League report, simple and direct, which comes fromTodd County, Minnesota, is one of the best and freest expositionsof our system of government and the character ofour citizenry that may be seen in many a day. The collegeprofessor would be valuable who could write a clearer ormore useful paper. Says the report:

Just how far the war is going to affect American politicsin the future is something that many a politician inAmerica would be exceedingly glad to know. It may bethat there will be some public men, unworthy to be calledrepresentatives of the American people, who will cater now,as before the war, to the German vote. We should bewareof such men, for all they can do will be to advocate thatvery propaganda which to-day is matter of execration allover the country.

There have not lacked men, who, more especially beforewe declared war, have boasted of their German birth andopenly made that their main argument for office. In alarge Ohio city such a man ran for the mayoralty andpolled a very considerable vote. He said many times publiclythat he would not subscribe to any Liberty Loans andwas not in accord with our government. He was verybitter in his denunciation of all who did not side with him.He proclaimed himself a hyphenated German proud of hisnative origin. He spoke before the German Sängerbund ofhis city and before delegates of the German-American Alliance—andhe spoke in German—a democratic candidatefor mayor in an American city of the second class! Heuttered that old and familiar and useless plea—dangerousin America to-day—“One can’t forget the blood that flowsin one’s veins.” Part of his campaign argument was this:“I personally hope that the war in Europe will be a draw;but if there must be a victory, if I must choose betweenintelligent Germany and ignorant Russia, there is but oneplace for me to cast my lot, and that is with the Kaiser.If I felt otherwise, I would not be human.” What heshould have said was, if he had felt otherwise, he wouldnot have been German. He concluded his remarks withthe statement that if he became mayor, “Whatever interferencethere has been in the past with such an organizationas I am now addressing, there will be no such interference[Pg 78]when I become mayor.” But he did not become mayor.

It is only of late that we have heard much of the Non-PartisanLeague in America, even in this day of leagues,societies and alliances, but it has had growth and politicalsignificance in certain of the Northwestern States. Itwould not be true to charge the Non-Partisan League withdisloyalty as a body, but certainly it would be yet morefoolish to say that all its members, in the North-Europeanpart of the United States, had been loyal to America inthis war, or free of sympathy with Germany. Read theA.P.L. reports—they are not all shown in these pages—ofits manifold activities in sections where the Non-PartisanLeague is strongest. Draw your own inferencesthen, for then you will have certain premises and need notjump at any conclusion not based on premises.

We may take its reports from Dakota and Iowa as fairlygood proof of the accuracy of the foregoing statements.Let us, for instance, examine as a concrete proposition thereport from Mason City, Iowa. It is done simply; yet itleads us directly into the heart of the problem of America’sfuture and face to face with the basic questions of couragein business and social life which must underlie the futuregrowth of our country. A story? It is all the story ofAmerica.

This report, quite normal in all ways, would representthe usual type of report from a nice, average agriculturalcity, were it not for certain phases of the work it represents.There were 24 alien enemy cases; 97 disloyaltyand sedition cases; 21 cases of propaganda, and elevenI.W.W. cases and other forms of radicalism. The state ofsociety reflected by these figures is best covered in the wordsof the report itself:

But the foregoing mild report does not tell the full storyin all of its acrimonious vehemence. A local agriculturaljournal came out in red head-lines across its cover page,“Iowa’s Reign of Terror!” The editor, in that and subsequentissues, printed perhaps 50,000 words of condemnationof those not included among his own constituents, sidetrackingalfalfa and Holsteins wholly for the time. Hesays:

Tut, tut! Obviously, Mason City leads directly into apretty political mess. Willy-nilly, friends of the A.P.L.,if not members of the Non-Partisan League, are pushedinto ranks assigned to enemies. We may mildly animadverton the fact that it is the members of the Non-PartisanLeague who largely buy the journal from which the foregoingquotation is made. It has had a long and honorablehistory, but is perhaps not so disinterested as the A.P.L.It does not, however, go to war with the A.P.L. so muchas with the Greater Iowa Association, which presently[Pg 81]voted the editor out of membership. The American ProtectiveLeague might have been drawn into politics if it hadlived much longer—perforce would be and ought to bedrawn. One thing is sure, if a man must cater in businessto a class which has disloyalty inborn and ingrained, thatman is not catering to America and a great future for her.

It is all a question of the high heart of the gentlemanunafraid—individual courage, clear-headedness, honestself-searching. That is as true for the native born as forthe naturalized citizen. Perhaps for all these warringIowans, some of whom were zealous and interested, theremight very well, in these grave, troubled days of ourcountry and of all the world, be put on the wall of ourhouse the old Bible motto: “Blessed are the pure inheart.”

You ask, indeed, what shall we do with all these chameleonpropagandists, these foreigners? How shall we classifythem—as Americans or as enemies? Who is theAmerican?

It is simple to answer that. It is he who himself knowsin his own soul whether or not he is done with the damnablehyphen which has almost ruined America, and yetmay do so. Liberty Bonds and public speaking do notprove Americanism. Not even service stars in a windowmake a man American. Blessed are the pure in heart, ofMason City or of Des Moines, of the Greater Iowa Associationor the Non-Partisan League, of the Peoples’ Council,of the A.P.L., or of German or American birth. Andwhen individual American courage is common enough tomake a man fight pro-Germanism until it is dead forever,one thinks we shall indeed see God manifested again inthe great civilization which once was promised for America.It can be had now in only one way, and that way will costdear. If you are interested in your son’s future, see to itthat he—and you yourself—shall be pure in heart. Wewant and will have no others for Americans to-day or to-morrow.

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CHAPTER VII
THE GERMAN SPY CASES

The Great Spy Cases—Details of German Propaganda—Financesand Personnel of German Forces in America—TheDiplomatic Fiasco—Notorious Figures of AlienEspionage Uncovered—The Senate Judicial Investigation.

To gain any adequate idea of the amount of the activitieswhich centered in New York would mean the followingout of countless concealed threads leading all over theworld and covering the United States like a net. We neverknew until we were well into this war that, long beforewe dreamed of war, our country was infested by vastnumbers of the paid spies of Germany; that these workedunder a well-established, and now well-known, organization;that the highest German diplomatic representativeswere a part of the system; that leading financial figures ofNew York were figures in it also, and that the whole intricatemachine was differentiated like a great and well-orderedbusiness undertaking. It was an elaborate organizationfor the betrayal of a country; and that organization,like the armed forces of Germany in the field, wasbeaten and broken only by the loyal men of America, resolvedonce more that a government of the people shouldnot perish from the earth.

Let the scene shift from New York—whose defensiveorganization has been outlined—to the national judicialcenter at Washington, the seat of our intelligence systemand of those courts of law which have in charge thenational affairs. There, for many months, a few men havesat and watched pour into their offices such proofs ofhuman perfidy and depravity as can never have been paralleledin the most Machiavellian days of the Dark Ages.

The daily press of the United States acted under a voluntarycensorship during the war, even while it saw pass[Pg 83]by such news as never before had it seen in America. Nowand again something of this would break which obviouslywas public property and ought to be known—the notorioustransactions of von Bernstorff, von Papen, Dr. Albert, Boy-Ed,Bolo; such crimes as the blowing up of the internationalbridge in Maine; the mysterious fires and explosionswhose regularity attracted attention; the diplomaticrevelations regarding Dumba and Dernburg and their colleagues,which finally resulted in the dismissal of theclique of high German officials whose creed had been oneof diplomatic and personal dishonor.

The stories of German attempts to control several NewYork newspapers; their efforts to buy or subsidize somethirty other journals in all parts of the country; the well-knownsubsidizing of certain writers to spread propagandain the press—all these things also necessarily got abroadto such an extent that the United States Government couldnot fail to take cognizance of it. At length, charges cameout linking up a Washington daily with wealthy commercialinterests of a supposedly pro-German nature, and agreat deal of acrimonious comment appeared in all partsof the country. Washington resolved to investigate thesecharges. The process took the form, in the late fall of1918, of the appointment of a sub-committee of the greatSenate Judiciary Committee, which popularly was knownas the Overman Committee.

The work of this committee, which summoned before itofficers of the Attorney General’s establishment in NewYork, agents of the Bureau of Investigation in Washington,of Military and Naval Intelligence in Washington, andall the larger figures of the accused or suspected personsimplicated in what now had become a wide-reachingnational scandal, was continued over many weeks. Theproceedings were made public regularly, and at last thereaders of America began to get, at first hand, authenticideas of what menace had been at our doors and insideour doors. It was before this Overman Committee that manyof the great New York cases in which A.P.L. assistedpassed to their final review.

Perhaps the most important single witness called beforethis Senate committee was Mr. A. Bruce Bielaski, Chief[Pg 84]of the Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justiceat Washington. Mr. Bielaski was on the stand for daysat a time, and his testimony came as a distinct shock tothose of us who heretofore had known little or nothingabout the way in which our covert forces of espionagewere combating those of Germany. It will not be needfulto follow the records of the committee from day to daythroughout the long period of its sittings, but some of themore important revelations made by Mr. Bielaski first maybe brought to notice.

It was brought into the record, for publication later bythe State Department, that there was a regular system ofsecret messages between Count von Bernstorff of the ImperialGerman Embassy at Washington, and the BerlinForeign Office, by way of South America and Stockholm.All this time the Imperial German Ambassador was posingas a great friend of America, while in reality he was thechief of the German spy system in America—an exampleof all that a nobleman should not be.

It was shown by Mr. Bielaski that the German consul inChicago, Reiswitz, suggested as long ago as 1915 that Germaninterests ought to buy the Wright aeroplane factoriesin Dayton, Ohio, in an attempt to stop the shipmentof aeroplanes to the Allies. Something stopped the shipment—letus suppose that it was not the efficiency of Germanyso much as our own inefficiency, deplorable as thatadmission must be.

Nothing came of this attempt, nor of the attempt tocontrol the Bridgeport Projectile Works, in any very conclusiveand satisfactory fashion for Germany. A yearlater von Bernstorff begins to complain that German propagandahas not been producing much result. He cuts freefrom the German publication, “Fair Play,” and declaresthat he would be glad to be well quit of George SylvesterViereck’s “Fatherland.” He asks his imperial governmentto give him $50,000 more, with which he would like tostart a monthly magazine in the United States. This wasthe beginning of those general revelations which exposedalike the clumsiness of German diplomacy, and theendeavor of German espionage as against our own.

Reiswitz was declared by Mr. Bielaski to have advised[Pg 85]the continuance of the “American Embargo Conference,”which was set on foot to create opposition to our shipmentof munitions to the Allies. He signified that this ought tobe used as an influence to swing German voters in presidentialelections. Mr. Bielaski brought into the record the“Citizens’ Committee for Food Shipments,” which wassupported by Dr. Edmund von Mach of Cambridge. It hadbeen organized in the home of a prominent New Yorkcitizen.

There was brought in the record also the name of anewspaper correspondent—more is the pity for that—whohad letters from Count von Bernstorff and Captain vonPapen, military attache, declaring that this man was inthe service of Germany and Austria. The syndicate employingthis man, as is well known, cancelled his contractas soon as his real character and his pro-German attitudewere revealed.

The record also declared that a former correspondent ofthe Cologne Gazette in Washington, notified by the StateDepartment to leave this country, had been in close wirelesscommunication with a German paper in Rotterdam.

All of these revelations began to implicate certainAmericans prominent in business and in politics, so thatat once the transaction by the Senate Committee becamethe biggest news of the time, one recrimination followinganother and one explanation another in rapid sequence.The Committee, none the less, ground on, and producedoriginal papers which proved German methods beyond adoubt. Two code dispatches from von Bernstorff to theBerlin Foreign Office were put into the evidence, one ofwhich was dated November 1, 1916, and stated: “Sincethe Lusitania case, we have strictly confined ourselves tosuch propaganda as cannot hurt us if it becomes known.The sole exception is perhaps the peace propaganda, whichhas cost the least amount, but which also has been themost successful.”

Again von Bernstorff states that it would not seem desirablefor him to be held responsible for any articles inthe subsidized newspaper, “when, as now, we are in acampaign of the bitterest character which is turninglargely upon foreign policy.”

[Pg 86]

Mr. Reiswitz of Chicago was on hand with estimates forhis excellent master at all times. In regard to the EmbargoConference, he wrote in the first year of the war:“It would require an estimated amount of $6,000 or $7,000.The contemplated continuation of the enterprise would, inaccordance with my opinion, be favorable to the entireGerman vote, and would facilitate influencing Germanvoters.” So we have at once the first indication of thetruth that the great German population of America is tobe handled for the particular purpose of advancing Germany’sinterests, not only in America but all over theworld.

Mr. Bielaski read into the record documents allegingthat the American Press Association was contemplated asdesirable for German control. A memorandum by Dr. Albert,financial expert, stated that he would obtain a thirtyday option on the American Press Association for the priceof $900,000, with an additional $100,000 for news service.The memorandum in full was introduced before the Committee.

Professor von Mach was stated by Mr. Bielaski to havebeen active in behalf of interned prisoners, largely by wayof his press agent, whom he supplied with inspiration.Von Mach was later brought before the Committee to explainin person as best he might certain publications whichhe had put out in other form.

Mr. Bielaski stated that German interests advanced tothe Bridgeport Projectile Company $3,400,000, and thatthese interests got back $1,000,000 of this money by sellinga large part of the company’s product to Spain.

Mr. Bielaski mentioned a society known as the “AmericanTruth Society,” organized in 1910 and reported tohave been financed by the German government, to whatextent was undetermined. One record of a transfer of$10,000 was shown.

Records which had been taken from the office of Wolfvon Igel showed that scarcely a ship sailed for a neutralcountry which did not carry a German agent. There wereat least two American newspaper men who had beenbought outright by Germany. Blackmail was not abovethe consideration of some of these fellow-conspirators.[Pg 87]Amounts of $1,000 to $5,000 had been paid to subsidizeone paper which was dropped by the embassy. The ownerthen threatened the embassy that if he did not get anymore money he might allow the paper to go into bankruptcy,and the ensuing publicity would show the subsidy.Dr. Albert was authorized to settle with this man to keephim quiet—he paid something over $3,000 in this instance.Continually there rose a loud wail from Dr. Albert and vonBernstorff, “Stung!”

There were some recriminations between journals inAmerica as to the nature of the “news” sent in by Americanforeign correspondents located in Germany. It wassometimes offered in explanation of the pro-German attitudeof certain of these correspondents that it was naturalthat a man resident in Germany should hear one side onlyof the case. Others, more especially after the Senate revelations,were disposed to think there might be other valuableconsiderations moving correspondents thereto. Indeed,names and dates and prices of perfectly good correspondentsare now on record with the Overman Committee.

The Bielaski testimony was strengthened by that ofMajor Humes and Captain Lester of Military Intelligence.Incidentally, the attempts of Germany to embroil us withMexico were shown. Very interesting testimony wasbrought out from Carl Heinen, an interned German, formerlya member of the Embassy staff, and a former consulgeneral at Mexico City. Major Humes of M.I.D. put inthe record the relations of Felix A. Somerfeld, an alienenemy who was an alleged Villa agent in New York,showing that in eight months Villa had received nearly$400,000 worth of rifle cartridges from Somerfeld, who wasclosely associated with the German agents, Carl Rintelenand Friedrick Stallforth, a prominent German banker inMexico. The drafts on certain trust companies were producedas part of the evidence.

Heinen’s deposition was subscribed to by F. A. Borgermeister,Dr. Albert’s confidential secretary, before he wasinterned at Fort Oglethorpe. This disclosed the dispositionof $33,770,000 that passed through German hands. Thismoney was obtained in loans from New York banks, orthrough the American agents of banks in Germany.

[Pg 88]

Secretary of War Baker had commanded Captain Lesterof Military Intelligence to make public some of thesecrets of this division which heretofore had been reposingin the silence of the tomb. Captain Lester testifiedto the confession of a former German officer, who admittedhaving been sent here as a propagandist. This man toldthe federal officials that in June, before the ArchdukeFrancis Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated, the Germangovernment was plotting the war. Captain Lesterquoted this man as saying that in the middle of June,1914, Bethmann-Holweg sent out inquiries to various scientists,professors and other intellectual persons to learnwhether they were ready for foreign service in the eventof war. There were one hundred and thirty of these whowere told to be ready for instant call to service in Northand South America, Japan and China, as directors of propaganda.They met in the Foreign Office in Berlin, July10, 1914, and three weeks later sailed from Copenhagenfor New York under charge of Dr. Heinrich F. Albert.In order not to arouse suspicion, most of them traveledsteerage.

Captain Lester, after a long day of testimony, referredto the “Golden Book”—a book in which German-Americanswrote their names after they had contributed toa German War Relief fund. This book was to have beenpresented to the Kaiserin. The purpose of this book, inthe belief of Captain Lester, was to get certain prominentGerman-Americans signed up as loyal to the fatherland,without letting them know they were doing it.

Captain Lester, in later testimony before the OvermanCommittee, said that of the one hundred and thirty trainedand educated German propagandists sent out nearly amonth before the war started, thirty-one landed in theUnited States two weeks after hostilities had started inEurope. They became the starting point of an organizationcomprising between 200,000 and 300,000 volunteers,in large part German-Americans, who were secret spies inthis country and who reported regularly to German consulsand agents in widely scattered centers of the Germanspy system in the United States.

It may cause a certain horror and revulsion in the hearts[Pg 89]of the American public when they realize that a quarterof a million secret German agents were working here inAmerica all the time against us—just about as many asexisted of loyal Americans under the unseen banner of theAmerican Protective League. The American public nowcan begin to understand something of the bitter battlewhich was fought between these two secret organizations—thequarter million German spies who lived here, andthe quarter million loyal American citizens who made thistheir home and this their country.

Captain Lester showed that the group sent to Americahad definite instructions. One was to deal with commercialmatters, another with political, and a third leader wasto take up the South American and Mexican relations.General headquarters in New York were at 1123 Broadway,arrangements having been made for these quartersin advance. The Hamburg-American Company, whosestatus toward us in the war is now notorious, took chargeof the first work of the German Press Bureau. The originalartist in this labor was replaced by a newspaper man,whose salary from Germany was later discovered to havebeen $15,000. A former major of the United States, oncea newspaper man, was declared to have been hired at $40a week to report to these German headquarters any confidentialinterviews he might have with Washington officials.

The Lutheran church propaganda was brought definitelybefore the Overman Committee. Dr. Albert and Dr. Fuhrhad this form of propaganda in charge. Captain Lestersaid that there are about six thousand Lutheran congregationsin the United States, with a membership of nearly3,000,000, and that the propaganda was directed throughpastors who had been born in Germany, or were alienenemies, or were of German parentage. There were overone thousand two hundred individual cases investigated.Readers of these pages will recall a few instances of thework of the American Protective League in looking intothese many instances of disloyalty. Captain Lester said:“We have found in localities that the word had gonedown the line to groups of clergymen that they were topreach sermons in favor of Germany, and that this had[Pg 90]been done. I investigated a case in New York where theclergyman admitted to me he had received instructionsto preach such a sermon. From August, 1914, to April,1917, in hundreds of Lutheran churches, the continuouspreaching was in favor and hope of German victory.”

It transpired that British Military Intelligence had inpossession a great mass of documents taken by GeneralAllenby in the capture of Nazareth. These were foundamong the effects of that Major Franz von Papen who oncehad been military attache in Washington, and whose namehas become more or less familiar through some of the disclosuresregarding von Bernstorff and his activities.

These papers, added to those taken by our own Intelligenceofficers from prominent Germans this side the water,go to build up the tremendous and tragic story of anation’s shame. Germany had a widely spread and elaborateplan to ruin this country. She failed. The proofsof her failure are now before the public, and they run verywide. They do not leave us feeling any too comfortableor any too sure regarding our own country. It is notpleasant to have listed, as part with the German records,those of our great newspapers which, in the German belief,might be classed as “neutral or favorable to Germany.”It is not pleasant to see the names of newspaper men onceheld honorable and loyal, but now condemned to have hadthe itching palm and to have received German gold. Thereis nothing pleasant about the whole sordid, abominablestory, nothing clean, nothing satisfying, nothing honorable.But it shows that when we had this sort of workto do, we did it thoroughly and accomplished the missionon which our men were sent out.

Some of the most sensational testimony was that broughtout by Alfred L. Becker, Deputy Attorney General of NewYork, who had in charge a great many of the big espionageand treason investigations in that city, which was theAmerican home and headquarters of the German spy army.

Mr. Becker told of his own investigations, at the instanceof the French Government, in the case of Bolo Pacha.The latter was executed as a French traitor, but was shownto have gotten Germany money in this country to theextent of $1,683,000. As is well known, Bolo had raised[Pg 91]this money to purchase the Paris Journal. This paper,however, did not change its loyalty to France, so therewas a loud wail on the part of Germany’s head spies thatthey had been swindled once more.

Mr. Becker produced many British secret service documentsshowing the elaborate governmental arrangementsin Berlin to establish and maintain spy systems, both beforeand after the war. These documents listed, as agents,journalists, college professors, bankers, business men, consularattaches, and others of all ranks. Mr. Becker showedthat a former German reservist, later an auditor of accountsin New York City, was told as early as 1909 that he wouldbe valuable in case of war as a German propagandist inthe United States. It was intended to get a good systemof distribution of German “kultur” established in America.Then there could at once be put before Americanreaders such stories as that systematic attempt made in1917 to advance the idea that Germany was on the vergeof revolt and that the Kaiser soon would be overthrown.The German censor was back of the dissemination of thesereports, it being maintained to paralyze the prosecutionof the war in this country, where we had the pleasanttheory that the German Kaiser and the German peoplewere not at one as to the war.

Mr. Becker also went into many transactions of Ambassadorvon Bernstorff, showing him to have been quitewilling to buy the Paris Journal with German money ifneed be. He placed in the record correspondence whichshowed that when Dr. Dernburg left Germany for theUnited States in August, 1914, the German governmentdeposited 25,000,000 marks with M. M. Warburg & Companyof Hamburg, which Mr. Becker stated was for propagandapurposes in the United States. Dr. Dernburgbrought to this country a power of attorney from theImperial Secretary of the Treasury, which gave him thedistribution of the fund. Of this fund, $400,000 was turnedover to Dr. Albert, head of German finances in New York,by Dr. Dernburg.

Mr. Becker gave a long list of banks which had participatedin the sale of German bonds in this country, thesebanks being located in the principal cities of the east and[Pg 92]west. He named as well the chain of banks in which theGerman government opened accounts for certain purposes.He showed the credentials brought from the German chancellorby Dr. Dernburg to large financial institutions inNew York, which were made repositories of German funds.The letter to one such banking firm in New York, fromWarburg & Company of Hamburg, establishing the Germancredit of 25,000,000 marks, was made a part of therecord, also the power of attorney enclosed by Dr. Dernburgto the New York repository.

Mr. Becker mentioned the underwriting of Germanbonds by a New York concern to a total amount of $9,908,000.The proceeds were deposited with a trust companyin New York to the order of the Imperial German Government,and were checked out by von Bernstorff and Albertfor deposit in the chain of banks above referred to. Itwas the intention to make these banking institutions favorableto the German ideas, and unfavorable to the Americanbond sales. An initial deposit was made with the EquitableTrust Company of $3,350,000; the Columbia TrustCompany had an initial deposit of $750,000; the ChaseNational Bank was alleged to have had an initial depositof $125,000. As the proceeds of the German war loannotes accumulated, the deposits in certain of these NewYork financial institutions were increased. In order toavoid any legal complications, the German governmentopened a blind account so that Dr. Albert could go onwith his operations without any fear of detection by anyonedesiring to bring legal action against him. Thesefigures will give the reader some idea of the extent ofthe German finances. All this money—and many times theamounts above mentioned—was spent for the one and onlypurpose of German propaganda and spy work in the UnitedStates.

Major Humes took Dr. Edmund von Mach over thejumps in his cross-examination before the Overman Committee.Von Mach came in for a gruelling by SenatorNelson and others of the Committee when he attemptedto speak in justification of German practices in war. Hedid his best to carry water on both shoulders, but had avery unhappy quarter of an hour. He was followed and[Pg 93]preceded on the stand by certain literary gentlemen, collegeprofessors and others, who undertook to explain tothe Committee utterances they had made in print or elsewherewhich were charged to show disloyalty to the interestsof the United States. It is impossible to give in anysort of detail the vast extension of the testimony beforethis Committee, or to mention the many widely extendedforms of the German activities that ran in this countryduring the war. Perhaps we may summarize the Germanattitude, as well as in any other way, by citing the opinionof that delectable gentleman, the Count von Bernstorff,ambassador of the Imperial German Government at Washington,in his communication to the Foreign Office in Berlin,in explanation of his activities in the United States:

By way of general summary, it may be said that a well-definedorganization long existed in our country, districtedwith the usual German exactness. German Naval Intelligencehad charge of destruction of our shipping, navalsabotage, etc. Boy-Ed, naval attache at Washington, was[Pg 94]to have handled this. The notorious Rintelen, who seemedto have operated independently in New York, confined hisactivities rather to the making of bombs to be concealedon ships, to the incitement of strikes, munition embargoes,etc. Dr. Scheele, one of the three most prominent spiesin America, was relied on to devise means of burningships at sea. His method of bomb manufacture is spokenof later.

What is equivalent to our Military Intelligence Departmentin Germany, in turn took up the question of sabotagein our ammunition works, and of getting contraband stuffinto Germany. Scheele, who was taken in custody by theUnited States, declared that this country was divided intomilitary districts, and that supplies of arms and ammunitionwere gotten together. He even declared at one timethat he knew of 200,000 Mauser rifles stored in a Germanclub in New York City. He was taken there by Governmentofficials and located the place where the rifles probablyhad been stored, although they had in the meantimebeen removed.

Von Papen, military attache at Washington, had muchthe same work for the army that Boy-Ed had taken onfor the navy. He often appears in the revelations of theGerman spy system, as in the plot against the WellandCanal, and the Vanceboro bridge, for which Werner Hornwas arrested. Von Papen had the charge of the BridgeportProjectile Company, which was intended to disorganizeour manufacture of munitions. He had some sortof charge of Scheele, the German chemist spy, who is, perhaps,the best known example now remaining on Americansoil of the German espionage system.

Special commissions to spread disease germs were sentto this country, as perhaps A.P.L. reading will have indicated.A good deal of this work failed because so manyof the German spies were interned early in the war, andthere has been no good opportunity since to replace thesem*n properly, the war having traveled too fast when onceAmerica was in it.

But what, perhaps, has shocked and horrified Americansmore than anything else (and it cannot be too often iterated)was the knowledge that long before this war Germany[Pg 95]had a vast system of spies all through America. Thissystem of international spies was originated almost a generationago by the Prussian War Office. There were supposedto have been about 30,000 spies in France beforethis war was declared. England also was well sown withsuch persons in every rank of life. We had our share.

Dr. Scheele told the Department of Justice when he wastaken in charge that for twenty-one years before the outbreakof the European war he had been stationed in Brooklynas a representative of the German government. His“honorarium,” as he called it, was $125 a month. Hehad been a German major, yet owned a drug store inBrooklyn. A couple of months before war was declaredby Germany, he was told to get rid of his drug store—thatis to say, to mobilize in America for the Germanpurposes in the coming war. He said the drug store wasdoing very well. Others of these fixed spies got salariesabout like that of Scheele, a retainer of $1,000 nominalsalary being more frequent. In charge of all these lesserregular spies, who had been absorbed in the Americancitizenship, were the consuls and the high diplomatic officialsof the Imperial German Government in our country.It would be a very great deal to hope that this system hasbeen actually extirpated. That it did exist is true withoutany doubt or question.

Any A.P.L. man whose work was identified with thelarger eastern cities will note many points of contact ofthe A.P.L. with D.J. and M.I.D. in the testimonybrought before the Overman Committee. It is, of course,not too much to say that A.P.L. was at the foundationof much of that testimony itself. Many of the facts abovebrought out are of record in the A.P.L. files.

In yet another line of Government work, the League hasbeen very useful—that of coöperating with Mr. A. MitchellPalmer, Custodian of Alien Property, whose statements,made elsewhere than in the committee, constitute arather valuable extension of the committee’s information.

Reference was made before the committee to the BridgeportProjectile Company. Mr. Palmer some time agoannounced that he had taken over 19,900 of the 20,000shares of the capital stock of that concern, and that there[Pg 96]had been reported to him other property of approximatevalue of $500,000 held by it for and in behalf of Germany.

In a statement accredited to him, Mr. Palmer againbared the efforts of that malodorous quartet, Count vonBernstorff, Dr. Albert, Dr. Dernburg and Captain vonPapen. It was the obvious intent of these to use theBridgeport Projectile Company to prevent the manufactureand shipment of arms and ammunition to the Allies.The taking over of the stock of the Bridgeport ProjectileCompany, and the report by the company of the propertyowned by the German government, with the disclosuresincident thereto, followed many months of persistentinvestigation.

It was planned to have this corporation buy up all theavailable supplies of powder, antimony, hydraulic presses,and other supplies and materials essential to the manufactureof munitions. The plan also involved the negotiationof contracts with the allied Governments to supplythem with materials of war, apparently in good faith butin reality with no intention of fulfilling them. The ultimateexpenditure of approximately $10,000,000 for thispurpose was contemplated.

In a cable from London printed in the American presson the morning of January 15, 1919, a statement was givenfrom a German newspaper quoting Dr. Dernburg, the Germanpropagandist who was expelled from America someyears ago. Now Dr. Dernburg comes out in the ViennaNeue Freie Presse and states that Germany is dependingupon “a certain drawing together of Germany and theUnited States.” He believes that nothing should be donewhich will “give foundation for a lasting alienation ofthe two peoples.” He finds the Allies in victory somewhatdifficult in their terms, so that Germans turn their eyesand expectations toward America, “and feel sure thattheir expectations will not come to grief.” He goes onto say that Germany needs raw materials for the revivalof her industries, needs credit, and also a market. Helooks to America for all these, and says: “A fear ofGerman competition does not exist in America in thesame degree as in France and England. The hatred againstthe German people does not exist since the dynasty has[Pg 97]been overthrown, and it is quite possible that Americawill transfer English and French debts to Germany inorder to give her money, for America seeks not destructionbut justice. Our two countries will be broughttogether, and as rivalry is out of the question, this coöperationwill take a more tolerable form than in the case ofour neighbors.” He goes on to say: “A careful economicpolicy, I think, will secure Germans sympathy,thereby providing economic help for our German industries,now in collapse, and possibly awaken stirring echoesin two million Americans of German origin.... Americawill have other interests in Germany allied with herby interest and by service rendered to Germany; so takingall these points of view together, one may well considerthat the earliest possible reconciliation between Germanyand America will be good for the future of the world andwill be welcomed by the German people.”

The human mind with difficulty can conceive of anythingindicative of more brazen effrontery than the foregoing.That is the statement to-day of one of the arch-traitorsplanted in this country by Germany. No doubt,it may awaken a “stirring echo” at least in the heartsof the quarter million of German spies who worked withDernburg here.

The great danger to America is her unsuspiciousness.Having lived half a century cheek by jowl with thesem*n, although in ignorance of their real quality, we areexpected to go on living with them on the same termsthat existed before the war. Great Britain, sterner thanwe, definitely has announced her intention of deportingGerman aliens—she intends to take no chances. Whatthe French will do is a foregone conclusion. German “kultur”is begging at the doorsteps of the world.

Mr. Palmer, custodian of alien enemy property, cancomplete the story. For instance, there was loose talkaround New York in the early days of the war that underone tennis court in New Jersey there was a gun emplacementfrom which New York could be bombarded. It wassaid that a German-owned factory building had a gunemplacement built into its floor with the same amiableintention. Custodian Palmer points out that there really[Pg 98]was a concrete pier in the port of St. Thomas, VirginIslands, with a concealed base suitable for heavy gunmounts. That pier now belongs to the United States Government.Before the war it was the property of a steamshipcompany organized by wealthy Germans, of whomEmperor William was one. Its office was in the headquartersof the German spies in New York. After the UnitedStates went to war, the pier was sold to a Dane to coverthe ownership. The Dane could not meet his note whenit came due, and Mr. Palmer confiscated the pier immediatelyas German property.

Mr. Palmer stated, long before the Overman Committeebegan its testimony, that Germany, years before she startedthis war, had undertaken to plant on American soil agreat industrial and commercial army. She believed shecould keep America out of the conflict, for she had herorganization in every state of the Union. It reached acrossthe Pacific to Hawaii and the Philippines and up to Alaska;in the Atlantic it was found in Porto Rico, the Virgin Islandsand Panama. Industry after industry was built up, totalingprobably two billion dollars in money value, and billionsmore in potential political value.

“Germany had spies in the German-owned industriesof Pittsburgh, Chicago, New York and the West,” saysMr. Palmer. “She fought the war when we were neutralon American soil by agents sent here for that purpose.”

St. Andrew’s Bay, not far from Pensacola, Florida, isa very fine harbor, the nearest American harbor, indeed,to the Panama canal. Mr. Palmer shows that this waswholly controlled by Germans, who were organized in theform of a lumber company and who had purchased thousandsof acres of timber nearby. The wealthy owner ofthe German property never saw it. A concealed fort hadbeen constructed there, and right of way on the shore hadbeen purchased. Not even the Government of the UnitedStates could have obtained a terminal on St. Andrew’s Bayunless it did business with the owner in Berlin. Suchbeing the case, Custodian Palmer did not buy it at all—hesimply took it in and added it to his list of more thantwo billion dollars’ worth of German-owned property takenover since the war began.

[Pg 99]

There were German spies in our chemical works, metalindustries, textile concerns, and in every line of our commerce.They had a fund, mentioned at different times inthe Overman Committee testimony, which was somewherebetween thirty millions and sixty millions of dollars—allof it to be used in propaganda, subsidizing, subornationand destruction.

There were three or four German firms in America whichhad much to do with the German declaration of war.They were instrumental in piling up the gigantic quantitiesof American metals, to prepare that country for itsonslaught in 1914. There were great stocks of copperaccumulated in America to be sold to Germany after theclose of the war. The actual ownership of these thingswas so very carefully concealed by a masquerading interchangeablepersonnel that it required months of investigationto get at the real facts and to discover that thereal owner was Germany itself. In taking over these metalbusinesses, Alien Property Custodian Palmer broke the Germancontrol of the metal industry of America. It hasbeen intended to wipe out these industries so completelythat they cannot get a start again.

The New York Times of November 3, 1918, printed aquarter-page story in regard to some of these revelationswhich should be made not only a part of the record of theSenate Committee but of the records of America itself:

Here is an A.P.L. case which is recommended to theattention of those who write short stories of a detectivenature: It has to do with a beautiful adventuress, whoamong other things was known as a countess. Let us notgive the real name. We will call her Mrs. JeannetteSickles, alias Countess De Galli, alias Mrs. Dalbert, aliasRose La Foine, alias Jeannette McDaniels, alias Miss EllenHyde, alias Jeannette La Foine—we need not give moreof her names. The records of this case show that she wasentangled with an employe of the Adjutant General’s office,a night clerk, whose duties were to sort the mail. Thisclerk under examination admitted that he knew this lady,admitted that he had become very fond of her—was,indeed, in love with her; said she had kissed him andgiven him divers manifestations of her affection; said hehad met her often at hotels in the presence of others; saidshe came to him for advice about certain unfair treatmentwhich she thought the Department of Justice had givenher; said he was going to marry the lady if he had achance, as he had found her a very congenial woman. Thewriter of fiction can easily fill out the details. The adventuresswas intelligent, beautiful and accomplished. Shewas working close to many of our Government secrets; itwould be her fault if she did not learn a great manythings about this country and its government.

It was stated that this particular Government clerk wasknown to be a socialist; was corresponding with EmmaGoldman. Other charges were made against him, notredounding to the credit of his moral character. He wasrated as being a man slovenly in his looks and “with no[Pg 103]moral and mental stamina.” In short, the field was prettygood for the purposes of German espionage. Pages couldbe written covering the activities of this particular emissary.She was one of a certain type who will work anywherefor money. During the Red Cross drives in Washington,she was suspected by some of the operatives whowere working for the United States Shipping Board. Itwas discovered that she was working in that department,also, as a welfare worker “under very mysterious circ*mstances.”She was cared for.

There was a certain gentleman by the name of Dr.Frederick August von Strensch, who was arrested by theDepartment of Justice on testimony furnished by operatives.The worthy doctor might have been regarded aspractically innocent—all he planned was the invasion ofCanada and Mexico by German reservists located in theUnited States. This man had long made America his home.He was arrested on a presidential warrant. Along withhim, there was arrested a certain dazzling stage celebrityrepresented to have been a countess in her more privatelife in Europe. A mass of correspondence was taken withthese people, revealing the fact that 150,000 German reservistswere to be sent to Canada, about the same numberinto Mexico. Definite plans were mentioned referring tothe assemblage of 25,000 men on the Canadian border.This one plot alone, if mentioned here in detail, wouldgive all the data necessary for a sensational thriller indetective fiction. But it is not fiction. This sort of workactually went on within our country. Not only in thisinstance, but in many others, a deliberate and extremelydangerous attempt was made to embroil us with othercountries.

When the merchant submarine “Deutschland” arrivedin this country on its celebrated voyage, a part of itscargo consisted of thirty-three thousand pounds of tungsten,scarce in this country, but of value in making certainhigh grades of steel. After considerable sleuthing on thepart of operatives, this tungsten was traced to a concernostensibly American, but really owned altogether by Germans.The way in which the identity of these steel manufacturerswas concealed is proof of the ingenuity and[Pg 104]resourcefulness of the master criminal minds of the world.As showing the thoroughness with which Germany works,one of the accused stated that when he came out of Germanyto confer with his associates, the German censorsdestroyed all his papers, examined all his clothing, andstripped him and washed him with a solution of alcoholto eradicate any message which he might have painted onhis skin! They were not above a suspicion on their ownpart. The Alien Property Custodian took over, as a resultof these investigations, the Becker Steel Company, whoseplant was located at Charleston, W. Va. The details ofthis case are extremely voluminous.

The passport frauds have long been “old stuff” in theAmerican journals, and need be no more than referred tohere. At the time German reservists were needed in theOld Country (there were more than a thousand very usefulofficers here who were much needed in the German army),the question of passports came up. These men could notget U. S. passports, so a general system of forged passportswas set on foot in which the highest diplomatic officialsof Germany in America did not scorn to take a hand.It was their idea of honorable service, one supposes. Certainly,von Bernstorff—whom we kept in this countrylong after he should have been kicked out—employed ago-between who arranged and carried on a very considerabletraffic in foreign passports. The ordinary price wasabout twenty dollars,—small business, truly, for an ambassador,but von Bernstorff, von Papen, von Weddell, vonIgel and others worked together in this thing until theDepartment of Justice men got too hot upon their trail.A long and intricate story hangs upon this. It is enoughto say that the frauds were unearthed and the lower andmiddle class operatives in the frauds were put away. VonWeddell, the most important of these conspirators, tookship for Norway. However, the ship on which he sailedwas sunk by a German U-boat,—tragic justice in at leastone instance.

Another of the well known German enterprises againstEngland and her Indian empire was brought to light inthe so-called Hindu Plot—also very well known throughnewspaper publication. It came to a focus in a trial in[Pg 105]San Francisco, in which one Hindu leader shot anotherand was himself shot the next instant in the court roomby a deputy marshal in attendance—a fact which perhapslingers in the public memory even in these exciting days.The Hindu plot, reduced to its simple and banal lowestcommon denominator, consisted in a more or less uselessintrigue with certain more or less uninfluential citizensof Hindu birth. One phase of the activities was the purchasewith German money in New York of several hundredthousand rifles and several million cartridges, which wereto be shipped in a vessel from the Pacific Coast to meet acertain other vessel far out in the Pacific for transfer ofthe cargo. That cargo was to be delivered where it woulddo the most good to any Hindu gentleman disposed torise against the British authority. It is a long and ratherdull story—how everything miscarried for our friendsthe Germans and the Hindus. The rifles never were delivered;the conspirators were brought to trial; the conspiracywas ended. And at the end, in a court room, and becausehe himself had a weapon in his hand, we got one HinduHun at least.

As a mere trifle, it may be mentioned that JosephW——, an Austrian subject, was arraigned in the EnemyAlien Bureau at New York, charged with having in hispossession a United States navy code book. W—— wassaid to be a “collector of stamps.” He had in his possessiona map of South America, and a list of warshipsof the Brazilian navy. He had also certain sheets of papercarrying mysterious characters made up of letters anddashes. He said he had been a piano player and was takingmusic lessons by mail.

Lt. Christian S—— was before the Enemy AlienBureau at the same time. He was once six years in theGerman army as an officer of the Uhlans. One day S——called on United States Marshal McCarthy and asked himto help him get a job. He returned to find out if themarshal had found a place for him, and when the marshalsaid he had not, the German showed anger and remarked:“This is what makes us disloyal!” Marshal McCarthyarrested S—— and arraigned him before Perry Armstrong,assistant chief of the Enemy Alien Bureau. In[Pg 106]answer to questions, S—— said he did not approve ofGerman-Americans, that he approved of the sinking ofthe Lusitania and endorsed what the Germans had donein Belgium. He was committed to Ludlow Street jailpending further investigation.

Last May there was arrested in New York one GustaveB. K——, of whom it was said: “Not only is he anofficer of the German army and an intimate friend andadviser of von Bernstorff, von Papen, and Boy-Ed, buthe is also a confidant, it is said, of the Kaiser and theCrown Prince. Though he has lived in the United Statestwenty years, he is still a German subject and is said tohave paid out large sums of German money on Boy-Ed’saccount, having had as much as $750,000 for that purposein one New York bank at one time.”

It is enough! Further details would be revolting.Enough has been shown to develop some idea of the tremendouscentralization of these international spy activitieson the eastern seaboard of America. It was with thesethat the cities of New York and Washington had the mostto do.

[Pg 107]

CHAPTER VIII
THE SPY HIMSELF

The Perverted German Mind—Stories of Brutal Indifferenceto Innocent Victims—Treason, Treachery, and UnmoralityHand in Hand—The Authentic Story of Dr.Scheele—Twenty-one Years a German Spy in America—The“Honor of a German Officer.”

Comment has been made elsewhere in these pages onthe curiously perverted nature of the German intellect.It would not be truthful to call all Germans unintellectualor unscientific, for the reverse of this is in part true. Butcontinually in its most elaborate workings, the Germanmind displays reversions to grossness, coarseness, andbestial*ty. Perversions and atrocities seem natural to theirsoldiers. These restrictions apply often to men in highauthority. The German officer was perhaps even more abrute than the German private.

Take the case of the man Thierichens, Captain of thePrinz Eitel Friedrich, which was interned at Norfolk inMarch, 1915, after a successful career of six months asa commerce raider. For a long time Captain Thierichenswas hailed in this country as a sort of naval hero; hereceived the admiration not only of men but of women.It was only after a considerable career in adulation thatthe tide of public estimation turned in regard to thisman. His private correspondence was investigated, andit was found that he was carrying on correspondence withwomen in this country which showed a depth of humandepravity on his part which cannot be understood andmay not be described.

This phase of German mentality was manifested alsoin the highest diplomatic representatives that that countrysent abroad. These men had no sense of honor or morality,but curiously enough, they were not aware of their[Pg 108]own lack. They performed the most pernicious acts oftreason, and yet were never conscious they were committingany crime. Von Bernstorff, Dumba, von Papen,Boy-Ed, Bolo Pacha, Rintelen and Dr. Scheele—such arecord of treachery never has been known in all the historyof diplomacy; such a wholly devilish ingenuity, suchan intellectual finesse in conspiracy, such a delicate exactnessand such a crude brutality in destruction, never havebeen manifested on the part of any other nation in theworld. The flower of centuries of civilization in Germany’scase had been merely a baneful, noisome bloom,and not the sweet product of an actual culture. The efflorescenceof the German heart is the fungus of decay. Feedthem? Why should we feed them? Trust them? Whyshould we trust them? Spare them? Why should wespare them? Receive them? Why should we receivethem? Believe them? Why should we ever believe them?

A fine band of conspirators was uncovered by investigationsof attempted atrocities against our eastern shipping.There was a man named Robert Fay who had invented aship bomb, and who had all the German money he neededback of him. His machine was a sort of tank which hefastened to the rudder post just below the water line ofa ship which was being loaded and which stood high inthe water. As the vessel was loaded, it would submergethe tank and leave everything out of sight under water.Fay had worked out one of the most ingenious deviceswhich any of the investigating Government engineers hadever seen.

His scheme, as Mr. Strothers describes it in his book,“Fighting Germany’s Spies,” was to go under the sternof an ocean steamer in a small boat and to affix to therudder post this little tank. Of course every reader willknow that in steering a ship the rudder turns first thisway, then that. Fay had a rod so adjusted that everytime the rudder moved it turned a beveled wheel withinthe bomb just one notch. A certain number of revolutionsof that wheel—which of course would be very slow andgradual—would turn the next wheel of the clock onenotch. This would gear into the wheel next beyond it.The last wheel would slowly unscrew a threaded cap at[Pg 109]the head of a bolt which had, pressing upon its top, astrong spring. When the cap was loose the bolt woulddrop and it would act like a firing pin in a rifle, its pointstriking upon the cap of a rifle cartridge which wasadjusted just above a small charge of chloride of potash.Below the potash there was a charge of dynamite, andbelow that again a charge of the tremendous explosivetrinitrotoluol—the explosive known as “T.N.T.”

Suppose the device adjusted to the rudder of a steamshipon some dark night in New York harbor. The cargois loaded on the ship; inch by inch the ship sinks down,and this contrivance, spiked on the rudder post, is lostto sight. The ship steams out to sea. Every time sheswings to change her course, every time the rudder isadjusted gently, a notch in the leisurely clock trainedbelow her stern slips with a little, unheard click. Far outat sea—for what reason no one can tell—without anywarning, the whole stern of the ship heaves up in the air.The water rushes in; the boilers explode. The ship, hercargo, her crew, her passengers, are gone.

Well, it cost but little. A few dollars would make sucha bomb. Von Papen looked it over. He did not objectto the cost; indeed, Germany did not scruple to spendany sum of money of the millions she sent to America,provided it would produce results. But von Papen wasnot sure of this; he did not think much of it. He declinedit. As to the immorality of it, the frightfulness of it—thatnever came into his mind at all.

One recalls reading the other day that Great Britainhad shot only fourteen spies. We did not shoot one inAmerica.

The Federal grand jury in New York on December 6,1918, returned indictments charging treason against twomen who already were in the Tombs awaiting trial on anearlier charge of conspiracy. This was the first actual treasontrial since we entered the war. The men were PaulFricke of Mt. Vernon and Hermann Wessells, an ImperialGerman Government spy, former officer of the Germannavy, then domiciled in America. Their co-defendants inthe conspiracy trial were Jeremiah A. O’Leary, the SinnFein agitator; John T. Ryan, a Buffalo lawyer; Mme. Victorica,[Pg 110]also an alleged German spy; Willard J. Robinson,an American, and the late Dr. Hugo Schweitzer, one ofthe best known German business men in New York.

It was alleged that the activities of Wessells had to dowith “ways and means of secretly placing explosives, orsecuring other persons secretly to place explosives, onwharves located in the United States, on ships and vesselsin ports of the United States, and plying between portsof the United States and other countries; to blow up,injure, and destroy the same, and cause fires thereon, andthereby hinder and hamper the prosecution of the warby the United States against Germany.”

The final overt act charged was that in July, 1917, Wessellsrequested “information as to ways and means ofimporting toy blocks from Switzerland,” his purpose beingto find “ways and means of secretly and clandestinelyintroducing into the United States explosives and ingredientsof explosives concealed in toy blocks.”

Had any of these toy blocks come into the hands ofinnocent children, what matter to a mind which wouldregard the Lusitania sinking as justifiable war? Whatdifference would it make to a man hiding T.N.T. in achild’s toys whether he killed babies in Flanders or onthe high seas or in American homes? Such men areunmoral. One would call treason one of their lessercrimes.

There was in New York City a certain German whomwe will call von S——. He was an inventor of a machinecalled an aeromobile, which, however, he said he wouldnot sell to any government but that of Germany. He wasarrested by agents of the Department of Justice, chargedwith uttering disloyal, scurrilous and profane remarksagainst the Government and military forces of the UnitedStates. He is a German-born citizen of the United States.Enter now another citizen of the United States who spokeas good German as von S—— did and who posed as“an official representative of the German Imperial Governmentin the United States.” This latter gentlemansaid he wanted to buy the S—— invention for the Fatherland.S—— turned himself inside out, saying amongother things: “Everything is fair in war—gas, poison,[Pg 111]the bomb, the knife—we must stop at nothing. Germanymust triumph over her enemies. I would not hesitate todestroy a whole city for the good of the German cause.”After S—— had been allowed to talk sufficiently, hisnew friend, who proved to be an A.P.L. operative in disguise,caused his arrest by an agent in the Military IntelligenceDivision. S—— was struck speechless when hefound he had been trapped. He was held in ten thousanddollars bail at the examination and committed to theTombs in default of surety. Would he have been admittedto any bail at all in Germany in similar circ*mstances?

Out in a great city on Puget Sound, the Minute MenDivision of the American Protective League, after anexhaustive investigation covering several months, arresteda certain man whom we will call Johnson. He was chargedwith conspiracy to doctor steel and iron in the Seattleship-yards with a powerful chemical, intending to commitwholesale murder by wrecking troop trains. He was apattern-maker employed in a ship-building plant when theFederal officials arrested him as an alleged German spy.At the time of his arrest, he had in his pocket a bottlecontaining a violent explosive. His scheme was to applya strong acid to steel and iron in the shipyards, whichwould destroy these metals by eating them away. Heplanned to place acid on iron about to be melted, so thatthe resulting steel products would be valueless and theship-building program delayed. He was charged withundertaking to damage the more delicate bearings of theships, so that they would be useless after putting out tosea. It was part of his scheme, as developed by the operatives,to place acids in the journal boxes of cars, with theintent of destroying them while they were under way.The A.P.L. operatives claimed to be conspirators withhim. When one of them pointed out that such a wreckwould cost a large amount of life, the accused is said tohave replied: “Well, what’s the odds how we kill them,and what’s the difference whether we kill them over hereor over there?” That man, like many now behind bars,had no moral sense at all.

Not all of these agents of Germany were men of themental shrewdness of their great spy leaders. Johnson[Pg 112]picked out a fellow worker and felt him out for a longperiod of time as to whether he would be safe as a confidant.This particular fellow happened to look like aGerman, and to talk like one. He also happened to be anA.P.L. operative. The accused, who is charged underthe Espionage Act, does not yet know the identity of theman who informed against him.

“There was one old German in my district,” says thereport of a New York state chief, “who had spent thirtyyears in our region, surveying. He had been an officerin the Franco-German war, and was a recognized expertin real estate values, appraisals, etc. When we went intothe war, he made public a little statement telling of hisGerman origin and of his American citizenship. He cameunder the suspicion of some, and I looked into the matter.One of his men remembered hearing the German say,twenty years ago, when under the influence of liquor,that he had been a German spy in the war with France;he also remembered the German’s story of a horse he hadused, which he had trained to run, trot or walk at certaindefinite paces. By keeping track of the different gaits,as he jogged along in his buggy over France, he wouldmeasure certain localities and compute distances—informationwhich proved valuable later. It was need of suchinformation that made Germany send out secret surveyingforces when she was preparing to attack France. We putthis man under surveillance but could get nothing on himexcept that he tried to learn when transports sailed.Apparently he had done all his work before the war began,just as he had in France before the other war.”

An ingenious and dastardly instance of spy work andsabotage was recently uncovered in Detroit. Anton G——,a skilled workman employed in a factory making airplanefuel tanks, deliberately planned an aviation accident.He took a tank which had been condemned becausethe bottom sump casting had been riveted into the wrongposition, cut the rivets, properly adjusted the casting andsoldered it in place, replacing the cut rivets so that thetank appeared O.K. for use. It passed the plant’s inspection,and was installed in a plane before its dangerouscharacter was detected. G—— has given up the making[Pg 113]of airplane tanks for the duration of the war—andlonger.

Of all the individual spies located in America, one ofthe most noted and most able was that Dr. Scheele elsewherementioned as a Brooklyn druggist. Dr. Scheelewas taken in Cuba by the United States Government afterhe had fled the country just ahead of the hounds. Thisaccomplished student and practitioner of villainy was oneof the finest chemists Germany ever produced—a descendantof a family of chemists. He was a major in the Germanarmy. That this man had intellect is beyond anyquestion—he had more than that; he had genius. Hewas one of the finest examples of the great developmentin Germany of commercial chemistry. Men such as he haverendered services valuable beyond any price in almost allranks of commerce, and Germany’s military orders wereto get them at any price, all of them, for German-controlledconcerns. Such men have helped give Germanyher tremendous and powerful place in the commerce ofthe world. This unique genius in research, this ability todivine elemental secrets, allied with the hard working,abstemious, thrifty, free-breeding traits of the Germanpeople, made that nation very strong in her position amongthe world forces.

But here again comes in the proof of the assertion madein regard to the debased activities of the German nature,not only in its emotional manifestations but in its intellectualprocesses at well. Perhaps the one thought whichwill awaken the bitterest resentment and the most long-livedsuspicion in the American mind against the Germancitizen is the revelation of the fact that German spies livedamong us so long as accepted citizens, made their businesssuccesses here, profited by our free-handed generosity,while all the time they were agents of Germany andtraitors to the United States.

In the preceding chapter, reference was made to someof these long-term spies, as they may be called—men whowere sent out on their iniquitous missions even in time ofpeace. The best known of these men is Scheele, who, whenapprehended, was trying to get to Europe. Now he ishugging the deputy U. S. marshal in whose custody he is,[Pg 114]for fear some German will kill him for turning state’s evidenceand revealing the whole secret German spy system inthe United States. This man is the most interesting of allthe known spies.

In brief, Scheele came over to this country quietly, aman quite unknown, just twenty-five years ago. Fortwenty-one years, up to the outbreak of the war, hereceived regularly $125 a month as his “honorarium”from the German Government. He was one of the fixedlocation spies—one of very many. He went into business,opening a drug store in a New York suburb, and heprospered there. He was not alone. There were manyof his people about. He met more than one prominentGerman living in New York City—most of whom nowlive in Fort Oglethorpe. In these influential circles, incontinuous close touch with Berlin, supplied all the timewith money from Berlin, Scheele was appraised at his trueworth as a possible agent of destruction.

Came to him, therefore, one day, a captain in the serviceof the North German Lloyd Steamship Company. Thisman carried a card. From whom? No less than vonPapen, a man accepted as bearing the credentials of a foreigngovernment, entitling him to courtesy in our owncountry—von Papen, one of the master plotters locatedon this side of the sea. Scheele was asked to invent somesort of infernal machine by which ships could be set onfire after they had left port and were on the high seas.That was all. If innocent persons died, what matter? Itmust be a secret sort of thing, this machine, which couldbe distributed without creating a suspicion. It must beefficient. It must be small. It must work without muchmechanism. And it must be deadly sure. This was thesort of warfare—allied to bestial*ty in France and Belgium,and red ruthlessness on the high seas—that was tomake Germany loved and revered in the whole world, asnow, amazingly enough, she asks us to be—we, her Americanbrothers “with whom she has no quarrel.”

Very well, the order was accepted by Scheele. It wassimple for this man, a mechanical and chemical genius.Of course, he needed some materials. Where should heget them except among fellow Germans? And were not[Pg 115]the entire interned crew and corps of officers of theinterned German steamships, which were lying in the Hudson,available for his purposes? Scheele got all the leadand tin and like material he needed there. The Scheelecigar bomb, as it came to be called, was only three orfour inches long and an inch or two in diameter. Insideof it was a thin partition made of tin. In a cavity at oneend was placed a certain chemical; in the other end,divided from it for the time being by a partition sheetof tin, was a strong corrosive acid. When the ends weresealed the work was done.

It was relatively simple to put two or three of these ina pocket and casually go aboard a ship, or through theinfluence of simple and kindly German neighbor people,have someone else go aboard the ship and drop such abomb into a coal bunker; or better, among the cargo. Thebomb needed absolutely no attention on the part of anyone.Scheele, a competent, thorough, painstaking Germanscientist of Germany’s highest and best type, left nothingto chance. He experimented from time to time, and verifiedhis experiments. He knew how thick to make thatpartition of tin. He could make it of just such a thicknessthat the acid could eat through it in two or three or fourdays, so that if a certain steamship carried that bomb onthe high seas for two or three or four days, in the courseof time the acid would eat through the tin. Then, in thecombination of the chemicals, heat would be generated anda fire was absolutely certain.

These things sound like the invention of a diseasedmind—like the romance of some excited intellect concerningitself with unreal and impossible events belongingin another age—another world than ours. But they aretrue, actually true. Scheele, backed by these influentialGermans in New York, backed by the diplomatic representativesof the German Government itself—we mightas well say by all Germans also—actually did these thingsin this country.

Not one, but many ships broke into flames in mid-Atlantic.Sometimes the damage was not complete, but quitefrequently the loss of a merchant ship was absolute. Wecannot tell how many millions of dollars of the world’s property[Pg 116]were lost in this way through the activities of thisone perverted mind. Our censorship took care of someof that. Those losses of foodstuffs, of fuel, of clothing,had to be paid for by someone. They were subtractedfrom the world’s useful supplies. Who paid for them?You and I and all the taxpayers of America paid for thelosses. One does not know how much Scheele himself gotout of it—not very much; for, two months before thiswar was “forced” on Germany, Scheele was ordered tosell his drug store, and did so—though he complained hewas doing very well in it. His salary is not known tohave been raised.

One of the astonishing and disgusting developments ofthis war had been the knowledge gained of the unspeakabledepravity and degeneracy of the German mind. Thereare in the Government records at Washington countlesscases of German officers who, over their own signatures,have written things so foul and filthy, so low, lewd andbestial, that no pen on earth ever would rewrite them saveone of their own sort. The Huns were not clean-mindedfighting men, but in large percent animal-like, low, cruel,cunning, unscrupulous, unchivalrous even in their mostarrogant ranks. This explains out of hand the atrocitiesin Belgium and France and shows what atrocities werewaiting for America had this war been won by Germany.

Germany fell because she was rotten in heart and insoul. That was why she fought foul—because she wasfoul, foul to the core. It was an amazing and an abhorrent“kultur,” this which she offered to the world. It is nowonder that her ways of warfare were cruel, merciless,unchivalrous; no wonder that she crucified men and torturedwomen and children until there is no human wayever of squaring the account with her. She no longerbelongs on the clear avenues of the world, and the oneepitaph she has earned is the one word, “Unclean!”History has not usually recorded such statements. No.And history has not usually been in the way of discoveringsuch truths.

It was this Dr. Scheele, an upper class German wholived here twenty-five years as a spy, who, under GermanGovernment order, started this friendly plan against America.[Pg 117]You cannot call that military genius. You cannotcall such a man a soldier. His is simply an instance ofperverted intellect. It is not even to be dignified by theterm malicious. It is unmoral, base, intellectually obscene,as Thierichens was emotionally obscene.

But Scheele himself, now grown old—for he was amajor when he came to America twenty-five years ago—isto-day a pleasant man of genial manner. He used tovisit the home of one of his guards—to whom he stuckvery close in his walks on the street, the guard havingtold him he would kill him on his first step toward escape—andthere he always was kind to the children. “Hewas such a nice man,” said the guard’s wife—“socourtly.” He is a very egotistical man, and it requires acertain playing up to his vanity to get him to talk freely.Yet he has talked freely, and has given much valuableinformation to the United States. The men who accompanyhim in his city walks would dearly love to drop himout a high window or see him try to escape. They do notlove him.

But Scheele loves himself. Asked one time as to somestatement he had made, he took offense at suspicion ofhis veracity. He, twenty-five years a spy in America, astate’s-evidence man at last against his original countrywhich he thus betrayed in turn, at this imputation slappedhimself on the chest and said: “On my honor as a Germanofficer!” Great God!

In his statements he was not often found tripping. Forinstance, when he said that 200,000 rifles for German revolutionistswere stored in a German club in New York,its searchers did find evidence that rifles had earlier beenstored there, but later removed. Scheele was taken fromWashington to New York to point out these rifles. Hewould not go with less than four men as a guard. He isalways afraid some German will kill him. Oh, yes, he isstill alive. The secret men of the United States knowwhere he is. He can be seen. He will talk. He is anelderly, kindly-looking man now—a man who speaks ofhis “honor as a German officer!”

The story of Scheele’s ferreting out is of itself a strangeand absorbing tale, which shows how our own men were[Pg 118]on their guard. To begin with, his cigar bombs did notwork infallibly—perhaps the motion of the ship wouldslop the acid away from the tin partition so it wouldnot cut through quite on schedule. One or two bombswere found on shipboard. One or two were found unexplodedin the coal when ships were unloading at Bordeaux.The bombs were traced back to New York. Dock laborershad been bribed to put them aboard ships sometimes—andsometimes were ashamed to do so and dropped theminto the water instead. Men who can decipher code canrun a trail like this. Scheele soon was located.

But Scheele had fled long before. Why? Whither?The Imperial German Government knew Scheele was goingto be caught. The large spies of the German embassypromised to pick Scheele up at Cuba—where he had takentemporary residence under the practically German custodyof a Spaniard who kept him in a castle which alsowas a prison. And so it came to pass that when theembassadorial train of the Imperial German Governmentwas kicked out of America and all these big spies werenamed openly, and all the news of that big spy systembegan to break, von Bernstorff, von Papen and companysailed for Germany—but they did not take any chances.They did not stop at Cuba.

Scheele was abandoned by his people—he was an actualprisoner in Cuba. He was bitter. He might talk undera third degree. An A.P.L. man of New York Division,Richmond Levering, now Major Levering, U.S.A., wentto Cuba, got access to Scheele, took him to Key West,took him back again to Cuba—but took him back to anactual prison. Then, finding he had no place in the world,and no friend whose protection he could not buy, he soldhis “honor of a German officer” to the United States,and in return, he is still alive, having paid as the priceof life the full story, so far as he knows it, of the GermanImperial spy system from Wilhelmstrasse to BrooklynBridge.

And there you have a spy, a real one, a man who plannedmurder and arson on the high seas, death to unknownhundreds of men, women and children; the man whoinvented the mustard gas that tortured and killed our boys[Pg 119]and those of our allies on the line in France, and whoseperverted intellect did none may know what else of subtlecrime “on the honor of a German officer.”

Scheele made many revelations which never heretoforehave been made public, because they were humiliating andshocking to us, and showed how completely we had beenbefooled for years. He said: “We knew all you had,everything, and we used all you had. You invented thesubmarine—and we used it, not you. You invented theairplane—and we used it, not you.” (Which is true,as our boys in the Argonne battle would testify.) “Ifyou had had new gases, we’d have got them. We hadfour men for years in your Patent Office, and you neverknew it. We knew every invention useful to us. We hada man in your army secrets, one in your navy.”

“But how could you do such things—how could youhave men inside of our Government in that way?” interruptedthe man to whom he was unburdening himself.

“Good God!” said Scheele, “we’ve got them in yourCongress, haven’t we?”

It is enough. And now comes Dernburg and believesthat Americans will hail the “new understanding”between Germany and America! He believes that we shallbe very good friends, now that the war is over.

[Pg 120]

CHAPTER IX
HANDLING BAD ALIENS

Dealing with Dangerous Propagandists—High and LowClass Disloyalists—The Alleged Americanism of the Kaiser’sKultur-Spreaders—A Few Instances of A.P.L.Persuasions.

In the early days of the A.P.L., Mr. Bielaski, Chief ofthe Bureau of Investigations of the Department of Justice,issued an explicit letter of warning and advice to allLeague members as to their conduct regarding aliens. TheAttorney General often publicly denounced lynchings.The Bureau of Investigation always counseled prudenceand full justice to all. Surely, the aliens, the unnaturalized,the strangers and visitors of other races than ourown, caught in this country with or against their will bythe declaration of war, can offer no complaint regardingthe fairness and generosity of the treatment accordedthem. These enemies of ours, these spies, propagandistsand pro-Germans, had better treatment than they deservedthen and better than they deserve now. We have beentoo temperate, too fair, too lenient with them. The moderationof the A.P.L. work, indeed, all our Governmentwork, with traitorous persons living in America, has beena matter of astonishment to all the European nations, whoperhaps knew more of the alien enemy type than we didourselves.

A reference to the table of reports of all division chiefswill show that investigations for “disloyal and seditiousutterances” far outnumber those under any other head.The truth is that Germans and pro-Germans generally weremighty co*cky in their talk in this country. Arrogant andassured that Germany was going to win this war—forwhich, as most of her amateur and all of her special spiesknew, she had been preparing for many years—they[Pg 121]talked as though they owned America and might say ordo what they liked at any time or place they pleased.As against this offensive conduct, the A.P.L. showed twophases. First, it saved many a German life, perhaps oflittle worth, by preventing large and free-handed lynchings;and in the second place, it exercised so potent aninfluence on openly sneering and boasting pro-Germansthat very soon they ceased to talk where they might beheard. That any such persons ever changed very muchin loyalty, that they ever gained any more love for ourinstitutions or felt any less love for those of Germany, theauthor of this book, after reading some thousands ofA.P.L. reports of investigations, frankly does not believe.That it was fear of justice in one or another form whichquieted them, this author frankly does believe. And thatfear only is going to hold down such citizens in thefuture, he believes with equal frankness. In their hearts,these people have learned no new principles, although intheir conduct they may have learned new counsels.

America handled her racial war problem as though shewere afraid of it. There is small ultimate benefit in that.The only reconstruction policy—political, commercial orindustrial—by which America really can gain, is one whichis going to say: “This country is America. It has butone flag.” It is time we laid aside our old vote-catchingmethods, our old business timidities, and quit ourselveslike men. Indeed, it is impossible to get in touch with themass of the A.P.L. testimony and not to feel bitter andmore bitter toward the traitors who have been left immuneunder our flag—not to feel sure and more sure that wehave handled them too gently and to our own later sorrow.All this is written in absolute deliberation, with a certainfeeling of authoritativeness. It has been given to few mento read the mass of testimony which the writing of thisbook necessitated. To do so was to sit in touch of thegreatest reflex of the real America that perhaps ever hasexisted. We deal here not with theories, but with actual,concrete facts.

We do not give authorized figures as to the alien enemiesinterned, but it is sometimes said that we interned onlyabout five thousand aliens, that we paroled a very large[Pg 122]number, deported a few, and revoked citizenship for onlytwo. It was said that the close of the war would set freea great many of these persons who will resume their residence,if not their former activities, in America. It is truethat we have not executed a single German spy. That isan astonishing commentary on our laws and our Governmentin times such as these. Let those who are wiser than thewriter of this book can claim to be after the extraordinaryexperience of studying the real America, pass on the wisdomof such leniency in its bearing on later Bolshevism inAmerica. Other nations certainly have acted otherwise.Sometimes they have smiled at us as the easy mark ofall the nations.

Certainly, however, whatever may be the personal beliefof many citizens of this country, our public documentsprove the wish of our Department of Justice, all its Bureausand all its auxiliaries, to be just and more than just,generous and more than generous, to those not in accordwith our laws and institutions,—a strange contrast for thereflection of those “simple and kindly” folk who for fouryears have exulted in the outrages Germany has wroughtupon the world, and who for four years have given theworld the most detestable examples of treacherousespionage.

At times we did teach some of those gentry that therewas a God in Israel. If as yet we have deported few ornone of those interned aliens—all of whom, and a hundredthousand more, surely ought to be deported—if we havereceived back into our tolerant friendship those who havebeen for some time warned out of our Government zones,at least we have trailed down certain of the more activecases of Kultur spreading in America. Space confines usto very few of those, chosen almost at random from thethousands at hand in the records.

The chief centers of alien enemy activity in this country,as might have been expected, were the great industrialtowns and cities. It was in these places that the A.P.L.fought its hardest fights and achieved its greatesttriumphs.

The great city of Seattle was no exception. The reportof the splendid work it did all through the far Northwest[Pg 123]ought by every right to appear in full. We must be content,however, to extract from the Seattle record a coupleof interesting incidents of trailing aliens.

The first suspect was a German who had changed thespelling of his name. Outer appearances were in his favor.He resided in a good part of Seattle, in a good bungalow,and showed all the insignia of the Red Cross, LibertyLoans, etc., in his windows. He was unassuming in hismanner and openly talked patriotism. However, as thecase proceeded, it was found that he associated with adomestic of a citizen, and that this domestic collectedCanadian bills and sent them to Canada. Tracing this clue,the suspect C—— was found to have come from Canadawhere he had been interned. He had made his escape andcome to the United States without permission. He had acovert postoffice box in the name of Joe M—— (his realGerman name was K——), and he had been an alienenemy agent of Germany. He was arrested by an A.P.L.man, brought before Federal officials and later was internedfor the period of the war.

In the possession of this man there was found a long listof names of Germans, all of whom were afterwards foundto have served in the German Army, but who were nowcorporals or privates in the American Army. These menwere stationed mostly in forts on Puget Sound. Throughthese men, C—— had a well established system leadinginto the Navy Yard of Puget Sound and the forts protectingthe harbors. There was taken into custody a photographer,T——, who had in his possession photographsof nearly everything in and about Fort Worden. T——,who was associated with C—— in some manner, wasgiven a hearing and released on ten thousand dollarsbail. The money was immediately put up by Germansthen under suspicion at Fort Townsend. At about thistime, T——’s house took fire and burned down. Onetrunk was saved, of which he quickly took charge whenreleased on bail. There were other arrests made in thiscase, regarding the final issue of which nothing can besaid at this writing. So much at least for the gentle andunassuming Mr. C——, quiet citizen.

Seattle had another case which ended in an internment,[Pg 124]that of Gus S——, whose story is succinctly covered inthe words of the Seattle Chief:

Yet another good report from the Seattle Chief coversthe case of M. J. B——, alias W. J. H——, who apparentlywas unable to keep all his life as secret as he mightwish. We cannot improve upon the report of the Chief asit was written:

It never was urged against Seattle that she displayedanything but live wire characteristics, and it is too badthat we may not delve deeper into the Seattle files. TheChief adds: “We have many other cases, perhaps of moreimportance.” The existing records bear out the assertion.But we must dismiss this big center of activity with onlya brief summary of tables showing six months’ work ofthe Minute Men Division of the American ProtectiveLeague for Seattle. The situation revealed by this summary,astounding as it is, and humiliating as it must be tomake the admission, is one that finds a parallel in theexperience of every great industrial center in Americaduring the war.

There came up in the Birmingham, Ala., Division thecharacter investigation of R. E. S——, a lieutenant inthe United States Army, reported to be in the MilitaryIntelligence Department, foreign service. This man livedin Birmingham several years before the declaration of war,and moved with the best people. He always seemed tohave enough money for the demands of society, althoughhis business was limited in its earning capacity. He attendeda training camp and received a commission, butafter he had arrived in France, the War Department requestedan investigation through the League. The resultshows that danger existed at all times from German explosiveseven in the most jealously guarded places. Below isgiven the substance of the investigation. The first operativereported:

Another operative said he did not think S—— a safeman to have in the United States Army. In his presence,S—— approved the sinking of the Lusitania, and saidthat the people who lost their lives had no business on theship. He also stated that he had two brothers in businessin Germany before the United States entered the war.Operative said that S—— was strongly pro-German inhis sympathies. He regarded him as a dangerous man—particularlydangerous if he was in the Intelligence Department.Operative stated that he had no confidence whateverin S——’s loyalty. He stated that S—— admiredGermany and thought the Germans were the greatestpeople on earth.

[Pg 130]

A third operative prefaced his statement with the remarkthat he was a warm personal friend of S—— and didnot want to do him an injustice. He did say that S——,before the entry of the United States into the war, wasintensely pro-German. On being asked if he would like tobe a private in a company commanded by S—— andpressed for an answer, he said: “Well, I would like toknow my captain hated the Germans a whole lot more thanS—— does.” He further said that if S—— were to becaptured, he would very soon be on friendly terms with hiscaptors.

Follows a statement of an operative who had knownS—— for twenty-five or thirty years, and had been on theterms of the best friendship for several years past:

Prior to the entry of the United States into the war, S——was rabidly pro-German and expressed himself freely on anyand all occasions. He thought that Germany was all-powerfuland had nothing to fear from the United States. He favoredthe German U-Boat policy, and said: “I am damn gladof it!” when he read the newspaper notice of the sinking ofthe Lusitania. He said furthermore that the people on theship got just what was coming to them, and they had no businessbeing on it. S—— seemed to be thoroughly imbuedwith the idea that the Germans are supermen, and that theycould do anything. He regarded the Kaiser as the greatestman on earth. He took all the German papers in the country,and received German propaganda from some source unknown.When he went to the Officer’s Training Camp in Atlanta, hewrote a card to one of his friends here asking him to forwardhis mail but not to forward any newspapers. He was a constantreader of papers of German tendencies. He stated inconversation that the United States had no Navy, and that thesafest place for its ships was in our harbors; that there wasmore danger to our sailors from our own ships than from anythingelse. He seemed to have a great deal of information concerningthe armament and equipment of the United States asregards cannon, small arms and vessels, together with thenumber of men in our Army and Navy. Mr. R—— did notknow where he got the information nor what he did with it.S—— knew all the local anarchists and wild-eyed citizensof German and Russian nationality. One day S—— wastalking on the street with a friend when a rough, unkempt,hobo-like man passed them. S—— asked his friend to excuse[Pg 131]him a moment as he wanted to speak to that man. Heconversed in German with the man for several moments, andon his return said: “He is a Russian anarchist, and he toldme that a revolution is brewing in Russia and that the Germanswill not have to fight the Russians much longer.” Healways expressed great pleasure at any news which was favorableto Germany. He did not think the United States hadany business entering the war. He has relatives in Germanynow.

When asked the direct question if he thought it advisablefor S—— to be in the Intelligence Division of theArmy, operative said:

I would not want to be in a company which he commands,and I believe it highly dangerous for him to be in the IntelligenceDepartment. I believe if he was captured by the Germans,he would have nothing to fear.

The report of this operative further says:

It has been thought advisable to take these widely separatedcases and to give them in detail rather than to presentsummaries of a large number of cases which may ormay not have resulted in sentences or internments. Anexamination of these instances will show the fairness andshrewdness with which the League’s Chiefs and Operativesworked, as well as their unflagging interest in the workoffered them. It also will be apparent that a single investigationmight involve a great deal of patient, hard work.

[Pg 133]

CHAPTER X
THE GREAT I.W.W. TRIAL

Story of the Greatest Criminal Prosecution Known in theJurisprudence of America—The Lawless Acts Leading upto the Arrests—Methods of Violence Used by Members ofthe I.W.W.—Sabotage and Terror—Chief Figures of theTrial—Incidents from the Inside.

The greatest trial with which the American ProtectiveLeague was identified was the genuine cause celébrèknown all over the world as the I.W.W. trial. It beganin the Federal Court for Chicago, presided over by JudgeKenesaw M. Landis (the same of fame in the Standard Oilcase), on April 1, 1918, and ended with ninety-seven convictionsand sentences in one lot. The case was concludedat two in the afternoon of August 30, 1918.

The trial lasted for five months. The preparation forit covered two years or more. The record is said to bethe most elaborate and complete ever prepared in any caseat law. The case was by no means a Chicago or Illinoiscase, but was a national and indeed an international one.The documentary and other evidence preserved in therooms of the Bureau of Investigation in Chicago is sovoluminous as to pass belief, and it includes more proofof the depravity of the human mind than any like assemblageof written and printed material known to man. Itis the record of the attempted ruin of this republic.

With this great case, the American Protective Leaguehad been connected practically all the time from the dateof its own inception. It had men shadowing the suspects,men intercepting their mail, men ingratiating themselvesinto their good graces, men watching all their comings andgoings, men transcribing and indexing the reports, menlooking into the law in all its phases as bearing on thesecases. No one knows how many A.P.L. operatives, in all[Pg 134]the states from Michigan westward, worked on this casefor months before an arrest was made. There were fifteenlawyers, all of them members of the League, not one ofwhom got a cent of pay, who worked for a full year helpingthe Bureau of Investigation to brief the evidence.There you see the A.P.L. in action.

For months and years before the arrests, the IndustrialWorkers of the World, as they call themselves, had beennotorious for their anarchy and violence. Countless actsof ruthlessness had marked their career; millions and perhapsbillions in property had been destroyed by them;their leader had been tried for the murder of a governor ofa Western state, though acquitted. Nothing lacked in theirrecord of lawlessness and terror, and they were inspiredby a Hun-like frightfulness as well as a Hun-like cunningwhich for a time both excited and baffled the agents of thelaw in a dozen Western States.

The I.W.W. as an organization began, according totheir Secretary and Treasurer, W. H. Haywood, in 1904,in an amalgamation agreed to by officers of the WesternFederation of Miners and the American Labor Union.The theory of the band, reduced to its least common denominator,was that of striking terror by secret acts ofviolence. Their ethics were precisely those of the barnburner,who works in the dark. What was their reasonfor their acts? None. They all had had their fair chancein America—more than a fair chance. But, because somemen had wealth, they thought they also should have, andif it was not offered them free, then they would show theirresentment by destroying wealth and injuring those whohad it. Their plea was the wish to “aid the laboring man.”God save the mark! They did more to hurt the cause oflabor than could have been done in any other way in theworld. They stained the name of this republic so blackthat the most rabid labor unions in Europe protested anddisowned them. And they got their reward for that; orat least some of them have, and more will have before thetale is told.

Sabotage and strikes were the common methods of theI.W.W. organization, which at the time of the trial numberedover 100,000 members, mostly scattered in the West[Pg 135]in many trades. They managed strikes in widely scatteredparts of the Union, and as they grew bolder, they plannedin war times a general strike of all branches of labor, allover the United States. They first began work among thelumber-jacks, then among the miners. They meant to includeall harvest hands in harvest time, all agriculturallabor, indeed, labor of every sort. It was the plan todemand a six hour day and $6.00 a day, even for all farmlabor; which, as all Americans now carrying the war pricesof living can see, would inevitably have raised the priceof food unspeakably had it succeeded. When opposed,they wrecked and burned and ruined, maimed, murdered.

“Big Bill” Haywood, the I.W.W. leader, execrated“military preparedness.” He called sabotage—that is tosay, secret industrial wrecking—the “weapon of the disinterested.”Perhaps in peace times our fatuousness asa people would have caused us to pay small attention evento the series of I.W.W. outrages. We would have absorbedthe discomforts and the crimes in our old careless,cowardly way. But now we were at war. We were makingships and airplanes, cannon and small arms and munitionsand clothing and equipment. We needed the labor ofevery loyal man as much as we needed money and soldiers.And it was about this time that Frank H. Little (anI.W.W. leader who was lynched in Butte, Montana, soonafter) wrote a letter to the general board of the I.W.W.,demanding that the board should take action against thedraft law requiring service in the Army.

This, coupled with the evidence of strikes, and the prospectof paralysis in many essential government activities,was going too far. It was known that the I.W.W. intendedto get at the marine workers, then all allied industries.That would have meant the end of the war, or ofour activity in the war.

Now, therefore, these arrogant and lawless men, neverelse than malcontents, became traitors. In order to workout to the quotient of ruin these vague theories about the“rights of man,” they cast aside what shred of patriotismthey ever may have had to cover their nakedness of manhood,and declared themselves ready to cripple and leavehelpless before her merciless foe this republic of America,[Pg 136]whose whole theory from the foundation has been that ofthe rights of man, who fought in all her wars for the rightsof man and has asked only in this peace the recognitionof the rights of man. Ah, they were so wise, these ruffians!

But now they ran against our espionage law and its newteeth. Secretly watched for months by the many agentsof the Government and its auxiliaries, the I.W.W. wasat last found with sufficient goods on it to warrant themovement of the law’s forces. The charges were madethat I.W.W. members had violated the espionage act;that they had fostered strikes to delay the output in warmunitions; that they had spoiled industrial material; thatthey had been guilty of acts of violence against men notof their views; that they had violated the postal laws; thatthey had violated the statutes against conspiracy. Theindictments were framed on those general lines, and thelong arm of Uncle Sam, not that of any state or county orcity, reached out for the accused.

By this time the agitations of the I.W.W. had coveredMontana, Arizona and Colorado, were reaching into Utahand Nevada, and had Minnesota and Michigan next on thelist. But pari passu with the I.W.W. activities had goneon those of certain other alphabetical organizations, to wit,D.J. and A.P.L.

Mr. Clabaugh, the storm center of the Chicago Bureauof Investigation, worked long months with the Governmentattorneys. Mr. Frank Nebeker, the trial lawyer, was anassistant U. S. Attorney General of Salt Lake City, andhe was on this case for over a year. It was he who directedthe raids. He was assisted by Mr. Claude Porter, of DesMoines, Iowa, U. S. Attorney for the Southern District ofIowa—now Assistant to the U. S. Attorney General inWashington. Mr. Porter came on as Special Assistant inplace of Mr. Frank C. Dailey of Indianapolis, who hadresigned. These men and their aids brought together, ashas been said, the most elaborate legal records ever known.That they had the evidence is proved by the results of thetrial—ninety-seven convictions out of the ninety-nine accusedand tried. The A.P.L. got the evidence.

These men and Mr. Clabaugh were all in conference withU. S. Attorneys all over the country from Detroit west,[Pg 137]and in conference with the governors of many states aswell. Everything was kept secret. Then, one day, a wireflashed across the country which set the law afoot. At thesame moment, two o’clock, Central time, on the afternoonof September 5, 1917, one hundred I.W.W. offices wereraided. The Web had done its work! One hundred andsixty-five frightened insects struggled where but now a likenumber of arrogant and boastful traitors had strutted free.At one time Mr. Clabaugh took down to the Departmentof Justice in Washington a large trunk full of papers—incriminatingdocuments once property of the I.W.W.It would take such reading of these unspeakable documentsby all the American public as these officers of the law gavethem, before America ever could know what foul sort oftraitors she has been welcoming here at her own table.

Some of these arrested suspects were bailed out, othersheld in prison. Of the total arrested, ninety-nine werebrought to trial. The case began before that staunch fightingman, Judge Landis—who had a son in the U. S. aviationcorps himself—on Monday, April 1, 1918, and a monthwas spent in selecting a jury. In all this work, the A.P.L.was active, and more than once its men choked off allegedillegal enterprises—for the defendants were desperate now.The opening statement was made by Mr. Nebeker on May2, and examination of witnesses followed for six weeks,when the Government rested till Wednesday, June 19. Mr.George Vandever, for the defense, made the opening statementon Monday, June 24. Judge Landis charged the jurySaturday, August 17. The jury brought in its verdict infifty-five minutes and on one ballot. The statements ofthe prisoners were taken on Thursday, August 29, andsentence was passed by Judge Landis at 2:00 P. M., August30, 1918.

The jury had needed but little time for deliberation.The judge in reading his instructions, dismissed the fifthcount of the indictment, charging a conspiracy to violatethe postal laws of the United States. After telling thejury that it had exclusive domain over the determinationof the facts of the case, while it must take the law fromthe Court, Judge Landis said it was within the provinceof the court to give his opinion regarding the evidence.

[Pg 138]

“But in this case I shall not do so,” said the court. “Ishall submit it to you free from expression of my ownjudgment. Your decision shall be the last and only oneon the question of fact.”

He then explained the law of conspiracy at considerablelength, after presenting a brief digest of the substance ofthe indictment. He announced that it was unnecessary toprove explicit agreement to enter a conspiracy against thedefendants if there was circ*mstantial evidence that sucha conspiracy existed, judged by the facts and the actionsof the defendants.

“Mere passive knowledge of the criminal activities ofother persons is not sufficient to establish a conspiracy,”he instructed. “Some participation, coöperation, must beshown to establish the connection of any defendant, andby evidence of fact and circ*mstances independent of thedeclarations of other people,—that is, by evidence of thedefendants’ own acts. Until such evidence is introduced,the defendants are not bound by the declaration or statementsof others. But after it is shown he is a member ofthe conspiracy, he is so bound, providing the acts are infurtherance of the common purpose.”

The court also instructed that if any defendants enteredthe conspiracy after it started, knowing its purpose, theywere equally guilty as if they had been of those whooriginally conspired, but he tempered this by suggestingthat they might all have been guilty of minor conspiraciesin different places, and he stated that if these were notrelated to a common purpose, they were not guilty underthe indictment. He also announced that they might all beguilty of the acts of violence set forth in the indictment,and yet, if these were not related to a common conspiracy,they were not guilty in the charge in the case.

Both sides professed satisfaction with the instructions.The sentences of the Court sent Haywood and fourteenothers, his principal aids, to the penitentiary for twentyyears. Thirty-three men got ten years, the same numbergot five years; twelve men got a year and a day, two mengot off with two days in jail, and two had their casescontinued. There was well nigh a train load of them thatstarted for Leavenworth federal penitentiary the next day.[Pg 139]The Department of Justice could not find handcuffs enoughin the city of Chicago to accommodate all the prisonerson that train!

The total time covered by these I.W.W. sentencesamounts to eight hundred and seven years and twentydays. The world is deprived of that much-too-independentwork in a time when the world needs honest labor. Haywood’sboast that there are 100,000 uncaught and unrepentantI.W.W.’s in the United States alone is all the proofneeded of the nature of the men thus put away.

These men, like most under-cover criminals, were cowards.Haywood’s face went white when he heard sentencepassed on him. The prisoners, but lately sneering andarrogant, now sat overwhelmed. Their friends and adherentsalso were stunned. The court room was filled witharmed U. S. Marshals and A.P.L. men, all unknown andall ready for trouble. There was no trouble. Dead silencewas in the room. All bail was cancelled, of course, andthe march to jail began.

What did the Government prove against the I.W.W.’s?That they had been guilty of almost everything a depravedmind could invent in the way of crime. The public isalready conversant with the argot of the band. The “sabcat,” or worker of sabotage—secret destruction of property—wasa title of pride among them. “Wobblies,”“high jacks,” “scissor-bills,” “bundle-stiffs”—all werepart of the personnel put in evidence. A “clock” wasdivulged to mean a phosphorus bomb, intended to be firedby the sun and set a wheat stack ablaze.

These men spiked a great many spruce trees so that millsaws were ruined on the logs. They killed vineyards inCalifornia, and claimed to have burned $2,000,000 worthof wheat in that state alone. They not only burned wheatin the stack, but sowed spikes to damage reapers. Theydropped matches and bits of metal in threshing machines.They put emery in delicate machine bearings. In canningfactories they mixed the labels, so that grades were vitiatedfor the vegetables sent out. They polluted or poisonedcanned goods with dead rats and the like in factories wherethey worked. No doubt also they set forest fires, andbeyond doubt caused explosions that destroyed hundreds[Pg 140]of thousands of dollars in property. They did this toterrorize their own country in its day of peril. They werenot worth the name of men. You can not make citizensout of such creatures. Fear is all they understand.

Their literature was a continuous blasphemy. Cursingthe name of the Savior was nothing to their writers. Theyput lime in men’s shoes and burned their feet to the bone.They had a special sort of club they used in attacking“scabs.” It had short, sharp nails driven along it, paintedthe color of the club so they could not easily be seen. Thevictim would catch at the club to wrest it from his assailant.It was then jerked through his hands, often tearingout the sinews, always scarring and often maiming himforever. Always they were cowards. To injure and notdestroy was part of their religion. “Strike while youwork” meant to disable a machine for a while and so tostop work for the crew or for the whole plant. “Feed thekitty more cream” meant to use more emery on bearings,to do more dirt in factories, to wreck and mar and mutilatemore cunningly and covertly—and to escape by feigningthe innocent laboring man. If they were not all Huns,they had the foul Hun imagination, and also the methodsof the Hun.

By December of 1918, the trial of a half hundred morealleged I.W.W. men was progressing at Sacramento,California. The attempt of the prosecution there was toshow a nation-wide plot against the Government of theUnited States. And again, A.P.L. had the evidence ready,ticketed and tabulated, for A.P.L. covers all of theUnited States and not merely one part. On January 16,1919, forty-six of the defendants were convicted.

If we have 100,000 I.W.W. members such as these yetamong us, and internment camps full of Germans and pro-Germans,would there not seem need for a house cleaning?It is time now for a new American point of view. We arenot going to allow America to be used as it has been bythese men. Fear at least they shall understand.

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CHAPTER XI
THE SLACKER RAIDS

How the A.P.L. Made Patriots—Chasing the Slacker—Teachingthe Love of the Flag—Incidents of WesternRaids.

Even had Mr. Bryan’s famous prophecy come true, thata million armed men would spring up over night and soend at once any trouble America might presumably experiencein going to war, there still would have existed avast deficit in our Army, which at the time of the Armisticehad more than two million men armed and on the soil ofFrance, almost as many in training, and ten times as manylisted as army material if needed—although, to be sure,they had not sprung up either armed or equipped, as perhapsFrance or Great Britain could testify. The new draftages of 18 to 45 swept in a vast additional army under thelatest conscription act, although the first registration, thoseof 21 to 31, had set on foot our first American forces—asfine soldiers as ever stood on leather.

A great many phrases are made in time of war aboutwar itself, and most of these come around to the ancientrecruiting sergeant’s inviting motto recounting the gloryof dying for one’s country. The Napoleonic wars werefought on the death-or-glory basis; but Napoleon got histroops by rigid conscription. We fought this war on amore sober basis of necessity. Most of us who are oldenough and wise enough to study human nature and worldpolitics knew that commercial jealousy, and not any abstracttheories about democracy and the rights of man, laybasically under this war, as they have lain under mostother wars. And the boys of the world—youth beingresilient, of high pulse and low blood pressure, and believing,as youth always does, that nothing wrong can happento youth and hope—were called on once more to fight the[Pg 142]wars of the world, as the boys always have been askedto do.

Youth and middle age volunteered, old age itself volunteered,but the truth became obvious that our volunteerarmy would not spring armed over night in sufficient numbers.In fairness, we passed our draft acts, euphonicallytermed “Selective Service Acts,” it being intended thatthis action should bring America to its focus, and shouldput under arms warm and lukewarm lovers of our flag alike.As it seems to this writer, that originally was unfair onlyin that it made the maximum service age too low. It castthe burden of the war on the boys, the young men, mostof whom had never felt hate against any country, andknew little about the causes of this war; for soldiers oftendo not really know why they fight.

Under the weak American pacifist propaganda, there laymuch human nature and very much more of shrewd Germanpropaganda. Germany always has had this countrysown with spies and secret agents, as we have shown, andalways has counted very largely on the German-Americanloyalty to the flag of Germany. That very able spy, PrinceHenry of Prussia, brother to that now very contemptiblebut once very arrogant coward, William Hohenzollern,carried back to his royal brother the most confident reportsregarding potential German forces in America. He wasespecially well received in Milwaukee and Chicago, wherehe was met and welcomed by officials not unmindful ofthe value of the German vote.

We find all these influences enlisted to aid and abet anynatural reluctance of boys to go to war, boys of the noblestand bravest souls, who none the less had mothers to weepover them, sisters and sweethearts to hold them back. Sothere became apparent, in more cities than one, the truththat a great many young men had not registered, had notfilled out questionnaires, were deserting, or were in someway evading the draft.

Very naturally, an intense feeling grew up against thesedraft-dodgers and slackers, a feeling based on the fair-playprinciple. If one man’s son must go, why not the nextman’s, especially as that next man might be a secret pro-Germantrying to protect his blood as well as his property?[Pg 143]But the blood had really nothing to do with the real questionbetween the government and the man needed with thecolors. The law was the law, and it played no favoritesafter the exemption boards were done. The fit man ofproper age must show himself.

Orders went out, in the summer of 1918, from the Departmentof Justice to throw the net for slackers. Thatmeant the immediate mobilization for police duty not onlyof many soldiers and sailors, many policemen and all theforce of the Bureau of Investigation, but also of the entirepersonnel of the American Protective League. With theexception of the I.W.W. cases, the aid the Chicago divisionof the League gave in the great raids of July 11, 12,13 and 14, in 1918, was its most important single contributionto the welfare of the country. The New York slackerraids (of a certain publicity), those carried on also inPhiladelphia, San Francisco, and many other cities, wereall so similar in method, that the story of the Chicagoraids will describe them all.

The big slacker drive in Chicago meant the mobilizationof the entire League membership, and over 10,000 menwere enlisted from this organization alone as operatives inthe slacker search. These men interrogated over 150,000suspects, and seized over 20,000; and they inducted into thearmy, as willing or unwilling patriots, around 1,400 youngmen of that one city who otherwise would not have served.At one time they had herded on the great Municipal Pierover 1,100 men, all of whom had to pass the night there.Countless motor cars and wagons carried loads underguard. A big tourist motor-bus was requisitioned also, andall the street cars were packed. Hundreds of men werecrowded over night in the rooms of the Bureau of Investigationin the Federal Building. The courts and jails werejammed. Vacant store-rooms were filled with prisoners.Mothers, wives, sweethearts, sisters, brothers and babiesmade the Federal Building an actual bedlam when theyrallied to the attempted rescue. But the grist ground onthrough, and the guilty were found and dealt with. Mostof the young men were glad enough to exchange a bed ona stone floor for one in an Army tent. No doubt, most ofthem made good soldiers afterwards. They were rather[Pg 144]passively than actively disloyal—and all of them wereyoung.

No announcement was made of the plans of the Government.The word was passed silently that at a certain hourthe hunt would be on. Once begun, it was prosecuted withenergy and system. All the current ball games were visited,and the crowds were told to file out at a gate, whereeach suspect was asked to show his registration card. Motionpicture shows were treated in the same way, the perfectdistricting and subdividing of the League’s forcemaking all this synchronous and smooth. Cabarets andall-night places of all sorts were combed out. All the cityparks were patrolled at night, and many a young man wastaken from his young woman companion in that way.Members of the League even donned bathing costumes,and swimming out among the bathers at the beaches, pliedtheir questions there! They took in over one hundredslackers out of the wet in that way.

At a thronged boulevard crossing in the loop district,every motor car was stopped. A.P.L. operatives metevery incoming railway train and were at the gate ofevery train leaving the city. Countless homes and shopswere visited. Sunday picnics in the suburbs were inspected,every theater and public building, every “L” roadstation and steamboat landing was investigated andguarded by men who made but one remark: “Show me!”On one night of the four, 7,000 men in a short time weregathered, held and taken to the police stations. Factories,stores, saloons, the open streets, all yielded up their toll—manyinnocent, many loyal, many negligent, many culpableand many disloyal evaders who were trying to dodge thedraft.

In a vast wave, the vigilantes of Chicago, whose existencewas suspected by almost none of these, swept outinto the open. The guilty and the lukewarm alike, theinnocent and ignorant conscript and the veiled enemyalike, got the largest and swiftest lesson in Americanismthis country ever had had up to that hour. It showed acertain element that under the careless American characterthere are vast capacities for self-government and a sternrespect for law and government. Many a pro-German has[Pg 145]known in his soul since last July that about the mostuncompromising autocrat he ever met was a simple manbearing not a scepter but a little badge.

In general, the raids met with no resistance, and thoughthere was confusion there was no disorder. The peopletook it well, as might have been expected. Loyal Americanswould not object, disloyal ones dared not. The generalworking out of the widely-scattered raids was admirable.As to the rapidity and thoroughness of the League’swork, it never has done better anywhere, because by thistime it had grown into a well-drilled and perfectly-organizedbody of constabulary. As covering the public attitudeof this city towards the raids—similar raids were met withworse receptions in other cities—a great daily, the ChicagoTribune, printed the following editorial comment:

[Pg 146]

There are two distinct points of view as to the slackerraids, so called, and criticisms as well as praise have cometo the A.P.L. for its part in them all over the country.Naturally, no miracle was wrought in human nature. Thefamilies of the men who were hid or shielded were no moreloyal after their men were taken than they had beenbefore. The conscientious objector experienced no stiffeningof fiber in his flabby soul. But even these would havefelt otherwise towards the slacker drives had they knownall the truth. Ask the men themselves who were inductedinto the army what they think about it now. Nine-tenthsof them will say that they are ashamed that they had tobe asked twice to go into the army. The other one-tenthis the better for having gone, whether or not they willconfess so much. As a saving influence, a mere reclamationenterprise, the slacker raids were a vast agency forthe public good. They were not man-hunters, but man-savers,these men who conducted the raids.

Just one instance of this truth must serve for all themany communities who engaged in this work and whocaught, in all, perhaps, a half million men for examination,and held a tenth of all they caught. It is only a littleanecdote, but it makes the best answer possible to all thecritics of the Selective Service Act.

A gentleman came into the National Headquarters withcertain papers in the way of reports, and announced thathe was the Chief of the Akron, Ohio, Division. He offeredthe usual apologies—by this time more or less familiar atthe book desk—that he had been able to do so little whenhe had wanted to do so much in the work of the A.P.L.“But there is one thing that I wish you would put in thisbook,” he said, “to show people what this League hasdone in the remaking of men. I don’t care whether yousay another thing for Akron, but I want to tell this story of aman we saved.

“A young woman came to my office and complained ofher husband. ‘I am almost desperate about Joe,’ she saidto me. ‘He drinks and drinks, and hangs around thesaloons. He hasn’t given me a cent in eight months, andI don’t know what to do. I—I love him. I don’t wanthim to go. But do you think the army would do him any[Pg 147]good. He doesn’t do anything for me and our baby.’

“‘The army will see,’ I said to her. So I went andfound her husband—in a saloon, drunk, shabby, dead toall pride and all ambition, about as poor-looking materialfor a soldier as you ever saw. ‘That’s Joe,’ said his wife,when I brought them together in my office.

“Well, I sent Joe to jail to think things over. When hewas in his cell, his wife took him in a tray full of goodthings to eat, some hot coffee, and all that sort of thing.I went with her. ‘You see,’ I said to him, ‘how much yourwife is doing now for your support—more than you havedone for her in a year. What do you think about it now?’

“Well, he was inside the draft age, and we sent himinto the Army. We saw to it that his wife got her shareof his pay—the first support he had given her in manymonths.

“I forgot about this case, so many others came in. Thedays went by until not so long ago. After the armisticewas signed and just before I came down here, some oneknocked at my door. There came in a smiling youngwoman, neatly dressed, a neatly dressed baby in her arms.And with her was a tall, grinning, brown-faced, hard-bitten,well-set-up young man, in the uniform of the UnitedStates Army. He had a sergeant’s chevrons on his sleeve.I did not know any of these people.

“‘That’s Joe,’ said the young woman. Then I rememberedit all. It made me feel rather funny—I couldn’treally quite believe it.

“‘He does not drink,’ said the wife. ‘I am so glad hewent into the Army.’

“Well, maybe you think I’m not glad of my share inremaking a man like that. It paid me for all my workand worry in the League. I believe that our Divisionwould have made good if it had not done anything morethan just what it did for Joe.”

One does not know of any better summary of the slackerraids than that conveyed by this simple little story fromone chief out of very many hundreds.

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CHAPTER XII
SKULKER CHASING

Hunting Bad Men—Deserter-Catching in the SouthernMountains—Tricks of the Slacker’s Trade—RunningDown Unwilling Patriots—Some A.P.L. Adventures—Deathof a Deserter—How a Southern Ranger BringsThem In.

One of the earliest recollections of the writer’s boyhoodis that of seeing his father busily engaged in molding bulletsfor his rifle on a certain Sunday morning—at that timethe old muzzle-loading rifle was still in use. The old gentlemanwas with the Army Recruiting Service in the CivilWar, in a branch which at times was obliged to look aftermen who were evading the draft or unduly prolongingtheir furloughs, or who belonged to that detested groupof conscientious objectors and obstructionists who at thattime bore the local name of “Copperheads.” Some ofthese men had ambushed and killed two of the Army mensent out to bring them in, and as others of the force thentook up the matter, it was deemed wise to be alert andwell armed. The murderers were duly apprehended anddealt with.

At that time we had a United States Secret Servicewhose annals make interesting reading to-day—as, for instance,the burial by Secret Service men of the body ofJohn Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln.That final resting place to this day is known to very fewmen. There was, however, in Civil War times no MilitaryIntelligence Division, no censorship of the mails or cables,no real system of espionage, and certainly no A.P.L. Wehad less need then than now for such extensions of thearm of Justice, because then each army was fighting anhonorable foe—though both were mistaken foes—and becauseour country then was not populated so largely with[Pg 149]unassimilated and treacherous foreigners. There was somespy work in that time on both sides, as in any war; but forthe most part, clean, straightaway fighting was the mainconcern of both sides; and that war was so fought thatsuch a thing as honor did exist and could survive for bothcombatants.

The Civil War had as one of its worst results the factthat the rich new West and Northwest, then opening upwith the early railroads, came to be largely settled soonafter the war by a heavy foreign population, instead of byyoung Americans who must otherwise have marched outat the head of the rails, and not at the head of armiesfrom which so many of them never returned. Had therebeen no Civil War, there would have been less of looseimmigration. Without that war, there would be no Non-PartisanLeague in the Northwest, no German Alliance inthe Middle West, no Bolshevism in the cities of the East.Nevertheless, even in that day of honorable warfare, whenmen met foemen worthy of their steel and not cowardlyassassins, there existed men who had the craven heart.There were deserters then as there always are in war,—andsometimes they were sought out by men who moldedbullets of a Sunday morning, and who, having started outafter their men, did not come back until they had foundthem.

To-day also we have deserters and slackers—let us say,perhaps, with better color of excuse than in the old days,because in some of the more remote districts of the UnitedStates, far from the confusion of the crowded city life, insections where the world runs smoothly and quietly andmen are content, there existed no definite and concretelocal reasons for a man to go to war with a foe across thesea of whom he knew little or nothing. Secure in the onlyAmerican part of America, sometimes the Southern mountaineers,for instance, resented the draft because they didnot understand it. The bravest of the brave, ready tofight at the drop of the hat, and natural soldiers, therewere among them many whose fathers joined the FederalArmy in the Civil War. They volunteered for that—butthey would not be drafted for this foreign war. Theymade a brand of conscientious objectors—rather, say,[Pg 150]ignorant objectors—who were dangerous to go up againstin the laurel thickets or the far-back mountain coves.Very often, these men, when they learned how the flag ofthis country had been insulted, how our women and childrenhad been murdered on the sea, were eager to join thecolors, and never again were they deserters or slackers—onlyfighting men.

To this form of military evader among the simple outlyingpeople of the southern hills, there must be added agreat many deserters of foreign descent all over the country,caught in the Selective Service Act. Some of thesehad imbibed no real loyalty to America in their home associations;much too often their environments were those ofother countries and not this. They heard another speechthan ours used as a “mother tongue”; daily saw customsof the old world maintained, and not those of the newworld taken on. They had small heart for the war becausetheir loyalty to this country still was crude and unformulated.Many of the foreign-born troops who fought so wellin France first joined our colors, not because they wishedto, but because they had to, the law leaving no option.After that, they learned the fierce love of a real soldierfor the real flag of a real country. Perhaps their woundsand their deaths may teach their surviving relatives inAmerica not to remain foreigners, but to become Americans—andnot foreigners masquerading as Americans.Some of our best soldiers had fathers who had taken theGerman oath never to renounce fealty to that famous“War Lord,” chiefest coward of them all, who had notcourage to die at the head of his army.

There was also in this war, as in all other wars, a certainpercentage of the sullen and rebellious, of the weak andcowardly, men of no mark and no convictions in any cause,men who never rise above themselves and their selfishconcerns in any situation. Beyond these, again, was asmall class whose natural home longings or home bewailingsor home pleadings led them to desert. Because ofmany reasons, then, a certain percentage of desertersmarked this war as every war.

In the eyes of the law this was every man’s war, andall must get under and back of it with no exceptions. A[Pg 151]deserter was a deserter. Some were dangerous men, andsome no more than yellow slackers. We could not in thesepages give a great many instances of either type. OneA.P.L. report, however, that comes from Birmingham,Alabama, is peculiar in that it gives details regarding severalinvestigations and arrests of deserters.

One of the most remarkable cases handled by the BirminghamDivision was that of Dan D—— of TuscaloosaCounty, who deserted from the regular army of the UnitedStates on November 27, 1917, and was not captured untilSeptember 1, 1918. Information having been received bythe Chief on the 23rd of August, 1918, that Dan was hidingnear Reno Mines, he immediately ordered a number of hismen under Special Agent M—— to go after the deserter.The trip was taken in automobiles on the afternoon ofAugust 23, and through very heavy mist. Arriving atReno Mines, some information was given the party as tothe location of the man’s home, which proved to be a four-roomboxed house in front of which and about sixty feetaway was a small frame barn about twenty by thirty feet,built of rough plank, with four horse stalls in the mainbuilding and some cow stalls in the lean-to shed.

A careful search of house and barn failed to show anysigns of the missing man, his parents and sister denyingany knowledge of his whereabouts. The mother said, “Thelast I hear’n of Dan was a letter from Long Island twomonths or more ago,” and she remarked, “Of course,you’uns know he was home on a furlough last November.”A request to produce the letter was met with the reply,“The chillun tore it up.”

The search of the barn was again renewed by the men,and the loft was searched with the aid of a ladder from theoutside. It was found to be filled with fodder, hay andgrass, and prodding with poles and forks convinced theparties that there was no chance for any one to be hidingunder same.

Very much mystified, and yet satisfied by the demeanorand sullen manner of the father, mother and sister thatDan was somewhere close, the Special Agent divided hismen, leaving part of them to watch, while the otherssought for outside information.

[Pg 152]

Mr. W——, a Deputy Sheriff of Tuscaloosa County,had been trying to locate Dan for ten months, and hadwatched continuously as much as ten days at one time,both house and barn. A number of searches prior to thearrival of the A.P.L. squad, made in and around themines of the different operating companies, had given noclue. One thing was certain, however: nearly everybodyin the district was related to him, due to the intermarriageduring several generations of the people, and, as usual,there were some of his own kin-folks who would “shorelike to see him pulled.”

At last, the patience of the party being exhausted, andfeeling sure that Dan was somewhere, either about thehouse or barn, the father, William D——, and themother, and a sister, who had denied any relationship toDan, were told positively either to surrender him or go tojail. They asked for time, and it was refused. Theypleaded for the officers to come again to-morrow. Thisalso was refused. After pleading again to give them tillafternoon, they finally asked one of the League operatorsto a conference behind the house with the mother andfather. They then renewed their pleadings for time, butfinally agreed to show the hiding place of their son anddeliver him to the party, as they now realized that the“U. S. was a blame sight stronger than kin-folks who wereliable to split on you at any minute.”

The father was then accompanied to the barn. Heknocked on the wall of the barn and said, “Come down,son!” Almost immediately a wide plank in the floor ofthe barn loft, almost over the heads of the astonished men,mysteriously arose from its resting place, revealing themost unique and simple hiding place imaginable. It wasnothing more or less than a box, about as large as agood sized coffin, in which there were bed clothes, foodand water. The box was cut to fit the joists, hiding alljoints, and being apparent from below as a part of theloft floor. It was covered with fodder and hay above, theoccupant using one loose plank of the box as his trapdoor. When occupied, it would naturally be as tight asany other part of the floor. Later, the party saw a holedug out under the cow stall which he had occupied until[Pg 153]his more palatial quarters in the coffin box had been provided.

The District was noted in years gone by as the “favoritestamping ground of Jim Morrison and kindred outlawedspirits.” Most of the inhabitants of the surrounding countryare employed in the mining of brown iron ore, whichis taken out of large open cuts and washed by machineryand shipped to the furnaces of the Birmingham district.Nearly all of the labor, black and white, are the descendantsof small farmers of Tuscaloosa County and the southernpart of Jefferson County. Many of them still carryon farming in a small way, and the region has long beenfamous for its smooth and creamy “moonshine,” which insome mysterious way still continues to be made. It wasfor many years a favorite pastime of old Judge Shackelford,who lived and died in sight of the D—— home, tomix his corn juice in an old sugar bowl while dispensingjustice in the good old way. Shortly after the events narratedhere, the sheriff of the county was murdered in coldblood on the village street by one of the outlaws of thesection.

Two other interesting cases handled by the BirminghamDivision concerned two brothers, S—— and R——.S—— deserted from Camp Pike, Arkansas, October 5,1917, and R—— from Camp Mills, N. Y., September 25,1917. The peculiar part of the case was that while S——was listed as a deserter, the War Department had no recordof R—— deserting, though they were advised thathe was in this section of the country and efforts were madeto check the records. While their desertions took placethe latter part of 1917, it was not until August, 1918, thatOperative No. 202 of the Birmingham Division receivedconfidential information that both men were in ShelbyCounty, Alabama, making moonshine whiskey, which theywere selling to the miners and also to citizens in Bessemer,Alabama, a town thirteen miles southwest of Birmingham.

A party was organized to go after them, but unfortunatelymissed them by four days, the brothers and theirfamily having moved elsewhere. Operative continued givingthe case active attention, and finally information wassecured that the brothers were in Coosa County, Alabama.[Pg 154]Arrangements for automobiles having been made over longdistance, a party of A.P.L. men, six in number, headedby Agent Crawford of the Department of Justice, leftBirmingham at 3:50 P. M. Thursday, November 7 (the daymade famous by the premature Armistice celebration),arriving at Goodwater about 6:00 P. M.

After supper they were met by two 100 per cent Americanvolunteers with automobiles, and were driven aboutfive miles beyond Goodwater. The latter informed themof the danger of arousing these parties by going over theregular road, on account of dogs barking, so they left themachines about two miles away from the cabin they wereseeking and detoured over a large hill, in the dark andcold, to get to the cabin. The report says:

The Local Agent of the Department of Justice at Birminghamhad many times received information that there[Pg 156]were a number of deserters and delinquents in the swampsof Pickens County, Alabama. The local office there beingunable to cope with the situation, on Monday, December10, a D.J. man, Robert B——, went to Gordo to secureinformation as to the location of these men. The informationwas secured. Mr. B—— then proceeded to Tuscaloosawhere he called the Special Agent over long distancephone asking that eight A.P.L. men be sent to join himin Tuscaloosa. Eight picked men of the A.P.L. assembled,and with three high power automobiles, left Birminghamat 9:00 A. M., December 11, arriving in Tuscaloosa at noon.At four o’clock the party left Tuscaloosa, going to a pointtwo miles from Gordo where deputy sheriff D—— metthe party. D—— was thoroughly familiar with the surroundingcountry.

Leaving the automobiles about two miles from the firsthouse that was to be covered, the party very quietly surroundedthe house, not overlooking the barn and outhouses. They had been informed that the alleged deserterhad been staying at this house, the owner being his stepfather. The whole place was searched, no evidence beingfound. The step father and young brother were put underarrest. This, however, failed to accomplish the desiredresult. The mother was in her bed, an old-time, worn-outumbrella beside her. Before the Assistant Chief couldcatch her hand, a heavy blow was accurately placed on hishead, the old lady remarking, “I am damn tired of all thisfoolishness!” She was gently relieved of the umbrella andconvinced that the bed was the place for her.

A younger daughter, about the age of fifteen, left thehouse at this time by a back entrance and ran a mile toanother step brother’s house, with the evident intention ofnotifying her step brother who was wanted. This was theundoing of the A.P.L., as far as this deserter was concerned.Another step brother of the deserter, however,was placed under arrest, handcuffed and brought to jailfor harboring a deserter. Operatives discovered noticesthat had been put on different houses in the locality ofthis deserter, one of them reading: “You are talking toodamn much. The first thing you know the sun will riseunder your house.”

[Pg 157]

The party then proceeded to the house of another deserter.The house as usual was surrounded. One of theoperatives discovered an open window with a blind, thewindow being about two feet square. While a search lightand a good gun guarded the entrance, Agent B—— andan A.P.L. operative crawled through this opening in theroom. After awakening the occupants, a deserter and themother of another deserter were found. The deserter wasforced to dress. The mother was closely questioned regardingher son, and finally agreed that if she would beallowed to go alone, she would bring him to us. This wasagreed to. She was watched and in about fifteen minutesshe brought her son, who was a deserter, and also her husband.It was discovered that the son and father weresleeping in a ditch about one hundred yards from thehouse. They had bed clothing, and slept in the open airwith the sky for a roof. These two also were handcuffedand brought to jail.

The most interesting case on this trip was the captureof another deserter who had been away from camp forover a year. He and his wife, it is alleged, had swornthat he would never be taken alive. The information wasthat they had bought a lot in the community cemeterywhere they were to be buried together. Arriving at thehouse of the deserter at 2:15 A. M., the house was coveredand each operative given detailed instructions. The deserterwas called to the open door, and was warned not tooffer resistance, as his house was fully surrounded. Whentold he was wanted by Uncle Sam’s men, he opened hisdoor and offered no resistance, stating that he had madeup his mind to surrender to government officers, but notto the local officers. Judging from the weapons that hehad by his bed, he evidently meant what he had said. Hetoo was handcuffed and brought to jail. The total mileageof this trip was two hundred and sixteen miles, all withouta scratch to car or man.

Lexington, North Carolina, was in this same mountaincountry which furnished so considerable a number of desertersduring the war. It is a strange thing to say, butperhaps the largest numbers of deserters were found in themost American and most loyal part of the country—that[Pg 158]is to say, the South, where there was almost no alien population.The only pure-bred American population in theUnited States was the very element which seemed unwillingto support the war! This, however, is a statementwhich needs full explanation. Let the Chief of Lexingtonmake that explanation in the story of one case.

Tom B—— was a Tar-Heel tie hacker and lived in themountains of North Carolina, twenty-six miles from a railroad.He could neither read nor write, but was straight andstrong, and to see him swing a broad-axe was worth a tripinto the mountains. When Tom heard of the draft he didnot understand it. He had led a life of peaceful seclusion.There were two old Germans over at the railroad that rana store, but Tom could work up no enthusiasm about crossingthe Atlantic to kill people of that sort. But the draft cameand many of Tom’s meantime friends disappeared. Itseemed inexplicable to him. He did not want to go to warwith anybody and did not understand why there was anywar. The solution of his problem at last came to him.

His people had come to these mountain fastnesses becausethere they found that liberty of thought and action whichall our early Americans longed for; but now into that freedomof action there came some intangible influence whichhe could not understand. Tom simply resolved to marchinto the forest as his great-grandfather had done. He“stepped back into the brush” for the duration of the war.For him this was the only natural solution for a problem hedid not understand. In this way he could escape whatseemed to him oppression and impairment of the libertywhich he held more dear than life. So he made the usualarrangements. Food would be left for him at a certain spotby his people. If anyone came in looking for Tom, hispeople would put up a smoke signal so he would understand.Meantime, Tom continued his work in a tie camp, his squirrelrifle leaning against a tree. When he finished his work, he“stepped back” into deep laurel and was lost as though hehad gone up into smoke. His decision, having been taken,would remain unshakable even unto death. He said, “Ireckon I made up my mind, and I’d ruther die here than inGermany.”

Let us consider the situation. Here is Tom B——, an[Pg 159]American of native blood, afraid of nothing that rides, walksor swims, willing to fight his weight in wildcats to defendthe freedom and liberty of his native hills—and he is afugitive from justice. Now, how can the A.P.L. save thatman from the consequence of his folly?

He was saved. As soon as the Chief heard of TomB——’s disappearance, he packed his timber cruising kitand went out into Tom’s country. At night he reached thecabin of Uncle John Coggins, who knew everybody in thatneck of the woods and whose word was law. Uncle Johnknew what was up, but he said nothing—only kept his smallblue eyes fixed on the visitor. After they had finished theirmeal, the two went out and sat on a log in the sun, in themiddle of a clearing where no one could approach withoutbeing seen in time.

“I understand,” remarked the Chief casually, “that Tomhas stepped back into the brush.”

No sign from Uncle John that he had heard anything.Tom’s name was not mentioned again.

Then the talk was shifted to the war and other things.The chief tried to explain to Uncle John the problem ofraising the army. He tried to bring home the war, acrossthe thousands of miles of sea and land, to this old man sittingon a log in the western North Carolina mountains. Hepointed out the purpose and the manifest fairness of selectiveservice, taking all alike from all ranks.

Then they talked about the weather and the crops andthe soaring price of corn “likker” and the growing scarcityof good white oak timber. The Chief went away. UncleJohn, when he said good-bye, understood perfectly why thevisitor had come to his cabin.

Several days later Uncle John appeared in the office ofthe Chief. He drew up a chair and remarked, “Howdy,”and sat gazing at the other man with about as much animationas an Egyptian mummy. Only his little snappy eyesunder the bushy brows told of his alertness. The conversationwas again about the weather, the crops, the soaringprice of corn “likker” and the growing scarcity of goodwhite oak timber. At length Uncle John hitched his chaircloser.

“I kinda tho’t you all mought wanter know ’bout Tom[Pg 160]B——,” he said. “I’ve done been out whar Tom isa-settin’ back, an’ he seed how hit is—an’ he’s a-comin’ in!”The Chief of the A.P.L. nodded. The thing was settled.They smoked for a time, discussed the weather, the crops,the soaring price of corn “likker” and the growing scarcityof good white oak timber. Tom’s name was not mentionedagain. The Chief spoke quite casually of a few details thatwould naturally attend Tom’s “comin’ in.” Uncle Johnsaid he would attend to those matters. A little later he wentaway. And by and by Tom B—— came in and joined theArmy.

These Southern leaders understood the mountain people.Their method of work was infinitely more simple thansending a posse out into the brush to round up a desperateman who knew how to shoot to kill. There were characterswho needed other methods; but among the boys inthe mountains, ignorance and aloofness were the commoncauses of their “stepping back into the brush.” To havecalled any one of them afraid to fight would have beenthe deepest insult possible to men of their race. Once inthe army, they did fight—the records of the Army willspeak as to that. There never were better or braver soldiersin the world, nor men more loyal and devoted to theircountry.

Olympia, Washington, had an interesting case of a deserternamed G——, whose father made the statementthat anyone who took the boy would have to come shooting.The house was searched but the boy was gone. TheA.P.L. operative later became a game warden, and whiletraveling in the country ran across an empty cabin. Asit was known that the boy’s father had taken out a trapper’slicense, they thought that perhaps this cabin mightbe occupied by the deserter. It was in a swamp, builtunder overhanging trees, so it was almost impossible tofind. There was no trail to the cabin, as the boy did notgo in and out in any regular way but took different pathsto avoid discovery. The operative and an associate wentinto the woods, found G——’s line of traps, followedthem up and captured him in the woods. This deserter’sfamily would not buy Liberty bonds but said they wouldsave their money for ammunition. The prompt and vigorous[Pg 161]action of A.P.L. closed a case which was notoriousin the vicinity.

A study of the reports of operatives engaged in Leagueactivities at the busy Birmingham Division, and indeed allover the country, shows an astonishing lack of anythinglike personal violence. It never could be told, however,where such an instance might break out. Only two orthree cases of killing in the course of duty are recordedin the thousands of cases handled. One of these comesfrom a quiet little farming village, Morris, Illinois, aboutthe last place in the world where anything of the sortmight have been expected. It resulted in the shootingdown, in the uniform of our Army, of Private A. J.K——, Company D., U. S. Infantry, a deserter fromRock Island arsenal. K—— had escaped from confinementat Rock Island with Corporal George S——. ActingSheriff S——, who also was Chief of the A.P.L.at Morris, accompanied by Chief of Police A——, hadbeen advised to be on the lookout for two deserters whowere reported to be bad men.

The two men were on top of a box car when a trainpulled into town, and were accosted by the Sheriff. Theyclaimed to be government guards, and were asked to showtheir papers. A weapon was seen in S——’s pocket.The other man, still on the top of the car, covered thetwo peace officers and ordered them to keep away or hewould shoot. At last the Sheriff managed to get the dropon him before he fired, but meantime the train began topull out, so no shooting ensued at that time.

Morris wired Joliet to arrest the soldiers when the traingot in. The man hunt now was on, because other officersdown the valley reported the men wanted for desertion.The two fugitives left the train at Durkee’s Crossing andhid in the woods near the tracks. The Sheriff got a posseand following down the track, located the men and surroundedthe wood where they were concealed. The chiefgot up to S—— unnoticed, covered him with a rifle andtold him to come along, which he did. He then askedS—— where the other man was.

Just then, K——, who had not been seen, called tothe officer to drop the gun or he would shoot. Some[Pg 162]threatening talk ensued on both sides and K—— advanced,the officer still commanding him to drop his gunas he was under arrest. K——, in turn, demanded thatthe chief should drop his rifle, holding him covered fair allthe time. The Chief then called for his men to fire. PatrolmanWm. M—— fired on K—— with his rifle, andK——dropped. He did not die immediately, and wastaken to the hospital in Morris that night. The patrolman’sbullet passed through his left shoulder, cut throughthe lung, and lodged near the heart. K—— refused totalk. His companion talked more freely, and said thatK—— was bad and had had a shooting difficulty inWest Virginia. They had both been in confinement, andhad escaped with the intention of going back to WestVirginia. He said that K—— “was the best shot in theregiment, and was a ‘killer.’” That the A.P.L. Chiefwas not himself killed is nothing less than a marvel.

[Pg 163]

CHAPTER XIII
ARTS OF THE OPERATIVES

The Midnight Camera—The Way of a Man and a Maidand a Dictagraph—Secret Inks and Codes—Stories ofthe Trail—How Evidence Was Secured.

It already has been stated that the American ProtectiveLeague had no governmental or legal status, though strongas Gibraltar in governmental and legal sanction. The mailsare supposed to be sacred—the Postmaster General hassworn they always shall be sacred. They are sacred. Butlet us call the A.P.L. sometimes almost clairvoyant asto letters done by suspects. Sometimes it clairvoyantlyfound the proofs it sought!

It is supposed that breaking and entering a man’s homeor office place without warrant is burglary. Granted. Butthe League has done that thousands of times and has neverbeen detected! It is entirely naïve and frank about that.It did not harm or unsettle any innocent man. It was afterthe guilty alone, and it was no time to mince matters orto pass fine phrases when the land was full of dangerousenemies in disguise. The League broke some little lawsand precedents? Perhaps. But it upheld the great lawunder the great need of an unprecedented hour.

A man’s private correspondence is supposed to be safein his office files or vault. You suppose yours never wasseen? Was it? Perhaps. It certainly was, if you wereknown as a loyal citizen—a true-blood American. But theLeague examined all of the personal and business correspondenceof thousands of men who never were the wiser.

How could that be done? Simply, as we shall see. Supposethere was a man, ostensibly a good business man, apparentlya good citizen and a good American, but who at heartstill was a good German—as hundreds of thousands ofsuch men living in America are this very day. This man[Pg 164]has a big office in a down-town skyscraper. He is whatthe A.P.L. calls a “suspect.” Let us call him Biedermacher.

About midnight or later, after all the tenants have gonehome, you and I, who chance to be lieutenants and operativesin the League, just chance in at the corridor of thatbuilding as we pass. We just chance to find there theagent of the building—who just chances also to wear theconcealed badge of the A.P.L. You say to the agent ofthe building, “I want to go through the papers of Biedermacher,Room 1117, in your building.”

“John,” the agent says to the janitor, “give me yourkeys, I’ve forgotten mine, and I want to go to my officea while with these gentlemen.”

We three, openly, in fact, do go to Biedermacher’s office.His desk is opened, his vault if need be—it has been donea thousand times in every city of America. Certain lettersor documents are found. They would be missed if takenaway. What shall be done?

The operative takes from his pocket a curious little boxlikeinstrument which he sets up on the table. He unscrewsa light bulb, screws in the plug at the end of his longinsulated wire. He has a perfectly effective electric camera.

One by one the essential papers of Biedermacher arephotographed, page by page, and then returned to thefiles exactly—and that means exactly—in the place fromwhich each was taken. The drawers and doors are lockedagain. Search has been made without a search warrant.The serving of a search warrant would have “queered”the whole case and would not have got the evidence. Thecamera film has it safe.

“Pretty wife and kids the fellow has,” says the agentof the building, turning over the photographs which thesimple and kindly Biedermacher, respected Board of Tradebroker, we will say, has in his desk. He turns them backagain to exactly—exactly—the same position.

“Good night, John,” he yawns to the janitor, whenthey meet him on the floor below. “Pretty late, isn’t it?”

The three men pass out to the street and go home.Each of them in joining the League has sworn to break[Pg 165]any social engagement to obey a call from the Leagueheadquarters at any hour of the day or night. Perhapssuch engagements have been broken to-night by some orall of these three men. But no one has “broken andentered” Biedermacher’s office.

In Central office some data are added to a card, cross-indexedby name and number also, and under a generalguide. Some photostats, as these pictures are called, areput in the “case’s” envelope. Nothing happens just yet.Biedermacher still is watched.

Then, one morning, an officer of the Department of Justicefinds Mr. Biedermacher in his office. He takes fromhis pocket a folded paper and says, “In the name of theUnited States, I demand possession of a letter dated the12th of last month, which you wrote to von Bernstorff inNew York. I want a letter of the 15th of this month whichyou wrote to von Papen in Berlin. I want your list ofthe names of the United Sängerbund and German Brotherhoodin America which you brought home from the lastmeeting. I want the papers showing the sums you havereceived from New York and Washington for your propagandawork here in this city. I want the letter receivedby you from seven Lutheran ministers in Wisconsin tellingof their future addresses to the faithful.”

“But, my God!” says Biedermacher, “what do youmean? I have no such letters here or anywhere else. Iam innocent! I am as good an American as you are. Ihave bought a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of Libertybonds, some of each issue. My wife is in the Red Cross.I have a daughter in Y. W. C. A. I give to all the warcharities. I am an American citizen. What do you meanby insulting me, sir?”

“John,” says the officer to his drayman, “go to thatdesk. Take out all the papers in it. Here’s the U. S.warrant, Mr. Biedermacher. Rope ’em up, John.”

John ropes up the files, and the papers go in bulk tothe office of the U. S. attorney on the case. Now, all theevidence is in possession of the Government, and the caseis clear. Biedermacher is met quietly at the train whenhe tries to get out of town. Nothing gets into the papers.No one talks—secrecy is the oath. But before long, the[Pg 166]big Biedermacher offices are closed. Biedermacher’s wifesays her husband has gone south for his health. He has—toOglethorpe.

You think this case imaginary, far-fetched, impossible?It is neither of the three. It is the truth. It shows howD.J. and A.P.L. worked together. This is a case whichhas happened not once but scores and hundreds of times.It is espionage, it is spy work, yes, and it has gone on toan extent of which the average American citizen, loyal ordisloyal, has had no conception. It was, however, theespionage of a national self-defense. It was only in thisway that the office and the mail and the home of the loyalcitizen could be held inviolate. The web of the A.P.L.was precisely that of the submarine net. Invisible, itoffered an apparently frail but actually efficient defenseagainst the dastardly weapons of Germany.

It must become plain at once that secret work such asthis, carried on in such volume all across the country—threemillion cases, involving an enormous mass of detailand an untold expenditure of time and energy, were disposedof—meant system and organization to prevent overlappingof work and consequent waste of time. It meantmore than that—there was needed also good judgment,individual shrewdness and of course, above all things, patienceand hard work.

For instance, John Wielawski is a deserter reported toNational Headquarters missing from Camp Grant, Illinois,possibly hiding in Chicago. The order goes to the Chiefin Chicago, who hands it to the right district lieutenant.The latter finds in his cards the name of an operative whospeaks Wielawski’s native tongue. The latter goes to theneighborhood where Wielawski lived, inquires especiallyin regard to any sweetheart or sweethearts Wielawski mayhave had. It is certain he left some ties somewhere, thathe has been seen, that he has written at least a line, orwill write. His running down is sure. The League hasfound thousands of deserters, located thousands of menwho had refused to take out their second naturalizationpapers, thousands who were skulkers and draft evaders.They could not escape the Web which reached all acrossAmerica, unseen, but deadly sure.

[Pg 167]

The great average intelligence of the League membersalone made the extraordinary results possible. These wereno ordinary hired sleuths of the mysterious detective type,gum-shoe artists with a bent for masks and false eyebrows.On the contrary, the officers and operatives were men ofstanding, of great personal intelligence and sober goodsense. They dropped their private affairs, in which theyhad been successful, to obey the League call at any time.They studied their new duties regularly and faithfully,as best they could—and they learned them.

The methods of such men varied widely. They hadattended no outside school, had no special governmentaltraining. Their success depended on the natural alertnessof the American character. For instance, one gentlemanprominent in the work, we will say in New York, wassent after a draft evader whose name, racially considered,did not tally with his personal description. The operativefound his case originated in a foreign part of the city. Hisman had originally lived in a certain flat. Some boysplayed ball near by. The operative strolled by to watch,engaged two or three in conversation. Yes, a dark man—somesaid he was a Turk—had lived there. He hadmoved, they didn’t know where. He used to work in alaundry, they thought. Very well, a Turk and a laundry-manwould naturally be found in some other laundry, possiblynear his own people. The case was carried on until,in a laundry in another part of the same city, a new manwas found—he had a new name, but the same face.Eventually he was put where he belonged.

The psalmist of old voiced his complaint that there werethree things in the world which he did not know, threethings which he could not find out: the way of a shipupon the sea, the way of the serpent on a rock, and theway of a man with a maid. The trouble with Solomonwas that he seems not to have owned either a geometry,a microscope or a dictagraph. These used respectively inconnection with the problems described above might havehelped him out considerably.

A.P.L. operatives at Nyack, New York, had Solomonbeaten by a city block. They installed a dictagraph in aroom frequented by one A. L——, who was impersonating[Pg 168]an officer, declaring that he was “Chief of the SecretService from New York to Boston.” His game was toadvertise for women to engage in espionage work, sayingthat the Government would pay a big price and wouldalso buy clothes and hats for the operatives and put themup at the best hotels. It was suspected very keenly thatMr. A. L—— was neither employed by the Governmentnor acting as an officer and a gentleman ought to act. Hedid not know anything about the deadly dictagraph whichA.P.L. had placed in this apartment. Hence, he conversedquite freely with a certain Mrs. U——, who hadanswered his advertisem*nt and at whose apartment he waspaying a call. They seem first to have talked about theapartment itself, the conversation going as follows:

The operatives who were listening to this partiallyreported conversation in the janitor’s room did not waiteven a minute. They broke down the door and arrestedMr. L——. He was turned over to the United StatesSecret Service and arraigned before the Assistant DistrictAttorney. His activities as an employer of espionageagents thereupon ceased abruptly. He was a cheap anddirty imposter.

It was found in hundreds of cases—and the knowledge[Pg 171]was invariably suppressed—that an alien suspect’s suddenand mysterious shifts and changes, his suspicious andwatchful conduct, his evasive acts, all had to do with nothingmore than the fact that the man had a mistress or soin another part of the city. The woman in his case veryoften was not the woman in the case at all, for there wasno case, so far as the League was concerned. But countlessmen were quietly warned. Often with tears they imploredthe secrecy which was given them. There are hundreds,perhaps thousands, of men in America whose private livesare known to the League and not known in their ownfamilies. There is yet to be known the first case whereany advantage ever was taken of the unintended victimcaught in the general meshes of the Web; but it may beinteresting for any of those of guilty conscience who bychance may read these lines, to know that their lives arefiled away, cross-indexed, for future reference in the vastarchives of the Department of Justice at Washington!

The extent of these “woman cases,” as they were known,is very considerable, and the per cent of suspect spy caseswhich simmered down to a petticoat basis is a very largeone. A great part of the work of the League was done infinding the woman, if not in searching for her specifically.The League brought up from the deep-sea soundings of itssteel meshes all the sordid and unworthy phases of humanlife on the part of both men and women. But while combingout the discards of human intrigue, the League oftenfound the evidence it really sought. This was without failused mercilessly and coldly.

One case, handled by the Central Division in Chicago,we may call the Otero case. Word came from El Paso thata certain prominent Mexican, a revolutionary and politicalleader with aspirations for a very high office in that republic,had come into the United States and was headed north,probably for Chicago. Nothing was known about him andhis purpose excepting that his name was given. TheLeague at once began making inquiries about Senor Otero.It was found that he was traveling in a special car. Obviously,therefore, he was a man of money. Ergo, he wouldgo to a good hotel, and he probably would make a reservationin advance. Inquiries were made by telephone at all[Pg 172]the leading hotels in Chicago, which in practically all caseswere members of the American Protective League. SenorOtero was found to have reserved a large suite at theBlackstone, and had made the time of his arrival known.From that time on, he was in the hands of the AmericanProtective League, although he never knew it. The boywho took his bag at the door was an A.P.L. operative,the bellhop who responded to his summons was an A.P.L.operative, his waiter at table was A.P.L., his night taxicabdriver was A.P.L. In fact, the A.P.L. put SenorOtero to bed and woke him up in the morning, followedhis activities during the day and knew what he was doingall night. It was not discovered that he was engaged inany plot against the peace of the United States, but wasapparently active in the more pleasant task of spendingsome money he had gotten hold of in Mexico. If relativesor friends of the Senor Otero would be pleased to knowhow he spent it, the nature of his associations in Chicagoby day—or night—and if they can persuade the Departmentof Justice to advise them, they can find the entirerecord of his stay in Chicago. Had he been engaged inany suspicious acts against this country, his return to Mexicomight not have been so peaceful.

If an A.P.L. man knew the chemistry of any syntheticor invisible ink, he would not make the secret public anymore than would M.I.D. Many devices for making andusing these inks, however, are very generally known,although it is believed that Great Britain and France havegone farthest in classifying and developing them. A pieceof a necktie has been taken from one German, a corner ofwhich, snipped off and put in a glass of water, wouldmake an invisible ink. A shoestring has been known todo the same thing, a small piece of it making enough fora letter or more. A shirt-stud has been described by aforeign operative, which, when unscrewed and droppedinto a glass of water, would do the same thing and leaveno trace. With what chemicals were these articles treatedin order to make the ink? Ah, that is another matter.If the author knew, he could not tell. One thing is sure,it is not likely that the most inventive writer of “detective”stories could imagine anything more ingenious or[Pg 173]more baffling than some of these well-known methods inuse by our own men.

Mr. Byron R. Newton, collector at the port of New York,gave out a curious story on the work done by the CustomsIntelligence Bureau, created as a lookout for smugglersand others. This service was employed in searchingships, examining baggage, looking out for explosive bombs,invisible writing, and so forth. Mr. Newton’s storyappeared in the New York Herald of July 14, 1918, andfrom it one incident may be taken.

Cipher and code are part of the education of certainintelligence officers, but into a discussion of these matterswe may not go, as they are secrets of the American Government.Our own experts were able to decipher anddecode all the secret messages bearing on the great Germanplots in this country, but this was not usually A.P.L.work. Of course, the lay reader, or more especially theA.P.L. member, may know that a cipher means the substitutionof some symbol, or some number, or anotherletter, for each letter of the alphabet. Or the real lettersmay be transposed, one to stand for another, in such a waythat only the sender and receiver may understand. Thatlooks hard to read? Not at all. It is easier than code.It is said that any cipher message can be unriddled intime.

A code is a scheme agreed on by which the two partiessubstitute certain whole words for the real words of themessage. A code message might seem wholly innocent—letus say, just a simple comment on the weather. Butsuppose “bright and fair” meant in code “The Leviathansailed this morning,” and suppose the Leviathan were atransport carrying twelve thousand troops to France!Unless the de-code artist is indeed an artist, he cannot[Pg 175]know what interchange in ideas had been agreed uponfor interchanged words; and there are not twenty-six letters,but 26,000 words which may be transposed in meaning.The big German spy work—that is, the chain ofmessages that passed between the German Embassy inAmerica and the Imperial Headquarters in Berlin—wasdone in enciphered code. They had first been written inGerman before coding, and after coding, the code was putin cipher. None the less, we read them, and von Bernstorff,Dr. Albert, et al., are no more on our soil.

This is specialized, expert work of the most delicate anddifficult sort, and is not for the average amateur. Sometimesthe latter had more enthusiasm than knowledge inhis ambition to be a real sleuth, and in such cases, perhapssomething amusing might happen, where zeal did not jumpwith discretion.

[Pg 176]

[Pg 177]

BOOK II
THE TALES OF THE CITIES

[Pg 179]

CHAPTER I
THE STORY OF CHICAGO

The Birthplace of the American Protective League—Centerof Enemy Alien Activities—Focus of German Propagandaand Home of Pro-German Cults and Creeds—Storyof the League’s Work and Workers.

The unvarnished story of the growth and accomplishmentsof this League is the greatest proof in the worldof the ability for self-government of intelligent, educatedand thinking men. The American Protective League wasmade up of sober citizens who had something to protect.It was no one man, no one set of men, no one city, whichmakes it great. The real credit belongs to the unclassifiedand unsegregated Little Fellow.

We had in this war the usual amount of self-seeking.Our first pages abounded in pictures and praises of ourgreat men, born of God to do wonders in ships, supplies,aeroplanes and armies. Some of them worked for a dollara year. Some of them earned that much, many a greatdeal less. The scandals of this war are as great as thescandals of any war, when you come to know the truthabout them. But there is no scandal attached to the plain,average citizen in this war. It was he, the real democratand the real American, who won this war for us.

There is no charge of vain-glory, no charge of inefficiencyand self-seeking attached to the story of ChateauThierry and Belleau Wood and the Argonne, where diedthousands of Little Fellows become great in making good.Neither is there any scandal attaching to the unknownmen, the unnamed Little Fellows who “made good” backhome behind the lines—the men who usually get lostafter any war when the glory is being passed around bythe politicians and paid historians.

[Pg 180]

There is, in a work such as this, no such thing as dividingor apportioning personal or local credit or approbation.Names, portraits, credits, praises—nothing of theseis desired or may be begun, for there could be no end;and besides, one man is as big and as good as another inA.P.L. The League existed in countless communitiesall over the country—so many, it is not possible even toname a fraction of them. There is not even the possibilityof mentioning more than a few of the greater centers ofthe work, and that in partial fashion only.

In this plan, perhaps, the city of Chicago naturally maycome first, because, as we have seen, it was there that theLeague began. Besides, in this great Western hive of allthe races, there are far more Germans than there areAmericans. Have you not heard that astounding utteranceof a sitting Mayor to the effect that Chicago is “thesixth greatest German city on the earth”? One also hasheard an earlier Mayor of Chicago say that in his politicalplans he cared nothing at all for the American vote.“Give me the Austrian and the Italian and the Polishvote,” he said; “but above all, give me the German vote!”Perhaps he would not be so outspoken to-day.

Among the unassimilated rabble who make a certain portionof Chicago’s polyglot politik-futter, there are perhapsmore troublemakers than in any other city of America.It is our own fault that they make so much trouble, butthey do make it and they have. Bolsheviki, socialists,incendiaries, I.W.W.’s, Lutheran treason-talkers, Russellites,Bergerites, all the other-ites, religious and socialfanatics, third-sex agitators, long haired visionaries andwork-haters from every race in the world—Chicago hadthem and has them still, because she has invited them,accepted them and made them free of the place. Cheappoliticians have done the rest; mayors who care nothingfor the American vote.

This was the situation when we declared war. We thenheard less about the “duty” the foreign-born had reservedwhen they swore (and then forgot) their solemn Delbrückedoaths of renunciation of all other allegiance, andof loyalty to America alone. But underneath this smugoath of faith to America, all too often the Teuton and his[Pg 181]kin, the Kaiser’s friend and sympathizer, still hidunchanged. To-day, as thousands of them read these lines,they know that this is the truth.

When we went to war, the militant Chicago Germansdid not change—they simply submerged, German fashion;that was all. Then Chicago dropped her paravanes—spreaddown her WEB—to guard against under-surfaceattacks.

Once firmly established, the Chicago Division grew by leapsand bounds. On March 22, 1917, the first definite steps weretaken toward the formation of a compact organization. Captainswere appointed by Mr. Briggs, and these in turn organizedtheir own working squads. Mr. Clabaugh was nowbeginning to get some of the assistance he so sorely needed.

Then, on April 6, came war. Followed the days of swiftexpansion and organization which have been covered in thepreceding pages. Every day saw new men enrolled, big men,men eager to contribute time, money, experience, brains,energy and faithfulness. This is the story of the wholeLeague, and this is Chicago’s story, too.

On April 10, Mr. Charles Daniel Frey was appointed acaptain in the Chicago Division, and shortly afterward, Mr.Victor Elting came into the organization as an appointee ofMr. Frey. Two months had now passed since the first Chicagooperative had gone forth on an official mission. ChicagoDivision was demonstrably a success. Yet something morewas needed. Work was piling up faster than personnel. Itwas now patent that Chicago must have a larger, strongerorganization—an organization under direct executive controlwhich would do its work with efficiency and business-likedespatch. System was needed; speed was needed—and men.On May 22, as a first step in the reorganization, Mr. Briggsappointed Mr. Frey as Chief of the Chicago Division andMr. Elting as Assistant Chief.

Mr. Frey and Mr. Elting thereupon developed a comprehensiveplan of organization for the Chicago Division—aplan which was adopted in its main outlines by almost all ofthe large cities. Chicago was divided into zones, and anInspector was appointed to direct and supervise the workin each zone. Bureaus were established covering the wholerange of League operations. Bankers, railroad men, merchants,[Pg 182]professional men—leading men from every sphereof activity were placed in charge of bureau work for whichthey were especially fitted.

The League was now a going concern in Chicago. Thatit should become national in every sense of the word wasinevitable. In October, 1917, Mr. Frey and Mr. Elting joinedMr. Briggs in Washington and, in conference with the AttorneyGeneral of the United States, it was decided to establishNational Headquarters in the Capital. The three men whowere responsible for this great step became the nationaldirectors of the League. Pending the appointment of aChief and Assistant Chief for the Chicago Division, Mr. R. A.Gunn, who had made a most efficient record as an Inspector,was appointed Acting Chief.

On January 26, 1918, Mr. John F. Gilchrist was appointedChief of the Chicago Division, a position which he continuedto hold until September 21, 1918, six weeks before theArmistice. Under his wise leadership, the organizationgained in strength and numbers and influence, and handled,in wholly admirable fashion, the many difficult problemswhich arose during nine of the most trying months of thewar. The Chicago unit, at the close of 1917, numbered 4,500active members and about 2,000 industrial members. At thetime of the Armistice, these numbers had been increased to6,142 active members and over 7,000 members in the industrialdivision.

Upon the resignation of Mr. Gilchrist, a committee planof executive control was adopted, and Mr. R. A. Gunn wasappointed Chief. Mr. Gunn’s report to D.J., covering thework of the Chicago Division almost to the period of theArmistice, will give at least a partial notion of what wasaccomplished, and should, therefore, be summarized:

Chief Gunn concludes his simple and convincing narrativewith a few division figures:

Follows the statistical record of the work accomplishedby the Chicago division of the American Protective Leagueup to January 21, 1919:

But it is from the notebooks of the operatives, recordingvaried activities all in the day’s work, that we get thereal reflex of the A.P.L. We cannot forego giving afew extracts from the stories of Chicago captains.

Let us take at random the summary from S——, captainof District No. 11, where there were fifty-six members—fortyactive operatives, under a captain, two lieutenantsand a legal advisor. This district covers a large portionof the most German section of Chicago, part of which isloyal and part very much otherwise. In six months, duringthe last year of the war, there were 512 cases assignedto the district by headquarters, and the district turned[Pg 186]in to headquarters 298 complaints. Character and loyaltyinvestigations to the number of fifty-three were made,necessitating from five to fifteen interviews each. In theslacker drive, July 11-13, a total of 1,744 individual caseswere interviewed and disposed of in this district. Between9:00 p. m. and 4:00 a. m. one night, eighty-one I.W.W.investigations were handled.

The total number of cases on record in this district forthe six months is 3,842, which, if averaged, gives sixty-eightcases to each operative, but as only forty were active,the average should be figured as nearly eighty cases percapita. There is not figured in the foregoing about onethousand interviews which were necessary in making upreports to different departments of the Government onfactories, saloons, garages and other buildings and structures,which might come under the head of miscellaneousservices.

The activities of the operatives of District No. 11 werenot confined to the boundaries of their own district. Anillustration will show what is meant. A deserter was beingprotected by all branches of his family. Operatives spentnights interviewing every ascertainable relative and friend.Nothing could be learned except that the various membersof the family, male and female, were so mixed in their sexrelations that apparently no two of the opposite sex wereliving together in a legally permissible way. A chancelead pointed to a couple living in the country ten milesbeyond the city limits. An hour’s interview with the manand his consort, the two being examined separately,resulted in the chance mention of Norfolk, Virginia. Beingpressed on this remark, the man hesitatingly declared hehad had letters from Norfolk from the suspect who wasworking there and that he, the witness, would himselfwrite to Norfolk at once and get definite information.The operatives agreed cheerfully to the proposition. Ontheir return to the city, a telegram was immediately dispatchedto Norfolk. By the time the letter from the“loyal” relative reached Norfolk, word was received thatthe deserter was located and taken into custody. Theaction of this little drama was staged entirely outside ofDistrict No. 11.

[Pg 187]

During the “heatless days” two operatives from thesame district entered a saloon. They found it warm, theheat coming from a large radiator in the middle of theroom covered by a table. The proprietor claimed he wasunable to shut off this heat without shutting off the heatfrom rooms above where he had lodgers. The operativeswent to the cellar and found no attempt had been madeto shut off the heat from the saloon. Returning to thesaloon, they investigated a back room, which was alsoheated, and where they found four men playing cards.The proprietor claimed these men were his lodgers andthat this was their sitting-room. A search was made andevidence found which proved these men to be conductinga regular clearing-house of information for the enemy’suse. Leads were discovered that spread in many directionsand made the case one of the most important handledby the District. A camouflaged saloon radiator was thestarting point.

Each operative discovered that the badge he wore breda feeling of respect or fear for the authority of UncleSam which was quite marked. Seldom was an attemptmade to dispute its meaning or to take exception to therequest or direction made under its authority. The mostdesperate characters showed a meekness and a docilitythat was surprising. The only explanation reasonable isthat the United States has from the start of the war shownthe world and its own people that it meant business, andthat in playing with the authorized agencies of the Government,criminals were not playing with politicians orofficials who might be influenced, but with the newly andsternly roused sense of American loyalty which wouldbrook no traitor or near-traitor under the Star and Stripes.

District No. 13 had an interesting case handled by LieutenantMcR—— and Operative L——. They searchedthe room occupied by the suspect and found two handbagsand several suit-cases filled with clothing and some chemicals.They interviewed the subject. His registration cardgave his serial and order number, and draft board statuswhich was Class No. 5 Austrian. The operatives went backto report this to the Inspector, and upon returning foundthat the subject, his wife and sister had fled. By calling[Pg 188]upon the different taxicab companies in the neighborhood,it was found that they had used a yellow taxicab to movetheir effects to an apartment several miles distant. A raidwas immediately organized. Four men and two detectivesergeants went to the new address, and the apartment wassurrounded. One of the men saw a figure which appearedto be a woman, attempting to cross the area between thetwo buildings from one third story window to another,and he called to her to stop. One of the men inside thebuilding, hearing the call, put his head out and foundthe subject on the window sill of the adjoining buildingin a very embarrassing position. It was not a woman,but the suspect, in woman’s clothes! He was hauled inand put under arrest. In the meantime an analysis ofthe chemicals had been made and they were found to consistof materials for the manufacture of enough explosivesto blow out another end of the postoffice building. Informationwas received from the League at New York to theeffect that he was a very dangerous enemy alien.

This same District landed another good case. One morninga traveling man heard a little girl say to a small boyplaymate, “We have a fine piano in our flat,” and theboy finally answered, “That’s nothing, we’ve got a Germanspy in ours.” The traveling man turned a complaintin to the Department of Justice and in due course it cameback to our district to be investigated. The operative hadlittle to start with. Finally he asked a little girl if shehad ever heard any boy make such a remark. By merestchance, she happened to be one of the children who hadoverheard the boy, and at once pointed out where he lived.The operative then went to the apartment and questionedthe boy’s mother, telling her that he was getting a list ofboarding-houses in that district for directory purposes and,of course, asking her the names and occupations of alllodgers. He noticed that one of the names was Germanand after he had finished his list he asked her if he mightsee the accommodations. When he reached the German’sroom, he saw a trunk of foreign make. He opened it andfound lying inside on top of the clothing a cartridge beltfilled with loaded cartridges. This he noticed had seenmuch use and was worn smooth. He also found papers,[Pg 189]drawings, a Lueger pistol and several other things whichan alien enemy is not supposed to enjoy during war times.The landlady stated that the man was a draftsman in theFederal Building. It was subsequently found that thedrawings were plans of the Municipal Pier and the FederalBuilding. About five o’clock the next morning, severalFederal officers took the man down to the Bureau ofInvestigation and found that he was an enemy alien inthe employ of the German Government. Within twenty-fourhours he was on his way to Leavenworth under anorder of internment.

Women are not enlisted in espionage work for M.I.D.and were not employed as operatives in the Chicago A. P.L.—with one exception. Many a suspect has found “Mrs.B” fatally easy to look at and listen to—even easy totalk too much to!

Here is a “Mrs. B” case. The subject, Miss W——,during the year 1912, met a Mr. and Mrs. M——, Americans,who were in Paris with their two children, a boyten and a girl twelve. Miss W—— told them a storyof having quarreled with her family, who were quitewealthy, and said she was seeking a position that wouldbring her to America. She produced unquestionable references,and returned with the M—— family to theUnited States. After remaining in their employ for sixmonths, she took a course in nursing in B—— Hospitalin Indianapolis. She graduated from this hospital, cameto Chicago with letters of introduction from the faculty,and became engaged here as governess in the home of awealthy family on Lake Shore Drive. In April, 1917, sheapplied to the Chicago Telephone Company for a position,asking to be sent to France in their next unit. She tolda confusing story in reference to her age, brought abouta suspicion, which was followed by an investigation.“Mrs. B.” was given the assignment. Miss W—— gaveup her position as governess, took a room on the northside of Chicago near Wilson Avenue. She was closelyshadowed night and day, and was found to be in continualcommunication with doctors and nurses. During the timeshe was waiting to hear from the Chicago Telephone Companyin reference to the application she had filed, she also[Pg 190]filed an application with the American Red Cross. Hereshe gave practically the same references, and told thesame story. Investigators from the American Red Crosswere advised by the Department of Justice that they droptheir investigation for the time being. “Mrs. B” provedthat this woman was the medium through which tetanusgerms were being delivered to certain doctors and nurses,who in turn were to spread them through our cantonmentsand hospitals.

District No. 8 lies in the extreme southern part of Chicago.“The Gold Coast” of this territory, lying along“The Ridge,” is a strictly residential district, but averitable melting-pot of foreigners has sprung up in theneighborhood of the mammoth factories and mills in thesuburban towns of Kensington, West Pullman, Roseland,Riverdale and South Chicago proper, east of the SouthernDivision Gold Coast. In this modern Babel there are fiftyor sixty different nationalities. Even a short season withsuch a racial hodge-podge as exists in and around Kensingtonis almost equivalent to a trip around the world.Practically the only work in this community (Districts41 and 47) consisted of draft evasions and pro-Germans.The last named were kindly but positively reminded thatour country was at war. The operatives in this GoldCoast district were practically all business men, beingrecruited from banks, business houses, schools and theministry. It was no uncommon thing to have two ministers,one of them a leading “dry exponent,” go outwith a squad of men through saloons and pool-rooms,picking up suspects and evaders. During the four-dayraid in July, one of the captains working out of DraftBoard No. 22 remarked: “I just sent out the vice-presidentof our bank. I commanded him to look up one ofthese draft cases and he went right to it without question.That man holds the mortgage on my home, and I am bossinghim around as though he were my office boy!”

Another captain tells something more of this foreignpart of the city, Districts 39, 40, 42, 46 of the South Division.This comprises the large territory on the lake, atthe extreme southern end of the city, and has in it a largeharbor and river which is lined with elevators, shipyards,[Pg 191]and important steel industries of all kinds. The populationis mostly of foreign origin, anything from a descendantof the Pilgrim Fathers to a Tartar from Siberia. Poles,Austrians, Serbs, Swedes, Germans and Italians predominate,and many of the A.P.L. operatives were recruitedfrom this source, thereby giving access to all tongues. Thisdivision captain says:

This same captain, in closing his report, makes the followingobservation:

Some of the striking phases of this work are the real friendshipsengendered by our associations with each other. Herethe measure of a man is his loyalty and sincerity, his judgment,his grit, and his personal sacrifice. When you can findas many real and true Americans as this organization contains,you need never have worries as to whether this countryis going to be safe.

Central District of Chicago is that important region coveringthe great business district, out of which some fourhundred men, under four captains, regularly worked allover the city. This is not one of the residence districts,so that the squad of operatives who reported to thisbranch were far scattered throughout the city for most ofthe twenty-four hours. The personnel of this districtembraced lawyers, doctors, bankers, printers, dry goodsmerchants, insurance men, mechanics, railway trainmen,traveling salesmen, actors, and all kinds of employed persons.A great many members belonged to the prominentclubs of Chicago. There were interpreters who understoodall of the continental languages. There were both richmen and poor men included in this membership. Therewere boys in the twenties and men of sixty-five. It hadcome to be the practice of all the interlocking branches ofour Governmental defensive organizations to call up CentralDistrict for men needed on some particular work. Ithad been the headquarters squad, and had sent men allover Northern Illinois, and sometimes out of the State.

There was a school of instruction for new operatives inthis district in which new men are taught the elementsof the League work, the elements of espionage laws, and[Pg 193]other war measures. They were instructed, also, in thefundamentals of shadow work; the details of the selectiveservice regulations; the principles of law and evidence, andother subjects proper to the activities of the League.There were seven words taught to every operative, applyingequally well to complaints and to reports—guidewords in investigations. If these seven words were bornein mind at the time of making complaint or investigations,or in writing up the report, an operative would be fairlywell assured of embodying the information desired. Thesewords are: “Who,” “Which,” “What,” “Why,”“When,” “How,” and “Witnesses.”

Every care was exercised by the operative not toapproach the subject himself or to allow him to knowhe was being investigated. There were countless ChicagoGermans and pro-Germans investigated, ticketed, tabulated,and filed away, who to this day do not know thatthey ever told anybody anything about themselves. Manyof these Prussianized Chicagoans to-day wear heavy frownsand look aggrieved.

In order to save his time, each operative was taughthow to use the regular city channels of information. Ifhe got a name without any address, he was taught to goto the nearest telephone directory or city directory. Sometimesa telephone number was known and the name of theparty unknown. Reference to the numerical telephonedirectory sometimes covered this. Sometimes the businessof the subject might be known and his address unknown,in which case it might be found by reference to the classifiedbusiness telephone directory, or the city directory. Asubject might be doing business in the city and living inthe suburbs. Countless suburban telephone directories werealways in the central office for such reference.

In every great city a directory gives a concise arrangementof the personnel of the various departments of theU. S. Government; state and federal officials, their titles,their room numbers, their buildings, can be found in thisway. In this way, also, all the officers of the city governmentcan be found; the rooms where the court of this orthat judge are located, etc. The state offices, includinghospitals, etc., can be found in these directories.

[Pg 194]

A wide range of useful information concerning the cityand its environs was given to novitiate operatives in thisCentral District. This information was of incalculablebenefit to new members of the League when once theiractive investigating work began. The A.P.L. trainingschool was a very important cog in the Chicago machine,and made it possible for the district to do more work percapita and better work than would otherwise have beenpossible. Indeed, the training for an operative was notbad training for a newspaper reporter. What is saidregarding this work in the Chicago district might applyin very considerable part also to the work in other largecommunities.

Operatives were obliged to take all sorts of roles. Attimes they acted as waiters or clerks, and sometimes theyimpersonated lawbreakers themselves. One of them succeededin impersonating an I.W.W. so well that at ameeting he was covering he was asked to contribute tothe I.W.W. cause—and did so! Another ingratiatedhimself into the good offices of the I.W.W.’s so well thathe was permitted to take notes at one of their meetingswith the understanding that he was a newspaper manrepresenting one of their own papers.

The Southwest Division in Chicago is only another cornerof darkest Europe. In this section, however, werelocated a good many foreign-born operatives, who affiliatedwell in that region and did their work thoroughly untilthe closing days of the war. Their grist included somecurious and interesting cases.

There was, for instance, a certain person called Panco,the Fry Cook, long wanted by the Department of Justicefor anarchistic and seditious utterances. The Departmenthad been hunting Panco for months but could not findhim. Four Southwest A.P.L. operatives went after Panco.Two of them became members in a waiters’ union in whichPanco was known to belong. They could not find theirman, who did not seem to report often at the headquartersof that union; so they gave out reports everywhere thatPanco was a dead beat and would not pay his union dues!This came to Panco’s ears. He showed up at headquartersto deny this impeachment. He got thirty years.

[Pg 195]

A Lithuanian lecturer was described as about to delivera seditious harangue in the village of Cicero, near Chicago.The Southwest Division sent out several motor cars withpicked men ready for trouble. They found a hall crowdedwith foreigners who were listening to a much bewhiskeredman, clad in shabby tweeds, who was demonstrating at ablackboard on a platform, and was speaking in someunknown tongue. At last one of the operatives who hadbeen taken along as an interpreter began to laugh andsaid, “Let’s go home, fellows; we’ve got the old birdwrong. He ain’t talking anarchy; he’s giving a lecture onsex control!”

An unusual amount of shrewdness should be creditedto some of these operatives. It was a mere guess, forinstance, on the part of such a man that the figure “8”—thefinal figure on a foreign birth certificate—had beenchanged to a “5”. If this were true, it meant that thesuspect would come within the draft age, although otherwisehis story was perfectly straight. Suspicion is notevidence, so the Department of Justice was about to releasethis man. The latter had remarked to someone that hisfather lived in Indiana. The operative went to the phoneand pretended to call up the father in this town personally,with the intention of inducing the suspect to eavesdropon the phone conversation in the next room. After awhile the operative turned to the suspect, his hand overthe receiver, and said: “Well, we’ve got the informationwe wanted. What have you got to say?” Completelyfooled, the suspect confessed! He was inducted into thearmy.

A certain colored draft dodger was discovered to belongto a staff of colored waiters in a certain hotel. The headwaiter, very pompous and very shiny, refused to allow asearch. The A.P.L. declared that if the suspect was notforthcoming he would arrest every waiter in the place andcarry them off in the wagon. This brought out the suspect.He’s in the Army now.

A certain Mrs. L—— called the Red Cross a bunch ofgrafters and crooks, said Ambassador Gerard was a traitorand a liar, said the President was the greatest traitor sinceJefferson Davis and made other interesting remarks. She[Pg 196]repeated these statements before a U. S. Marshal and washeld in $5,000 bond. Then she became more abusive andwas held in $5,000 additional. She kept on until her bondamounted to $25,000, and was then asked if she did notthink it was time to stop talking. She did. As she couldnot raise the bail, she was sent to Cook County jail, whereshe remained till the Armistice was signed.

Chicago at times handled other live stock than thatcommonly seen in the stockyards. On August 5, 1918,the sixth enemy alien special to Fort Oglethorpe carriedfifteen persons for internment. The train was to pick upeight more at Indianapolis. On the following day, it seems,the Chicago Symphony Orchestra had seven members whogroaned while they were playing the Star Spangled Banner.They explained their frame of mind before a judge,who taught them very much better manners. On August7, Lieutenant Friederick Walter S—— of the Germanarmy, who for a month had worn a United States uniformat Camp Grant, had his naturalization papers revoked, andgot interned for the period of the war. On September 1,among ten aliens shipped to Fort Oglethorpe, one was amunition manufacturer who had been just at the point ofreceiving a very fat United States order. He had beenfilling contracts for Germany before we went to war.

On November 17, 1918, the radicals and socialists ofChicago held a great meeting in the Coliseum. Therewere about 12,000 present. It is not necessary to go intodetails regarding their action beyond saying that they gaveover the Chicago Socialist party, body and breeches, toBolshevism. Here in Chicago, one of our centers of thecivilization of America, these men declared themselves insympathy with Russian anarchy. In America, the land ofhope, they declared themselves in sympathy with hopelessness,despair and destruction. Some of the speecheswere made in the German language—a tongue which weought to forbid to be used in public, on our streets, in ourprinted pages, and over our telephone wires to-day. Thesespeakers, in the Hun tongue, openly deplored contributionsto our War funds. They hailed with much applausesuch speakers as Victor Berger, who publicly gloried inthe four indictments pending over him. In short, the[Pg 197]meeting came dangerously close to being disloyal. Weshall be so mild as this in comment, since being a memberof the Socialist party is not per se a disloyal act, and notall Socialists are of the radical wing.

Much pleased with the sound of their own voices, thesegentlemen now concluded to hold a public street parade,with red banners and the usual Bolshevist appurtenances.They went to Acting Chief of Police Alco*ck, and asked fora permit to parade in the streets. They said they wantedto carry the red flag, and they asked police protection.Note the reply the Chief of Police made to them:

My friends, I won’t give you police protection at all, nortry to do so. Do you know what you are up against? Thereare 12,000 A.P.L. men in this village who are opposed to thissort of thing, and my men don’t want to get in wrong withany 12,000 A.P.L. men. We work with those people and notagainst them. They work with us and not against us. Believeme, the best thing you folks can do is to cut out theparade.

The representatives of the proposed parade could notget back to their headquarters fast enough. They cut outthe parade.

As late as November 21, Chicago was still running enemyalien specials for Fort Oglethorpe. This consignmentincluded a cook, also a Highland Park riding master whohad been over-curious in regard to matters adjacent toFort Sheridan. Twenty others were to be picked up laterdown the line—all after the Armistice had been signed.

On November 23, Fred I——, said to resemble theCrown Prince very much in his personal appearance, wasfined five thousand dollars, whether for seditious utterancesor for his resemblance to the Crown Prince does notappear, and is immaterial. Either would be enough.

On November 26, nine men were given free transportationfrom Chicago to Fort Leavenworth. One of these wasa Dunkard preacher who got ten years for saying, “I’dkill a man rather than buy a Liberty bond.” He will havetime to think that proposition over.

These straws will show well which way the wind blewin Chicago for the last year or so. Much to the disappointment[Pg 198]of the Kaiser and one or two mayors, Chicagoseems to be but very imperfectly Germanized after all.As for setting down the full tale of the A.P.L. activitiesin this city, it would be a thing impossible of accomplishment.The world knows how Chicago does the things sheconsiders proper to have done. The American ProtectiveLeague in Chicago worked in the well-known and well-accreditedChicago way. To thank the men who did thiswork, or even to mention their names, would cheapen themand their work. They did not ask thanks. They wereAmericans and were citizens.

CHAPTER II
THE STORY OF NEW YORK

The Focus of German International Espionage—Centerof Foreign Population—The Great Plots—GovernmentalConcentration—How the A.P.L. Web Helped CollectTraitors—Details of the Organization—A MetropolisLoved by a Country.

The great American metropolis was the storm-center ofAmerica in the war. The heart of the great and intricatesystem of German espionage, the controlling financial bodyof Germany’s spy army, was there; the treacherous diplomacyof Germany centered there. Moreover, our shipmentsof men, munitions and supplies largely centered there, andthat was the general point of departure of our troops boundoverseas. Naturally, therefore, our Government concentratedin and around this danger spot its strongest protectivemeasures for our troops and their supplies. Literally,it was plot and counterplot in New York; war andcounter war; espionage and counter espionage.

Such a story as that cannot be covered by the printedpage. No volume can describe New York’s part in thewar, for that man does not live who knows or ever willknow all that went on in New York in war time. NewYork herself never will know how she was endangeredand how she was protected.

Until war broke out, New York was much like London.Grown indifferent to her vast foreign element, she wasdisposed to let these people meet and march, preach andpray and then go home again, red flag and all. No greatworld city can have a hom*ogeneous population, nor canany such population be governed as a whole. New Yorkaccepted the fact that she was one of the centers of theworld’s transient life. Her entire business prosperity isbuilt up on the transient trade. With an amused indifference,[Pg 200]New York allowed her visitors to meet and march,preach and pray, amuse themselves so long as they liked,so long as they paid for their privilege of passing through.She had long since ceased to analyze her population, buthas entertained it instead, regarding it with neither fear,shame, pride nor alarm. She was truly a metropolis.

But when war came, New York realized that she wasnot only a metropolis but a commercial center and a placewhere human beings lived. She had tall buildings. Abrick shot off the top of the Woolworth Building wouldcertainly jar a man below if it fell upon him; and theWoolworth or other buildings might easily be hit by navalguns of a hostile fleet lying comfortably off shore. Thefunk of New York and other eastern cities was never feltat all in the central portion of the country. When thesubmarines began to show what they could do, New Yorkawoke to a sense of real danger. She faced the fact that,although she was foreign in population, she must becomeAmerican if America was to endure. Then New Yorkturned her face no longer toward Europe, but towardAmerica and since that time has been more beloved byAmerica than ever she was before.

It was imperative that the vast protective agencies ofthe national Government should focus here at the gatewayto the Atlantic. Military Intelligence, Naval Intelligence,Cable Censorship, Mail Censorship, the Department of Justice,War Trade Intelligence—each of these and all thevarious war boards and branches of war activities mustcenter in the metropolis inevitably. The machinery forprotecting the invaluable shipping of men and munitionswas as elaborate and perfect as the Government couldmake it. Every force was rushed to the danger line inNew York.

In so complicated and overburdened a series of Governmententerprises it early became obvious that there wasneed for an auxiliary such as the American ProtectiveLeague. The organization was duly made and widelyextended. It was natural none the less that it should bevery much overshadowed by the greater volume andgreater importance of the agencies of the Government’sjudicial and war work, which were massed in the great[Pg 201]city. But the A.P.L. was there, active as elsewhere, andperhaps more useful than in any other city in the country,because it had to do there with larger risks than offered inany other city.

In the period of its work in New York up to the timeof the Armistice, the A.P.L. division was thought tohave covered some 300,000 cases in all, which is far andaway the record for America. Such figures as these mean,of course, that to single out any one case or a few caseswould be only to repeat cases the like of which alreadyhave been described for other points; and besides, it wouldnot in any sense give an idea of the extent of the datahanded over to the United States departments on A.P.L.initiative or on government request. It seems wiser to letthe great national or international cases, which have becomepublicly prominent through Government activity,stand for the minor story of New York.

These causes celébrès have in great part been made publicin the newspapers,—and in a great many instances madeyet more public by the testimony of the witnesses of theFederal Attorneys before the Overman Senate Committeein Washington. It certainly could be said of the greatcity that she produced more sensations in espionage thanall the rest of the country combined. A.P.L. was not concernedin all these matters, although in some of them itplayed its part.

The first chief of the New York Division was a lawyer,John H. Hendrick, who had charge of the small beginningsin April, 1917, but who in the following month, was succeededby Richmond Levering, special agent of the Departmentof Justice. Mr. Bielaski, Chief of the U. S. Bureauof Investigation, approved this appointment, Mr. Leveringlater becoming Major in the U. S. Army. In early June,Mr. E. S. Underhill, an Agent of the Department of Justice,was detailed to take charge. The work now beganto grow somewhat. In October, 1917, League affairs wereplaced in the hands of an operating committee. On January3, 1918, the committee was abolished, and Mr. E. H.Rushmore was appointed Acting Chief. In May, 1918, Mr.Rushmore became Chief of the Division.

New York Division, like others, at first was organized[Pg 202]along trade lines, which was found to be impracticable.Then the Southern and Eastern Federal Districts of NewYork were divided into zones. The Borough of Manhattancontained eight zones, each under an inspector. The Boroughof the Bronx was placed in charge of a deputy chief,and was divided into nine sub-divisions. The Borough ofBrooklyn and Long Island was also in charge of a deputychief, and subdivided into eight districts, each in chargeof an inspector. The outlying districts were formed intozones, using county lines as boundaries, and each of thesezones also was under the charge of an inspector. All theinspectors appointed a sufficient number of captains, whohad under them lieutenants in charge of squads.

It will be seen that this is rather a complicated organization,and indeed it could not be swung as a unit in thematter of its records, because of the diverse reporting systemrequired.

The work of the Division Headquarters on Nassau Streetwas efficiently handled by twenty volunteer members whoacted as Bureau Chiefs in the matter of assignment of work.Headquarters had about fifty file clerks and stenographersin its force, and in addition operated six zone offices,all of which were used exclusively for these zone workers,and all of them fully equipped with office facilities andhelp. The Division expended something over $75,000, allof which was raised by individual subscriptions of membersof the League and their friends.

A.P.L. in New York had all sorts of cases. Chief Rushmorethinks about the most important was that concernedwith A. L——, intimate friend of Jeremiah O’Leary, ontrial for treason. This case was turned over to the Leagueby Division Superintendent DeWoody of D.J., who askedthe covering of all railroad stations, ferries and steamshiplines or other possible means of entry into New York inorder that L—— might be apprehended. A rathermeagre description of the suspect was given. Informationhad reached the Department that L—— had left NewYork when O’Leary forfeited his trial bond and did notappear in court for trial on charge of treason. L——was thought to be on his way back to New York. A.P.L.put out about one hundred operatives on this case, and[Pg 203]stopped hundreds of passengers who might have resembledhim and asked them to identify themselves. This came tonothing. Other operatives interviewed the man’s wife andwere convinced L—— was in town. An operative ofA.P.L., accompanied by a D.J. man, therefore shadowedone of L——’s intimate friends, with the result thatL—— himself finally was located in Brooklyn and apprehended.He was taken to the New York office of the Departmentof Justice and there gave information as toO’Leary’s whereabouts. The latter man, who had jumpedhis bail bond, was immediately apprehended in the Westand brought on to New York, where, at the last writing,he was waiting trial on the charge of treason.

The A.P.L. shadow work in the foregoing case was sogood as to elicit a letter of praise from D.J. in Washingtonto Mr. DeWoody. The latter disclaimed the credit andgave it to the A.P.L. operative “who performed a remarkablefeat in a continued and difficult shadow.”

The Division Chief himself writes something regardinga matter which has brought up considerable other writingat different times from many different sources.

Up till December 11, 1918, there were 45,150 filed casesof a general nature in the New York Division: 3,610 civilservice case, 2,920 passport visés, 471 passport cases,2,507 overseas investigations, 2,539 investigations of officers’commissions, and 29,680 cases connected with selectiveservice matters. This makes a total of 86,877 cases.

It is to be noted that the above numbers apply to foldernumbers only, and many folders contain more than onecase, some of them as high as 250 cases. For instance, theinvestigations of a jury panel would be carried all in onefolder under the name of the trial on which that jury wasto sit. The figures in selective service matters are theactual number of cases turned over to the League at thetime they started work with the various local boards.Subsequent to this date the A.P.L. officers in charge ofthe work at the various boards were given thousands ofcases which they reported directly to the board, therebeing no file in the office in such instances. The A.P.L.Chief of New York therefore thinks it a very conservativeestimate to say that the number of individuals investigatedby the New York Division would run between 300,000 and400,000. All these cases in the New York office systemwere filed alphabetically under the name of the person orfirm to be investigated; for that reason definite figurescould not be given in any summary. As League operativesbecame better acquainted with the Chairmen of the DraftBoards, more and more cases would be turned in directly[Pg 205]to the Local Boards, which left the files incomplete also incases of this character.

On Long Island, near New York, there were several largemilitary camps, including Camp Mills and Camp Upton,and several aviation fields. The A.P.L. zone inspectorsin charge of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, together withthe Deputy Chief, in charge of Long Island, coöperatedclosely with the Intelligence officers of these camps.A.P.L. quite often was of assistance in locating desertersfrom these camps, it being the usual thing for an officerto telegraph A.P.L. to pick up the pursuit.

A.P.L. also investigated a great many cases for thecamp authorities at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, SouthCarolina, because this camp was occupied for some timeby the New York National Guard. Sometimes the Leaguewould be asked to investigate the statement of a man whowanted a furlough because his family in New York wassick. A great many fraudulent requests of this kind werediscovered. The War Department detailed a special officerto handle cases of deception of this character, and A.P.L.turned over to him a great deal of information of thisnature as well as many reports which had come in toA.P.L. of the sale of liquor to men in uniform. CaptainPeiffer, the officer in charge of this work, at one time investigatedsome thirty hotels in New York City. For morethan two weeks these hotels were covered by A.P.L.operators. This officer had a lieutenant detailed to watchliquor and vice matters on Long Island, who made hisheadquarters at Hempstead. A.P.L. officers coöperatedwith this lieutenant in every way and gave him much assistancein closing up saloons and hotels that came within thefive mile limit of the various camps.

Military Intelligence Division, of the General Staff, senta great many character and loyalty investigations of overseascases, officers’ investigation cases and a large varietyof cases of special investigation of both positive and negativenature, to A.P.L. in New York. A separate departmentwas established in New York headquarters exclusivelyto handle the cases coming to New York MilitaryIntelligence in Washington. Within the seven monthsending December 11, 1918, the New York office received[Pg 206]5,046 cases of the types above mentioned. Perhaps a mangoing overseas would give from one to ten references, sayan average of four references to each case, which wouldmean the interviewing of more than 20,000 individuals atthe request of the War Department in Washington. Themen who did this work did not get a cent for it. Theterritory covered by the Division extends from Poughkeepsie,New York, to Montauk Point, Long Island, a distanceof about 200 miles. The cases would be scatteredall over this territory, and very often the same case wouldrequire two or more investigators.

Beside all of these rather heavy duties in connection withthe big government work, A.P.L. had daily requests fromthe Intelligence Office at Governor’s Island, the Port ofEmbarkation at Hoboken, and the various other IntelligenceOffices in and around New York City. Every possibleassistance was rendered these various officers. It wasimpossible to classify all of this work in the files, so thatthe entire number is not available.

As the perfectly interlocking system of intelligence ofthe A.P.L. in the great city became known, the agents ofthe Department of Justice and the officers of the variousMilitary Intelligence services got in the habit of callingon headquarters at A.P.L. for all sorts of information.Quite often they would call regarding some case whichneeded looking into at a town a long distance away. Thename of an A.P.L. division at that point would be given,and the case turned over to the latter by telegraph. Thusit is easy to see that the web of New York, expanded intothe web of A.P.L. all over America, was of almost incalculablebenefit to all of the U. S. Departments concernedin any way with the war.

The New York office has conducted some part of theinvestigation of almost every alien enemy that has beeninterned in that part of the country. Just how much valuethe work of the League has had in these various internmentcases, it is difficult to tell. Department of Justicehas sometimes been rather haughty and lofty in regard toits humbler auxiliary. When New York A.P.L. hasinquired of D.J. as to the outcome of a certain case, sometimesthe answer would be that “proper action will be taken[Pg 207]in due time,” the inference being that D.J. did not wantto be bothered by questions. A like vagueness quite oftenenshrouded cases turned over to Military Intelligence.A.P.L. might investigate fifty men for commissions andnever know even whether any of them got a commission.

The offices of the United States Attorneys in both theSouthern and Eastern districts of New York were greatlyoverworked, and had a very inadequate staff of assistants.It was necessary, in many instances, for A.P.L. to takecases that should have gone to a Federal Court, beforesome local magistrate on a disorderly conduct charge.

In brief, the story of A.P.L. in New York City is verysatisfying indeed. How fortunate for Military Intelligence,the Draft Boards, the Department of Justice and otherwar branches that they had an A.P.L. to help them out,and to do that for nothing! Had this not been the case,it is not too much to say that these branches of our waractivities would also have broken down as so lamentablydid other portions of our war work—ordnance, equipment,airplane work, etc., all of which suffered from nothaving a quarter million of men at hand to do the workfor nothing and do it right. The truth about this warnever has been known and never will be printed. A lotof it lies in the files of the A.P.L.

In the course of the last ten months, according to theMilitary Intelligence Bureau, New York Division probablyhad more investigations entrusted to it than would in peacetimes be made throughout the entire country. Since theA.P.L. men were of the highest type, with all the advantageof education and wide experience, their ready adaptabilitycan be taken for granted. But even with the highaverage of ability of the League officers and operatives,the notably fine record of the New York Division wouldnot have been possible had there not been a most thoroughand up-to-date business system. And such was actuallythe case.

A full series of blanks, the use of special cover sheets,of different colors, and the employment of case covers correspondingto the cover sheets, so simplified the filing systemand the record of the case itself as to save a greatdeal of time and eliminate a great many mistakes. For[Pg 208]instance, the case card would be buff in a case of a “commission”investigation, green in an “overseas” investigationand pink for special cases. The card is kept clippedto its cover sheet until a case is assigned. When it hasbeen assigned, notation is made on the card and coversheet, and the individual record card of the man to whomassigned. The case is then sent to the operative, and thecase card filed alphabetically under his name in the “out”box. A separate record card is maintained for each investigatoror district officer. It is thus possible to locate acase at once, by looking up a name of the subject in the“out” box of case cards, and to locate what cases are inthe hands of any investigator by looking up his recordcard. An equally thorough system was employed in thehandling of reports as they came in.

Without a most efficient system for transacting the businessof the League, the most hopeless confusion must haveobtained among that seething mass of conflicting humanactivities. Mere bulk of paper is an incomprehensiblething, and no one who has not seen the masses of reportscoming in, even to the minor offices of the League, canunderstand what the handling of the three million A.P.L.investigations really meant in office work alone.

The Army is divided into the Staff and the Line; otherwise,the Office and the Field. A similar division may bemade in the American Protective League. The men handlingthe records in the central office are more or lessunhonored and unsung. Upon the other hand, the operativewho puts on false eyebrows and a beard and goes outto stalk a suspect is apt to seem far more the heroic figure,although what he really is doing is no more than gettingsomething for the office to file. Neither branch of theactivity ought to be overlooked.

The New York A.P.L. conducted investigations for theDepartment of Justice under three heads; the State Departmentunder two heads; the War Department under fiveheads; and also the Navy Department, the Alien PropertyCustodian, the Civil Service Commission, the War TradeBoard and the U. S. Shipping Board, as well as the TreasuryDepartment under three different heads.

When one pauses to reflect on these different classifications[Pg 209]of the work and the different ramifications of theLeague’s operative forces, one is pretty nearly ready toadmit that without a perfect office system the whole thingwould have been jolly well messed up inside of a week.This amateur organization sprang into being almost overnight, a smooth-working, modern business machine, whichrendered invaluable services at no cost at all. When youstop to think of it, this is one of the most wonderful phenomenaof American business life.

The total membership of officers and operatives in theNew York Division numbered over four thousand five hundredsubstantial business and professional men, chosenfrom every field of activity. They were classified and reclassifiedto such an extent that, from speaking anyrequired language on earth to expert knowledge in anyprofession on earth, aid could be furnished on demand.Two significant facts stand out in comparing New Yorkwith other cities. The first, the rather smaller number ofmen; the second, the rather small amount of money spentin the work. It is due to the excellent business system ofthat division that the cost per case was kept so low, forNew York runs more cases to the operative, and more tothe member, than any other city in the country.

[Pg 210]

CHAPTER III
THE STORY OF PHILADELPHIA

Splendid Record of a Ship-Shape Office—A Model Organizationand the Way it Worked—Stories of the Silent Soldiers—ABanner Report.

The City of Brotherly Love gives us pause. Is it indeedthe truth that Americans do not know their own country?The story of the American Protective League, coveringsome millions of typewritten words, some hundreds ofthousands of pages of typewritten copy, might be calledone of the largest and one of the best histories of Americaever written. It offers no pretense at deductions, but onlyan abundance of facts, objective and not subjective, concreteand not abstract. Popular impression hath it thatthe city founded by good William Penn is a simple andquiet sort of community, where life goes on lawfully andall is ease and comfort, peace and content. The facts donot seem to bear out this supposition. Philadelphia wasas lawless as the next city during war times, possessed ofas many undesirables and offering as many urgent problemsin national defense. Tucson, Arizona, reports peace.Philadelphia is bad and borderish!

Among the many hundreds of reports coming in duringthe closing days of the American Protective League, thereare some which run forty, fifty, or seventy-five pages ofsingle space type. A very few of such reports would makea book the size of this one in hand. It has been, let it berepeated, with a most genuine regret that such work hadto be condensed by the press. The Philadelphia report, forinstance, covers ninety pages, and is an absolute model inevery way. Indeed, a visit to the Philadelphia A.P.L.offices would have left any visitor certain of the high levelof efficiency which has been attained by that division inevery phase of its work. There was not a neater, better-systematized[Pg 211]or smoother-running division in all the Leaguethan that in bad and borderish Philadelphia. The installationin that city was not so large as some. A Swiss watchis not so large as a Big Ben clock, but the latter does notkeep any better time and makes much more noise about it.

It being impossible to print all of the Philadelphia report,it is quite in order to give rather a full summary ofit, that we may correct the old impression regarding Philadelphiaas a place of peace. The tabulated records coveronly eleven months, from December 26, 1917, to November,1918. In that period, 18,275 persons were examined, notcounting those who were released in the big slacker raids.In order that the lay reader may have a perfect idea ofthe many different heads of activity in any one of thesegreat offices, the Philadelphia table is offered in full, preciselyas sent in:

The beginnings of the A.P.L. in Philadelphia lay ina meeting of fifty business men, who came together April9, 1917, and organized as the Philadelphia Branch of theA.P.L. From that time on, varying fortunes and differentpersonnel attended the League activities. On December26, 1917, Mr. Mahlon R. Kline, who for years had been incharge of the Claim Department of the Philadelphia RapidTransit Company and had been engaged in secret servicework in other corporations, was appointed Chief of the division.In February, 1918, there came in with Mr. Kline,Mr. Frank H. Gaskill, formerly Superintendent of theFranklin Detective Agency, who also had been associatedwith the Claims Department of the Rapid Transit Company.Although no pretense is made of naming all theirassociates, it should be mentioned that to these two menmust be accorded a great deal of the credit for the lastyear’s work.

Naturally the question of finances came in early. InJanuary, 1918, Mr. Horace A. Beale, Jr., president of aniron company, volunteered to purchase any furniture andoffice equipment which might be necessary. This broughtout the need of a permanent fund, and Mr. Beale was oneof the League’s staunchest supporters along these lines.There was put before the members of the Chamber ofCommerce a plant protection system which has been in[Pg 214]practice in many American cities. Factory owners paidinto the treasury of the League twenty-five to one hundreddollars a month, which, for a time, covered the runningexpenses of the office even in its growing condition. Whenthis income became inadequate, Mr. Kline with the ExecutiveCommittee later arranged for an expense accountthrough the War Chest Fund of $3,000 a month.

There was a handy little cabinet made up by the BureauChief in charge of slackers and deserters, which containedthe following card index information: Names, addressesand telephone numbers of members to be counted on atany hour; names of members taking assignments in the severaldistricts; names of members willing to accept assignmentsin any section. This cabinet contains the address andtelephone numbers of all members owning yachts, motorcars, etc.; also a record of members speaking the followinglanguages: German, French, Italian, Spanish, Yiddish,Hungarian, Swedish, Russian, Dutch, Pennsylvania Dutch,Danish, Portuguese, Chinese, Polish, Greek, Esperanto, Laplandish,Korean, Japanese, Austrian, Slavish and Latin.

The League in Philadelphia did not attempt secrecy.On the contrary, it openly availed itself of the services ofthe newspapers, and had the confident backing of all thegreat journals. It did not always go out after its manpersonally, but saved a great deal of time by inventing alittle form letter which read as follows:

This was the letter sent out to draft evaders. It wasthought at first it would not work, but, as a matter of fact,it brought in a stream of men who otherwise would haveneeded to be found. Once in the office, the rest was easy.

At the time that Mr. Kline came into the League therewere 1,225 members. Additional members were selectedwith great care, but politics, religion, lodge affiliations, andso forth, were not factors in the working of the League.[Pg 215]There were on February 7, 1919, 3,440 members of theA.P.L. in Philadelphia, all working for purely patrioticmotives.

The training of operatives under the skilled secret serviceinstruction available in the division offices resulted inlosing a good many men to the Department of Justiceforces, who were not slow to recognize the value of good,well-trained men when they saw them. There were manydepartments of the United States Government which lieunder deep debt to-day to the Philadelphia office of theAmerican Protective League.

The Philadelphia work was perhaps most famous throughits great system of drives. That city is indeed the originaldrive center, and there, better than anywhere else, perhaps,may be seen the working of a thoroughly differentiatedsystem of drag-nets. There were a number of theseraids which may be summarized briefly.

The first was a small affair conducted on May 17, 1918,which took in a couple of roadhouses where uniformedmen were buying liquor.

The second raid was conducted on July 15, 1918, whenabout 2,000 members swooped down on the Tenderloindistrict of Chester, Pennsylvania, arresting about four hundredpersons, mostly of the lowest type. About ninetyper cent of these prisoners were convicted for bootleggingor crimes of a worse character—denizens of the sectionknown as Bethel Court and Leiper’s Flat, which the officerscall the worst hell-holes they have ever seen—“suchplaces as make the Mexican border look like a SundaySchool picnic,” says one. In this tough district many desperatecharacters were met who were quick to useweapons; but the agents of the law sustained practicallyno personal injuries.

Other raids followed, the sixth taking place on August2, 1918, at Woodside Park, an amusem*nt place whichwas filled with slackers. Two hundred A.P.L. membersand agents of D.J. surrounded the place and handled inall 2,000 men, out of which more than three hundred weredetained.

The seventh raid was August 6, 1918—the great slackerraid on Shibe Park, at the time when there was a crowd[Pg 216]of 8,000 men gathered to witness the Jack Thompson-SamLangford prize fight. There were twenty agents of D.J.,two hundred A.P.L. members and one hundred Philadelphiapolice. They examined over 2,000 men betweenthe ages of twenty-one and thirty-two, and held one hundredand forty-one as deserters or evaders.

The eighth raid, August 15, 1918, was set at AtlanticCity, N. J., and is considered the daddy of them all. Atthat time four pleasure piers were raided, and more than60,000 men, women and children were handled withoutcommotion. Preparations for this raid were left to Mr.Gaskill, since he had done so well with other raids. Inthe call for the assembly the members did not know wherethey were going—they got sealed directions. At 10:00P. M. sharp, the entrance and exit guards took up positionsand refused to allow any males to leave the pierwithout showing classification cards, if within draft age.The other squads of from fifty to seventy-five men wereinstructed to proceed to the ocean end of the pier, forma solid line and sweep all men within the above mentionedages, found without papers, to a point at the board walkend of the pier where they were detained until the workhad been completed, after which they were transferred tothe armory for further examination. There were aboutseven hundred men apprehended in that raid and sixtyreal slackers. It was an all-night job, the members fromPhiladelphia arriving home about seven o’clock as quietlyas they had slipped out of town.

On November 6, 1918, the Olympia Athletic Club wasraided, and out of the 8,000 men who had gathered towitnessed the Dempsey-Levinsky prize fight, more than1,000 were detained, thirty-six of which proved real draftevaders. This bunch of fight fans was handled by onehundred and twenty-five A.P.L. members, forty police,and twelve agents of the Department of Justice.

The signing of the armistice on the eleventh of Novemberended the slacker raids, but having its hand wellskilled by this time, the A.P.L. went on with vice raidsand picked up a great many people who had not compliedwith the draft laws. On November 20, 1918, Chester, Pa.,was again raided and an additional forty-two prisoners[Pg 217]apprehended. The next three days were put in with Tenderloinraids for bootleggers, of whom sixty were sentencedto nine months’ imprisonment.

It is probable that the Philadelphia division has workedout the raid matter as exactly as any other division of thecountry. The Chief had a carefully-drawn diagram or mapmade, showing the system by which the men were stationed.It is a good instance of the Web of the Law. The chart showsfifteen squads of men traveling north and south, east andwest, in a systematic covering of a bootleg territory 10 by 15squares. Therefore, one squad travels north on one streetand south on another street, while the squad working onopposite sides to them travels east and then west in thesame manner. This makes it absolutely impossible for anoffender to operate without an agent seeing him. It wasoften noticed that a bootlegger approaching a uniformedman would be almost instantly surrounded by one or twoor even three squads who closed in to make the arrest.Philadelphia had the hunting of the bootlegger down to afine point.

Mr. Todd Daniel, Superintendent of the Department ofJustice for Philadelphia, has always been an ardent admirerof the A.P.L. In return, the League has suppliedhim on request with fifty to one hundred motor cars eachmonth, and investigated as many as 1,000 cases which hisstaff would have been unable to handle. No wonder headmires them.

Surveillance such as this kept property damages in andaround this great industrial center at a minimum. TheEddystone Munition Plant explosion occurred previous tothe organization of the League. The Woodbury Bag LoadingPlant, Woodbury, N. J., was so well covered thatalthough a great many attempts to cause explosions andset fires were made with bombs and inflammable materials,they all failed of their purpose. No one can tell how muchproperty loss was averted through the work of the Philadelphiadivision. It would be invidious to quote any, andhopeless to quote all, of the many letters of approval receivedfrom persons high in Government, political andcommercial circles, complimenting the division upon itsefficiency.

[Pg 218]

Needless to say, Philadelphia had her own share ofcauses celébrès. One of the most unique and interestingof these was that of the Philadelphia Tageblatt, a Germandaily newspaper prosecuted under the charge of seditiousand disloyal utterances. In the fall of 1917, a raid wasconducted by D.J. and A.P.L. upon the headquartersof this paper, at which time many files, books, papers, andso forth, were seized, with the result that warrants wereissued for the editor and all his staff. When they werecalled for trial, members of the division were again usedfor the purpose of investigating the jury panel, as well asfor the procurement of evidence essential to the case. Inone item, this work took the form of securing throughbanking members, proofs of certain signatures withoutwhich the Government’s case would have been crippled.

These men were tried for treason, but were dischargedfor lack of evidence. They were subsequently prosecutedunder a charge of conspiracy to hinder voluntary enrollmentand for violation of the Espionage Act. On the lattercharge, they were found guilty. Louis Werner, the editor,and his associate, Martin Darkow, got five years’ imprisonmenteach, Herman Lemke two years, Peter Shaefer andPaul Vogel, one year each.

The Tageblatt had been warned often against itsunseemly utterances, but to no avail. It was a sheet ofno great consequence, and about fifteen years ago wasanarchistic. Then it turned to Socialism. When war wasdeclared, it was outspoken against the Allies. After thedeclaration it became more cautious, but its columns werefull of propaganda. It had no telegraph or cable service,but its policy was dictated by the selective choice of itseditorial staff. Louis Werner was a naturalized citizenborn in Germany. Darkow was a non-registered alienenemy and wrote the editorials. The president was PeterShaefer, the treasurer Paul Vogel, and the business managerHerman Lemke. The trial for treason lasted onlyten days. The second trial, for conspiracy, was more successfulfrom the viewpoint of the law. Upon the stand,both Werner and Darkow were insolent. They will havetime to think over all these matters in quiet for a while.

Red Cross frauds attracted some attention on the part[Pg 219]of the League in Philadelphia, which investigated all sortsof fanciful rumors, as well as several schemes of fraudulentor nearly fraudulent or unworthy nature. One ofthese, purporting to collect for a central hospital, seemedat first to have merit; but when advertisem*nts appearedoffering solicitors a highly lucrative connection, the A.P.L.agents discovered that this was for the purpose of raisingabout $1,500,000—out of which a commission of twentyper cent was to be paid to the solicitors. A halt was calledon this, but the same people got busy again about threemonths later with a campaign purporting to collect$1,000,000 for the care of “crippled negro soldiers.”There was a fund of about $10,000 which had been contributedby colored persons. Some of the people connectedwith this movement were well-meaning and absolutely disinterested;yet in the background were others who appearedto be out for the coin. The campaign was closeddown again. This is but a sample of other affairs of thesame sort.

One of the notable Philadelphia affairs was that of NormanT. W——, scholar, patent attorney, chess expertand draft evader. This case originated in Washingtonwhere he failed to appear for examination or to turn ina questionnaire. He asked to have his examination transferredto Philadelphia, so the whole matter was transferredto Philadelphia. On July 15, W—— was mailed hisorder for induction into the service and was told to reportJuly 24, but he did not appear. Philadelphia A.P.L.then took on the matter.

W—— was the son of respectable Philadelphia parentsand of good connections. Without doubt, he and hisbrother were shielded by their relatives and friends aslong as possible. On November 8, the Philadelphia Divisionof the A.P.L. wired Washington stating that W—— hadbeen apprehended. On November 16, 1918, he was sent toCamp Dix.

The public has some notion of the great plant for shipconstruction erected at Hog Island, near Philadelphia, bythe United States Shipping Board. All sorts of storiescame out regarding affairs at this shipping yard, and thecharges were so direct and well-supported that Congress[Pg 220]finally investigated the matter. The Philadelphia Divisionof the A.P.L. had some part in this investigation, whichhad to do with charges of extravagance, graft and wasteof public moneys. There was one item, the employmentof thousands of jitney drivers, which was severely criticised.These cars were employed by the Emergency FleetCorporation to transport their workmen from their homesto the Island, since it was thought the regular transportationlines could not handle them. The charge was madethat large amounts were collected by the jitney men fromthe Shipping Yard without rendering any service; theshipping yards, in turn, charged these amounts back tothe Government. There were thousands of reports turnedin by the operatives to D.J. on these “jitney cases.” Itwas found that a good many men in authority were inthe habit of ordering the drivers, after they had broughtthem down to the Shipping Yard, to go back home andplace themselves at the disposal of the members of thefamilies of the foremen or officers—the Government thussupporting a large number of private automobiles for salariedpersons. The entire matter quieted down when theincreased cost of tires and gas deprived the jitney driversof their profits, and when competition came on throughthe installation of better service and equipment by thePhiladelphia Rapid Transit Company.

There was no branch of the A.P.L. activities in Philadelphiaso carefully handled as that having to do withthe I.W.W. and other radical organizations. There werefive Locals found and fifty-one revolutionary clubs witha total membership of 5,000, ninety per cent of whom wereof foreign birth, absolutely opposed to all government andever ready to overthrow law by revolutionary tactics.

The A.P.L. made a raid upon one club solely for thepurpose of seizing literature and files. As a result of this,fifty I.W.W. agitators were dismissed from shippingyards and government plants. Some of these were in theGovernment Bag Loading Plant at Woodbury, in the shippingyard at Bristol, and in the Emergency Fleet Corporationat Hog Island. All these Philadelphia radicals contributedheavily to the defense fund of the I.W.W. memberswho were on trial in Chicago.

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It was thought desirable to find any possible connectionof German interest with these radicals. At one meetingthe discovery was made that two men appeared and madea contribution to the foregoing defense fund. They camefrom a Fairmount German singing society—where theysang anything but American patriotic airs. The Leaguekept close watch on all these radical organizations, so closethat they have not dared to make any outright break.The slightest step out of the proper path would mean animmediate reckoning with men who have been rather sternin matters of justice.

After the Tageblatt case, which was the first case in theentire country resulting in a conviction under the indictmentswhich were brought against Werner and his associates,the Grover Bergdoll case of mysterious disappearanceis perhaps Philadelphia’s greatest contribution todetective literature. Indeed, there is still chance for agood detective in Philadelphia who can give bond for theproduction of the body of Grover C. Bergdoll, collegeathlete, wealthy young man-about-town, skillful mechanician,student of law, X-ray experimenter, radical editor—anddraft evader. The Bergdoll brothers, Grover andIrwin, are known as the “slackers de luxe.” They weresons of a wealthy brewer, and having money, it seemedto them that they need not respect the law. They hadshown their contempt for it before the draft reached outfor them. Grover C. did not register, and Irwin failed tofile his questionnaire. A.P.L. was set on their trail, butthe young men had both disappeared. From that timeuntil now neither of these men has been apprehended.Grover C. Bergdoll was seen in Mexico, was alleged tohave been in the West on a ranch, was reported to havebeen in Spain, was said to have been seen in Western NewYork, and was reported also to have been in Philadelphiatwice. Sometimes he would send a card to the newspapersjust to tantalize the public, or to the officials whom heknew to be after him. Well, money is a present friendin times of trouble. For a time the Bergdoll mystery willremain a mystery. One of these days the life of the Bergdollboys will fail to interest them. One of these days thelaw will lay its hands on them, and they will have to settle[Pg 222]with the country which they have slighted and scornedand whose citizenship they do not deserve.

It may have occurred to readers of these pages thatthere was not enough blood and thunder stuff pulled offby the operatives of the A.P.L. It is quite possible thatthe Department of Justice men have had the harder loadto carry in these more violent affairs, because quite oftenthey are obliged to make the actual arrest, on warrantsunder evidence obtained by the A.P.L. One Philadelphiaincident resulted in the killing of the man sought—anegro desperado who carried several aliases but was bestknown in the saloon district as “Porto Rico.”

On Friday, November 8, two men of the League, intrying to locate a suspect, found two colored men in militaryuniform whom they followed. These gave up thewhereabouts of two of their companions who were in acertain house. When found, these men claimed they hadbeen drugged and robbed by some colored women there.It had been their present plan to wait there in the darknessuntil the women came back and then to kill them.The whole scene was in a tough part of town where theuniform of the United States does not belong.

Out of these proceedings the operatives got the addressof four other men, one of these Porto Rico, who were supposedto be in the habit of robbing colored soldiers andother men in uniform. A certain saloon was visited bythe operatives, and a few minutes after they appeared, aburly negro entered and was accosted as “Porto Rico” bythe owner. The two operatives were C. H. Keelor of theLeague and Mr. Sprague of the Department of Justice.Keelor tapped Porto Rico on the arm and asked him forhis card. The man got into action at once, kicked Keelorin the leg and struck Sprague, knocking him down. Hemade a leap to the open and pulled a heavy revolver,starting to retreat northeast on Lombard Street.

Operative Logan was on the opposite side of the street,and he now closed in. There was a shot fired, perhaps bya friend of Porto Rico. The latter raised his revolver andtook aim at Sprague. Sprague was armed with a heavyholster gun and beat the negro to the shot, killing himwith a bullet through the heart. Porto Rico fell, his revolver[Pg 223]dropping from his hand, and such was his vitalitythat for a long time he struggled to reach the gun as itlay close by him. Sprague was cleared in court, as he shotobviously in self-defense. Charles Seamore, alias John E.Manuel, alias Porto Rico, was a notorious gun man. Besidehis revolver he carried a razor and a number of 38-calibrecartridges. His registration card showed that hehad registered under a false name. In almost the sameplace a little while later a Philadelphia policeman was shotby a negro, who in turn was killed by a lieutenant of thepolice department.

In May, 1918, Major C. N. Green, U. S. Engineers, cameinto the League Headquarters of the Philadelphia Divisionand said he wanted assistance in organizing secret servicework for plant protection and that he had been directedto the A.P.L. offices. Out of this later grew the connectionof the A.P.L. with the Woodbury Bag LoadingPlant.

At first there were about one hundred buildings on the1,800 acres of unfenced land, about two hundred menbeing engaged in guarding the place. An organizationof proved men had been made, which went directly intoGovernment service. Five strikes were settled and noserious labor trouble resulted. It seemed marvelous thatno disaster occurred in this plant. Time and again enemiesattached time bombs to powder cars on their way to themunition plant. These cars were all stopped on an outsidesiding and searched, sometimes as many as thirty in onenight. One time a bomb was found and two sticks ofdynamite. A great deal of oily waste was found, whichwas no doubt attached in the hope that it might be setafire and so cause destruction of the car. There were twohundred and ten arrests made under charge of disorderlyconduct, and one hundred under charge of trespassing.In each of these cases a conviction was secured. Abouttwo hundred violators of the Selective Service Act wereput under arrest, and, as has been stated, thirty-five membersof the I.W.W. were removed from the premises.More than one hundred and ten Austrians and Hungarianswere discharged, and about two hundred aliens sent to theDepartment of Justice for examination. Over 1,500 investigations[Pg 224]of suspects were made by the League, largely ofmen whose names seemed to proclaim them of Germanextraction. The record of this plant is unique, it probablybeing the only plant that has had so low a record of fires,explosions and accidents in all the history of our war work.

Guards often found people endeavoring to do damage.One such man had piled up scrap lumber and rags andwas touching it off when fired upon by the guard. Twoother attempts were made to destroy another one of thebuildings. Not content with protecting the property fromwithout, the A.P.L. even protected it from within.Charges were made of extravagant prices paid by theGovernment, a fact which strongly indicated graft somewhere.A corporation had made a bid to furnish boxes at$450 each, delivered. This bid was refused. Volunteerworkers were called on to make these boxes. The workwas done on Sunday, double time being paid—each manreceiving $14 a day—and even with such labor charges,it was found the boxes could be turned out at $17.25!This particular expenditure of money was stopped by theartless Ordnance Department. One or two chiefs were dismissedon the strength of reports from the A.P.L. ofinefficiency, graft and irregularities.

This, then, all too briefly and lamely done in review, isthe story of Philadelphia, which operated one of the verybest amateur detective agencies the world has ever seenand which was a credit not only to Philadelphia itself butto every operative of the A.P.L. wherever he was locatedin the United States.

It only remains to say that in the monthly report forDecember, 1918, the Philadelphia Division turns in forty-eightbootleggers additional, two hold-up men, and ninesoldiers absent without leave. It furnished D.J. in thatmonth six hundred and forty-five men and sixty-five cars,investigated in that month two hundred and fifty-two draftevaders, seven hundred and forty-three cases from D.J.and various branches of the A.P.L., and 1,812 office assignmentsand Washington investigations. The Division closedthe month of December, after the Armistice, going strong,with a membership of 3,438.

On the last day of the year, and after Philadelphia had[Pg 225]finished all its reports for the year, there was a bomboutrage in that city in which lawless persons blew up thehomes of three citizens. A call to the City Hall broughtout every available detective and policeman, and houses ofother prominent men were placed under guard for thatnight. Once more the drag-net was put out to take inthe lawless and all those of Bolshevik tendencies. Theoutrage was of such a nature that the Philadelphia paperscarried editorials almost appealing to the American ProtectiveLeague not to disband. Truly it will be missed inthat city and in many another city of America. In thisbomb outrage the lives of women and children were endangered.What are we to think of America for the futureif at will the superintendent of police, a judge of the court,and a president of a chamber of commerce are to havetheir houses blown up as an act of vengeance of whollyirresponsible people such as no doubt committed this crime!

Early in January, 1919, Mr. Frank H. Gaskill, AssistantChief, was promoted to be Chief of the Philadelphia Divisionfor its closing days, Mr. Mahlon R. Kline resigning inhis favor. The demobilization banquet of PhiladelphiaDivision A.P.L. was held on the night of February 5,1919, and it was as fine and ship-shape as all the otheractivities of the Division. It was hard for these men tosay good-bye. Indeed, it is quite probable that many ofthe old Philadelphia A.P.L. members will organize, underanother name, for purposes somewhat similar.

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CHAPTER IV
THE STORY OF NEWARK

Big Division of Northern New Jersey—Hot-Bed of Spydomand Anarchy—Cases from the Files—Guarding the Gateto the Sea.

Northern New Jersey was recognized as one of the riskiestregions of the United States. Time out of mind, Americanreaders have noted, with the short-lived Americananger, the many newspaper tales of Paterson and anarchy,of New Jersey and New Thought, of socialistic rantershailing from this or that semi-foreign community, in oneof the oldest states in the American union, whose battlefieldsin our first war for freedom are spread on manyglorious pages of our country’s history. The battlefieldsof Jersey are different now, and are not so glorious. Still,a few men, as patriotic as those in Revolutionary days,have done their best during this war to keep their countrysafe. The work of the Northern New Jersey Division,which has been in charge of Mr. W. D. McDermid, as StateInspector, is reassuring.

It is proper to point out that the Northern New JerseyDivision, being one of the first of the A.P.L. to be organized,operated on lines different from those of almost anyother territory. Its district covers one-half of the state,including the vitally important Port of Embarkation.Under a single central office, it combined over one hundredmunicipalities, most of which would ordinarily have had aseparate headquarters organization, but which for local reasonshad all been consolidated in one division.

There was abundance to do, and there were plenty tobe watched. There could, for example, be furnished severalhundred instances of sabotage in this manufacturingdistrict of Northern New Jersey—sabotage either detectedin advance, or thoroughly investigated afterwards. This[Pg 227]was so common in the hundreds of plants in that Districtthat it became for the Northern Division, for the mostpart, a matter of routine. A great deal of the work ofthis character ultimately was handled by the Plant ProtectionDivision of the War Department.

In upper New Jersey, as in the State of New York, theGovernmental departments reached out and rather overshadowed,in glory at least, the patient and less knownefforts of the A.P.L. Newark frankly complains thatquite often sufficiently vigorous action was not to be hadby the officers of the Department of Justice, even afterfull evidence had been handed to it by the A.P.L. SomeA.P.L. men even go so far as to claim that D.J. wouldnot only crab an act, but claim a glory! Our State Inspectorvoices this in occasional comment:

In particular reference to two cases of ours, it is a sourceof great disappointment and a great deal of harsh criticismthat the Department of Justice has seen fit to take the positiontoward our evidence that it has. Their indifference has led usto secure a number of clean-cut convictions in state courtsunder local laws. These, of course, have not the scope ofFederal laws, under which these cases might very much betterhave been prosecuted. We feel that in common justice to thework of the A.P.L., some such comment as this should bemade.

There was abundant fire behind some of these New Jerseysmokes, be sure of that, and many rumors of the classcommonly pooh-poohed at by M.I.D. and D.J. were madegood. Three actual samples of powdered glass in foodwere found; two actual cases of Red Cross bandages containingdeleterious substances also were found; there wasone instance of insidious printed propaganda distributedby means of knitted work; and there was a very distincttrail of Sinn Feiners working in conjunction with theenemy. To these may be added such instances of investigationas are given below.

Mr. X, a minister of the gospel, was very offensive inhis pacifism. He refused permission for the display of anAmerican flag in his church, or even a service flag, andwould not allow the church to be used for Red Cross work.[Pg 228]He was forced to resign, his particular brand of piety notseeming to track with the creed of his congregation. Thequality of his pacifism may be judged from the fact thathe excused the Germans for their atrocities, saying thatif France and Belgium had not resisted, there never wouldhave been any atrocities! This man applied for a positionto go to France in Government war work. His applicationwas refused.

It is, of course, well known that the U. S. troops in largepart sailed from the vicinity of the City of New York, orupper New Jersey. Of course, also, all the preparationsfor this war, all of the expense of it, all the time andtrouble of it, focused exactly on the number of troops weactually could get on the way. The utmost secrecy wasmaintained by our Government as to the number of troops,the ships that carried them, and the time and place ofsailing. The mother of a boy on his way to France didnot know he had sailed until a curt card from the otherside of the water told her that he was in France. Practicallyall the people of the United States, however, acceptedthis secrecy as a necessary war measure—thatbeing obviously and permanently necessary in this war,where the risks of the sea included the danger of theGerman submarine.

Naturally, also, the German spies on this side of thewater would do everything in their power to learn preciselythe facts which our Government sought to conceal—thenumber of troops going over, the times of sailingsof the transports, and so forth. Naturally also, our systemof espionage—the divisions of Military Intelligence, NavalIntelligence, Department of Justice, and the auxiliary workof the American Protective League—would do all theycould to prevent German espionage from attaining its ownpurpose in regard to this knowledge.

When the Government seized the Port of Embarkationat Hoboken, much interest was shown in the former Hamburg-Americanand North German Lloyd line steamerslocated there. There were numerous rumors that theseboats were to be blown up by the Germans. Of these,the largest was the Vaterland, which was re-christenedLeviathan.

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All this section, along the Jersey Palisades, near Hoboken,is strong in sympathy for Germany. Nearly all ofthe population is from Germany or of German parentageand here was this steamer, the biggest of all the boats, andlong the pride of the Germans. It was not to be expectedthat the New Jersey Germans would feel pleasant aboutit* present status. These local Germans boasted that theyhad been through these boats after our Government tookthem over. They told stories of what the Government wasdoing with them and what they were going to do themselvesso that the boats would never sail or never getacross. The history of other ships which took fire in mid-ocean,or were blown up by concealed explosives is referredto elsewhere. It always was sufficient to make the sailingof any transport a matter of great uneasiness.

An A.P.L. operative wanted to know what these Germanswere doing regarding the Leviathan. Of course, theboat was supposed to be absolutely guarded against entryby any stranger. This man, however, went to the gateand asked for the Commandant by nickname. The guardsupposed he must be a friend of the Commandant, becauseof his familiarity, and naïvely let him through. The operativewalked up and down the pier wondering how he couldget on board, for he saw guards at the gangway. Therewas a pile of mailbags on the dock, so the operative stoleover that way, picked up a mail sack and threw it over hisshoulder. Near the gangway there was a group of soldiersand sailors engaged in an argument. As the operativeapproached, they separated, and he went through. He wasdressed in civilian clothes, and had on a derby hat, butthese did not seem to be suspicious facts. The operativewalked on up the gangplank unmolested, and roamed allover the boat from top to bottom, still carrying the mailbag.Having done what any German could have done inthe same circ*mstances, he started out, but near the gangwaywas stopped by a man who wore a watchman’s badge,and who spoke with a noticeable German accent. Thisman stopped the operative, who, upon being asked wherehe was going, replied that he was going off the boat. Thewatchman told him to get off in a hurry. He was stillcarrying his U. S. mail sack, which he replaced on the[Pg 230]pile where he had got it. After that, he strolled out tothe street again, satisfied that the guard around theLeviathan might have been a trifle more airtight.

As a matter of fact, while the sailing dates of theLeviathan were jealously guarded, bets were made bythe Germans on her sailing time out and back. Wordcame to an A.P.L. man that the Leviathan was going tosail at 12:15 the next day. As this came from Germansources, it seemed a useful thing to have the Governmentalter the sailing hour. The operative in this case strolledaround in the vicinity of the Leviathan’s pier and talkedwith sailors, who freely told him the sailing hour. Then,in order to mystify the Government officers, the operativecalled up a certain Department and said over the ’phonethat he was an Intelligence official of the Imperial GermanNavy, and wanted to know if it was true that theLeviathan was to sail at 12:15 the next day. This causedsome excitement. The operative then told whom he was,explaining that he had got that knowledge himself the previousevening. As a result, the sailing hour was changedseveral hours, and the Leviathan got off safely.

Again, there were a great many rumors regarding thenumbers of troops carried by this big transport. We didnot want Germany to know how many men we really wereshipping, and we rather thought that no one ever couldknow. An A.P.L. operative was able to make a veryclose guess under rather singular circ*mstances. Sincehe could have done so, perhaps a German spy might havedone as much had he an equally sharp wit.

This instance really started in a practical joke. Thejokers suggested to a certain young husband, who had tosit up late several nights with a crying baby, that he mightpass the time counting the cars of troop trains whichpassed in front of his house. In all seriousness, the youngman did do this, checking each car by the bumps it madeon the railroad frogs. He really counted in this way withvery fair accuracy the number of cars carrying troopsfor the Leviathan’s sailing. As everyone knew about howmany troops were in each car, this operative figured thatthere would be about 12,000 troops. This was reportedto the Government, but was never checked out, so that[Pg 231]A.P.L. still wants to know whether they were good detectivesor not.

There was a member of the Division who sold automobiletires. A Naval officer came to him to buy a tire, andwanted to know if the tire could not get to the boat thatafternoon. This salesman suggested the next morning atnoon. The officer innocently said that he would havesailed by that time. He also named his boat, the Leviathan.This salesman asked how it would do to have the tire readywhen the ship came back, and asked how long it would be.The officer said sixteen and a half days—which talliedwith the former Leviathan record of seventeen days. Thesalesman also learned that the stop at Bordeaux was fromforty to seventy-two hours. Incidentally, he also learnedthat the boat carried 12,000 troops, had five hundred officersand a crew of fifteen hundred.

This figure of 12,000 troops checks perfectly with theA.P.L. estimate made by the baby-carrying member. Thistire-hunting officer of the boat also told a great manythings which he ought not to have told anyone. He toldthe means used to protect the Leviathan against U-boats,saying that the ship depended mostly on her speed. Hesaid the ship drew only forty-two feet of water, so it hadnot been necessary to dredge the channel at Bordeaux.The operative then asked the officer how late he couldreceive the tire, and was told about two hours before sailing.“You can refer to your local newspapers and figureon fifteen minutes after the tide begins to go out,” he said.This, of course, was so that the boat could get the benefitof the ebb tide in warping out.

From these facts, both the Military and Naval Intelligencewere able to stop such leaks of information, andstiffened up the guarding of ships and cargo, besides giving,in many ways, a far greater degree of protection tothe task of embarkation. It is thought that the Leagueinvestigations caused recommendation to be made regardingmore secrecy in regard to embarkation. The Armisticecut off these matters. Sufficient has been shown here, however,to indicate how an enemy might sometimes get information.

There did not seem to be much to start with in this case[Pg 232]which originated in Northern New Jersey, nor indeed wasthere much left of the case by the time it was finished.Yet the case itself had the makings of quite a big affair.A report came in that Otto B——, starter for the X. Y. Z.Transit Company, was pro-German. Such reports came inall the time, so that there were usually fifty or sixty casesin the zone. Two days later came in more facts fromoperative C-123. He had gotten pretty thick with HerrB—— by saying that Germany seemed to be gaining,and that this news would please his wife, who was Germanherself. Herr B—— was much pleased to learn this,and went on to unbosom himself. Several such meetingsenabled C-123 to learn pretty much everything he desired.

Herr B—— wanted to do something for the Fatherlandand the Kaiser. He was sure he could do somethingif he had some help. The one danger was that, in talkingto almost anybody, Herr B—— might be talking not toa representative of the Kaiser but to some one who wouldreport him to the United States Secret Service. OperativeC-123 agreed with him as to this, and gravely told him heought to be very careful. But he said he knew a man thatcould be trusted, and he would bring him around so thatthey could talk it over, and perhaps the two of themcould do something for the Kaiser.

The name of this new man was Schultz. He had beenin Mexico organizing the United States Germans who hadfled to Mexico. He had been a member of the DantzigDragoons, and had traveled all through Germany, and hisexperiences in the Army there had gotten him his placeas German propagandist of Mexico. He was a member ofthe Imperial German Espionage System—and he had hisWilhelmstrasse card to show it. He always carried itpinned to his underclothing. It was a great day for Otto,the train dispatcher. At last he had some trusted fellow-Germansin whom he could confide! He and Schultztalked bombs and that sort of thing until midnight. HerrB—— told Schultz: “You can depend on me—I amthe real stuff—I can get a thousand men back of mesince I know I have got a man from the German Governmenthere.”

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Talks between these three gentlemen were going on infine shape at the time the Armistice was signed. As amatter of fact, Otto B—— is still flagging trains at theold railroad crossing, and the League is recommending hisprosecution and the revocation of his citizenship, becauseit certainly had proof of his unfitness to live in the UnitedStates. It hardly seems necessary to add that “Schultz”was an A.P.L. operative also. His “credentials” weremade in the United States and not in Germany, havingbeen copied from those captured on a real agent of theKaiser.

There was another near-case, one which almost becamea real one, in Northern New Jersey Division, which, atthe first, looked like scores that had preceded it and scoresthat followed it. It had to do with one K——, reportedrabid against America, although employed in doing essentialGovernment work. This might have been a spite case,or a case of remarks made before we went into the war,or still more possibly something said before the amendedEspionage Act was passed. However, member C-891 wentout on the case to see what he could find about K——.

The latter had a factory of his own, and when found,seemed to be disposed to talk. The operative speaks aperfect German, and has a German look. The two got onhandsomely. The operative was surprised to find thatK—— talked so freely and to a stranger. Another memberof the League, C-1378, also of German parentage, wentwith C-891 a few days later to visit K—— again. Thatgentleman was more bitter than ever against America. Hesaid, among other things, that if he heard that PresidentWilson had been shot, he would be so glad that he wouldcelebrate it by getting too drunk to see. And there wasvery much more talk of that nature.

A few days later, K—— had cause to regret his dispositionto talk. He was brought before a United StatesCommissioner on a warrant, and spent a good night in jailbefore he could find bail. The next day, he being a manof means, he engaged a lawyer. The Armistice ended theseactivities, as it did so many others. The hearing was heldon the morning of November 7—the first news of theArmistice, later confirmed. Since that time, A.P.L. of[Pg 234]Northern New Jersey has heard nothing about Mr.K——. With a couple million others, he has beenallowed to sink back to our citizenship—just as poisonous,just as unregenerate, just as little fit to remain in thiscountry. It was understood that D.J. laid down a rulethat testimony secured in conversations such as the foregoingwas not a basis of prosecution. Perhaps it wouldhave been better to wait until Mr. K—— had really shotsomebody or blown up a ship or so.

Of active sympathizers with the enemy, Northern NewJersey did not lack. A thousand cases could be given.One will serve. In July, 1918, the office learned of suspiciousactivities on the part of some of these sympathizers.A Mr. E—— was told by Miss G——, a young womanof foreign birth, that the people she lived with had activeconnections with the enemy. Especially was this true inthe case of one S——, who had Central and South Americanrelations. This latter man was found to be of Americanbirth and German parentage—which, in a good manycases, would leave him German. He had been a traveler,and a son of his had been born in Kingston, Jamaica,although this son was at present in the U. S. Army. ThisMr. S—— was found to be identified with a New Yorkconcern which had sent him to Jamaica to get the releasethere of a man jailed by the English authorities for allegedimplication in the coaling of German raiders at sea. Thatdid not look any too good for Mr. S—— of itself. Healso had in his employ a stenographer whose husband, aMr. W——, had been employed in an alleged poisoningof the reservoir at Kingston, Jamaica.

These things led up to the case of the subject, who willbe called P——. This man had lived with S—— fora time. P—— came to this country from Germany in1907, and applied for his first naturalization papers—pleasenote the date—August 1, 1914. He was thirty-fiveyears of age, well educated, unmarried, and without dependents.He had served in the German Army, but wasnot a reservist. In his alien enemy questionnaire, he leftout the name of one of his previous employers, which wasfound to have been an importing concern with a Germanname, with connections in Kingston, Jamaica, doing business[Pg 235]in Central and South America. This German concernhad many different names. Some of its personnel wereinterned at Panama. A member of the concern had beeninterned in the United States for alleged provisioning ofGerman raiders at sea. This made the stage set for arather interesting investigation. Operatives discoveredthat the principal men of this concern were at large,and were doing business under yet another name. Theyalso discovered that this Mr. S—— was affiliated withthe work in a downtown office building in New York City.

During 1912, or earlier, Mr. S—— had introduced Mr.P—— to the President of an iron and steel concern, whotook him into employ as Treasurer and gave him a block ofshares. The alien enemy P—— seemed to get alongpretty well for a time, but got in wrong with the firmthrough a transaction which they did not approve. TheSecretary of the firm was very friendly to the alien enemyP——. This Secretary was found to be connected bymarriage with one of the foremost electrical inventors ofthe age, who had been very active in the development ofdevices for our Army and Navy. Observe that this manwas a particular confidant of the unnaturalized GermanP——, formerly of the German Army.

The original Mr. S——, who had acted as a voucherfor P——, had stated that he could get money to theenemy, through the War Department. His father hadstock in a concern which was taken over by our AlienEnemy Custodian. The not very mysterious Mr. P——removed during June, 1918, leaving New York withoutnotifying the Chief of Police, as is required. He waslocated doing business in an office in down-town New YorkCity as a broker, although his name was not listed in thetelephone directory. He was apparently trading under thename of L. P. & Company. The A.P.L. has found thathis mother is living in Germany and is reported to bewealthy. P—— has pretended that he was a travelingsalesman, which he was not. He endeavored to avoid meetingpeople whom he knew while residing in northern NewJersey. His residence was located in another state.

This case also shows how much sometimes may be discoveredby way of a tangled skein, even if no one is shot[Pg 236]at sunrise. Mr. S—— was visited at his office by anA.P.L. man, who did not make himself known. He wasvery much exercised over the fact that the place of hisbusiness was known. He requested that his personal andbusiness relations should not be linked up together. Mr.P—— is still in business in New York, no doubt waitingfor the next war.

Northern New Jersey was the field for many reports ofmysterious signal lights along the seacoast. Most of thesestories had small foundation, but at least one of thesewould have come to something had not the Armistice cutoff the investigation. In this case, operators were sometimesout for hours watching for the flashlights, and oncea squad of military reserves lay on watch practically allnight around a suspect’s house. They discovered nightsignaling with a search-light and calcium-light at differentplaces over the Northeastern part of Bergen County, andthere seemed to be evidence of a system of signaling extendingfrom the Hudson River in New Jersey, acrossBergen County up into the Ramapo Mountains and theGreenwood Lake district in New York. The observersused surveying transits for spotting the lights, and bymeans of this instrument, were able to obtain the angles ofthe lights. These angles were then plotted, and the intersectionpoints gave approximately the location of the light.This work resulted in the location of three individuals,but at about this time the Armistice ended the signals andthe apparent necessity for watching them. There had beendiscovered, however, some real foundation for a signal lightscare in this district.

Ridgewood had another strange case—a German whoclaimed to be so sick that he could not live long—whowanted to go back home in order to die in the dear oldFatherland. Medical examination showed that he probablywould die sometime, but the A.P.L. examination led tothe refusal of his passports, it being believed that he mightcarry something to Germany besides fatal disease.

Newark, the capital of Northern New Jersey Division,had a very baffling pro-German case where it was difficultto find anything on which a legal prosecution could bebrought. The facts were such as resulted in the social[Pg 237]ostracism of the family, so that their disloyalty, after all,had a certain punishment, although it did not fit thecrime. H—— and his wife were members of a PresbyterianChurch, and were so openly pro-German that everybodyceased to have anything to do with them. At aluncheon given at the H—— household the favors distributedto a dozen ladies consisted of nice pictures ofKaiser Wilhelm. One of the guests then suggested thatit would be a nice thing to sing the Star Spangled Banner,which did not please Mrs. H—— at all. The head ofthis household was educated in Germany, and married aGerman woman whose relatives were high in the Germanarmy. They had a daughter who was engaged to anAmerican, but the latter broke off the engagement onaccount of the pro-Germanism of the H—— family. Thesocial ostracism really amounted to isolation, so that it wasimpossible to hear of any disloyal utterances which wouldwarrant governmental action, nor indeed any utterancesat all. The town was through with them.

Northern New Jersey probably has the laziest slacker inthe world. His name is M——, and at one time he residedin New York. He had an Emergency Fleet classificationcard, but only worked two or three days out of theweek and spent most of his time at home in bed. Hethought he would rather go South where the climate wasbetter. He was rated as so lazy that he was shifted fromone government job to another—and that certainly isgoing some, in view of what is sometimes done in governmentservice. He was so lazy that he used to go to bedwith his shoes on, and would leave his light burning allnight because he was too tired to put it out. This championrester carried a registration card, but he had been givenlimited service on account of calloused feet. From thedescription of him, it is difficult to see how his feet gotcalloused; but at least that is what the report says.

New Jersey had a very blood-curdling citizen who dweltin Newark under the name of H. B——. He carried anAmerican name although he was born in Italy about forty-twoyears ago. He came to America thirty years ago,when he was a small boy, in order to escape punishmentfor having killed a priest. He never dared to return to[Pg 238]Italy, but remained an alien in this country and an enemyto about everything going. He was a very ardent I.W.W.man, and declared that there were enough I.W.W. menin the Army and outside to blow up the country if theyliked,—a very good example of the flourishing Bolshevikelement in America. Mr. B—— claimed that he hadstabbed a detective in Providence, R. I., a year or so agoduring an I.W.W. celebration; hence he did not like tovisit Providence either. He told how in another place hehad cut out a man’s intestines, and when asked if the mandied, remarked: “What in hell do you suppose I am herefor?” This pleasant gentleman often went to Patersonand New York to attend I.W.W. meetings there. Hehoped that “every —— —— soldier the U. S. sent overwould be blown up by submarines and drowned like rats,and that if any did get across, he hoped the Germanswould choke or shoot them to death.” He said he wouldlike to get his fingers on President Wilson’s throat. Itwas his pleasant practice to tear American flags from thecoats of persons wearing them. His home was searched,and some clock-works were found without any dials andhands, such as have been known to be used with bombs.It seems that nothing was done with the bloodthirsty Mr.B—— after all, and he is still at large.

In so complex an office as that of the Northern New JerseyDivision, which much resembles that of New YorkCity, Newark alone cleared over 9,013 cases, of whichtwenty-five per cent were for the War Department, forty-fiveper cent for the Department of Justice, other divisionsof A.P.L. work fifteen per cent, and original cases withNew Jersey A.P.L. fifteen per cent. Most of this workwas for D.J., but there was much coöperation with officersfrom Naval and Military Intelligence, not to mention thelocal boards. This great division has a tangible record of4,563 cases of the second class, those handled entirely inlocal units, making a total of 13,576 cases sufficiently definitein character to warrant a record. As to the actualinvestigations, recorded and unrecorded, they would withoutquestion bring up the total of northern New Jerseycases above 30,000. They were from every point of thecompass and of every color of the rainbow.

[Pg 239]

CHAPTER V
THE STORY OF PITTSBURGH

Another Storm Center—Greatest Concentration of WarWork in the United States—The Tower of Babel and Howit was Held Safe—No I.W.W. Need Apply.

Pittsburgh also was expected to be an alien storm centerwhen the United States declared war upon Germany. Thisuneasiness was natural and to be expected. Most of ourgreat iron and steel plants were located there, and numerousother important industries as well. These plantswere vital to our success in the war, as were the greatcoal mines in the adjacent districts. It was felt on everyside that the enemy would strike here if he struck at all.But the main cause for apprehension lay in the fact thatPittsburgh had an enormous foreign population, especiallyfrom countries of the central allies, and the presence ofthis element in its industries was feared as a source ofdynamite, sabotage and labor troubles. The fact that Pittsburghand Western Pennsylvania throughout the war remainedpractically free from labor disturbances and warmunition destruction, so troublesome in other sections,was due to the splendid intelligence service rendered bythe American Protective League, in close coöperation withthe United States Department of Justice and Naval andMilitary Intelligence Bureaus. The Smoky City sends ina very clean report.

Pittsburgh operated the highest percentage on war workof any district in the United States. It filled over sixty-fiveper cent of all the steel contracts placed by the OrdnanceDepartment, in addition to the tremendous outputof munitions and other war materials for the EntenteAllies. It was estimated that the district was runningfrom sixty to seventy per cent on war work at the time[Pg 240]of the Armistice, that at least 5,000 plants, many of themmammoth in size, were filling Government orders, and overone million employees were engaged in large part in helpingwin the war. During the latter part of hostilities thedaily labor shortage was over 16,000. It was vital to theUnited States and to the Entente Allies that the PittsburghDistrict should be permitted to conduct unmolested itsgreat industries of the war, and that this was possible wasdue in a large measure to the American Protective League.

A few days after the war was declared, John W. Weibley,a well known Pittsburgh business man, was asked toorganize a Division of the American Protective League inthe twenty-seven counties of Western Pennsylvania, comprisingthe United States Western Judicial District. Mr.Weibley conferred with Mr. Robert S. Judge, Special Agentin Charge of the Bureau of Investigation, Department ofJustice, to learn if the Government was in need of suchan organization. When assured that it was, Mr. Weibleybegan the formation of a branch for this district.

Representatives of the railroads and other importantcorporations were called into conference and were askedto coöperate, and within an amazingly short time theAmerican Protective League had active agents in everycounty, township, city, town and village in the entiredistrict. In the case of Pittsburgh, the operating headquarters,this plan of organization was worked out sominutely that an active agent representing the League, andin constant communication with it, was located in everyvoting precinct, and where there were concentrations ofthe foreign element, these agents were to be found in practicallyevery city block.

Mr. Weibley personally perfected and maintained fromPittsburgh this network throughout the District. Mr.Ralph B. Montgomery directed the work in Pittsburgh,each ward being placed in charge of a captain who reportedto him, and each captain having his separate lieutenantswith agents in every election precinct. Mr. Raymond H.Allen, assisted by Mr. William S. Masten, directed theoperation of the intelligence activities in the outlyingcounties.

Frequent meetings of ward captains and district lieutenants[Pg 241]were held to hear suggestions from representativesof the Government. They were thus kept familiarwith the latest happenings and knew what precautions totake to make their work effective.

The story of the Pittsburgh Division, as it is related inthese pages by its Chief, is the story of a program ofaction, thoughtfully conceived, carefully and efficientlyexecuted, and successful beyond all expectations. Mr.Weibley says in his report:

“Pittsburgh had some amusing incidents,” says theChief who has been so freely quoted, and he has includedseveral of them in his report:

[Pg 246]

CHAPTER VI
THE STORY OF BOSTON

Massachusetts Somewhat Mixed in Safety Measures—EarlyEmbarrassment of Riches—Brief History of A. P.L.—Organization and Its Success—Stories of the Trail.

After A.P.L. began to reach out into a wide developmentby reason of the hard work of the National Directors atWashington, D.J. in that town began to cry for more. Itsent out to all its special agents and local offices a circularexplaining the great assistance which the League was capableof rendering the Government, and asked the assignment of aspecial agent as an A.P.L. detail in each bureau locality.This circular went out on February 6, 1918, and Bostonreceived a copy duly, as well as the request of the ProvostMarshal General to the Governor of Massachusetts for aidin selective service matters. At that time there was no divisionof A.P.L. organized in Boston. A few days laterthe Massachusetts Committee of Public Safety, which hadbeen organized and active ever since the beginning of thewar, was asked to interest itself to the extent of havingsome good man start a Boston division of A.P.L. Thelatter matter was slow in development because of the extentand thoroughness of the earlier state organization. The latterhad been taking care of the food, fuel and other administrativework in assistance to the Government. The feelingwas that it might be better to enlarge the Committee ofPublic Safety than to start any new body which might be asource of misunderstanding and friction.

The Department of Justice work in Boston during theearly days of the war had not been satisfactory. Boston, sofar from being all Puritan, has in reality one of the mostmixed populations in the country. There was some feelingagainst the Department of Justice in Boston, and some feelingalso against any new body which proposed to link up[Pg 247]closely with that arm of the Government. D.J. had beenhandling for itself the alien enemy, anti-military and propagandawork. Yet very early in the game D.J. was overworkedin Boston, as it had been in every other great city inAmerica, and it really needed help. There were a greatmany thinking men who believed that it could be much relievedby the well-organized support of the banking, realestate, industrial and commercial activities of the city, as hadbeen the case all over the United States where A.P.L. divisionshad been created.

Still another embarrassment, however, slowed up the earlyactivities of A.P.L. in Boston. That city having in itspopulation many French Canadians, Irish, and so forth, ofthe Catholic faith, had developed a sort of Church problem,and there had become somewhat active the organizationknown as the “A. P. A.”—whose initials are somewhatclose to those of A.P.L. Many thought that confusionbetween the two organizations would result. There had been,moreover, in this state of independent thought, a great manyother “Leagues” of this, that and the other sort; so thatmany felt that Boston had about enough leagues as mattersthen stood.

At about this time Mr. W. Rodman Peabody of the Committeeof Public Safety pointed out to Washington the efficientmanner in which Mr. Endicott had organized thatcommittee throughout the State. There was a local committeeof safety in every town, and also a state-wide machineorganizing the banking, real estate and other importantbusiness activities. He suggested that instead of a divisionof A.P.L., there ought to be a sub-organization “organizedby the Committee of Public Safety at the request of theDepartment of Justice.” It was understood that this minororganization should have the general features of A.P.L.and should act as the Massachusetts branch of A.P.L. Alist of good names was suggested of persons suitable for theorganization as thus outlined.

Mr. Elting of the National Directors, however, made thepoint that an arrangement of this kind would have atendency to discredit or to disintegrate the League in othercities. The Attorney-General also was opposed to any organizationwhich did not show the exact status of a purely[Pg 248]volunteer body, as had been done in all other parts of theUnited States.

Mr. Peabody still wanted the Committee of Public Safetyto appear as the parent or controlling body, and a lot ofvaluable time was wasted over this tweedle-dee argument. Acompromise was effected, and on April 15, 1918, the NationalDirectors had advice that the Massachusetts organization washiring offices, and assumed that the work had begun andthat Boston would copy as nearly as possible the form ofletterhead used by A.P.L., putting the names of the NationalDirectors on the left-hand side and substituting the words“Protective League.” Underneath that was to appear thelegend: “Organized by the Massachusetts Public SafetyCommittee under the Direction of the U. S. Department ofJustice, Bureau of Investigation.” Boston expressed thebelief that Washington would not be able to tell the differencebetween this organization and any other so far as loyaltyand efficiency were concerned, although sensible of theWashington feeling that Massachusetts was starting a yearlate and might be suspected of lack in coöperation.

All concerned having thus been satisfied, Massachusettsbegan A.P.L. work a trifle late in the game, but none theless proceeded to show that it could produce as effective anorganization as any other in the country. Assistant ChiefH. E. Trumbull makes his report on the regulation A.P.L.blanks and letterheads, and adds the following data as tothe later organization of A.P.L.:

Once in its swing, Boston Division proceeded to do asBoston always does, and to work in thorough and efficientfashion. A detailed statement of the work for Departmentof Justice covers 525 cases of alien enemy activities, 292cases under the Espionage act, one case of treason, seven ofsabotage, eleven of interference with the draft, 128 cases ofpropaganda, twenty cases of radicals and socialists, sevennaturalization cases, and other investigations amountingto 484.

For reasons above outlined, the division did little in foodand fuel, and there was not much to do for the Navy. Therewere seventy-seven cases of character and loyalty investigations,331 passport cases, and 262 cases that had to do withwar insurance and like matters.

A.P.L. was, as usual, of great use to the War Department.The division conducted 514 investigations for localboards, examined 4,000 slacker raid cases, as well as fifteengentlemen who did not know whether to work or fight. Therewere 1,908 applicants for overseas service who were investigated,as well as 510 applicants for commissions. The divisiondeserves compliments for its steady and intelligent[Pg 250]administration of the whole range of the complicated problemsthat rose out of the war situation.

There were all sorts of curious cases which came up inBoston as in other cities, which show alien artlessness orslacker subterfuges much as they appear elsewhere, as wellas a certain occasional informality in regard to the observanceof the ordinary civil laws. For instance, one does notrecall the name of Edward Burkhart as one of the occupantsof the Mayflower on its arrival; neither does Mr. Burkhartseem to have been fully possessed of Puritan principles, forit was alleged that he had been dishonorably discharged fromthe U. S. Navy, was dishonorably living with a woman whowas not his wife, and had dishonorably failed to registerfor the draft. As Mr. Burkhart was hiding out somewhere,an A.P.L. operative was put on his trail. He went to thehouse where Burkhart was living and told the woman inthe case that she was doing wrong in covering up the whereaboutsof Burkhart. He added that he believed the man wasin the house or would come back to the house, in spite of allshe had said. That was at three o’clock in the afternoon, andthe operative concluded to sit in the house and wait to seewhat would happen, all exits being guarded by other operatives.Nothing did happen until 9:15 that night, althoughthe house was searched. At last, up in the attic, a smallblind space was found where the electric light wires went upto the roof. A flash light here illuminated the dark interior—anddisclosed Mr. Burkhart resting rather uncomfortablyon the cross beams, where he had been since early that afternoon—somethingof a Spartan, if not much of a Puritan.It was found that he was twenty-five years of age and notthirty-seven. It was also found that he had the classificationcard belonging to another man, whereupon he was accusedof failure to file his questionnaire. On December 30,he was brought before the Grand Jury, found guilty andsentenced to East Cambridge jail.

Another gentleman, Mr. Ralph E——, when he filled outhis questionnaire, swore that he was a married man and hada wife and child dependent upon him. It was discoveredthat the woman was not his wife. The man consulted thepartner of the A.P.L. inspector—the two being membersof the same law firm—in professional capacity. Here, therefore,[Pg 251]was a question of ethics involving the privilege of aconfession made to an attorney and also the oath taken tothe A.P.L. The two law partners called in Mr. E——and gave him good advice about the crime of perjury. Asthe man did what he could to square up matters, it wasdecided to let that part of his case drop. He was not sentto prison.

Mr. Herbert C—— had an ambition to go across as amember of the American Red Cross and had good recommendations.A.P.L., however, discovered that he was analleged dope fiend. He did not go with the Red Cross.

Peter R——, of a town near Boston, while arguing withtwo men about the war, made a few such casual statementsas “To hell with Liberty Bonds,” “To hell with ThriftStamps,” “The Government is no good,” “I will not fightfor this country,” “I will not register,” “I am going backto my own country, Russia,” and “The whole United StatesGovernment be damned.” This man was brought before theAssistant United States District Attorney from the policecourt, but the attorney declined to prosecute and said thatPeter was only playful. He did not think that a privatetrial could be used in a Federal prosecution. Most excellent!Obviously, it is the spirit that killeth, and the letterthat giveth life!

A Mr. C—— swore he had a wife and child dependenton him, and so he ought not to be asked to fight. A.P.L.found out that he had spent ten thousand dollars the yearbefore, that his father gave him all he wished, that he was aBoston clubman, that he was not engaged in any productiveindustry. Held to the grand jury in five thousand dollarsbail.

A man by the name of J—— was reported on November14 to have made disloyal and pro-German remarks. Twodays later, three affidavits were before the Assistant DistrictAttorney. In this case the attorney ruled that although themen had a clean cut case against him, there was no needto prosecute him if he had been warned. Indeed, whyannoy an alien?

Boston is well known in the matter of tea parties. AnA.P.L. officer was taking tea with a navy officer on boardship in Boston harbor, and the latter complained that his[Pg 252]men were getting too much cold tea on their shore leave.A.P.L. took it up with the Naval Intelligence, and withina week a man was taken in custody for selling such beveragesto men in uniform.

Mr. Charles D. Milkowicz, or some such name, was allegedto dance in happiness at the report of any German victory.It was his custom to fire any employe in the factory wherehe was foreman, if the employe showed any pro-Americantendencies. Once he said regarding the U. S. flag, “Getthat damned flag out of the way.” He used to wear an ironcross stick pin up to April 6, 1917. He was a member ofthe German Club, and used to buy silver nails for the Hindenburgstatue which they maintained at that club, suchnails retailing for a dollar a throw, all for the good of theKaiser. A.P.L. started an investigation which showed thatthis man seemed to be uncertain whether he came fromRussia or Germany and was equally indefinite as to his age.He was not registered as an alien enemy, and was chargedwith falsifying his questionnaire as well as violating Section3 of the Espionage Act. The Assistant U. S. Attorney handlingalien enemy matters in Massachusetts refused to actin this case. So far as known, the attorney is still in office,and Mr. Milkowicz is still in Boston.

Mr. Hans D——, a German waiter in Boston, belongedto a German club where considerable advance news of Germanoperations circulated. Mr. D—— said he sent moneyto Germany; said that Germany would win the war; drankto the health of the Kaiser on hearing that an American shiphad been torpedoed. In short, Mr. D—— ran quite trueto form in all ways. A photograph was found which lookedlike him in a German uniform—he must have been a Germanofficer, because they found in his possession a half dozenspoons which he had stolen in New England, in default ofbetter opportunity in Belgium. At least he was prosecutedfor larceny and was fined $15.00. Later his reputation wasfound to be so bad as a propagandist that he was internedon a presidential warrant.

It occurred to the fertile brain of Mr. Julius Bongraberthat a varied spelling of his name might prove useful to himin times of draft. Sometimes he wrote his name as Graber,sometimes as Van Graber, and sometimes as Julius V. Gaber.[Pg 253]His classification card named him as G. V. Gaber. Wheninterrogated as to all these matters, he admitted that theinitial “G” ought to have been “Y,” because that was theway Yulius was pronounced, anyhow, in his country. Atthe same time he left a card over his door signed J. V. Gaber.He declared that he was a German, also an Austrian, also aneutral, but had sympathies with Russia. To others he saidthat his name was Von Gaber; that he was an alien, butwould go where he liked. He had taken out first citizenshippapers, but had registered for return with the Austria-HungarianConsul. A.P.L. got this multifold party onthe carpet, but on his statement that he intended to go toNew York, the prosecution seems to have been dropped,although the dossier was forwarded to New York after him.

There was a draft evader in Boston by the name ofR——, who did not file his questionnaire. He was foundat his home by an agent of A.P.L. and agreed to accompanythe latter. It was the intention of the operative to turn overhis man to a policeman, but policemen seemed to be rare inBoston, for in two miles not one was sighted. The draftevader then evaded yet more, and was not found for severaldays thereafter. The man’s mother, however, when found,averred she had not seen her son for two months. A plainpatriotic talk was made to her with the result that after awhile, she found the said son and turned him over to theauthorities for service in the army.

Boston Division in one case revoked the credentials whichit had issued to an operative. The man’s name was OscarF——, and the position seemed to go to his head. He tookto borrowing money right and left, once getting as high asfifty dollars on a touch of one of the special agents. Headmitted that he was probably the best secret service agentin the country, and told people he was getting $3,000 a yearand expenses. After that he usually touched his listener for$5.00. Oscar was doing well until they let him out. Hisname ended in “ski.”

Boston, being near the Northern seaboard, heard of a goodmany cases of mysterious light signals. One operative in theLynn district was sure he had seen dots and dashes comingacross the bay at night in the approved fashion of mysteriousnight signals. They put a telegrapher on the case but he[Pg 254]could not make out the message. At one o ’clock in the morningfour tried men and true of the A.P.L. rowed out withmuffled oars to an anchored yacht which seemed to be theplace from which the light signals appeared. They foundfive pairs of feet pointing to the zenith. Calling upon thefeet to surrender, they boarded the yacht and explanationsfollowed. It appeared that the five yachtsmen had had ahard day’s sail and had decided to remain on board shipover night. The flashes of light which had so aroused theA.P.L. men were nothing more nor less than the reflectionof a shore light on the glass of a porthole as the boat rolledand swayed in the ripples of the bay.

Next to mysterious signal lights, wireless stations have producedas many flivvers for the A.P.L. as anything else.Inspector T—— insisted that there was a house in his districtwhich ought to be searched, because he was satisfied ithad a wireless plant. As he had no proof, he could not obtaina search warrant. Mr. Endicott, at the office of the FoodAdministration, gave him a sugar warrant, stating that thatwould let him into the house, and that he might get someinformation. Inspector T—— went to the house with aclub in one hand and the warrant in the other; searched thehouse from garret to basem*nt, but found no wireless. Whilepoking around in one of the corners, however, he did discovereighty pounds of sugar, which, being overweight, hepromptly confiscated.

Soon after the forming of the A.P.L. in Boston, a mancame in with a carrier pigeon which he was sure was amysterious messenger of some sort. It was a beautiful whitebird that had dark dots and dashes all over the inside ofboth wings. The chief was all wrought up about this andregretted that he had not been taught the Morse code in earlylife. He therefore took the man and the bird over to theoffice of Military Intelligence, where they unravel, decipherand decode all sorts of things. The Major in command wasvery cordial, and he also examined the bird carefully. Inhis belief the dots and dashes on the wings were of importance,but he could not quite read them all. He sent forthe code expert of the Signal Corps. Who shall say thatA.P.L. cannot run down any sort of clew? The code expertof the Signal Corps also examined the bird carefully, but[Pg 255]at first could not make it out. Then he touched one of thedots with the point of his pencil. It turned out to be a perfectlygood cootie, which still possessed powers of locomotion.

Throughout the war, New England was, always, one ofthe nerve centers of the United States. A great many munitionfactories were at work there day and night. The atmospherewas tense all the time; war was in the eyes and ears ofthe people. But let no man believe New England anythingbut American. Whatever her population to-day, her leadershipis American and only American and always will besuch. Boston and her environs, the entire state of Massachusetts,the entire section of New England, went into thewar from the first word. No part of America is saner orsafer; no part was better guided and guarded by local agenciesof defense. A.P.L. was accepted as one of these,certainly not to the regret of any man concerned.

[Pg 256]

CHAPTER VII
THE STORY OF CLEVELAND

Astonishing Figures of A.P.L. Activities in a Great ManufacturingCity—Sabotage, Bolshevism and Treason—I.W. W. and Kindred Radical Propaganda—The Saving ofa City.

Once more we find occasion to revise the popular estimateof a supposedly well-known American community. No onewould think of staid, steady, even-going Cleveland as anythingbut a place of prosperity and peace. At a rough estimate,before the Cleveland report came in, one would havesaid that possibly that city might report a total of ten orfifteen thousand cases of A.P.L. investigations. As a matterof fact, the Cleveland total is over sixty thousand! Andyet, the Cleveland Chief in his report calls attention to thelarge amount of war supplies manufactured in his district,and says: “We were a hot-bed of Socialism and pro-Germanism,but not one dollar’s worth of material waslost.”

Cleveland Division was organized in May, 1917, with apersonnel of 1,008—Mr. Arch C. Klunph, Chief, six AssistantChiefs, seven Departmental Inspectors, an office staffand eighteen companies. There were also one women’s companyand about five hundred unattached operatives; a totalpersonnel of 1,551.

As the type of A.P.L. service varied in different cities,it may be interesting to other cities to note the character ofwork the Cleveland division was called upon to do. The listof investigations covers many heads: Failure to register,failure to entrain, and deserters from service, 5,356; failureto submit questionnaire, 2,100; failure to report for physicalexamination, 3,100; claims for exemption, 2,500; seditiousliterature, 50; seditious and treasonable utterances or pro-Germancases, 7,113; loyalty investigations for Army, Navy,[Pg 257]Red Cross, Y.M.C.A., etc., 1,746; wireless outfits, 40; enemyagents or spies, 363; I.W.W., Socialist, W.I.I.U. andBolsheviki, 1,529; industrial sabotage, 318; Liberty Bondslackers, 500. Total number of men apprehended and examinedon slacker raids, estimated, 36,000. Total—60,715.

In addition to the foregoing, the Cleveland division hasrendered a large amount of service in investigating cases ofviolations of food, fuel, electric light and gasless Sundayregulations; cases for the National Council of Defense; registrationof male and female enemy aliens (approximately5,000); work of U. S. Marshal’s office; work of NaturalizationBureau by secret investigations of applicants for citizenship;Red Cross overseas work; Socialist cases; details forWar Work plants. There also were regular weekly detailsof volunteer workers with automobiles to assist the PoliceDepartment.

As to definite preventive measures, the Chief points outseveral instances: the stopping of manufacture of a fountainpen which would explode on being opened; the choking offof the establishment of a high-power wireless plant on theshore of Lake Erie; the discharge of countless German workmenin factories producing food for the Army; the confiscationof models and plans of American battleships and submarines,and literature found in the hands of Germanpropagandists.

In May, 1918, an express company notified ClevelandA.P.L. that they were called upon to issue money ordersto an unusual number of Germans, who claimed that theywere returning to their homes in Russia. The League capturedtwenty-three men, all claiming to live in Russia, althoughplainly German in appearance, and speaking thatlanguage in talking with one another. Three men left forChicago, but were apprehended by wire at the railroad terminalin Chicago. This was a concerted movement to getas many Germans as possible back into Russia.

Cleveland, being one of the largest cities of the UnitedStates, and having also one of the largest percentages offoreign population, naturally indeed was a hot-bed for Socialism,I.W.W. work and Bolshevism, although such hadnot been the general reputation of the city. These organizationsheld regular meetings, often with speeches of the[Pg 258]most dangerous character. At most of them, there was anA.P.L. operative noting all that was done and said.

Cleveland Division covered a population of over a million,and that in one of the four largest war working centers inthe nation. It is a very proud claim to say that not onedollar was lost to the nation. The Chief points out that thisstatement is the more astonishing because there were madein Cleveland a long list of military supplies: Air-planes,wings and parts; ammunitions, clothing, trucks, and the hundredother materials for use in the Army and Navy. Therewere three hundred and eighty-six plants in Cuyahoga Countyengaged in ordnance work, and there were employed inthese plants 1,218 workmen. These ordnance plants had contractsamounting to $175,000,000. Motor transportationplants, making trucks, trailers, axles, forms, etc., had a seriesof contracts totaling $88,000,000. There were fifty plantsengaged in air-craft production, and twenty making clothing,not to mention three large shipyards, all busy practicallyday and night. That means work! Figures like this areserious. It is no cheap flattery to say to the men who areresponsible for the safety of these vast industrial concernsthat their record is a more than marvelous one. It is nowonder that there is the best of feeling between ClevelandDivision and the Department of Justice, Police Departmentand all the allied administrations of the law. It is not necessaryto print the letters of appreciation from any of these.

The Chief says that the most of the active work covereda period of about fifteen months. The cases handled monthlyapproximated four thousand. Obviously it is impossible toreport sixty thousand, or four thousand, or one thousandcases, but some of the Cleveland specials are too interestingto leave aside. It is regrettable that they must be abbreviated.

On December 1, 1917, Dorothy A——, a nice Clevelandgirl, was selling Liberty Bonds for the Y. W. C. A. on apartial payment basis, which did not seem quite right. Dorothywas hard to find, but she admitted, when found, thatshe was selling these bonds because she needed the moneyherself. The mortgage on the old home was about to be foreclosed,and she had taken this method of getting what moneyshe could. It was in truth the case of a young girl driven[Pg 259]desperate by circ*mstances. The A.P.L. first got her agood position; second, advanced the money to pay off themortgage on the home, she to pay them back in monthlyinstallments; and third, found the people to whom she hadsold the bonds, and returned the money of which she hadfraudulently deprived them. This girl remained clean andstraight, and as a culmination of the case she married ayoung soldier, whom she met through the A.P.L., wholater did his bit in France. We do not know of a prettier bitin the history of the A.P.L. than this.

On March 2, 1918, A.P.L. ran down another one of thosecruel rumors against the Red Cross which have been startedby pro-German women for the most part. This rumor wasfirst circulated by a young woman, and is of a nature whichcan not be put into print. The girl, when found, confessedthat she was guilty. She also confessed that she was hittingthe high spots in the city, having left a country home to getacquainted with the bright lights. The A.P.L. did not kickthis woman down and out, either, but gave her a hand-up.Two weeks later she came to the Division Office with tearsin her eyes, apologized for the false rumors which she hadset going, and implored that she might be allowed to dosomething for the office of the division.

A war plant making aeroplane parts kept turning outdefective work. The A.P.L. put a woman operative in thefactory. She chanced to be a young woman of a wealthyfamily, accustomed to the luxury of a beautiful home, butshe took to the overalls and dirty work as a duck does towater. She was in the factory three weeks, located thetrouble, and it was adjusted.

A telephone call reported that a house was being burglarized.An A.P.L. man at the phone remembered that adeserter had been sought for at that number. In thirtyminutes the house was surrounded. They did not catch thedeserter, but they did get the burglar.

A dangerous type of service was the raiding of I.W.W.headquarters. Sometimes these were boarding houses wherethirty or forty of these people would be gathered together.When such a place was surrounded, the suspects would pourout of the windows into the arms of the operatives. Thismeant occasional fights, and there was danger in the work,[Pg 260]but there was no case where loss of life was experienced.

An interesting fact of Cleveland war work was that developedby examination of the draughting rooms in the largeplants. In some of these plants the entire draughting forcewas not only German by descent but pro-German in sentiment.It has often been said that part of German propagandawas to get men in factories where they could get blue-printsof all of our machinery. In November, 1917, theLeague was advised that a draughtsman of a ship-buildingcompany was very pro-German, and it was said that theforeman in charge would hire only Germans. Constantsurveillance was ordered, but it was as late as June, 1918,before this man was found making derogatory remarks aboutour Army. He was found to have been an officer in theGerman Reserves. He was jailed. Many letters were foundon him sufficient to warrant his internment.

As though I.W.W.’s were not sufficiently dangerous,operatives were once asked to arrest a colored slacker whoworked for a lion-tamer. The latter, a woman, gave theoperatives a tip that her assistant ought to be looked into.He was finally caught at the time when he was transferringthe lions from the performing ring to their traveling cages,but that did not stop the operatives. After he got the doorslocked he was taken to the Federal Building and inductedinto the Service, where his courage will be put to goodservice.

Here are some familiar pro-German statements, this timeuttered by one A. C——, who was running an advertisingagency. At one time he said that “the war would beended by January 1, because German training was betterthan ours—that we should not believe the lies about Germanskilling babies—everyone knows that America is goingto lose the war—that this is no war for Democracy—thatthere is no Democracy in America.” Indicted. Guilty. Interned.A.P.L.

Cleveland had its own troubles with evaders and slackers,and it took many cleverly laid plans to catch some of them.These are some of the methods. After locating where a suspectlived who was hard to find, a man would appear nextday as one of the solicitors of the City Directory whosebusiness it was to get the name of every man in each house.[Pg 261]The solicitor was usually a very old looking man. Thisusually worked. If it did not, a messenger boy would showup with a message saying that it must be delivered at once.If this failed, there would come a letter from some prominentinstitution, sent in an unsealed envelope, addressed to theman offering him a job at an unusually high wage. Oneor the other of these devices would usually establish touchwith the man wanted. It was like changing baits in a trap.

An interesting case was that of Harry W——, who wasbrother of another Mr. W—— sentenced to the workhousefor violation of the Espionage Act. Harry did not register,but was picked up in the City Council Chamber. He desperatelytried to convince the A.P.L. men that he was tooold, but the operatives got his birth record and proved thathe had wilfully evaded registration. Indicted and sentencedto one year in the workhouse.

A deserter from Camp Sherman, in December, 1917, waslocated wearing civilian clothes as late as September, 1918.He was hidden by a certain woman, who had secreted hisuniform and who had supplied him with liquor repeatedly.We learned that this was an illicit relation. The woman hadfurnished the man with money from time to time. TheA.P.L. took her case up with the District Attorney. Thewoman is awaiting indictment of a charge of furnishingliquor to a soldier and harboring a deserter. Her lover isback in camp.

The division had a good case on certain German sympathizersbelieved to be sending certain information to theenemy. A dictaphone was installed in a hotel room whichthey occupied, and the place was watched day and night fora week. Just at the time when it seemed that some informationwas going to be reported, a parrot which the people hadin the room started to chatter and beat them into the dictaphone.Nothing was discovered at that time and the Chiefreports, “I regret we cannot print what came over the dictaphoneby the parrot.”

Adolph R——, a German of the Germans, was withinthe draft, but resisted in every possible way, and said hewould kill any members of the League who came after him.He even called up individual members and told them he wasgoing to shoot them. When an order came he told the A.P.L.[Pg 262]man that he would pay no attention. A detail was sentafter him and he was escorted like a little lamb to the barracks.He has been a good German ever since.

The League found that it had in its ranks as an operativea resident of the city of Cleveland, who had been there allhis life but was a German alien and not registered. Thisfellow was arrested and interned for a short period, thoughsoon paroled.

The Cleveland division of A.P.L. took a very prominentpart in the Debs case, and furnished abundant men andmachines on the Sunday that Debs was arrested in Cleveland.It also helped to assemble the evidence on which Debs wasindicted.

Washington was on the hunt for a dangerous enemy alienby the name of Henry H——. Information came thathe was working for a photographic concern in Cleveland, buthe could not be located. Four months later a complaint ofpro-Germanism came in against a man of the same nameworking for a city directory company. He had changed hisoccupation but not his nature, and hence was arrested.

The printed page was another form of propaganda inCleveland. An alien enemy editor of a German paper wasallowed at large with restrictions. He abused his privilegeand was interned at Fort Oglethorpe. Indictments and convictionswere found against members of the staff of a Germandaily. Yet another editor refused to print articles on foodconservation, and he also was indicted and convicted.Sabotage was threatened and planned in many cases. Inone instance a tip got out that a big war plant was to beblown up on one of two given nights. The League got onthe job and found the plant to be insufficiently guarded.The guard was increased and no damage was done.

Gottlieb K——, an alien enemy, was caught out of hiszone without his permit. Operatives went to his home andfound two Mauser rifles, a peck of shells, a dagger, a blackjackand several maps of Canada, the United States andMexico. Gottlieb was thought to be more fit for Fort Oglethorpethan Cleveland.

Mr. A. L. H——, a member of the Cleveland Board ofEducation, had his own idea about education. In the homeof a socialist he remarked that the Liberty Bonds would[Pg 263]never be paid, and that the working class for generationswould have to work to support these bonds. He stated thatthe Russian Committee, headed by Elihu Root, who went toRussia to investigate the conditions there, had their reportwritten and signed before they left America. He frequentlysaid that the bonds of the United States were not worth thepaper they were written on. Affidavits resulted in the indictmentof Mr. H——, and he was sentenced to ten years inthe Atlanta Penitentiary, the conviction automatically removinghim from the Board of Education.

A mail carrier in Cleveland fell heir to $60,000, but beinga socialist, would not subscribe to Liberty Bonds. He wascalled to the headquarters of the A.P.L. and reasoned with.The next day his son came into headquarters literally runningover with Liberty Bonds. He had $10,000 worth, all in$100 denominations! They sent him home with a guard.

The A.P.L. was responsible for obtaining the evidencethat secured the conviction of the State Secretary of theSocialist Party and two others. All of these men publiclymade speeches against the draft, and were actually instrumentalin preventing certain men from complying with theSelective Service Act. All sentenced to one year of peace inthe Canton workhouse by the Federal Court.

A gentleman by the name of Joseph Freiheit—Freiheitmeans “freedom” in German—said that if sent to thearmy he would not shoot at the Germans. He advised hisfriends to do the same. He was brought to headquarters andreprimanded. The next day he committed suicide. Caseclosed.

A man who owned a garage was reported hostile to LibertyBonds and Thrift Stamps. A certain operative went to talkover with him the question of Thrift Stamps. The questionwas asked, “How many do you want me to buy?” Thesolicitor said he thought about a thousand dollars worth. Hebought a thousand dollars worth in cash, then and there.Almost persuaded.

A very elusive draft dodger was Geo. F——, who waschased from pillar to post, but not come up with. He wasdiscovered to have an intrigue with a waitress, JennieM——, who also would change her name once in a while,leave her place of employment and be gone a day or two.[Pg 264]The question was, where did she go? The operatives on thecase took Jennie down to the Federal Building, where shetold so many conflicting stories that she was locked up.Meantime, the Post Office Department advised that certainletters were sent back from Elyria, Ohio, addressed to “F.J. P——.” The return card brought the trail around toone of the original dwelling-places of the suspect. Theoperative now went to this address and found the ownerof the home and threatened to arrest him for abetting adeserter from the United States Army. These letters wereopened and it was discovered that the man desired was gettingmail at the post office at Monroe, Michigan. So theoperative went to Jennie in jail and said, “Well, we havegot George over in Michigan.” “Is that so?” said the girl;“how did you get him?” The operative declined to tell,and said the only thing he wondered about was what nameGeorge was going under in Monroe. The girl finally admittedthat his name there was “F. J. P——.” It tookpatience and shrewdness to follow the trail in Monroe. However,a name was found written in two places in a registerof a workingmen’s hotel there. The initials were the sameas for F. J. P——, one of the many alias names. Thelandlady was found, and a picture of Jennie was shown her.She said it was the same picture that “F. J. P——” hadin the back of his watch. The rest was rather simple. Theoperator hired a taxicab and started out in search of his man,who then was engaged as night watchman on some roadwork. A steam roller was found in the middle of the road,displaying a red lantern, with a man fast asleep on top. Theoperative awakened him, and identified him as the muchwanted Geo. F——, alias Ed. D——, alias Geo. W——,alias F. J. P——, alias F. J. P——. The man washandcuffed and the party started back for Monroe. In duetime, the suspect was taken to the Department of Justice,and on December 14 the long trail ended for him. Thedetails of this pursuit are among the most interesting of thosewhich have been turned in for any case on the Clevelandrecords.

One operative had what he took to be a regular ConanDoyle novel, all spread out before him. It involved whatwas known as “The House of Mystery,” where all kinds of[Pg 265]mysterious goings and comings and every sort of dark, secretmidnight interview took place. After a long, long time thehouse of mystery was closed. The inspector was able fromother information to tell the operatives what was the matterwith his case—which is not reported in full. The inspectorsaid: “Your elderly woman there is the mother of theyounger woman, who is married to a worthless scamp, fromwhom she is seeking a divorce. They have a beautiful homein the mountains of the West, and that is where they goon the mysterious trips you have been noticing so long.Their trunks are filled with valuable papers, and when theyfinished discussing these, they put them back in the trunks.The little child is the son of the young woman. The reasonthey rented this isolated house and made a prisoner out ofthe child was because the father has been trying to kidnapthe child. The mysterious chauffeur is the secretary of theladies. When he enlisted for the war they found cause toweep on that account.” The operative had been workingon an ordinary society detective story instead of a plotagainst the United States.

Perhaps these very few random cases may serve to showthe variety of the sixty thousand handled in Cleveland. Whatdid it all mean for the safety and security of the UnitedStates? Who can measure it? That is a thing impossible.But that the good citizens of Cleveland appreciated whatthe A.P.L. has done may be seen from abundant localevidence. Under date of December 24 the Cleveland newspaperscame out in open condemnation of the wave of crimethen threatening the city. The Plain Dealer said veryplainly:

The amazing boldness of bandits, burglars and miscellaneousplug-uglies in Cleveland has finally stirred the city to an insistentdemand that something approaching war methods beadopted in dealing with them. It is peculiarly irritating toknow that most, if not all, of the criminals are young men ofmilitary age. While better men have been giving their livesto free the world of the terror of Germanism, these stealthyenemies have been staging a reign of terror of their own in amodern American community. The American ProtectiveLeague has wisely placed its services at the disposal of thepolice. All public spirited citizens should coöperate in every[Pg 266]possible way. The police are shooting to kill, and the morefrequently their aim proves true the better it will be forCleveland. It is not time for leniency or compromise. Thethug of to-day, who has so serious a misapprehension of theprivilege of being an American, deserves nothing beyond asnug grave. There have been other epidemics of outlawry inCleveland, and perhaps the present “crime wave” is no moremenacing than some that have gone before. But coming justat this time, when so great a price has been paid to makeAmerica and all the world safe and decent, the impudence ofthe gunman is peculiarly infuriating.

The Cleveland Press headed one of its editorials: “Chief,call out the A.P.L.!” In answer, the Chief of the ClevelandPolice did call on the A.P.L. once more, although thiswas six weeks after hostilities had ceased. All of the followingSaturday night and Sunday there were A.P.L. menpatrolling the streets of Cleveland in motor cars in companywith the police.

The disbanding of the A.P.L. was openly deplored inCleveland. What is going to be the future condition of theUnited States in these days following the war? One thingis sure, the thinking men of the country are uneasy. Thereis reason to feel concern, in a city like Cleveland, over bolshevismand labor troubles. There do not lack those whopredict for all America the wave of disregard for propertyand life which quite often ensues at the close of a greatwar—and this war was the greatest upheaval of humaninstitutions and human values the world has ever seen. Butmatters in Cleveland might have been worse—much worse.

[Pg 267]

CHAPTER VIII
THE STORY OF CINCINNATI

Data from a Supposed Citadel of Pro-Germanism—GratifyingReports from the City Which Boasts a Rhine of itsOwn—Alien Enemies and How They Were Handled—Americanizationof America.

That Cincinnati had a vast population of German descentand of pro-German sympathies was known throughout theUnited States. It would be folly to say otherwise. Hadopen riots or armed resistance to the draft, or to the waritself, arisen in Cincinnati, there were many who would nothave been surprised. Those, however, did not really knowthe inherently solid quality of the city on the Ohio River.They may find that from the study of the able report ofthe Cincinnati Division.

Perhaps a very considerable amount of the quiet on theRhine at Cincinnati was due to the fact that there was suchan organization within its gates as the American ProtectiveLeague. The members of the League were on the watch allthe time for anything dangerous in the way of pro-enemyactivity. That the division had a certain amount of workto do may be seen from the summaries.

There were 2,972 investigations for disloyalty and sedition;4,232 selective service investigations; 3,004 suspectstaken in slacker raids. Of propaganda by word of mouth,there were 7,000 examinations. Three hundred and seventycivilian applicants for overseas service were examined. Therewere eighty-one examinations made into the character ofpersons identified with the I.W.W., the People’s Council,and other pacifist or radical bodies. The Secret Service hadfifty examinations made for it and the Post Office three.There were fourteen thousand visits made at homes andplaces of business of alien enemies, and twenty-eight alienenemies were required to report to the supervisor every week.[Pg 268]Heatless Mondays required three hundred investigations andgasless Sundays one thousand, five hundred and seventeen.In 250 instances the A.P.L. rendered automobile service tovarious Government departments. These figures show thatsomething was doing in Cincinnati. As to the exact nature ofthe activities, it is much better to give the sober and justestimate of the local chief, as gratifying as it is admirable:

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CHAPTER IX
THE STORY OF DAYTON

Aircraft-Center Well Cared For—Midnight and All’sWell—Some Stories of the A.P.L. and the Melting Pot—Possibleand Impossible Citizens.

The thriving city of Dayton, Ohio, is one of the bestknown towns of the size in the Union. In some way theidea has gone abroad that Dayton is up-to-date, modern andadvanced alike in industrial, civic and social ways. Theresurely is no reason to alter that belief from the story of theA.P.L. turned in from Dayton. An additional interestattaches to the report from this industrial capital becauseof the fact that it has always been a sort of a capital of industrialenterprise, and has been known as one of the pointsof manufacture of Government aeroplane material.

The large foreign element gave rise to 661 disloyalty casesand made necessary 269 instances of persuasiveness in LibertyBond matters. For the War Department there werehandled 1,681 slacker cases and 1,078 other cases under theSelective Service Act, with 387 cases of deserters and 241character and loyalty examinations. The total number ofinvestigations was 6,118. Many of the local “case stories”show that Ohio still has her claim to be called a center ofpro-German sentiment, but the A.P.L. did fine work inthe reclamation of such citizen material as was worth reclaiming—someof it was not worth while. The AmericanProtective League has been the best and almost the first realImmigration Board this country ever knew, and the onegreat need of America to-day is a wise and wholly fearlesscombing out of the aliens.

Mr. George S. Blanchard was first Chief of the DaytonDivision. In the early days of April, 1917, he was talkingwith a friend from St. Louis and during the conversationasked him what he was doing toward the progress of the[Pg 277]big war. His friend replied that he had gone into the AmericanProtective League, which had just been organized inSt. Louis. The remark set him to thinking that probablyan organization of this kind could be effected in Dayton. TheLeague at that time was in a very primitive state. That isto say, the desire to assist the Department of Justice wasthere, but neither the League nor the Department of Justicehad yet been able to work out the best method by which inexperiencedcitizens could assist in Federal investigations. Mr.Blanchard visited the divisions of the League at Columbus,Ohio, Chicago, San Francisco, New York City and otherplaces, and called a number of times for conferences at NationalHeadquarters. The mode of conducting operations asdetermined by experience and observation of the work carriedout by other divisions and as directed by National Headquarterswas as follows: Alien Enemy; Pro-German; DraftBoard Matters; Vice and Liquor; Military Coöperation;Food and Fuel; Suburban; War Risk Allotments; Headquarters;Flying Squadron; Character Investigations.

The general direction of the work was made by the Chief.The work was then carried out by ten different divisions,each governed by a Captain with as many Lieutenants andoperatives as his work demanded. Later came the generaldivision of all workers into two classes—Investigation andInformation. The captains, lieutenants and active memberswere taken from the investigators. In October, 1918, Mr.Blanchard resigned as Chief of the Dayton Division to enlistin the Motor Transport Corps of the United States Army,being succeeded by Mr. Frank Schwilk, who carried on thework very successfully.

During a war drive, an operative, No. 161, called on a Mr.B——, who had refused absolutely to give a cent, althoughfinancially able to contribute. Operative reports: I questionedhim as to why he would not give, and he replied:

“Why should I give? I don’t live here anyhow. Mybody belongs to God and He told me not to give.”

“That’s all right,” replied the operative, “but you havecitizenship here, have you not?”

“No. I vote in Heaven. You can take me and place mein jail, but Christ will take care of me.”

“If the Germans came down the street and were about[Pg 278]to strike down your children and take away your wife, whatwould you do,—sit down and allow it?”

“I could not raise a hand against them because God tellsme not to strike my enemies, so the Germans could do as theysaw fit.”

“Religious crank—what’s the use?” asks the operative.

An old man and his wife, both German, were reported tothe A.P.L. one day last summer as being pro-German andLieutenant No. 177 was assigned to the case. He called onthe old couple and found them very German indeed—somuch so, in fact, that their niece was produced to act asinterpreter. The old man, when he realized the object ofthe visit, became greatly agitated, and trembling like anaspen leaf, he hurriedly produced his naturalization papersand protested that three times had he foresworn the Kaiser.At last, as final proof of loyalty to his adopted land, theold man displayed some sheets of manuscript—gospel songs,which he himself had written in his mother tongue! At thispoint his wife, who had been as distressed as her husbandover the interview, could restrain herself no longer.

“Ach no!” she spluttered. “No! Ve are not Chermans.Ve are not Chermans! Ve are Christians! Ve are Christians!”

Operative No. 113 reports the details of a case whichhas in it endless possibilities of mischief:

There was held in Dayton, Ohio, during the summer of1918, the national meeting of Automotive Engineers, and at theA.P.L. luncheon that day it was reported that a German froma nearby city, who was an associate member of the AutomotiveEngineers, was registered in Dayton and would attend themeetings of the convention. From the history we had ofthis gentleman from the files of the A.P.L., he was undoubtedlya dangerous citizen and one who should not have theopportunity of inspecting and carefully examining the LibertyMotors and many other new ideas which were being shownat the convention. I offered to investigate the situation, tookthe information which was in our hands, got in touch withthe head of the Aircraft Production Board here and wasimmediately sent to the convention, where I conferred withthe Secretary, explaining to him in detail the facts. Wefound that our man was not registered at the convention,and we made arrangements with the registrar that as soon[Pg 279]as he made his appearance, some one should shadow himand see that he did not have access to any information orspecial displays, and that he should be kept under surveillanceduring his entire time in our city. I knew where hewas stopping and kept him under surveillance. We frustratedany plan he might have had to gain confidential information.All this was done without his having any idea thatanyone knew his history or his reason for coming to theconvention.

One of the most interesting cases investigated was that oftwo families, Mr. A. and Mr. B., who lived on the samestreet. Mr. A. died, leaving one son of draft age, the mainsupport of his mother. He filed no exemption claim, wasinducted into the United States Army, and is now servingin France. In the family of Mr. B., father and mother wereboth living, both born in Germany. They had a son ofdraft age, who was inducted into the United States Armyand sent to Camp Sherman, where he stayed for threemonths and was then discharged because of flat feet. Hecame home and went to work at his trade as a plumber. Mr.B., Sr., owned the house wherein the widow of A. lived, andimmediately upon the return of B., Jr., proceeded to raisethe widow’s rent and put her out of the house. The RedCross had been paying the widow’s rent, but finally legalnotice was served allowing her ten days in which to vacatethe house.

An A.P.L. operative took the matter up with a localattorney and arranged for the protection of the widow incase force should be used to eject her; he then called on Mr.B., Sr., again and began praising him regarding his successin life, his unusual ability, and so on. He finally askedhim this question:

“Mr. B., if you were in America and your mother inGermany, and some one were annoying and abusing her andtrying to force her out in the street, what would you do?”

“I would fight,” he said.

Then the operative reversed the question and cited theother young man who was fighting for his country, and someone trying to put his mother out into the street. Mr. B.silently looked down at his feet and then said:

“You have proven to me my great mistake. I have done[Pg 280]wrong and am going to make everything right.” He dismissedhis case in court, apologized to the widow, and fromall recent observation, is trying to be a truly Americancitizen.

Another operative reports:

Dayton sends in another story, worth pondering and rememberingby every American. This book is written forAmericans. The story will show what other races we sometimesharbor. The man’s name is given.

Captains No. 145 and No. 245 were given an assignment[Pg 281]entitled “Frank Weiss, alien enemy; Refusal to Register.”The story, as told by them, is as follows:

[Pg 284]

If a few hundred thousand more went with Herr Weiss,this country would be yet better off. His attitude is not unusual—Americais simply a place for making easy money,but Germany is the real place for a man! How should wefeel about letting in a few hundred thousands of the recentlydemobilized German army? It is reported in the Europeandespatches that many of them are planning to come to Americaas soon as possible. The ablest publicists of the day agreethat American immigration must be sharply restricted. Someextremists believe that practically all immigration shouldbe stopped for a term of ten years.

[Pg 285]

CHAPTER X
THE STORY OF DETROIT

History of the Great Munition City—Clock-Like Mechanismof A.P.L.—How the War Plants were Protected—Guardingthe Neck of the Great Lakes Bottle.

It often has been said that the shipping of the GreatLakes, all of which passes through the Detroit River, isgreater in annual tonnage than that which goes through theSuez Canal or the Panama Canal. A continual processionof ore ships and carriers of other freight passes by the waterfront of Detroit, going and coming on the clear, blue, rapidflood of the river which may be called the “neck of thebottle” of the Great Lakes.

Obviously, such a situation, collecting the riches of anempire, is one offering its own purely geographical menace.An unwatched enemy could sit on Detroit River front anddestroy untold billions in property in the course of a month.But no such enemy did any such thing in this war.

Speaking of Detroit itself, without reference to its geographicalsituation, it is to be said that it had as many munitioncontracts as any city in the United States—Detroitcontracts for war material and munitions ran over $400,000,000.These great war plants attracted the attention ofmen hostile to this country. No one can tell how much harmwas wished against such enterprises by aliens who onlyawaited their opportunity. The point is that this twentymiles of water front of Detroit, these miles of railroad tracksfor switching facilities, these many great buildings wheremanufacturing went on, were kept free from any destructiveenemy activity. That is a great story of itself, and fargreater than it would have been had it to record some greatdisaster—interesting and thrilling, but none the less a disaster.Detroit had no disasters. Instead, it had the A.P.L.

Detroit division began operations in the Spring of 1917,[Pg 286]and at first was financed by the payment of a one dollarinitiation fee by each member. This continued until December,1917, when it was seen that this division could notgo on unless better financed. A meeting of officers of prominentmanufacturers of Detroit was held, and these assuredthe division better quarters and competent finances. Acommittee went to Washington to see the Attorney General,with the result that the offices of the Department of Justiceand those of the League were established close together.

Mr. Fred M. Randall, the first Chief, resigned in May,1918, and was replaced by Mr. Frank H. Croul, formerCommissioner of Police, who took the oath of Chief notonly for Detroit but also for the County of Wayne. Hestarted in by reorganizing the work.

Since the Detroit contracts for war material were soenormous—Detroit claims they were greater in volume thanfor any other city in the country—a division was organizedunder the name “Plants Protection Department.” Athorough covering of each plant was made and a captain ofthe A.P.L. was stationed in each factory, where he hadentire supervision and reported direct to the Plants ProtectionDepartment at the League’s main office. That thissystem worked well may be shown by the records. Detroitwas practically free of any destruction of war material.Several attempts to blow up plants were frustrated. It wasnot unusual for a man to be brought in from the plants foran interview, and many such cases were turned over to theDepartment of Justice and District Attorney’s office. Thedynamiter and other alien enemies were held down hitless.

A Pro-German Department was organized with captains,lieutenants and operatives under charge of an Inspector.The Inspector assigned all complaints, took all reports andreturned them to the Record Department where the originalpapers were attached, and then forwarded them to the Pro-GermanCommittee room where they were examined andpassed upon.

A third department was called the Selective Service, itswork being to attend to the local boards of Detroit, of whichthere were twenty-seven, exclusive of those in the districtand Wayne County. A unique manner of handling delinquentswas inaugurated—and why all states did not adopt[Pg 287]the same system is a mystery. This bureau was kept opento receive delinquents twenty-four hours a day and handledthousands of draft cases.

Department No. 4 handled all personal cases, such as applicantsfor war service or for commissions. Department No.5 had the soldiers’ allotment cases. The last of the departmentswas the Emergency. This department held a groupof experienced and reliable operatives who held themselvesin readiness to obey any call, whether during business hoursor in the cold, gray dawn. Four shifts were worked bysquads, six hours each, so that no matter what time a telephonerang there was someone on the desk. Emergency Departmentwas of great service to the local draft boards, fromwhose shoulders A.P.L. took all the responsibility. It veryoften apprehended men who were ready to make a quick getaway.

In connection with Plants Protection work, there was asystem whereby the plant sent to the main office each daya personnel card saying that such and such a man hadapplied for employment, that he had registered in such andsuch a town and that his classification was as shown on thecard. Then the central office would write to the man’s localboard asking about him. If he was wanted, a complaintwas made out against him and the Emergency squad wasordered to locate him and take him at once to the Bureau ofDelinquents. The number of daily notices sent in by differentboards all through the United States several timesran into three figures.

Often the Department of Justice would want emergencyhelp to cover a suspect who was on his way to Detroit undercharge of some D.J. agent. Detroit operatives would meetthe train and keep surveillance until the party left the city.In the matter of raids on dance halls and theatres for evadersand slackers, the Emergency Division also gave great assistanceto the police. It often took to the central headquartershundreds of men who could not show proper credentials.

A.P.L. Detroit Division took under charge also the tremendoustonnage of the Detroit River. Operators boardedevery boat going up or down the river, and each man onthat boat was examined as to his credentials and citizenship.A man might be allowed to go on his trip under guarantee[Pg 288]of the captain, but in the meantime if there was any doubtthe wires were kept hot further along the Lakes to see if theman was wanted. Several were apprehended in this way atports of call on information furnished by Detroit.

Another A.P.L. custom was to investigate each actor’scard as he appeared at any theatre, and if there was anydoubt, wire his board giving his description and asking forhis status. Several alien actors were landed in that way—whowere bad actors. They could not get away because theywere booked. A.P.L. never waited, but always was onhand at the first performance of a company. These investigationsfurnished several theatrical men for Uncle Sam’sArmy.

The division worked to protect the Government and toprotect the people also. There were a number of cases wherea man and wife were reconciled; where a man and womanhad been living together without marriage and where a marriagewas performed; where a soldier’s dependents were indestitute circ*mstances and did not get the allotment. Domestictragedies such as these ran into hundreds, and quite oftenthe division was able to straighten them out. Many a manwas considered a slacker who had tried every means of gettinginto the Army. Many a man looked healthy, thoughthe Army regulations disqualified him. Such men were, as arule, sensitive as to their physical condition. The divisionmade things clearer and made them easier in many cases.

There were many ways in which the division proved itselfuseful on a common-sense and practical business basis. Forinstance, a soldier, gone to France, left his home in chargeof a friend who had agreed to rent it, keep up the improvements,and so on. A.P.L. found that the friend had collectedthe rent for months, but did not keep up the improvementsand did not pay the taxes. It was found he had collectedseveral hundred dollars and had not paid out anything.He happened to own a house of his own, so he mortgagedthat and paid over the money he had collected. A.P.L.arranged with one of the banks to act as trustee for thesoldier. The taxes were paid and the rents are now beingplaced to the credit of the soldier. If it had not been forthe A.P.L., the soldier would have found his property badlydepreciated on his return.

[Pg 289]

This gives the barest, and, indeed, a most vague idea ofthe many and well-organized activities of this division. Asa machine of protection it was deadly efficient. No place inthe country had more to lose than had Detroit. It was avulnerable point. It was the armor and weapons, offensiveand defensive, of the A.P.L. which guarded it. Themanufacturers of Detroit furnished cash for the A.P.L.The individual citizens of Detroit did not pay a cent, nordid the United States Government. Recognizing this unselfishwork of thousands of its citizens, the Detroit PatrioticFund Committee in July, 1918, made an unsolicited grantof sufficient funds to keep the division going for anotheryear.

Detroit Division had a total of 30,056 complaints enteredon the files. Of members there were enrolled in all 3,903.To each of these in good standing there was given an engravedtestimonial, his sole pay for months of time givenfree to his country:

The total of 30,056 investigations were distributed asfollows:

Department of Justice cases: Alien enemy activities, male500, female 400, total 900; Espionage Act, disloyalties andsedition, 2,000; sabotage, 1,000; anti-military, etc., 250;propaganda, (a) word of mouth, 5,000, (b) printed matter,25, total, 5,025; radical organizations, I.W.W., People’sCouncil, etc., 100; bribery, 150; naturalization applicants,550; impersonating officers, 25; other investigations, 1,000,total, 1,575; total Department of Justice cases, 11,000.

War Department cases: Counter-espionage for MilitaryIntelligence, 800; Selective Service Regulations, 15,756; work[Pg 290]or fight order, 300; character and loyalty, (a) civilian applicantsfor overseas, 500, (b) applicants for commissions,400, total 900; camp desertions and absent without leave,600; total, 18,356.

Other branches of the Government: Food and Fuel Administrations,200; Treasury Department, War Risk insuranceallotments, etc., 500. Grand total of investigationslisted January 1, 1919, 30,056.

Detroit Division assisted the Bureau of Delinquents andthe Police Department in several raids for slackers at whichabout 5,000 or 6,000 men were examined for registrationcards. Those who had registered and qualified are not includedabove. They would number about 5,000 more. Thedivision also gave material assistance to the police and firedepartments, especially during the armistice days, when fromfour hundred to five hundred operatives were on specialduty.

It would be rather bootless to delve deep into the individualrecords of a city where the totals are so large, buta few of the Detroit cases might be given in passing. Oneof these had to do with an alleged attempt of a draft boardofficial to obtain money from a registrant for keeping himout of the service. That complaint came in at noon. Byfour o’clock of the same afternoon Lieutenant No. 610 hadthe facts. That was Saturday, and Monday was ArmisticeDay. Tuesday morning the matter came up before a judgeof the Federal Court. A thirteen months’ sentence at Leavenworthpenitentiary was imposed the third day after thecomplaint came in.

This accusation was that a clerk, S. W—— (the name isunpronounceable) of Board No. 6 had told a registrant,G——, apparently of the same nationality as himself,that for a certain sum he would keep him out of the draft.He was to appear between noon and one o’clock on November9 and make the payment. Operative says he told G——’semployers to pay him the nine dollars due him, and he tookthe numbers of the bills. “I told G—— to come with meto Local Board No. 6,” he says, “and see this clerk whosename I did not know, and if he took the money to report tome on the first floor of the building. In the meantime Iinformed one of the members of our Delinquent Board of[Pg 291]my intentions, with a view to forestalling any later accusationthat the money had been ‘planted’ by the clerk. In alittle while G—— appeared and said he had paid themoney to the clerk, who demanded that he bring in somemore money the following Monday, as that was not enough.I then went to Local Board No. 6 with G——, who pointedout this clerk as the one who had taken the money. I tookthis clerk into a side room, accompanied by the others. Heacknowledged he had the money and that it had been givenhim by G——. I told him to turn it over to a member ofthe Board of Delinquents, and we verified the bills withthe description and numbers on the list already made out.I then took the suspect to the Special Agent’s office, wherewe obtained a signed confession from him. He was takenbefore the District Attorney and held for the grand jury.The grand jury met November 11 at 2:00 P. M. and returnedan indictment. On Tuesday morning he was arraigned beforethe judge, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to Leavenworthpenitentiary.”

Detroit had an interesting alien enemy case in that ofFred G——, escaped petty officer of the Germany Navywho had been working in Detroit for six months under thename of Walter B——. He was an attendant in a sanitariumand somehow seemed a little worth suspicion, althoughnothing he said could be looked on as much out of the way.The man who reported the case was used as a stool pigeon.At length they met in a hotel under the pretense of an inventionwhich would be useful to any one of the nations in thewar. A dictaphone was put in the room where they were tomeet, and four A.P.L. operatives were in the next room atthe other end of the instrument. There were three suchmeetings, and finally sufficient evidence was secured to warrantD.J. in arresting the man. The final play was madethe next Saturday night, when he was arrested at the hoteland locked up until Monday. This man had first papersissued to him under the name of Walter B——, as a Hollander,and when brought before D.J. on Monday, he maintainedthat he was a Hollander and had left home at anearly age owing to brutal treatment from his father. Afterone and a half hours’ work he finally broke down and gaveup his story. He admitted that his real name was Fred[Pg 292]G——, that he was in the German Navy and had been onthe commerce raider Emden when that ship was driven withseveral others into Guam by the Japanese fleet. He wastaken sick and transferred to Mare Island, California, afterinternment. After his recovery in California he escaped,he said, by swimming the channel to the mainland. He beganto beat his way on freight trains to various parts of thecountry. He was employed in New York for a time asmessenger in a bank. Then he drifted to Detroit, workedat various occupations in automobile factories, etc., and wasa motorman on the street cars. This man finally opened upand gave the Department of Justice a line of informationwhich, had the war continued longer, would have proved ofthe greatest importance. He was ordered interned by theUnited States Government. In this case the division wasable to see the actual results of its work. There have beenmany other cases which might have turned out as well in thedénouement, but this one seemed to begin with nothing andended with good and visible results.

[Pg 293]

CHAPTER XI
THE STORY OF ST. LOUIS

How the Pro-German Was Kept Mild—Sober and Well-ConsideredMethods—A Big Secret Code Puzzle—BusinessAs Usual.

The summaries for St. Louis tell the same story of patientand indefatigable loyalty, resolved to hold America strictlyAmerican. The St. Louis story is modest, straightforwardand convincing. It is given in substance as written by theChief, Mr. G. H. Walker.

The St. Louis division was organized on April 3, 1917.The initial organization was composed of sixteen companies,organized each under a captain and lieutenants, divided intoprofessional, commercial and industrial groups, so as to embraceall fields of activity. Only dependable and loyal menwere taken into these companies, which ranged in size numericallyfrom fifty to one hundred and twenty-five each. Thebusiness and financial interests of St. Louis responded generouslyto the plan and made possible the marked successthat always attended the division.

Captains, lieutenants and operatives from the outset wererequired only to use their eyes and ears and to send in theirreports, through their appropriate superiors, to Mr. G. H.Walker, the Chief of the division, who in turn submitted suchreports to the Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice,at St. Louis. It became evident in the summer monthsof 1917, from the increasing number and variety of reportssent in, that the facilities of the Bureau of Investigationwere wholly inadequate, and that the investigating forces ofthe Bureau would require enlargement unless the St. LouisDivision of the American Protective League itself undertookactive investigation of its reports, thus relieving the Bureauto that extent. It was the same old story of the breakingdown of a most important branch of the Government, and[Pg 294]the prompt, patriotic rallying of our American citizens insupport.

The decision was made, involving the opening of a suiteof offices and the enrollment of a number of competent volunteerswho could give their time to this work. Concurrentlywith making this decision, which meant so muchmore work, the St. Louis division undertook the formationof a geographic organization distinct from the company organizations,members of which were not only required toreport all matters of interest through immediate superiors,but were also called upon from time to time for auxiliaryinvestigation work in their respective neighborhoods. Thedistrict organization embraced twenty geographical divisionswithin St. Louis proper, there being from twenty-five tofifty operatives in each division, all of them responsible toa deputy inspector, who in turn was responsible to an inspectorpresiding over four districts. Four districts constituteda zone. St. Louis County, on the west, was similarly organized,as were East St. Louis and adjoining towns andvillages in Illinois. In the summer of 1918, East St. Louisand considerable adjacent territory were separated from theSt. Louis division and created into a distinct division, continuing,however, in close coöperation with the St. Louisdivision.

The increasing volume of work out of St. Louis headquartersrequired the active services of approximately fifty operatives,most of whom had abandoned their personal pursuitsand were giving their entire time to the work of the League.In addition, two hundred and fifty men in the district organizationwere being called upon, more or less regularly, toundertake active investigations with respect to matters arisingin their respective neighborhoods. The personnel ofthe organization was made up of loyal and self-sacrificingcitizens in all walks of life. Much excellent service wasrendered in investigations made at night by those who wereunable to devote other time to the work. Each man didwhat he could.

Cases of intense and varying interest were arising daily tosustain the zeal of this large body of volunteers. One ofthe most interesting involved a letter, mailed in St. LouisMarch 17, 1917, to “Mr. W. Bernkong, Berlin, Germany,”[Pg 295]which found its way into the St. Louis headquarters andwhich appeared to be a code letter written in Greek charactersand words. An inspection of this, and a close followingthrough of the case in all the hands it reached, willgive a reader some idea of the uncanny sureness of theUnited States government experts in deciphering any sortof blind communication that may come before them.

The average unskilled person could make little out of theoriginal letter, which was worse than Greek. Interest inthis puzzle deepened when it was discovered that, althoughwritten in Greek characters, Greek scholars to whom itwas submitted were unable to translate it. It was ultimatelysent to the War College in Washington, that House of Mystery,which in due time returned a German translation, revealingthe fact that Greek letters had been adapted to theformation of German words. It might still have remainedpossible for the real secret of the letter to have been concealedin an unknown code—as one may learn by referenceto the brief mention of ciphers and codes in an earlier chapter(See “Arts of the Operatives”). Therefore, a first-classmystery story, indeed the best detective story of all thosethe League chiefs have sent in, still remains for any wisedoctor who can solve it. It is easier to write a “detectivestory” than it is to read a cipher and double code, becausea story-writer knows his own answer, whereas in the othercase, no one knows the real answer.

This letter had been stopped in transit in France a fewdays after the entrance of the United States into the GreatWar. There seemed to be some small hope of finding a clueto the author through advertising it as an undelivered letter.While this plan was under contemplation, however, a reportreached headquarters, from an operative, to the effect thatwhile soliciting Y.M.C.A. subscriptions in a St. Louisoffice building late at night, he had surprised a citizen ofGerman origin, alone in his office, who appeared to be attemptingto decipher a letter with the aid of two books, seeminglycode books.

The letter was then advertised and two operatives wereassigned to watch the appropriate window at the GeneralPost Office. After a week’s vigil, the clerk in charge beckonedto the operatives and pointed to the retreating figure[Pg 296]of a woman of small stature, almost wholly enveloped ina black shawl, and informed them that she had inquired forthe Bernkong letter. She had said that she was not theauthor but would be glad to pay any additional postage necessaryto send it on its way. In the course of this explanationthe woman had left the building and was lost in the crowdon the street. It therefore became necessary to continue thesurveillance at the Post Office in the hope of the woman’sreturn. Within a week she did reappear, late in the afternoon,and inquired for mail under the name of a CatholicSister. It was learned that she had been receiving mailunder this name for a considerable length of time. Shewas followed for a number of blocks and was seen to entera large institution conducted as a girls’ rooming house.

A woman operative of the St. Louis Division, AmericanProtective League, that night, carrying a suit case, appliedat the institution for a room, explaining that she had justarrived from a nearby city. She had a detailed descriptionof the woman, but for a period of more than three weeksshe was unable to find anybody in the place fitting the description.This woman operative was then also assigned tothe Post Office, where, in due time, the woman reappeared.

The operative followed her to the institution, entering thedoor only a few moments behind her, and saw her enter aroom on the second floor. A few minutes later the womanoperative was surprised to see the suspect leave her room,wholly changed in appearance, the black shawl having beenreplaced by a dark sack suit and a black sailor hat. As thewoman had that afternoon received a letter at the PostOffice, it was suspected that, as a go-between, she woulddeliver this letter to some one. She left the building andboarded a street car. The woman operative entered a waitingautomobile and followed. Again the mystery womanproved too elusive. The next morning the woman operativewas up and on guard before daybreak and was enabled totrail the woman to a business establishment, where, it waslearned, she was employed in clerical work. She was againdressed in the sack suit and black sailor hat, and apparentlyassumed the habit of a nun only upon inquiring at the PostOffice for mail.

The most thorough inquiries failed to reveal any additional[Pg 297]evidence indicating this woman’s connection withenemy activities, or solve the dual character she was impersonating.It was ultimately determined to take her to theBureau, where she might be thoroughly interrogated, whichwas done. Her explanations were simple but unsatisfying.However, there was no violation of the law with which shecould be charged, and it was necessary to permit her to go.She moved to another hotel where the St. Louis divisioncontinued to keep her under surveillance, without, however,throwing any further light upon the mysterious letter. Otherapparent clues were likewise run down in vain.

The letter bears every evidence of having been a seriousattempt to communicate information of more or less valueto the enemy and appears to permit of further decodingthrough the use of some additional cipher. It is by nomeans sure that the ultimate code for it will not be foundby some expert government man in Washington. The worldlittle knows what marvels of unraveling secrets is done inthe Intelligence work of the Government. Always the battlegoes on between those trying to make codes that cannot beread by an outsider and those who say they can master anycode if given time. In any case, here is a fine detectivestory.

Little or no successful attempt was made by St. LouisDivision to keep the organization’s work a secret, and ina center so large, that always is a moot question. In thefirst place, any large operations, like raids and drives cannotbe kept secret, and in the second place, the fear created bythe thought of hidden regulators has proved a valuable deterrent,as has been shown countless times. In any case, monthsago the local press was “playing up” the League in manystories that named it very frankly. Since that is true, someof the anecdotes collected may be given here.

A St. Louis German, with the boastfulness which fortunatelyoffsets much of the cunning and industry of hisspecies, bragged to his sweetheart that he was a member ofthe Imperial German Secret Service. Perhaps he showedher the card which German spies are not supposed to show.She, very proud, confided to a friend her lover’s distinction.The friend went to one of the local officials of the AmericanProtective League. She had four brothers in the service,[Pg 298]three in the Army and one in the Navy, and said that ifthere was a German spy in the city the authorities shouldknow it. Unfortunately, she had forgotten the man’s name.The man’s room was raided, and evidence was unearthed thathe was not only an unregistered enemy alien, but indeed aGerman spy. In his trunk were found firearms of the Germanarmy. He was promptly interned. Perhaps no sweetheartshould have a spy, and certainly no spy should havea sweetheart.

A German who predicted the defeat of the Allies before theUnited States entered the war, persisted in his haranguesafterwards, until a League operative went to the bank wherehe worked. The man’s dismissal resulted. He continuedat times to return to the bank, assailing some of the youngwomen clerks with abuse and threats because of their loyaltyto America. He was arrested for violating his zone permit,which the United States Marshal had revoked when thebank’s notice of his dismissal was filed. Later he was interned.

One night a party from the Naval recruiting office in St.Louis was seeking enlistments at a West End theater. Movingpictures were thrown on a screen and an officer made aspeech, in which he declared: “The Germans went throughBelgium and France like barbarians.” A stout, well-dressedman in the audience exploded: “That’s a damned lie!”Two sailors with revolvers sprang for him over the footlights,but the first to reach him were two members of theLeague, who, although they had gone to the theater only foramusem*nt, had not forgotten their duties. After a sharptussle the disturber was overpowered. He protested indignantlythat he was an American citizen, but refused stubbornlyto give any other information about himself. Borrowingan automobile, the League operatives and sailors tookhim to a police station and notified the Federal authorities.Search of the prisoner’s effects showed that he was an unnaturalizedGerman subject, though he had lived in the UnitedStates for fourteen years. He was interned for the durationof the war. Of such is the glorious Kingdom ofDeutschland.

A client went to the office of his attorney, and after theirbusiness was concluded, tarried for a chat, in which he[Pg 299]dropped the information that he had heard a pro-Germansay: “Every American child should have its neck wrungas soon as it is born. The German army could rule theUnited States better than Wilson—and it will, too.” Thelawyer obtained from him the name and address of the offender,and the names of witnesses who heard his remarks.After the client had gone, the attorney, being a member ofthe League, made out a report on a blank form suppliedby the Department of Justice, and sent it to the Captain ofhis company, signing it with his number. The lawyer’sduty ended here, for he belonged to one of the occupationalunits and was pledged to give information but not to investigate.The Captain took the report to League headquarters,where the officials approved it and sent it to the local officeof the Department of Justice, Bureau of Information. Itwas O.K.’d there as a matter worth looking into, whereuponthe League called upon its other arm, the investigators. Theywent out to obtain affidavits to corroborate the hearsay informationfirst turned in by the lawyer. In this roundaboutway was secured evidence to be placed before the AttorneyGeneral. You can never tell, even if you are a pro-Germanand have to spill over, when you are also going to spill, upsetor overturn the legumes known in common parlance as thebeans.

A naturalization department was organized on the initiativeof the St. Louis office, which was followed in otherdivisions. On May 18, Congress repealed the law prohibitingthe naturalization of aliens if they had filed declarationsof intention not less than two or more than sevenyears before the United States entered the war. That is,citizenship was possible under these conditions, providing theapplicant established his good moral character, his attachmentto the Constitution, his belief in organized government,his ability to speak English and the genuineness ofhis wish to become a citizen and renounce forever all allegianceto any foreign Power. About eight hundred personsin the St. Louis district, according to local press data, soughtto avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the newlaw. Their applications called for a thorough investigationin each case. This work the League volunteered to take offthe shoulders of the Bureau of Naturalization. The inquiries[Pg 300]put in the questionnaire are interesting as official tests ofloyalty. The most important of them are as follows:

Can all the foreign-born or foreign-descended citizens ofthe United States swear before God that they are fit to gainor to retain their citizenship under a test like that?

A St. Louis journal, in commenting on the work of theAmerican Protective League in that city, gave a rather interestingsummary of the growth of the espionage idea in theUnited States, for which place not inappropriately may befound here.

With these agencies also worked the American ProtectiveLeague, regarding which this comment was printed andshould be reprinted:

It is no exaggeration to say that the American businessmen who conceived the plan and who to-day constitute themyriad meshes in the spy net cast over America, have accomplisheda feat which, for efficiency, for secrecy, for loyalty andpatriotism has never been equaled or approached by the menof any nation since time began.

The St. Louis division embraced a membership of 3,000operatives, the large majority of whom made up the listeningand reporting organization. The number and variety ofcases developed and investigated are as follows: Alien enemyactivities, 225; Espionage Act cases, 1,142; sabotage, 11;anti-military activities, 15; printed propaganda, 1,741; I. W.W., including pacifism, 48; bribery, graft, etc., 45; impersonation,2; naturalization, 600; counter-espionage, 53;[Pg 302]draft cases, 7,075; character and loyalty investigations, 589;liquor cases, 49; vice, 26; wireless cases, 52; profiteering, 80;miscellaneous, 256.

The credit for the patient and self-sacrificing labors requiredin this large volume of work is due not only to thepatriotism and fidelity of the listening and reporting forceand to those operatives who devoted their time to work ofinvestigation, but also to conscientious coöperation of thedistrict organizations and their deputies and inspectors. Sharingwith these must be remembered, on the silent roll ofhonor, all those deputy chiefs in charge of the respectivedepartments at headquarters under the immediate directionof their Chief, who must stand for all.

[Pg 303]

CHAPTER XII
THE STORY OF KANSAS CITY

The Gate City of the Great West in the War—If K. C.Ever was Wild and Woolly, That was Long Ago—Let UsHave Peace, if We Have to Get It With a Gun—All QuietAlong the Missouri.

Kansas City claims and has claimed for a long time thetitle of Gate City to the Great West. This is hers by legitimateright and has been ever since wheel-power first wentwest of the Missouri River. Independence, Missouri, whichwe may call the mother of the modern Kansas City, was foryears, early in the last century, the jumping-off place forall the great western transcontinental trails. That way layOregon, on the upper fork. The left fork of the main traveledroad led to Santa Fé. The men bound for the ArkansasValley passed by here, and the old fur hunters said good-byeto civilization at this point even before the wagon had replacedthe pack saddle on the Santa Fé trail. Here beganthe wagon-road that later was railroad, and all the time, fromthe wildest to the tamest days, whether in staid 1842, or inwild 1882, Kansas City was the Gate of the West, letting inand passing out a wild and tempestuous life in the days ofthe Homeric West.

Time was when Kansas City was bad, and had her manfor breakfast with the best of them. But always the worstwas farther West, and Kansas City sat tight. She did notcare for the movies of the future, but quickly went in forlaw, order and business. So she has grown up, by veryvirtue of her geography, her situation, and her history, intoan immense commercial center, solid, law-abiding and prosperous.

There was no reason to expect any great outbreaks of violencein Kansas City at this date of her history, nor do wefind any; but the A.P.L. was there as it has been in every[Pg 304]other great city of the Union throughout the war. That itwas active may be seen by a glance at the totals. In D.J.work, forty-five cases of alien enemy activities, 1,237 casesof disloyalty and sedition, and eight cases of propagandacover the list. The War Department offered more work, theselective draft alone involving under its several heads 3,182cases. There were 410 investigations connected with characterand loyalty; 227 cases of investigation of civilian applicantsfor overseas service. Raids to obtain evidence forillegal sale of liquor to soldiers brought visits to fifty-threedoubtful saloons, and twenty-five convictions of violators.Kansas City is dry, so far as the Army is concerned, as maybe witnessed by an editorial of September 17, 1918, in theKansas City Star—which also shows why it is dry:

The sale of liquor to soldiers has been going on in KansasCity for months. Officers at Leavenworth and Funston havecomplained of it. The consequences have been apparent toeverybody. Yet the police—Governor Gardner’s police—didnothing. It took a voluntary organization to get the evidenceand force the arrests. The law-breakers whom the police—GovernorGardner’s police—could not find, were run down bythe volunteers of the American Protective League. Theydiscovered the most open and flagrant violation of the law. Itwas no trick for amateurs to get evidence and find the peoplewho deserved arrest.

A tough North-end colored saloon was visited by A.P.L.operatives late one Saturday evening. A large crowd wasencountered. Most of them had been drinking heavily andwere in rather a noisy condition. The A.P.L. men firstencountered a large colored fellow. He explained that hewas past the age, but that he had served in the 21st Kansas(colored) in the Spanish War, and produced his papers toprove his assertion. A colored fellow was encountered whor*fused to show his card. He said he had one, but statedhe would not go to headquarters and that it would take afight to get him there. Whereupon this ex-colored soldierstepped up and informed him that if there was to be anythreshing done, he asked the first opportunity, and that no. 2would show his card or he would take it off him. He wassupported by two or three other colored men, with the result[Pg 305]that every man in the crowd brought out his card. Thisstory is given to illustrate one fact—no matter how toughand disorderly the crowd, eighty-five percent at least stillhad manhood enough left to be loyal.

In another saloon a big fellow was leaning on the bar.He was notified that operatives outside were looking at thecards, and he said: “I have my little old card right here,”slapping his breast, “but the man who sees it will firsthave to walk over my dead body.” Operative B——, whohad entered the saloon a few minutes before, was leaningon the bar facing the fellow and when he finished his tirade,he said quietly and very low: “Let me see your card,please; I am from the American Protective League”—andhe showed his star. Instantly the fellow replied: “Oh,certainly, here it is”—accompanied by a roar of laughterfrom everybody in the saloon.

A man was reported by neighbors as having taken down aflag that was put on his house. It was said that he readthe reports of German victories in the early part of the waron the front porch to the neighbors and gloated over them.He also said he knew how far to go, what to say and whento quit. A.P.L. operatives had a quiet interview with thisparty. He was well educated, held a good position, andwas desirous of arguing the question. At that moment hewas reinforced by his wife, who immediately ordered theoperatives out of the house, with the statement that no onecould accuse her husband of being disloyal. She was verydetermined and unusually long of wind. His change wasimmediate. He took his wife to a back room. Evidently heruns the house, for she did not reappear. He assured ushe had made a mistake, and, in fact, termed himself a plaind——d fool. He promised to be loyal and said that he invitedchecking up.

It was the experience of the Eastern District of KansasCity that about twenty percent were American-born citizensof German descent, or naturalized Germans who looked uponthe war as simply a question of taking sides, instead of aquestion of loyalty. A.P.L. pointed out to these the needof being loyal, what they owed this country, why they shouldbe subservient to the law—and what was going to happento them if they were not. This twenty percent either was[Pg 306]made into good citizens or it remained a class of people whosaid nothing and did no harm. The five percent of badstuff represented the actual Germans who were interestedin the success of the Germans, and the slackers, desertersand men who had violated the law and had to be apprehended.

A typical Kansas City case was commented on in the “SpyGlass,” the national A.P.L. paper:

Fred W. S—— was born on March 29, 1888, entered militaryservice in Crefeld, Germany, October 15, 1909, in the 53rdInfantry Regiment of the 5th Westphalian Division, Co. 6,and received his discharge on September 25, 1911. His militarybook in addition to giving his record as first-class marksman,shows that he was recommended for corporal. In April,1913, he secured a furlough to North America, but was subjectto call in March, 1915. Claims he came to this country tovisit his brother. Interviewed, S—— was frank. He statedthat he made it a rule never to talk, but that prior to theUnited States entering the war, he had let some remarksslip to his fellow workmen, which he had regretted, as theseremarks had caused him a great deal of trouble since then.He showed us his registration card. He stated that he hadapplied for his first papers and that he was ready and willingto take out his last papers the moment he was permitted, andthat he wanted to become an American citizen. He had fourbrothers in the German Army, and has not heard from themfor three years. This was given as an explanation for hismistake in making a few remarks at the beginning of the war.He asserted that he would live up faithfully to every rule,would attend strictly to his business and would report wheneverdesired. He declared that he had bought First, Secondand Third Liberty Loan Bonds. He also stated that he hadgiven to the Red Cross. Conclusion: He has violated nolaw and do not believe he intends to violate any. Kept underobservation.

Here is another story which illustrates that curious psychologicalbluntness and one-sidedness of the German intellect.The widow of Fred E——, deceased, who had a drug store,was asked for a subscription to the hospital fund. She said:“I won’t give any money to the Research Hospital, butmaybe, if you take the old name back, I will give to theGerman Hospital, but not to the Research Hospital.”

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The manner in which she said this and the spirit demonstratedby her attitude showed that she was thoroughly pro-German.Operative No. 60 called on the party, and says inhis report:

We charged her with disloyal talking. She stated that shehad done no disloyal talking, and in fact had taken goodcare not to talk against the Government in any way; furthermore,that she had a son in France and if she was againstthe Government she certainly would not have allowed himto go. We then asked her about her statements regardingthe Research Hospital. She stated she had spoken to herlawyer about it and he had told her it was not so necessaryto change the name of the Hospital as it would be to changethe name of a business. She thought the name should remain“German” because the Germans had in the beginning foundedthe Hospital. We stated that there were no Germans overhere to found it. “Well,” she said, “I mean German-Americans.”We then stated there were no German-Americanshere, either, but all Americans. She began crying and saidthat no one could understand her position, that she had sistersin Germany and nephews fighting in that Army, whileher own son was in the American Army fighting against them.She stated that the dirty stories about the German army wereall lies. We told her that it was our duty to demand thatshe should not do any talking. We were convinced that sheis very pro-German and that the only way to prevent her fromtalking would be to put her where there are no other peopleexcept Germans.

This is a very fair statement of one of the greatest problemsof America to-day. What shall be done with the hyphen?It must go, else this war will be fought again.

While the war was yet young, a tip was received from thedraft board that a certain young man had failed to appearwhen called. Investigation showed that he had desertedhis wife, leaving her in a destitute condition. He had threesisters in the city, consequently A.P.L. assumed he wouldat some time communicate with one of them. By certainmeans, operatives established a watch on the mail as it wasdelivered, locating him at different times in Oklahoma, Colorado,Arizona and other western points. One day a telephonecall was received stating that one of the sisters hadbeen heard to converse with him over the ’phone; that he[Pg 308]had arrived in town at 2:30, and at 4:00 would be at a certainplace to visit a sister. A.P.L. men arrived at thatplace. In a few minutes a man of the draft-evader’s description,wearing a cowboy hat and typical cowboy attire, cameswaggering up the steps. When taken, he put up a somewhatoriginal and unique story:

You see, I am hard of hearing and have a bad heart. I amnot at all yellow. I am ready to fight at any time, and havealways been ready, but it occurred to me that as I could notfight on account of my hearing and bad heart, I ought notput the officials to the trouble of examining me. You see, itwould take a lot of time to examine me, so I thought the bestplan was just to save them that trouble, and as I was goingwest anyway, etc.

Operatives then locked the cowboy up for the night, andthe next morning took him before the Department of Justice.He was very repentant, and while adhering to the samestory, was anxious that something should be done to keephim out of the Army. This matter was explained quietlyto the Department man who met him, and upon being advisedby the cowboy that he was hard of hearing, had a bad heart,etc., the latter said: “I feel awfully sorry for you, butyou see, you are delinquent. You have laid yourself liableto the law and a penitentiary offense. Now, we usually areconsiderate and give a man a chance of going to war, butyou tell me you are hard of hearing and have a bad heart,and of course, under those circ*mstances, we cannot sendyou to the Army. That is too bad, and I suppose the decisionof the court will be that it is the penitentiary for you.”

A very pale, excited listener immediately said: “Mister,now I think you misunderstand me. A man who goesthrough what I went through yesterday, being arrested andbeing locked up with a lot of bedbugs all night, has a fairlygood heart. In fact, I believe I have entirely recovered myhearing, and am all over the heart trouble. If you will onlylet me go to the Army, I will waive all examination.” Hewent.

In one day A.P.L. received three different complaintsthat a spy was working in the north-eastern part of the city.He was supposed to be German through and through, though[Pg 309]he had never said anything pro-German. He was generallyconsidered to be a wise fellow who worked and did not talk.Every Saturday night he met a bunch of spies in his basem*nt,one tall and one short, both dangerous looking. Theyalways carried a secret basket of mysterious contents.Neighbors were very much aroused. Insisted that the Departmentdo something, quick. A.P.L. placed operativeson a Saturday night, the night on which these mysteriousmeetings all occurred, and watched the long and short mencome with their deadly baskets. Shortly after, a light appearedin the basem*nt. Curtains were at the windows andthe windows were up, so the operatives crawled up closely andquietly and listened to the conversation, which was about asfollows, in mixed German: “I played the ace.” “No, youdidn’t, you led with a king!” “You don’t know anythingabout playing pinochle.” And so forth. S’nuf, Mawruss.The mysterious basket contained beer bottles!

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CHAPTER XIII
THE STORY OF MINNEAPOLIS

Clean-Cut Work of One of the North-West’s Capitals—StraightawayStory of a Good Division—Many AnecdotesShowing How Operatives Worked—The Dignified andSober Side of Saving the State and Making Over Citizens—AModel Report.

The great city of Minneapolis is one of the foci of theagricultural and industrial realm of the vast Northwesterncountry for which the Twin Cities make the gateway.It was not to be supposed that its staid and sober populationwould cause any great amount of trouble. None theless, trouble did develop in Minneapolis as elsewhere, andA.P.L. cases and figures mounted steadily upward, just asthey did in other large centers of industry the country over.

Alien enemy cases for the Department of Justice ran127; disloyalty and sedition, 1,222; sabotage, 17; interferencewith draft, 44; propaganda, 392; I.W.W. andother radicals, 70. War Department cases had 5,725investigations under the selective draft: 997 slackers; 507work-or-fight cases; character and loyalty, 337 cases;liquor, vice and prostitution, 593 cases. The TreasuryDepartment had 1,129 cases on war risk and allowancegrounds. The Fuel Administration turned over 2,356 casesfor investigation; the gasoline work, 427. The grand totalof cases handled by Minneapolis division men, November26, 1917, to December 16, 1918, was 15,415.

Minneapolis had a very thorough organization, and hasreported the results in so thorough and explicit a fashionas to leave small option in matter of handling the report.It could not well be amended or improved upon, and isgiven in substance in the following pages.

Entries on the case cards include every conceivable[Pg 311]offense against the wartime laws and orders of the FederalGovernment. Each card contains the condensed historyof an investigation important in the prosecution ofthe war, and, collectively, the 15,415 cards representuncountable hours, days and nights of devoted service tothe Government during a period of thirteen months. Theyrecord adventures as thrilling as any of the detectivestories of Monsieur Lecocq or Sherlock Holmes, althoughthese form a minority of the experiences encountered.

The Minneapolis Division of the American ProtectiveLeague entered upon active service November 27, 1917.An organization with a limited membership had beeneffected in Minneapolis previously, but its members servedprincipally as observers, and it was not until Charles G.Davis, a Minneapolis contractor, had been induced byH. M. Gardner, Vice-President of the Civic & CommerceAssociation, in charge of war activities, to accept the positionas Chief of the Minneapolis Division, that the AmericanProtective League became an active local agent forthe apprehension of anti-war activities. Mr. Davis entirelyabandoned his private business to enter upon this importantGovernment service. After having established relationswith Mr. T. E. Campbell, Chief Special Agent incharge of the Bureau of Investigation U. S. Departmentof Justice in the Northwest, he opened headquarters andimmediately began recruiting a force of operatives. Hecontinued in this position through the thirteen monthswithout salary.

Under the plan of organization, a captain was appointedin each district and operatives assigned in the numbersrequired to meet the conditions encountered. Lieutenantsalso were provided, each having charge of groups of operativesup to ten men. Headquarters held each captainresponsible for all operations in his district.

The jurisdiction of the Minneapolis Division extendedthroughout Hennepin County. In the principal countycenters outside of Minneapolis, special operatives wereappointed to take instruction direct from headquarters.Another group of picked operatives composed a headquarterssquad operated directly under the chief and handlingemergency cases.

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Because of the importance and confidential nature ofthe business entrusted to the League, extreme care wasexercised in the selection of the operatives. They weremen of proved loyalty as well as of ability and influence.As the work of the division increased, the personnel wasenlarged until a total of more than four hundred operativesfrom all lines of business, trades and professions hadfinally been called to service. All served without pay orexpense allowances. Some of them gave practically theirentire time to the work of the League. Most of them definitelypledged and gave from six to twenty hours of serviceevery week.

The total members sworn in numbered 491 on November30, 1918. The active list at that date included 326 officersand operatives and sixty members of the so-called “Eyeand Ear” division, consisting of men not able to rendercontinuous service, but so situated that they were in aposition to communicate to headquarters reports of anti-Americanactivities and other Federal offenses. Amongthe active members were scores who had tried in vain toenter the Army or Navy, and who, failing to find anyother essential war service open to them, found an outletfor their patriotic energy in the ranks of the AmericanProtective League. Notwithstanding this, the Leaguereport shows that twenty-four members resigned duringthe thirteen months to go into the army; five to enter theoverseas service of the Y.M.C.A. or Red Cross; andeighteen to accept other Government service.

In the pursuit of their duties, operatives and officialsof the Minneapolis Division, A.P.L., arrested several well-knowncriminals, and encountered scores of desperateoffenders of various kinds. It is a tribute to their courageand efficiency that there was not a single case of extremeviolence. Men who were recognized everywhere as dangerouswere apprehended as easily as persons who hadoffended unwittingly. In its work, the League employedall of the scientific as well as the ordinary devices utilizedin the detection and conviction of violators and evadersof the law. Dictaphones and disguises were used, andmiles were covered and hours spent in skillful “shadowing.”

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While the files of the Minneapolis Division contain recordsof many cases of extreme importance, including participationin two investigations which led to the internmentof alien enemies, the conviction of eleven offenders againstthe espionage laws, the capture and conviction of numerousdeserters and the successful prosecution of other offenders,Chief Davis and his associates take greater pride inthe results of constructive work of another type. Thisincluded the re-establishment with their boards of 4,479delinquents under the selective service regulations, andthe apologies and promises to mend their ways obtainedfrom men and women who, in some cases, had deliberately,but in most instances unwittingly, extended aid and comfortto the enemy. It is estimated that at least two hundredmen and women, who had been guilty of spreadingfalse reports or of other conduct of an unfriendly nature,were shown the fallacy of their actions in such a mannerthat they voluntarily surrendered their previous ideas andembraced Americanism with more—or less—zeal.

For the protection of active members, who frequentlyencountered emergencies requiring authoritative action,and often were obliged to make immediate arrests to insurethe detention of persons guilty of serious offenses, anarrangement was made whereby a large percentage of theoperatives were formally deputized as special officers ofthe Minnesota Public Safety Commission. This gave themsufficient police authority to cope with any situation whicharose. But for this, it would not have been possible forthe organization to make its record of important arrests.This authority permitted the carrying of arms for protection,and although instances where “gun play” wasrequired were few, the U. S. Department of Justice andthe Minnesota Public Safety Commission had no occasionto regret the authority and responsibility conferred uponthese men. They were enabled, by virtue of this authority,to enter many places, which otherwise might have beenclosed to them, in time to correct conditions which, ifneglected, would have given rise to serious difficulties.

The Minneapolis Division American Protective Leaguewas the first local division to attempt a large-scale slackerround-up. The results and experience of the Minneapolis[Pg 314]raids were responsible for similar activities in other cities,which put into the Army hundreds of men who otherwisemight have evaded military service. The first organizedslacker “raid” in Minneapolis took place on March 26,1917. One hundred and twenty operatives were employedin hauling the drag-net through the cheaper hotels in theGateway lodging house district. Approximately one hundredmen were taken to the temporary detention place,and twenty-one men—deserters, unregistered enemy aliensand men whose draft status could not be determined—weresent to the county jail.

On April 6, two hundred and fifty operatives, with twohundred National Guard escorts, visited saloons, cafés,pool rooms and dance halls, starting at 8:00 p. m. andcontinuing until 10:00 p. m., and picked up 1,150 men invarious places. The Chief and a corps of assistants conductedthe questioning throughout the night. There werestill two hundred men in custody when breakfast wasserved Sunday morning. Long distance telephone andthe telegraph were employed to determine the status ofthe non-residents. Twenty-seven men were locked up.Other less extensive raids were conducted through thespring and summer of 1918 and at different periods, squadsof operatives being stationed at the various railroad stationsto search for draft evaders. As many as twentyprisoners were taken in these stations in a single day, andit was seldom that a day passed which did not yield twoor more deserters or delinquents.

One morning a dapper individual who arrived at onestation was asked if he had his draft card.

“Certainly,” he replied, reaching confidently into hispocket. The smile gradually disappeared from his faceand he delved into pocket after pocket without finding thenecessary credentials. Finally he gave up in despair andadmitted he did not have his card. He was an exceptionto the rule, however, and did not become indignant. Hesaid, “Take me along—I deserve it.” At headquartershe proved to be “Chick” Evans of Chicago, national opengolf champion of the United States. He had come to Minneapolisto participate in a golf foursome for the benefitof the Red Cross! He waited fully two hours until a[Pg 315]telegram was received from his Board in Chicago statingthat he was in good standing.

Another spectacular raid conducted by the MinneapolisDivision was on the show lot of the Ringling Circus.Thirty men were taken into custody on charges of draftirregularities, and nearly all of these were inducted intothe army. It was reported that resistance might be offered,and precautions had been taken in the arrangements forthe raid. No difficulty was encountered, however, andlater in the day the proprietor of the circus complimentedus on the manner in which the round-up had been conducted.

A different type of raid was undertaken at the requestof commandants of the various Army detachments in andnear Minneapolis. They complained that a number ofimposters in army uniforms were bringing discredit to thesoldiery and requested that these be apprehended. Therewere so many soldiers on leave in Minneapolis at all hoursthat it had been found extremely difficult to identify theimposters, and so it was decided that with the coöperationof the various commandants a literal drag-net processshould be resorted to on a given evening. Forces of operativeswere stationed at opposite extremes of the centralbusiness district. More than two hundred men participated,squads being formed, and one squad being stationedat each end of each street. The operatives stopped everyuniformed man who was encountered and demanded hispass. An even dozen uniformed men who did not havepasses were picked up and turned over to Army and Navyauthorities, who attended in automobiles. For a long timethere was an entire absence of reports of offenses on thepart of imposters in service uniforms.

Early in the summer a system of nightly A.P.L. patrolswas established in the down-town section of Minneapolis.Operatives worked in squads of two or three men, someof them giving attention to draft evaders, others to thework-or-fight order, and others to bootleggers. Scarcelya night passed without a record of one or more importantarrests, and the entire personnel of the League becameintimately acquainted with the down-town business andsocial structures.

[Pg 316]

In the conduct of these nightly patrols a special headquarterswas established in a down-town public building.The captain in charge directed operations from this place.Not only was he able to keep the railroad stations, hotels,cafés, saloons and other public places under continuoussurveillance for slackers, but he also had forces constantlyavailable to meet any emergencies which arose during theevenings. Squads frequently were dispatched from thisheadquarters to various points of the city to give attentionto special cases.

One of the first draft evasion cases investigated by theMinneapolis Division is a great short story ready-made.It concerned a young man prominent in labor circles. Hehad been an avowed opponent of all the national warmeasures, and was particularly bitter in his condemnationof the Selective Service Act. It was reported on goodauthority that although he was within the draft age he haddeclined to register and intended to resort to any devicenecessary to evade service.

The first inquiry was made at the Board of Health,where it was ascertained that no record of his birth wason file. Attention was next called to the poll books, andit was found that the age he had given when registeringas a voter placed him safely within the provisions of thedraft act. His school enrollment record was investigatedand it was found that the ages given in the various gradesmade him amenable to the draft. He had three insurancepolicies, and the original applications which he had signedshowed him to have been less than thirty-one years old onJune 5, 1917. The last step was to search for the marriagerecord of his father and mother. They were found to havebeen married in a small town near Minneapolis in November,1885.

When the young man was summoned to headquartershe admitted the authenticity of all these records, butinsisted that he knew he was past thirty-one on June 5,1917. He refused to state on what information he basedthis assertion, and was held for prosecution. One finalattempt was made to clear his status, and with considerableeffort his mother, who had divorced his father more thantwenty-five years before, was located. At the end of an[Pg 317]unsatisfactory interview lasting nearly an hour she finallybroke down and in tears admitted the boy had been bornout of wedlock and that she had been responsible for thefalsification of the records in order to indicate his legitimacy.She said that she had withheld this secret evenfrom the subject, not divulging to him until a few daysbefore the day of registration and then only because heseemed so bitter over the fact that he must register. Herappearance was so venerable and her determination toassist him so emphatic that there appeared little chanceof successful prosecution, so the man was released. Headquartersnever received any further reports of un-Americanactivities on his part.

A later case of interest involved an admitted deserter,both from the German and the United States Army.Whether he is guilty of other offenses has not yet beendetermined. On September 12, 1918, the day of registrationfor men up to forty-six years of age, two operativeson duty were struck by the peculiar actions of a man whoappeared to register. They managed to get near him withoutattracting suspicion. In stating his occupation he saidhe was an iron moulder. They noticed that his hands weresoft and white. When he left the registration place, oneof the operatives followed him. The other telephoned tothe plant where the man had said he was employed andlearned that he was not known there. The individual was“shadowed” to a lodging house, but had departed whilethe first operative was telephoning. The house was putunder surveillance, and after a period of five days theoperative gained entrance and searched his room. Amonghis effects were blank checks from banks in various cities,photographs in German army uniforms of a man recognizableas the subject, and various letters and pamphletsin German, some of which were suspicious. Under thecarpet in the room was an official United States Armydischarge blank.

The fact that this paper had been so carefully hiddencaused further suspicion, and the watch was maintainedfor another five days, when a man appeared at the houseseeking to rent the room which had been occupied by thesubject. He described the particular room. On instructions[Pg 318]from the operatives, the landlady let him have it.When he entered the room he started packing the effectsof the subject, and shortly afterwards left the house withthe subject’s two suitcases. He was stopped outside andquestioned. He said a man had given him $5.00 to go tothat lodging house, to rent that particular room, to gethis belongings and to meet him at a certain place the followingmorning, where he agreed to give him $50. Thisman was held over night and was sent out the next dayto make the appointment arranged by the subject. Thesubject was there and was taken into custody. After agruelling examination he admitted being a deserter fromthe United States Army. He later confessed that he wasa German alien and said he also had deserted from thearmy in Germany. He would not account for his activitiesin the months which had elapsed between his desertionfrom the Army and his capture in Minneapolis. He hada considerable sum of money, but could not prove he haddone any work. He was turned over to the militaryauthorities.

Topping all other humorous experiences was thatencountered by one of the most efficient of the MinneapolisDistrict A.P.L. Captains. He had orders to arresta deserter who bore a Polish name ending in “-ski.” Aftera long search he was informed that this man lived in oneof the slum sections, working all day and arriving at hislodging place generally about 1:00 a. m. He could notlearn where the man worked and so was compelled tolocate him at his room. Going there to make inquiriesone night, he was told that the man was there. Havingbeen informed that the fellow was dangerous and fearingthat he would become alarmed and flee if he was not takeninto custody immediately, the captain went into his room.Asking if he were “So-and-so-ski,” the man said he was.He was told to get up and dress and come along. Althoughhe was surly he showed no resistance and accompanied thecaptain outside. The captain felt, however, that this docilitymight be assumed, and thought he would take nochances. The place was about a mile from the jail. Thecaptain had an automobile, but did not feel it would besafe to take the prisoner in the seat with him. He therefore[Pg 319]compelled him to straddle the hood on the car, andon this ungainly perch, with the temperature 20° below,the unfortunate suspect was driven to the court house.Arriving there, the prisoner scratched his head and asked:

“What yuh bringin’ me down here for?”

“Why, because you didn’t register for the draft. Youknow what.”

“Didn’t register for the draft? I guess I did! Hereis my blue card and my classification card.”

Explanation followed. This man’s name ended with thePolish “-ski” and was otherwise almost identical to thename of the culprit who was sought. When he was askedif he was “So-and-so-ski,” it sounded so much like hisown name that he admitted it. He was taken back to hislodgings in the seat beside the captain and proper apologieswere made.

In most cases where humor existed, there was sometimesa mixture of tragedy. There was one man, a motor truckdriver, who had made himself exceedingly popular witha number of women by wearing a uniform of an infantrymanwithout having gone through the formality of enlistment.He was captured one day while paying a call onone of his admirers. Operatives burst in upon the imposterand told him he must straightway doff the uniform.

“But this is the only suit of clothes I have,” he protested.One operative went to his truck and found anoil-stained suit of overalls. He was taken behind the screenand forced to get into these and give up his militaryraiment.

Another incident of this kind involved a young manwho was subject to draft and who said he was ready torespond when called. He could not wait the Governmentissue of clothes, however. He went to a tailor and equippedhimself with a suit of khaki which fitted perfectly andfurther adorned himself with the insignia of the ArtilleryService and an officer’s sleeve braid. When he was summonedto headquarters, he explained that he intended totake this uniform to camp to wear when “he went totown.” His readiness to wear the uniform was communicatedto his draft board by telephone and broughtorders for immediate induction. Although he had sold all[Pg 320]of his civilian clothes, one suit was recovered from thesecond-hand dealer who had purchased them, and he wentto camp in it.

One Saturday night a young man of stentorian voice,wearing classical shell-rimmed glasses, appeared at aprominent down-town corner, mounted a soap-box andshouted, “Step closer, gentlemen. I have no bombs, noT.N.T., no lyddite, no dynamite or powder explosives ofany kind. Step closer though and I’ll treat you to sometalk-bombs.” In the vanguard of those who stepped closerwere two A.P.L. operatives. Five minutes later theorator, Herbert Blank, alias Herbert C——, deserterfrom the British army, was registered at the county jail.The shell-rimmed glasses and his predilection to Bolshevikioratory had proved his downfall. They had been mentionedin a bulletin asking his apprehension, sent out fromChicago headquarters of the Department of Justice andreceived that morning in Minneapolis headquarters.

The leading man of the theatrical company which scoredthe biggest hit of any troupe playing Minneapolis last winterapplied his cold cream and other theatrical embellishmentsfor his Saturday matinee performance under theeyes of an A.P.L. operative whilst he confessed to theoperative that it was quite possible that he should haveregistered for the draft, although he had not. At therequest of the New York A.P.L. headquarters, this manwas examined, and although he carried with him a swornstatement from his father to the effect that he had beenborn prior to June 5, 1886, coöperation with the ToledoA.P.L. had developed evidence that this was not true.Before the interview was concluded, ample evidence wassecured to warrant the arrest of the actor, but his role wasso prominent and there was such a certainty that the companywould be compelled to cancel all of its engagementswith distinct losses to all its members, that mercy wasshown and he was allowed to continue the performanceuntil such a time as his draft status could be adjusted.For several weeks, during the travels of the company, hewas compelled to report daily at the offices of the U. S.Department of Justice in the various cities visited.

One night a squad of operatives, led by the Chief, visited[Pg 321]an apartment in a down-town building to investigate areport that liquor was being served to soldiers and sailors.When they gained entrance they found no uniformed menupon the premises, but one of the operatives who hadlived in San Francisco recognized the unmistakable odorof opium smoke. He said, “Hop, Chief!” A search wasmade and a large quantity of opium was found secretedin various nooks of the apartment. Further search revealedtwenty-three sticks of dynamite, a complete kit of burglar’stools, a supply of saws and other devices used by crooks.A bolt of silk and other new merchandise, afterwards identifiedas property stolen from stores, also was uncovered.Five men and a woman were taken to jail.

One of the most interesting cases was that of a Germanwho left Germany fifty-six years ago, at the age of sixyears. He went to South Dakota, where he prosperedgreatly, and moved to Minneapolis about fifteen years ago.At the outbreak of the war his remarks were such thathis business associates and social acquaintances practicallyostracized him, and the members of his lodge preferredcharges of disloyalty against him. The man was broughtto headquarters. Members of his lodge were invited tobe present, and he was given twenty minutes seeing himselfas others saw him. His attitude at first was stubbornand defiant. The Chief then began to dwell on the sufferingof his children; said they were refused admittance tofraternities, were not invited to parties and that his boydeparted for the mobilization camp brokenhearted and intears over the fact that none of his family were at thestation to bid him good-bye at the most important milestonein his career. This line of talk seemed to soften thesubject. He broke down and said, with tears: “I neverwas talked to like this before in my life, but I never hadanything said to me that did me so much good. Will youplease shake hands with me?” After that his fellowlodge members affected a reconciliation on the spot. Thisman’s future conduct was above reproach after this incident,and he became one of the most active workers forthe Red Cross and Liberty Loan.

A well known clairvoyant and spiritualist medium ofMinneapolis was brought into the office by one of the District[Pg 322]Captains. She was told that she had been talkingsedition, and waxed indignant at the idea of anybody accusingher of sedition when she was a woman so far removedfrom ordinary planes, who could see into vast rounds ofspace. Her complacency was seriously jarred wheninformed that one of our operatives had crawled into herbasem*nt through the coal chute and listened to her seditioustalk. Her inability to see into the basem*nt causedher to have renewed faith in the long arm of Uncle Sam.

A bond salesman earning $10,000 a year was only twoweeks under thirty-one years of age on the 5th of June,1917. A report came in from a former sweetheart whohad been jilted. Operatives found where the subject hadmade application for two insurance policies, taken out twoor three years previous, in another city, which gave hisage and place of birth. When brought into the office, theman stated that no authentic birth record was in existence,and that his birth was recorded in the family Bible in aSouthern city, in the custody of his mother. Not havingthe address of his mother, that angle not having been covered,we anticipated that he would attempt to communicatewith his mother. The wires were covered and a messagewas picked up about thirty minutes after subject hadleft the office instructing the mother to destroy the familybirth record page in the Bible and to send him an affidavitthat he was born a year earlier than he was. Needlessto say, the local operatives in that district where his motherlived secured the necessary legal data. We hope that thisyoung man has done more for his country during themonths he has been in France than he did previously asfar as being a patriotic American is concerned. Incidentally,he felt so secure in his position that during the springmonths of 1918 he had married.

A man and woman occupying a small cottage in theoutskirts of the city were reported as acting in a verysuspicious manner, keeping the windows carefully covered,not allowing anyone to come into the house, and not evenallowing the meter readers to get in until after considerabledelay. Boxes of glass of a small size were delivered veryoften, and investigation at the glass house showed thatthey always paid cash, would not give any name, and[Pg 323]always received the supplies at the front porch, and thatthe same practice was indulged in about the delivery ofhardware, small orders of lumber, and other materials.The house was carefully watched for a couple of weeks,and many attempts were made to get in. The sound of machinerycould be heard and one of the operatives who finallygot in as a meter reader reported a small electric motor in thebasem*nt which seemed to be some sort of a work shop. Theman and woman who lived there kept so close to his heelsthat he was not able to do much without exciting suspicion.At regular intervals the couple visited the post office,where they shipped packages to different addressesthroughout the Northwest. These packages were registered,and they seemed to be very careful in their handlingof them. It was decided that we had best pick them upon the street and bring the couple to the office when theyhad these packages in their possession, and the operativewould follow. Examination of the packages in the officedisclosed the fact that there were small framed pictureswhich this man and woman were manufacturing and sendingto the woman’s husband, who was on the road sellingthem. This satisfactorily explained the mysterious packageswhich were thought to be infernal machines. Thequeerness of this woman in always carrying a small leathertraveling bag prompted us to examine the contents ofthe bag, which proved to be a large amount of moneywhich this woman was carrying openly through the streetof Minneapolis, part of it in coins. When reprimandedfor this matter of taking the money around with her, sheexplained that they were Danish and did not understandAmerican customs very well. While living in Chicagothey had deposited the savings of several years in a privatebank which failed, and ever since that time they had kepttheir savings constantly on their persons. We explainedthe banking system to them and sent them to a fellowcountryman, who is the vice-president of one of our largebanks. They left their money in his custody, except aconsiderable portion which they invested in Liberty Bonds.

[Pg 324]

CHAPTER XIV
THE STORY OF NEW ORLEANS

The A.P.L. in the Sunny South—Strong Division of theCrescent City—How the League was Organized—RapidGrowth and Wide Activities—Curbing of Vice—CleaningUp a City.

There is not in all the United States a more lovablecity than that founded by Iberville, in an earlier century,above the Delta of the Mississippi. At first French, thenpart Spanish, part American, all Southern and yet allcosmopolitan, New Orleans has what we may call a personalitynot approached by any other community on thiscontinent. Up to the time when, a decade or so ago, theonce self-contented South began to reach out for a commercialfuture, so-called, New Orleans was the true Meccaon this continent of the Northern tourists. No need togo to Europe if one wanted different scenes. Here existedalways the glamour of old-world customs, an atmosphereas foreign as it was wholly delightful. As the home ofeasy living and good cooking, as the place of kindly climateand gentle manners, all flavored with a wholesomecarelessness as to life and its problems, New Orleans was,to use a very trite expression, in a class quite by herself.She never has had a rival, and more is the pity that theold New Orleans has succumbed to the modern tendencytowards utilization and change which has marked allAmerica.

Of such a community it might be expected that nonetoo rigid a view of life and law would obtain. This wouldnot be true of the better elements of New Orleans, yetit was in part true of all the life along the old Gulf Coast,where Lafitte and all his roisterers once lived, and whereall the gentleness and ease of nature tended toward whatwe might call loose living—or at least joie de vivre. The[Pg 325]soul of New Orleans came out annually in her Mardi Gras—theexuberant flowering of a spirit perennially youngand riante.

And yet to New Orleans came the sobering days of thewar, as to all the rest of America. The conscription fellupon her as upon every other city in America; and shealso was asked to open her purse for the furtherance ofthe war and its purposes. How she responded need notbe asked, and need not really be recorded, for New Orleanshas always maintained beneath her laughing exterior asstern a sense of duty as may be found anywhere in all theworld. To be French is to smile—but to be firm. Indeed,New Orleans showed one of the strange phenomena ofAmerican life which is not always known in the North—thetruth that the South is more Puritan than everNew England was. Texas, supposed to be a bad borderstate, to-day has stronger laws regarding vice and liquorthan New England ever has had since the time of theBlue Laws, and more strictly enforced. Louisiana also,gentle and kindly, has a stiffer code of morals than anycommonwealth of the stern and rockbound coast. Shesmiles—but stands firm.

These reflections become the more obvious as one readsthe main story of the activities of A.P.L. in New Orleans.The division does not pride itself ever so much upon itspromptness with Liberty Loans, its activity in slackerdrives, its firmness as to sabotage and propaganda, as itdoes upon other phases of work which at first were incidentalto the prosecution of the Government war activities.The great boast of the New Orleans division is that it haskept young soldiers away from bad women, and keptwomen, once evil, away from themselves and gave thema chance to reform and to live a different life. So, therefore,one who shall study all the manifold activities ofthe American Protective League in this country will seethat it had many ways in which it rendered service to thepeople. Perhaps, long after the League shall have beendissolved, in part forgotten, the New Orleans rehabilitationhome, ten miles out from the city, will remain as amonument to the activities of that singular organizationwhich, like King Rex himself, ruler of the Carnival, came[Pg 326]from some mysterious region and vanished thence again,leaving behind only good memories.

On January 29, in 1918, the New Orleans division ofA.P.L. had only thirty-eight members. At that time Mr.Charles Weinberger became manager, there being associatedwith him as assistant chief Mr. Arthur G. Newmyer.There were at first but limited office quarters, but in avery short time new headquarters were established and theplant installed covering approximately ten thousand squarefeet of space. This was on April 1, 1918. On February 1,1919, the total membership was 2,097.

League operations were distributed under a Bureau ofInvestigation and a Bureau of Information, each in chargeof an assistant chief. The investigation work was dividedby Special D.J. Agent Beckham as follows: Headquartersbureau, handling enemy alien activities, disloyalty, sedition,propaganda, etc., had two units, a staff of eighty-threeheadquarters lieutenants, and also a ward organization.In each of the seventeen wards of New Orleans there wasa lieutenant who had enough operatives under him to coverhis neighborhood thoroughly.

The second bureau, that of Information, took up on itspart the trades classification rather than that which wemay call the geographical classification into city districts.There was a captain in each of the seventy-eight commerciallines of the city, and each captain had lieutenants andoperatives in his particular line of business. In this waythere was what might be called a double covering of thecity, both as to information and investigation. Forinstance, in each hotel there would be a captain, lieutenantand operatives. The Bureau of Information had entirecharge of the financial end of the League, and it suppliedmen to the Investigation Division for the purpose of raids,or for whatever matter required special assistance.

In the War Department work, the selective servicebureau was in charge of a captain with proper assistants,who handled all violations under Section 6 of the Act. Amember of this bureau was detailed with each exemptionboard, and this division handled all the draft investigations.It made a great many searches of this sort, preventeda great many evasions, and corrected many incorrect[Pg 327]classifications. In the slacker raids which NewOrleans had in common with practically every other bigcity of the country there were sometimes as many as threehundred operatives employed, and it is estimated thatmore than 20,000 slacker investigations were made in all.

New Orleans was a “wet town,” in close proximity totwo Naval stations, three aviation fields, and two cantonments.It is easily seen what this meant in the way ofactivities for the A.P.L. There was a special liquorbureau put in charge of a captain and assistants. Thedivision Chief and his aids made an agreement with allthe local breweries and all the wholesale and retail liquordealers that no intoxicating liquor should be sold in bottlesafter 7:00 p. m. This cut off a great deal of bootleggingand much of the heavier drinking which could not becontrolled by the local police. This bureau was most efficient,as is demonstrated by the fact that Colonel CharlesB. Hatch, U. S. Marines, who was in charge of the policeforces of Philadelphia, was sent down to New Orleans bySecretary Daniels of the Navy to make an investigationof the New Orleans situation, and reported that so longas the A.P.L. was on the job there was no need for theestablishment of a military police in New Orleans, or ofextending any other law-enforcing organization. A.P.L.has rarely had a better compliment than this.

This bureau had chemists making analyses of severalalleged soft drinks, and caused a cessation in their salewhen they were of a suspicious character. In general, itlocked up the town in a manner entirely satisfactory tothe military and naval authorities. Anyone going to NewOrleans in war times would have found it anything but awide-open place.

Yet, but lately, New Orleans was called rather an “opentown” in other ways: hence the vice bureau, establishedunder the constant personal supervision of the divisionChief. There were squads kept out all the time in controlof the “district” and uptown sections of the city,this patrol being kept up day and night. It was not inthe least infrequent that A.P.L. men would be out manynights on service of this sort.

In order that the operations of this vice bureau might[Pg 328]be facilitated, Chief Weinberger was named U. S. Commissionerby Federal Judge Foster. Women apprehendedunder Section 13 of the Conscription Act were broughtbefore Commissioner Weinberger, their cases investigatedand affidavits made. When necessary, they were sent tothe isolation hospital for investigation as to their physicalstatus.

In order to prevent sending these unfortunate women tojail with criminals, the American Protective League at NewOrleans engaged in the enterprise earlier referred to—its“Amproleague Farm.” Here there were ample dormitories,fully equipped, and a garden was maintained.There was a matron in charge. The place was kindlyand helpful in every way, and every attempt was madeto change the women spiritually as well as physically duringtheir stay. Thus the League went a step further thanacting simply as a merciless police force. It took care ofyoung men who ought to have taken better care of themselves,but it did more. It took care not of one sex alone,but of both sexes, and in the truer and more lofty senseof the word.

In this operation of the liquor and vice bureaus, localArmy and Navy camps detailed men to help the A.P.L.The local organization of the Home Guard, to the numberof about a hundred, were admitted to membership in theLeague also. This organization, which was under militarydiscipline, could be quickly assembled for night service.Transport of the League was cared for by the automobiledivision of the Bureau of Information. The latter menrendered special service to prevent the shipment of liquorinto dry territory, whether in violation of the ReedAmendment or in violation of Section 12 of the ConscriptionAct. The New Orleans district had one neighboringcantonment which was in dry territory.

In brief, New Orleans showed what all the divisions ofA.P.L. did throughout the country—good judgment andcommon sense. It did the thing necessary to be done, themost obvious and most useful thing. That duty was thecaring for the personnel of the soldiers and sailors groupedin such numbers in or close to New Orleans. Humannature was accepted as human nature, and dealt with as[Pg 329]such. These are the conditions which perforce colored thework of A.P.L. in New Orleans. They do not reflect theaverage community life of that city in any ordinary senseof the word, although many of the cases most valued bythe Division itself have had to do with that manner ofwork.

For instance, the vice bureau apprehended two youngwomen under Section 13 of the Conscription Act. Broughtbefore the U. S. Commissioner, they were released upontheir personal recognizance, but failed to appear on thenext morning. Later they were located in Houston, Texas,and brought back to New Orleans. They were not kickeddown. They found homes at the “Amproleague Farm.”

Matters did not go so gently in the vice operations sofar as they had to do with the older and more persistentoffenders. There were raids on some of the more notoriousresorts, and several of them closed their doors entirely.There was a general cleaning up in New Orleans whichwas good for the city whether or not it remained a centerof military activities.

A common practice of New Orleans taxicab drivers wasto meet all trains coming in from the cantonments andto offer the sights of the city, liquor and taxicab included,to any enlisted man for a net sum varying from five to tendollars. The League practically wiped out this perniciouspractice by putting on the trains A.P.L. men in uniformas soldiers. When they got off the train and were thusaccosted by taxicab drivers, they had all the evidencewhich was necessary. The taxicab practice was seriouslyinterfered with.

A neighboring city was alleged to have examined incorrectlybefore its draft board a certain young man, givinghim a classification to which he was not entitled. Investigationwas set on foot by the A.P.L., who uncovered thefact that the man’s father conducted a sanitarium patronizedby drug and liquor patients. He had treated severalmembers of the board in his sanitarium, and had likewisehad the Federal district judge as a patient, as well asseveral other influential citizens of the community. Thus,having rather confidential information, A.P.L. had verylittle difficulty in framing up its case.[Pg 330]It will perhaps not be necessary to go into the usualseries of narratives of interesting cases in the instance ofthe Crescent City. The report, as outlined above, is sodifferent in its general phases from that of the averagedivision that it may be allowed to stand, with the additionof its tabulated totals, which cover all the forms of assistanceto the Government in which A.P.L. has participatedthroughout the United States.

The decision to demobilize the American ProtectiveLeague was arrived at somewhat suddenly, for reasonsmore or less obvious to all members of the League. Asrecently as November 13, 1918, Mr. Bielaski, Chief of theBureau of Investigation of the U. S. Department of Justice,wrote to Chief Weinberger, expressing the assurance[Pg 331]that the American Protective League by no means oughtto disband, since peace was not yet declared, and sinceneed for the League’s services still existed. He said, “Iam entirely satisfied that the need for this organization willcontinue for some time to come, entirely without regardto the progress of peace negotiations. The tremendousmachines which have been organized by the Governmentfor the prosecution of this war cannot be stopped abruptly,and must continue to operate for many months under anycirc*mstances. The American Protective League has alarge share of the work in this country which has madepossible the united support and the full success of ourarms abroad, and I am sure that your organization willcontinue to play its full part until the Department is willingto say that it has no further need for its services.”

Now, a few months after these expressions, the Leagueis dissolved and its work declared ended. Is it ended?New Orleans thinks not, and points at least to one instanceof civic betterment which has not yet demobilized—its“Amproleague Farm.” The officials found there an oldsugar plantation which dated back to 1857. The old residencewas built over as a modern home, equipped withforty windows, a dormitory with fifty beds, a room withsix sewing machines, also ample galleries and well-fittedkitchens. Here the League has built a little communityhome which it is not yet ready to see die. It is a homewhere an erring person is given a chance to begin overagain. And after all, has not that been a part of all thework of A.P.L. in all the country? From time to timein other reports we have seen it stated: “We tried toshow this or that pro-German where he was wrong”;“We tried to change rather than to punish”; “Weendeavored to improve our citizenship rather than penalizethose who had made mistakes.” So, therefore, we maysay that New Orleans has added a good chapter to thegood history of this body of thoughtful citizens—it hashelped make the world and the country better than it wasbefore.

[Pg 332]

CHAPTER XV
THE STORY OF CALIFORNIA

A Series of Graphic Case Stories from All Over the GoldenState—Stirring Romances from the Capital of Romance—TheA.P.L. in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara,San Diego, and Everywhere Between—the Pacific Coastin War Times.

Time was when there were just two really cosmopolitantowns in the United States. Merely being mixed in populationdoes not mean cosmopolitanism; but San Franciscoand New Orleans were two towns which could offer anyAmerican something to see. The fire changed San Franciscoto a certain extent, and the North has ruined New Orleansall it could; but the soul of each of these two towns stillgoes marching on, incapable of destruction. If suddenwealth could not make San Francisco avaricious, nor solidprosperity leave her sordid; if earthquake, fire and faminecould not daunt her unquenchably buoyant heart—whatreason have we to believe that a small matter like a worldwar would much disturb her poise?

‘Frisco by the Golden Gate—that last viewpoint whereAmerica faces the Orient and her own future as well—tookher war philosophically, allowed her Hindu conspiracies torun their course, and viewed with none too great agitationthe flood of disloyalty which inevitably was caught by thewestern shore, just as once a better sort of material wascaught in the sluices of her old Long Toms. San Francisco*knows she is here to stay, and believes that this Republic alsois here to stay.

The A.P.L. in San Francisco

That there would be an A.P.L. organization in San Franciscoadmitted of no doubt. The city was ably organized[Pg 333]and certainly took able care of Fritz and his Boche-lovingfriends. But all California is divided into three parts:Northern California, Southern California—and all California!An offense to one means a fight for all, althougheach allows a certain amount of thumb-biting on the part ofa native son. The A.P.L. in California followed preciselythis ancient line of cleavage, so that there was establisheda Northern Division, a Southern Division—and a State Inspectorship!The State Inspector was Mr. Douglas White,who himself is a traveling man, and therefore cannot be accountedas belonging to either North or South. Mr. A. J.DeLamare had the division office in San Francisco, wherethe organization so closely followed the general lines alreadydescribed in other cities that it perhaps is not needful togo into details here.

That California’s polyglot population meant potentialtrouble may be seen in the heads of the Frisco reports: atotal of 1,612 cases of disloyalty and sedition, 277 cases ofpropaganda, and 105 of radicalism, such as that of I.W.W.,etc. The work for the war boards—slackers, desertion, characterand loyalty, etc.—footed up 2,415 cases in all, thegrand total carried on the records as actual “cases” amountingto 5,691.

The Department of Justice labors, as usual in all thegreat cities, meant a vast amount of time and energy expendedon the part of A.P.L. men, with the usual percentof win, lose, and draw—all offered in the infinite varietyafforded by the California climate. Some of the cases wereodd, some mysterious, and a good many of them big. Perhapsa few from the many turned in by Frisco may be foundinteresting, though chosen practically by chance. One ofthese is a wireless case. It should not be dismissed as another“mysterious signal” flivver until read quite throughto its close.

Mrs. B—— and her mother had moved into a flat onWilliard street. The persons who occupied the flat beforethem came back to get some plates and other material, whichlooked so strange that Mrs. B—— thought there had beena wireless plant there, so she reported it. They refused togive up the fixture material then in their possession. Theplace was on a high hill overlooking the bay and would have[Pg 334]been an ideal locality for a wireless plant which might havegiven information to the enemy.

Operative No. 440 took over this case. He found that thehouse stood at the edge of a wood on a rocky hill. The twowomen explained that the place had been occupied by a mannamed G—— who seemed very mysterious. He wouldhang around the house all day and come home at differenthours. He moved away suddenly. He used to make tripsin the woods with people not known about there. Operativefound in the house several base plates for electric light plugs,also electric wires grounded on the water and gas pipes,and also a hole cut in the side of the house, as is done whena high tension wire is passed through.

Mrs. B—— stated that at night sounds similar to thosemade by a wireless sending outfit often were heard, also thata sound representing rapping signals occurred at the rearof the house. The operative, making all allowances for awoman’s nervousness, returned that evening. Sure enough,he heard the sounds persistently as described. They didcome from the rear of the house, and, although examinationwas made there at once and next day by daylight, he wasunable to tell what made the sounds.

The case now looked promising, so the operative againwent over the premises. He could not find any trace ofwireless apparatus. He did find a pipe starting at the edgeof the woods and tried to follow this. It led to the brinkof a high bluff. Just at the edge of the bluff the operativealmost stepped on a rattlesnake, and in attempting to escapehe rolled to the bottom of the bank, carrying the pipe withhim! When he came to, he was free of the snake. He lookedat his pipe, but found it clogged with dirt. It thereforecould not have been used lately as a wire conduit.

Nothing could be learned of the former occupant, G——,except that he was a musician. Inquiry among musicalsocieties and unions finally located him as a player in aplace called the “Hoffbrau”—since very patrioticallychanged to the “States Café.” Reports were that he hadbeen born in the city of New York and served honorably inthe United States Navy. His wife’s father had fought inthe Civil War. After G—— had been found, the operativehad a talk with him. Soon thereafter, light was offered[Pg 335]on a very mysterious situation. G—— explained that hehad to move very quickly as his wife had rented a newhouse without notifying him. When he moved he had forgottenthose base plates—which were intended only forhousehold use, percolators, etc. But when he went away thedog was not taken. He had come back a number of times tothe old place trying to locate the dog. At last he had rememberedthese base plates and tried to secure them, as hehad put them in himself. It looked like a clean bill ofhealth for G——; but how about the mysterious noises?

The operative once more secreted himself at the edge ofthe woods at about ten o’clock that night and began to watchthe house. At eleven o’clock he again heard the mysterioussounds at the rear of the house. He slipped up quietly andthere found the solution of his really wireless mystery. The“signals” were made by the home-sick dog, which was tryingto locate its former owner! He would come to the housein the night and scratch on the screen door, making soundslike a wireless discharge. His tail knocking on the boardsmade the rapping noise. When a strange person would openthe door he would disappear in the darkness of the woods,so no cause for the sounds could be traced. So there youwere—a perfectly beautiful mystery! It is told in the reportin a very unagitated style, but really it is a pretty goodcase of A.P.L. work.

All sorts and conditions of men were enlisted and carriedon the A.P.L. rolls; but did you ever hear of an anthropologistA.P.L.? There was one at San Francisco. It wasreported that a man living in Alameda, a geologist andmining engineer employed by an oil company, was fittingout a launch to go to Mexico and purchase supplies. Histrip was alleged to be for the purpose of oil prospecting.He appeared to tell a straight story, and said he had boughtsurveying instruments and food and intended to clear duly.

Two days later another A.P.L. operative heard that thisman had left for Washington, stating that he must get somepassports, although he was known to have passports already.As a third man from the San Francisco A.P.L. office wasgoing on to Washington, these facts were given him and hewas asked to give the man the once-over in Washington.He did this and found that the boat-owner was getting passports[Pg 336]to England. He found also that this person was associatedwith Professor M——, who claimed to be lookingup oil conditions in this country and studying anthropologyon the side.

As this operative also was interested in anthropology, heand Professor M—— got on very well, although the SanFranciscan was not very much impressed by the learnedman’s fundamental knowledge in a scientific way. Therewas nothing, however, to show that the professor was engagedin any enemy activities. But the San Franciscan operativegathered the notion that the visiting passport-seeker mightpossibly be engaged in spreading German propaganda amongthe many negroes about the city of Washington. He finallydiscovered in his possession a lot of pictures of a very undesirablesort, intended for German distribution among negrotroops in France, with the intention of creating dissatisfactionamong such troops. These pictures carried the legend,“See what is happening to your wives and families whileyou are in France.” Copies of these pictures were obtained.The operative made the further discovery that ProfessorM—— was in the employ of this pseudo-mining-engineer,who now stood revealed as an active German propagandist.It was also learned where this latter Kultur-spreader got hispictures.

Arrangements were made with one of the professor’sphotographic subjects so that the operatives might listen inon certain flashlight performances by night. To cut all thatunprintable sort of thing short, it may be said that the operatives,while seated on the porch, heard and saw all theyliked of the German color-blindness.

The learned professor, however, having his suspicionsaroused by the fact that the door kept opening and wouldnot stay shut as it ought to have done, came to the door,poked his head out and saw the operatives sitting on theporch. One operative sat there with a camera in his lapand a flash gun in his right hand, intending to make picturesof the picture maker himself, so that evidence of the reprehensiblenature of his own pictures might be discovered. Theprofessor, however, sprang back into the room and presentlycame out armed with a gun and a bayonet. The operativesat once fell off the back of the porch. Lunging at the first[Pg 337]man, the professor missed; but he caught the second operativewith the bayonet in the wrist and ripped up his forearm.The men closed in upon him and there was a warmfight for quite a while. Details are not desirable and neednot be given. It is sufficient to say that the nature of thephotographs was disclosed and details turned in to the properquarters. The anthropological German professor later wasarrested and turned over to the Department of Justice.At last accounts he was in jail at Washington awaiting trial.Regarding his performance, it is only fair to say that hisanthropological tendencies seemed to run true to Germanscientific form.

The A.P.L. in Sausalito

Not so far from San Francisco by way of the crow’sflight is the Marin County Division of the A.P.L. at Sausalito.This division also had a case of mysterious light flashes—fromBelvidere Island. Signals came from several differentdirections and several different sources, but no one couldever be located as receiving them. Across the bay fromBelvidere is Angel Island, a large internment camp, andin either direction lies a neighborhood which is very pro-German.There might have been signals, but no one seemedto be able to trace the code or get anything intelligible.Investigation of this thing lasted for over a year, andfinally the division concluded it was the action of someonetrying to intimidate the residents of that vicinity. It wasnot run down.

Located in the hills was an organization known as the“German Tourists’ Club,” which had been incorporated inVienna, Austria. Prior to our entering the war it was visitedby many alien enemies and many German-Americans,so that it was under constant surveillance of the Intelligenceservices of the United States and also by the A.P.L. ofMarin County. Considerable information was furnished tothe authorities, and one alien enemy was interned. Anotheralien enemy was apprehended who had $2,500 cash on hisperson and was trying to get to South America, whence heintended to return to Germany. The same club turned outyet another man who, on a railroad train, was heard abusing[Pg 338]this country. An A.P.L. man heard him and asked a constableto arrest him at once. He was taken to the countyjail, where his remarks were so abusive that the Departmentof Justice immediately took him into custody for internment.

The hilly, wooded and mountainous character of MarinCounty, bordering on the ocean, made it a favorite resortfor hikers, hunters, fishermen and the like, and it has manylocations which would afford excellent rendezvous. It keptthe A.P.L. operatives busy in all their spare time walkingand driving through the country. On one such trip alongthe sea shore, in a very remote place, a Navy torpedo wasfound. It proved to be only a practice one, having no warhead, but it might have been worse.

The A.P.L. in Los Angeles

The sun-kissed Southwest handled its A.P.L. work in awholly modern way, as perhaps some of the sidelights willshow. How quaint and curious some of these chuckle-makinganecdotes—and how grave some of the serious ones—willseem fifty years from now, when California will be lookingback on another generation of her large and swift history!

The report from the city of Los Angeles is one entirelyconsistent with the reputation of that busy community, andas usual the totals ran large. Los Angeles handled 2,136cases of alien enemy activity; 5,275 selective service investigations;1,494 examinations for disloyalty and sedition; 289cases of propaganda by word of mouth and 61 by means ofthe printed page. There were 289 investigations of radicalsand pacifists, and 648 of all other natures, not mentioningthose which had to do with food hoarding, waste, etc., whichmade a formidable total of themselves. There are not manysections which report a wider or more interesting range ofexperiences.

As in the case of practically all our cities, at the time thewar broke out, the Department of Justice for Los Angeleswas inadequately equipped with men, motor cars and data-chasersto deal with the numerous alien enemies, Germansympathizers and non-patriotic citizens. Los Angelesfrankly says that this species of the human fauna seem to[Pg 339]be peculiar to Southern California, and certainly the totalsof Los Angeles would indicate as much. The Chief says:

Some of us regretted that we could not do more for the Government,for the work of the A.P.L. appealed very stronglyto us. When we saw the local Government situation, a numberof us at once offered to help. The outstanding feature of allthis work was the absolute cowardliness of the pro-Germanindividual. In all our cases I cannot recall one where anythinglike courage was displayed on the part of the subject.The moment they realized they were confronted by anythinglike authority their fear and their efforts at self-protectionwere, to say the least, extreme. Individuals were brought tothe attention of the various departments who did not understandand cannot to this day realize how the intimation wasreceived. They did realize, however, that there was authorityback of us. In many cases, the Military Intelligence Departmentcalled us to their assistance where information couldnot be secured in any other way. We also were able tohelp the Food Administration.

There is distinct food for thought in the closing remarksof the all too modest Los Angeles chief, made before thedissolution date of the A.P.L. was announced:

In conclusion, I will say that a great deal of good could bedone by some form of permanent organization of the A. P. L,or at least the retention of a nucleus for a continuation ofthis work if it becomes necessary. From time to time certainconditions are certain to occur in this country, brought abouteither by war measures or discontent among a certain class,which will require drastic handling. The American ProtectiveLeague can secure more valuable information and better assistin bringing the attention of the authorities to such facts thanany other similar body of citizens in the country.

These are words of gold and show the heart of Los Angelesto be certainly in the right place. It is a new and troubledAmerica that we have all got to face now, with or without anA.P.L.

As to the odd and interesting stories noted by the LosAngeles operatives, the latter as usual seem to take moredelight in telling of their fiascos than they do of their successes,but saving grace was usually there. For instance awoman and her husband living in Glendale were very rabid[Pg 340]about the war, and hence received a visit. The informantsturned out to be church members and apparently desirablecitizens. The female suspected fell into hysterics, cursed theFrenchman who lived next door and the Englishman wholived several houses beyond, and declared she had boughtLiberty Bonds and had up flags enough to be left alone. TheGerman himself demanded to know by what authority hewas visited. The League man told him there was plentyof authority all right, and that he did not need to specify.The suspect took a good hint, and from that time neither theman nor his wife was guilty of any public utterance ofany sort whatever on war matters.

One Herman F. H—— claimed that he was a “secretservice man” and showed a badge and some handcuffs, butstill talked very pro-German. He said among other thingsthat the American people would wake up—that the Kaiserwould show them something—that we could not win thewar. His nearest friend was an army sergeant by the nameof Paul S—— of Fort McArthur. These two would talktogether in German. The doughty U. S. sergeant was alsoof the belief that our army had no chance and said thesoldiers were all dissatisfied. They were both investigated.The sergeant was put in jail at Los Angeles. Military Intelligencetook over the rest of the case—and M.I.D. hasnever been noted for its mercifulness.

An over-zealous woman in one instance reported suspiciousactivity on the part of a family which had a great manymysterious packages delivered at their address. She saidthey had quantities of large pipe which they would fill withguns and ammunition, also boxes of rifle cartridges. Investigationproved that some of the mysterious packages wereonly lunch baskets; that the trucks were hauling large piecesof well-casing and sometimes small articles of grocery orhardware were slipped into the pipes to save space. Theyhad no packages of ammunition at all, and the packagesof cartridges were only pasteboard boxes containing shelledwalnuts. Jumpy times.

A man by the name of M—— came from Chicago, andclosely following him came a report that he was wantedby the Chicago police. Operatives located the man andthought he would look well in the uniform of the United[Pg 341]States Army, but the recruiting office, inquiring into thereason for the Chicago telegram, found that the man hadserved a term in the penitentiary. He was not, therefore,classified even as a slacker and he did not get into the Army,which will not receive anyone who has served a prisonsentence.

Los Angeles had considerable to do with the stoppageof propaganda by means of motion pictures, that city beingthe capital of filmdom. Newspaper reports of the cases ofthe film “Patria” and of “The Spirit of 1776” are familiarto the reading public. A.P.L. was always on hand forfilm censorship purposes.

A case which attracted considerable attention was knownas the von H—— case. The subject was a native of Germany,fifty-three years of age, a resident in the UnitedStates for thirty-two years. He never had become a citizen,although once employed in the California post office. VonH—— was a movie actor who did spy parts. He fraternizedwith the soldiers and sailors in propria persona, andliked to ask them to his room for conversations over the war.At length he was arrested. His rooms turned out a massof evidence, including four hundred snap shots and someforty letters of the vilest nature. He had intended to sendthis material over to Germany to show the lack of moraleof the American soldiers and sailors. He had an oil paintingof the Kaiser, a picture of von Hindenburg and one ofthe German flag. He was sentenced to five years, but it isnot thought that he will live out his sentence. Perhaps wecan struggle along without him.

There is no character in whom the public more naturallyreposes confidence than in the tried and true negro Pullmanporter, but this is the story of one such porter accused ofdraft evasion. He was confined in jail but was offered releaseif he would go into the Army. He told the operativethat he would go all right, but that his check for forty dollarswas not on hand and that he needed about five dollarsto “float himself.” The operative loaned him the five dollarsand the Pullman porter is still floating. Neither Armynor anyone else has heard of him since.

Most of the more groundless suspicions and imaginings ofAmericans regarding German spies arose among the women[Pg 342]of the country. Their apprehensions at times would leadthem to report almost anything. One small demure littlewoman once applied to the headquarters of the A.P.L. inLos Angeles and said that she knew parties—German spies—whor*ceived money from Germany and who had no resourcesother than the funds of the German Government.The chief asked her upon what she based her information.The little lady looked carefully around the room, under thetable and out of the window, and then came close up to thechief before she gave him the real basis of her charge. Shesaid that the parties referred to were the possessors of acuckoo clock which she was sure was made in Germany;hence they must be pro-Germans, and therefore spies!

The German ministers, it seems, infest the Pacific slopeas well as the northwestern part of the United States. Herewiththe case of Emile K——, minister of a German Methodistchurch. An operative went into his church and tookhis seat in the last pew. He reports:

A broad shouldered man in a frock coat sat down besideme, introduced himself as Rev. K—— and asked me if Iwas one of the Liberty Bond salesmen. I denied any suchimpeachment, saying this to him in German. This seemed toplease him very much, and Mr. K—— thawed out. He toldme after a while that he was born in Wisconsin but that hisheart was in the right place, like most people that were bornthere in “Little Germany.” He said he had been in Mexico,where he had spent four years “very profitably.” He smiledat me—rather meaningly, I thought. He wanted to knowhow the Irish were behaving toward our people in New York.He also said that it was too bad the Americans did not wantto fight. He thought that if the Japanese were to come over,it might arouse our manhood. He asked me to be sure andcall again, as he enjoyed my company very much. There wassomething cold-blooded about this man that made me thinkhe would look better in a German uniform than in a preacher’scoat. What worries me about him—and I hope the A.P.L.will square it—is that I had to put a quarter in the collectionplate to keep up appearances. I demand that two bits backif the A.P.L. ever puts him in the jug!

An operative was sent out to get a deserter who seemedto be rather of an inventive turn of mind. He found his[Pg 343]man in a barn, and when the suspect came out, the operativeran up and called him by name. The suspect turned andasked him if he was arrested. When the operative askedhim, “Arrested for what?” he replied, “You know, allright.” He then admitted that he was a deserter from theNavy at San Francisco. He wanted to go into the houseafter some letter paper, but the operative would not let him.Afterwards he said he wanted to go in to get a gun, andwould have shot the operative rather than go with him. Returnedto San Francisco from Los Angeles jail.

A carload of A.P.L. men went out to a deserted spotin the San Fernando Valley near the Los Angeles aqueduct.A mysterious German had been seen about, possibly withevil intent. Operatives surrounded a small cabin which wasoccupied by a very arrogant German and two women. Theman on the case reports: “I noticed a big revolver on thedresser, secured it and put it in my pocket before we wenton with the investigation. We went through all his letters,mostly in German, but discovered nothing in the way of evidence.We told him why we had come and warned him tokeep away from the aqueduct. He took it all very submissively,so I thought it would be all right to leave the revolverwhich I had captured. When I took it out of my pocket tolook it over, I found that it was empty, the hammer hadbeen knocked off and it could not have been fired.” But“you will note,” writes the operative with an exultant note,“that I responded fully to the demands of the occasion inthe way of bravery!”

A case came down from Seattle to Los Angeles, havingto do with an itinerant slacker who came from Pennsylvaniaand who, since then, had lived in Idaho, Washington,and California. The suspect’s physical description wasthat of a man six feet tall, weight about 220 pounds, healthapparently the best, appearance very shabby, an additionalcirc*mstance being that he had a pronounced aversion to theuse of water which was very evident at close range. It wasstated that the man owned at least nine different properties,and although indolent, was apparently well to do. He wasfound in possession of Socialist literature, and declared thathe would not buy bonds or assist the Government or haveanything to do with the Red Cross. He was asked how he[Pg 344]would like to join the Army. Since he did not like the proposition,he was arrested for violation of the Selective ServiceAct, found within the age, and indicted September 20, 1918,by the Federal Grand Jury for failure to register for thedraft.

Los Angeles had a practicing physician who fled fromGermany to escape the rigors of its military laws. Whenwar broke out between this country and Germany, this suspect—forhe very soon became a suspect and was placedunder the espionage of A.P.L.—planned to turn a prettypenny by the practice of sabotage, not upon property, but onpersonnel. There were some cowards in this country of soyellow a type that they were willing even to have their eye-sighttampered with that they might escape the draft. Thismonster in human guise assisted such depraved beings, sometimesperhaps to the permanent loss of their eye-sight—theytook their own chances. This man got a sentence of tenyears in the penitentiary and a fine of $5,000. A womanaccomplice was sentenced to eleven years penal servitude.

A German, von B——, was a close friend of R. B——,the two rooming together. The latter was with the NationalGuard of California in the Mexican trouble, was musteredout, but registered for the draft, being exempted on thegrounds of having a dependent wife and child. After he hadreceived his exemption, B—— was told by von B—— toget into the Aviation Corps at San Diego, and that he wouldshow him how. The exempted man was admitted to theAviation Corps in the United States Army, went to Berkeleyfor three months’ training, and then was transferred to SanDiego. He is a German and his wife is also. These twomen were reported to have made a great many mysterioustrips together. Subject was interned on presidential warrant,it being obvious that neither he nor his room-matemeant well towards the United States.

Can a leopard change his spots? The answer would appearto be that he cannot—if he is a German leopard. Forinstance, one William S——, a German small grocer inLos Angeles, was doing a good business and living very well.He had a son enlisted in the Aviation Corps of the UnitedStates Army at the outbreak of the war. There was noreason why he, himself, should not have remained loyal to[Pg 345]this country, which had been kind to him. But although hehad been away from Germany for a score of years, he wasfoolish enough to retain all the German spots. He said thatWilson was a Kaiser and that the people ought to kill him;and he uttered a good many additional sentiments of likesort against this country and its Government. He was sobitter in his pro-German attitude that he lost practically allof his customers. As a result he began to worry, not onlyfor the Imperial German Government, but for himself. Andthen one night he died—which closed the case for A.P.L.and opened it for a Higher Court. Since it has been shownin many instances that the River Jordan has not been ableto wash out the German spots, the query is whether the RiverStyx is any more able to do so? That is the question inwhich all admirers of German Kultur and its practices areinterested.

The A.P.L. in Santa Barbara

There is an unsettled rivalry between the two types ofbeauty, blonde and brunette, which never will be concludedso long as women live and men admire them. So also, onesupposes, time will not last long enough to determine whichis the more beautiful and lovable spot—Monterey in NorthernCalifornia, or Santa Barbara in the South. You canstart a riot over that question on any railway train on thePacific slope. One man will be ready to shoot anybody whodoes not agree that the Seventeen Mile Drive out of Montereyis the most beautiful region in all the world, bar none. Itis—it is! Who can deny it? But who, also, can denyeven at the point of a gun that the Santa Barbara coast isalso the most beautiful spot in all the world? Besides, thelatter community has scientific records as ground for theassertion that Santa Barbara has the finest mean temperatureon the North American continent, and hence is the one idealdwelling spot for human beings. It is—it is!

But, very naturally, so fair a region as that of the Californiaslope must have attracted all sorts and conditions ofmen, evil men as well as good, designing transients as wellas those calling California home. For this reason SantaBarbara also had her organization of the A.P.L.

[Pg 346]

One of the colony of wealthy men who had built palatialhomes in and around Santa Barbara was a certain millionairewho had what might be called advanced ideas or free thinkingtendencies. Early in the year 1917, Mr. H—— associatedhimself actively with the pacifist movement. He had,as a co-agitator, a reverend doctor who was pastor in achurch at Santa Barbara. They both printed pamphlets inopposition to the war, and finally came out with a bookwhich was a very violent denunciation of war in general.The two gentlemen divided the authorship of this book,H—— doing the first part and G—— the second. ReverendG—— had the advantage of also being able to deliversermons from the pulpit. He denounced the UnitedStates Government and referred to the American flag as a“worthless rag.” After we had declared war with Germanythese men kept on with their activities, hence A.P.L.took their cases under advisem*nt with instructions from theLos Angeles Department of Justice. There were hundredsof operative reports turned in on these two men.

After a time another book, published by H——, cameout—a very violent arraignment of the Government forits stand in the war, and very hot anti-draft literature. Thesepublications attracted to H—— and G—— a largenumber of the weak-minded people who affiliated themselveswith the “Fellowship of Reconciliation”—a society whichought to go strong in Berlin, now that the war is over.

Reverend G—— was expelled as the pastor of his church,following a very seditious letter which he wrote, saying thathe had relegated the American flag to the flames, expressingsympathy with I.W.W., and opposition to the draft.It has always been understood that the climate of Californiaattracted a great many people, and the state has alwaysseemed to be prolific of great differences of opinion amongthose people, but when it comes to a minister of the gospeluttering such things as these, it is going a little strong evenfor the most free-thinking country in the world.

The H—— case kept on attaining proportions, andheavy shipments of literature were made into Santa Barbaraand distributed out of that city to various points. All ofthese shipments were followed and full reports were made.In the latter part of 1917, another reverend doctor, F.[Pg 347]H——, and one C. H. B——, became active associateswith the foregoing. Pacifist meetings in Los Angeles wereraided, and all these parties managed to get themselvesarrested on a charge of disturbing the peace.

In April, 1918, a letter addressed to a man in Santa Barbara,California, who had a name quite similar to the firstman above mentioned, fell into the hands of A.P.L., becausethe wrong recipient had opened it. It was found to be a letterfrom the secretary of the I.W.W. organization at LosAngeles, setting a definite date for a meeting at Los Angeleswhere Mr. H—— was to be present and address the assembledmultitude. The Chief of A.P.L. at Santa Barbaranotified D.J. in Los Angeles. At the same time, SantaBarbara was requested to locate the new reverend, Mr.F. H——, whose whereabouts now were unknown.

There now came into the case a Miss E——, a prominentyoung woman who had been a canteen worker and RedCross nurse in France. Her family were friends of theH—— family, but Miss E—— was a friend of theUnited States Army above all things. She learned that thesecond reverend was at Modesto, California, and that Mr.H—— would leave Santa Barbara on Sunday, April 7, forLos Angeles; that he would stop at the Alexandria Hotel,and would address the meeting on April 8.

This information was turned over to D.J. at Los Angeles.

It was decided to arrest all the foregoing alphabetical gentlemen.About twenty members were assigned to the workand these arrests were duly made at 9:00 P. M. on the nightof April 8. Certain residences of the above parties weresearched and an immense amount of literature and pamphletson pacifism and radical Socialism were discovered. Mostof the books were seized.

The first mentioned Mr. H—— was hard to catch, thedeputy marshal being obliged to chase him through thestreets of Los Angeles for several blocks. H—— had tospend his night in the county jail. The next morning hetelephoned to his mother that he had “spent the night withsome friends of his, the Marshalls.” At least, he had a senseof humor, because the only “Marshals” he knew were thedeputy United States marshals at that time, and he had indeedbeen their guest temporarily.

[Pg 348]

All the defendants, excepting two incidentally connectedwith the case, were convicted of violation of the EspionageAct. The wealthy pacifist millionaire was fined $27,000. Thevitriolic clergyman first mentioned, and his ally, the clergymanof the second part, were fined $5,000 apiece. Twolesser fines of $500 and $100 were imposed also. Thesecond reverend doctor was arrested on information furnishedby Santa Barbara A.P.L. to the Los Angeles office.Other persons of ultra-pacifist tendencies in Santa Barbarahave been kept constantly under surveillance. So it wouldseem that in peaceful Santa Barbara all is not always peace—unlessit is the right sort of peace.

Santa Barbara made twenty-three arrests and secured fifteenconvictions. Fines were collected by the Governmentthrough A.P.L. investigations amounting to $37,100. SantaBarbara had the usual percentage of flivver cases, especiallyas to mysterious signal lights. One of these proved to benothing more dangerous than a night watchman on a railroadtrack, signalling with his lantern. The operatives uncoveredone rather tragic case. A Franciscan monk wroteto the draft board that his own brother claimed exemptionfalsely, that he was living with another man’s wife, and hadbeen guilty of forgery. The couple were found making theirconfession. They confessed further before the draft boardthat they both were married but had separated from theirrespective mates. They fell in love and began living togetherwithin two weeks after they had met, and they hadlived together as man and wife for some time. The womanwas released; the man was inducted into the service and sentto camp.

A Santa Barbara operative evinced a certain sleuthingability in a case which reached its climax when someoneblew up an old barn at the rear of the place belonging tothe complaining couple. There was a box containing a settinghen, malignantly maternal over thirteen eggs. This boxwas within six feet of the place where the explosion occurred—butthere was not a mark on the box, although the barndoor had been blown to bits. It seemed that something waswrong. Matters simmered down to a spite case of a middleaged couple against some neighbors, who finally had determinedto get their kind of justice by blowing up their own[Pg 349]barn—but they did not wish to blow up their valuable hen,so they removed her before touching off the charge.

Santa Barbara County—not the town—reported 94cases of disloyalty and sedition, 24 male alien activities and20 female alien enemies, besides the 34 I.W.W. cases. Theman does not live who can predict the end of all the vastsocial problems which will have to be worked out eventuallyon this beautiful Pacific slope.

The A.P.L. in San Diego

We have on our southern borders the Mexican situation,not yet settled, but one day to be settled. Germany did allshe could to set Mexico on our heels, and her atrocious Zimmermannote was one more instance of her venomous butblundering diplomacy. Perhaps she wonders still how wegot that note when it first was despatched from Mexico;and how we sat tight so long with knowledge of it in ourpossession. This is by way of saying that the old Spanishcity of San Diego is an important naval base, located closeto the edge of the intriguing border of the Southwest—anda borderland is always a zone of espionage.

It is, therefore, not surprising to say that San Diego had65 cases of alien enemy activities and 842 cases of disloyaltyand sedition, 286 instances of propaganda and 32 I.W.W.cases. For the War Department, there were 554 investigations,98 of these being character and loyalty investigations.So that, on the whole, it may be seen that this once indolentcity of the Southwest, now a busy center of affairs, alsohad an A.P.L. during the war.

There is a curious range of cases reported from one andanother corner of the country to the National Directors ofA.P.L. Sometimes an extraordinarily troublesome case hashad very little at bottom; and again a simple case oftenturned out big. Yet again, a case might have all the ear-marksof simplicity and prove full of trouble. For instance,if you were sent to arrest a woman, you customarily wouldnot expect her to disclose herself to be a walking arsenalof offensive weapons—a woman’s portative appliances,lacking pockets as they do, not seeming to give her naturalfacilities for heeling herself in any way practical for quick[Pg 350]action. Such, however, proved to be a wrong estimate of acertain young lady whom we may call Miss M. E——, reportedin connection with certain alleged “German activity.”She certainly turned out to be active.

An operative found Miss M. E—— living in a garageabout six feet square. The room was in much disorder, showingtrunks, boxes, tin cans and literature all about. Someammunition was found, which the operative left in place.He did not open the trunk. Suspect was reported sometimesaround a print shop, which next was visited. The proprietorsaid that the suspect sometimes did some printing herself inhis little shop. Neighbors seemed to be afraid of suspect,and said she had been seen with a revolver in her coatpocket.

Operative interviewed the suspect herself and asked herhow about the literature she had been printing. She admittedshe had distributed about one hundred copies of a circular.We may at this point allow the operative to tell hissimple and uneventful story in his own words.

Nothing much further seemed to disturb the calm of thescene, so the operators took the lady to the county jail,where she was later turned over for examination to the Departmentof Justice. The two operatives then went back tothe subject’s room and found in every conceivable place ammunitionof every description. It was sewed in the mattress,stuffed in tin cans, concealed in her trunk. Therewere also found a Winchester repeating rifle and a Remingtonrepeating rifle, and ammunition in all amounting toabout 1,000 rounds. When her hand-grip was searched atthe office, it was found to contain four tobacco pouches ofbullets, sixty-six in all, and a full clip of .32-caliber bullets.In the garage where the lady lived, some bottles were foundand some cans containing powder, which were taken awayfor analysis.

The District Attorney recognized in Miss M. E—— awoman who had been tried twice for insanity, having beensent once to an asylum. She was committed to the StateAsylum at Patton, and the authorities there were notified[Pg 352]that in case of her future release she should be kept undersurveillance. Thus endeth the first lesson, about Miss M.E——. If she had had more money, probably she wouldhave bought more guns. A pleasant day’s work for men noton anybody’s pay roll.

San Diego had another case which kept the local divisiongoing for a time. Among its operatives was a crippled newsboywho once belonged to the Army. This lad had both hislegs cut off in a railroad accident as he was changing fromone train to another, on his way to a new army post. Tomake a livelihood, he took up a newsboy’s occupation andbecame a familiar figure on the sidewalks. He had a boardto which he fastened a pair of roller skates, and by meansof a small block of wood he learned to push himself alongthe sidewalks at a very good rate of speed. It came tothe attention of the division that this newsboy was a verykeen observer and it was known he had a knowledge of sixlanguages. He was enrolled and became very useful—indeedhe was at the bottom of one of the biggest and mostdangerous cases San Diego ever had; which shows that nocrippled soldiers ought ever to despair.

The crippled newsboy ate in a certain restaurant, andthere by chance he overheard a conversation between someMexicans. He got a mass of information and turned it intothe office, where a report was made to the Navy Department,which later ferreted out a plot that was laid in Mexico.With no more than this passing mention of the A.P.L. operativewho, like so many others, gets small glory beyond thereward of his own conscience, some mention may be madeof this plot, which really involved the extensive machinationsof Germans in Mexico against the United States. Itended in the capture by the United States vessels of the Hunraider Alexander Agassiz.

A young woman owned the Agassiz, but had not been ableto make much money out of it, and so sold it to one FritzB——, once a German naval reservist and for a time chiefofficer on a German ship interned at Santa Rosalia. Atanother period in his career he had been interned at AngelIsland as an alien enemy. At any rate, he made his wayto Santa Rosalia, and thence to Matzatlan, where he got intouch with the German Consul. B—— was sent to Mexico[Pg 353]City for a conference with the German Ambassador there.There were Germans from all parts of Mexico who appearedat that meeting. When B—— came back, hesought out the acquaintance of the young woman who ownedthe boat and induced her to sell it to him. The boat thenwas hauled out and thoroughly overhauled by German sailorswho had arrived from the fleet of German ships at SantaRosalia. The hull was calked, new sails were bent on, themachinery was overhauled, and in general the boat was madeready for her career as a raider.

In the meantime B—— obtained full armament and instrumentsfor his ship. He had some of his arms on anisland seven miles northwest of Matzatlan, but the rest ofthe equipment was taken aboard the Agassiz. This wascarried on openly and the news got out to the AmericanPatrol Fleet. A cruiser put in an appearance off the mouthof Matzatlan Harbor. Hence, instead of sailing out witha crew of twenty Germans, only five Germans were putaboard the Agassiz, with two American women and six Mexicans.B—— figured that the boat would be taken as aharmless trader and allowed to go out. He guessed wrong.The Agassiz made a dash for the open sea. But by thistime wireless had brought up two other American warships.They closed in on the incipient raider and signaled her toheave to. Not being obeyed, they planted a shell in frontof the raider’s bow, which brought her up.

Before the naval men could get aboard the Agassiz, hercrew worked as hard as they could to throw overboard everythingof an incriminating nature. They also tried to wreckthe engine and destroy the bearings in the magneto. Theblue-jackets found some rifles and revolvers, some Germanflags and a secret cipher. From the papers it was learnedthat B—— was in hiding at Venados Island. This wason Mexican soil, so he could not be seized.

It was learned that the German Consul at Matzatlan hadforced all the crew to take the oath of allegiance to theKaiser. He had instructed B—— to capture speedierboats, and after raiding Pacific shipping to work the SouthernPacific, thence to go by the west coast of Africa andnorth on a dash for some German port, so that he mightsend to Wilhelmstrasse—Germany’s Scotland Yard—the[Pg 354]package of papers entrusted to him by the Mexican Germanambassador.

Had this raider gotten into the open seas and taken captivea faster and better equipped ship, it might have done a veryconsiderable damage to shipping, just as did the severalGerman raiders which for a time harrassed the Allied commerce.That her career was stopped at the outset was dueto the keenness of a legless newsboy, anxious to do his bitfor the country whose uniform he once had worn. There isenough, let us repeat, in this very story to give hope to everycrippled soldier coming back from France—for this, takenin all its bearings, was about as important a piece of workas this busy division had, and is one of the biggest of allthe A.P.L. cases.

The A.P.L. did not disband at the signing of the Armistice,and it is well that it did not. San Diego, like manyanother city, has had more than its share of bootlegging andvice investigations to carry on, owing to the fact that thegrowing feeling of license, which had developed since theArmistice, had spread among our troops. Among those quarterednear San Diego, there were, of course, some not abovereproach, and the bootlegger was known here as elsewhere.This pleasant and peaceful town in the sun-kissed South alsohad its share of the German-born. It would take a LutherBurbank, perhaps, to change them, and even Luther “wouldneed time.”

There was one man of great wealth naturalized in Californiain 1898, who held a prominent position in San Diegobusiness life. He was known to have been in close touchwith all the famous Germans, and had a pretty good insightinto affairs American and Mexican. When we went into thewar, this suspect became distinctly pro-German and was oneof the most active propagandists along the border, apparentlyentirely forgetful of the fact that he owed allegiance to theUnited States. Being well acquainted with the German populationin Mexico, he and others are alleged to have aided inthe establishment of a wireless plant in Mexico, and to havefinanced people who ought not to have been financed, inview of their past records. It was charged against him byfellow-citizens that he worked to some extent with Germanmoney; that he was connected, at least indirectly, with the[Pg 355]Hindu plot case, and that he knew more than he shouldabout the illicit shipment of arms in the Annie Larson steamshipcase. In fact, he was charged rather openly withhaving been interested in the German efforts to give aid tothe ship Maverick in the Pacific Ocean. The wireless plantin Mexico was located and wrecked, which spoiled the attemptsof an enemy clique to establish wireless communicationbetween Mexico and German ships in Honolulu.

This same man was linked with the scheme of buying armsin New York and shipping them via San Diego into Mexico.British Military Intelligence also charged this man withbeing head and front of the most complete pro-Germanorganization in that part of the world. He was chargedwith delivering coal from San Diego to a German steamship.The British Government and that of the United Statesjoined hands in following out this pro-German citizen ofAmerica. He was traced to Europe and found to havegone to Berlin instead of to Paris. He was alleged to beguilty of fraudulent transactions at an Army post, and aman connected with him in his operations has been convicted.He succeeded in getting his son and son-in-lawexempted from the draft, and attempted to get his son acommission in the Quartermaster Department. For monthsUnited States agents from various departments have beenafter this man, recording every move he made. Finally ajoint meeting of the several agents of the United States,gathered in San Diego, decided that the time was ripe toget out a search warrant and go through his place of business,his safety deposit box, and his residence. Just thenthere came a change in the personnel of D.J.—and afterthis adjustment the Armistice ended it all! The investigation,therefore, is not closed at this writing, and the Departmentof Justice is still on the trail of this disloyal “American.”He is one of a great many of his type claimingcitizenship in this country.

It would seem that after a native of Germany had passedforty-two years in the United States, he would learn tofeel a certain pride and appreciation of the benefits he hadenjoyed here. That was not always the case—certainly itwas not true in the instance of the gentleman who is filedaway as Case No. 392. This worthy had abused the Allies[Pg 356]in language too foul to print, and seemed to think that noone in this country would resent anything he said. Whencalled down by a loyal citizen, he dared anybody to makehim stop talking. He said that England started the warand had an agreement with Belgium whereby England couldgo through Belgium in order to strike at Germany. Hesaid England sunk a great many boats and then blamed it onthe German submarines. He said that England sent onehundred and fifty newspaper men here to write up storiesagainst the Germans; that he hoped the submarines wouldblow up every damned American boat on the ocean, and sinkall the transports and ships carrying munitions; that themen the Yankees had in France in March, 1918, did notamount to anything; that the United States couldn’t makehim fight; that this —— —— Government was rotten tothe core. He made other remarks of like violent nature,and his remarks against the President of the United Stateswere coupled with such language that swift hanging wouldreally have been about the only just punishment for him.He was arrested and undertook to deny the remarks reportedagainst him. The jury found him guilty. He wassent to prison for three years. He ought by all means to bedeported when he gets out of jail, and so ought any Germanin this country who has been found at any time to be guiltyof any such talk. We do not need that sort of “citizens”in America, and we are not going to have them here.

There was another case, No. 300, in peaceful San Diego,in which the suspect seemed anxious to spread broadcastevery manner of pro-German propaganda. He had been anaturalized citizen of this country for twenty years, andthrough his position in one of the city banks, he had beenclosely associated with many of San Diego’s leading businessmen. Yet, still deep in his heart was that love for theFatherland which made him willing to fight this free countrywhere he claimed citizenship and where he had all thebenefits of our too weakly-lenient Government. It finallydawned on the minds of some of the customers of the bankthat this man was not right. A.P.L. was called on toinvestigate him and worked on the case for months. Theman was finally taken into custody, and the issue was joinedbetween the United States Government on the one hand and[Pg 357]this suspect and his influential friends on the other. A longtrial was had and the jury disagreed. A second trial cameoff and A.P.L. had fifty witnesses ready to testify. Theresult was a conviction and a sentence of four years at McNeill’sIsland. Truly, anyone reading the San Diego casesmust agree that that division did not lack in energy anddiligence.

The A.P.L. in Pasadena

Life is so idyllic in Pasadena—roses—oranges—thatsort of thing that you would not suspect that anything evilcould happen there, or that anyone ever could suspect anyoneelse in those select surroundings. But Pasadena hadher A.P.L., and they were not in the least above suspectingthe right people once in a while, as a brief tale or so mayprove. In short, Pasadena had more than 100 cases of alienenemy activities, 321 cases of disloyalty and sedition, ofwhich thirty-six were concerned with persons not citizensof the United States. These totals show distinctly theamount of investigation required of transients, for the WarDepartment cases, having to do with the Selective ServiceAct, came to only 155 investigations.

The B—— family of Pasadena were known as prominentpacifists. They held some very pleasant pacifist meetingsin their houses until the Home Guards and the A.P.L.got after them. After that their meetings were neither sopacifistic nor so pleasant. There was a professor of languagesat Throop College, who was always a German sympathizerand who always was very outspoken for Germany.He was reported a number of times to the Pasadena A.P.L.Throop was made over into a military training school, andthat was about all for Professor B——. He did not last.

Mrs. Jack C——, a society woman of the Maryland Hotel,was gay and liberal with officers and soldiers—wouldeven give them a drink without the formality of their removingtheir uniforms. Reported to the authorities. No actioncould be taken under the law at that time.

Miss Helen F—— was a very ardent pacifist and a veryardent Socialist as well, and a great friend of some of theSocialists who write books and have a national reputation.[Pg 358]She was investigated by the Department of Justice at Pasadena,and when she went east to New York last summer,the Navy Intelligence had her under its watchful eye all thetime. Perhaps she does not know that.

Dr. H—— of Pasadena was arrested by Federal authorities,it having been alleged that he “doctored” the eyes ofboys who were subject to the draft.

“Friends of Irish Freedom”—a branch of the Sinn Feinorganization—contributed to the defense of leaders of thelatter organization who were on trial in New York. Theirmeetings were attended by two A.P.L. operatives whor*ported to Department of Justice. Meetings discontinued.

M. J——, a prominent Russian, staying at a prominenthotel with a prominent count and countess, was kept undervery prominent surveillance for some time and reporteddaily to the Department of Justice.

Ben and Robert L—— were not so prominent, but werecontent with evading the draft, so it was charged. Theyand their mother fled the country and went to San Salvadorin South America. Pasadena Division, A.P.L., greatlyassisted D.J. in Los Angeles in locating these parties. Thecase was of international interest.

Then there was the case of Madam P——, reported tobe the wife of a Russian count who is now a citizen of Germanyand an officer in the German army. Subject arrivedin America by way of Scandinavia, by way of Germany.She pronounced herself as frankly pro-German in a talkwith the A.P.L. operative, who speaks very good Germanand who claimed to be in sympathy with Germany. In public,Madam is more guarded. She confided to the operativethat she is getting mail from her daughter in Munich throughthe president of the Norwegian-American Steamship Line,who arranged with the captain for the forwarding and receivingof letters. The Department of Justice got all of thisas well, as did the Postmaster General in Washington.

In Pasadena you might run against a count or countessor baroness almost any way you looked. There was theBaroness P——, wife of a Philadelphia man, who spendsher winters in a Pasadena hotel. Very pro-German beforewe went to war, but more quiet since then. She is watchedwhenever she is in Pasadena. It’s getting so a lady can[Pg 359]do hardly anything at all without those vulgar, dreadfulpeople knowing all about it!

The A.P.L. in Whittier

This division had thirty-three sedition cases, in spite of theglorious climate of California. For instance, informationcame that one Jack H—— and his wife were pro-Germans.They were running a fake jewelry business in Los Angeles.An A.P.L. investigation discovered that the gentleman hadtwo names; that he left the Pacific Coast in 1910 withanother gentleman and that they conducted a fur businessin New York, where they failed handsomely and went intoelegant bankruptcy. Suspect was alleged to have been convictedof perjury and sentenced to two or three years in theFederal prison at Atlanta, Georgia. It was developed furtherthat he was given a stay of execution under bond of$10,000. The bond was forfeited and subject came to LosAngeles, where he resided with his purported wife and didbusiness under the name of Jack H——. Upon said information,duly secured, the gentleman with the alias wasarrested, returned to New York, and re-sentenced to threeyears in the penitentiary. His wife is still trying to findout where A.P.L. learned all about these things. Tut, tut!Cannot an honest jeweler be allowed to get away from hispast in the wilds of the Far West?

Whittier is reported to be a quiet Quaker community. Ithas a population of approximately 25,000, being, in effect, asuburb of Los Angeles. The local division had forty-threemen. Whittier always has boasted that it is a place wherecrooks do not congregate. There are Whittier oil fields,which are the second best on the Pacific slope, but there wereno I.W.W.’s in this territory, and no pro-Germans of anyvery outspoken sort, no depredations, but for the most partcalm, as becomes a Quaker capital.

The A.P.L. in Orleans

Perhaps you do not know where Orleans, California, islocated? And perhaps you did not know that a branch ofthe A.P.L. was located in Orleans? That, however, is the[Pg 360]case. There were just three members of the Orleans A.P.L.,and, since there were but three, why not break the more orless inexorable rule about names and just give them in thiscase? J. A. Hunter was Chief at Orleans; C. W. Baker wasSecretary; and P. L. Young was the third member.

The Chief reports:

We may be content to close the story of California, raggedand incomplete as it has been, with this report from a littlemountain community of California. It is what the author isdisposed to call incontestably the best report that has beenfound in all the great Golden State, if not, indeed, in all theUnited States.

Only three men, away out in the hills—but all of themAmericans and all of them ready to work for America—thatis why this League was great; because it had men suchas these ready to do its work, as best they could, in whateverform it came to hand for the doing. One fancies thatin all the stories of the many different towns reported inthese pages, there will not be one better received by the greatbrotherhood of the A.P.L. than this one from Orleans, 102miles from the nearest rails, with no telegraph and no telephone.The author of this book hopes to see Orleans sometime. He believes it may be American.

[Pg 361]

BOOK III
THE FOUR WINDS

How Manufactures, Munitions and Agriculturewere Protected—Briefs of Cases from All Overthe Country—Chips from the Little Fellow’sAxe—Odds and Ends from the Files—The Far-FlungWork of the A.P.L.

[Pg 363]

CHAPTER I
THE STORY OF THE EAST

In deplorably skeletonized fashion, we have offered a briefstory of the League’s growth, its purposes and its methods,and the stories of some of its great centers. But how aboutthe country-wide achievements of the League, its field story?How can it be told? It is matter of regret that in no possibleway can that ever be put within the compass of bookpublication. The records of these millions of cases, as hasbeen said, runs into tons.

If you should visit the division offices, for instance, ofNew York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, or anyother large A.P.L. center, you would see in each city aroom full of filing cabinets, with indexed drawers, carryingin permanent form the story of the League’s work in thatgiven locality. Mass all these from the hundreds of citiesengaged in the work, and you would have a pile of filingcabinets as high as a tall building. Go to the National Headquartersand you would find more rooms full of cabinets,covering the national work—an enormous total, painstaking,exact, correct. Go over to the Military Intelligence and yousee more of the League’s work there. Go to the Departmentof Justice and look at the vast accumulations there at handfrom the reports of this auxiliary.

Now, in imagination, pile all this uncomprehended assemblageof records into the middle of some park or square andhave a glance at it in mass. In that mountain-pile of writtenand printed material, thousands of brains have recordedtheir soberest and most just conclusions, and have told whythey concluded thus or thus. Thousands of stenographershave worked long days and nights on these tons of millionsof pages. Be sure, in this mass of a nation’s story in counter-espionage,there is to be found, ticketed and tabulated, filedand cross-indexed under name and number, as part of thearchives of the United States, the life and actions, the birth,[Pg 364]derivation, antecedents, convictions, assertions and beliefs ofpractically every man and woman of German name inAmerica. But close to the foot of this mass of the archives,lay down upon the ground a book, a volume of ordinarysize; let us say, this book now in your hand. How small itseems! It is small. It is no more than a fraction, a mite.It is not enough. Some man’s loyal, unpaid, patient laborwent into every one of these records.

There came, curiously, cumulatively, the feeling that thiswas not merely a mass of quasi-public documents, but anassemblage of the most valuable human documents ever collectedin America. This was massed proof, not of work, butof patriotism. Then we did have, we do have, a country;there is a real America? Yes, and let no man doubt it everagain. It is a great and splendid country. These hundredsof thousands of pages which have been read—and everyreport sent in has been read—make the greatest reflex ofAmerica it ever has been the privilege of any man to know.Talk no more of a merely material America—it is not true.The real America at least is a noble, a splendid, a patrioticcountry, eager to do its share, determined to take its place.

The bewildering amount of material from all over theUnited States made condensation and classification alike difficult.It was therefore decided to separate the country intofour loosely divided sections, the North, the East, the West,the South, and to throw into each division just so manycondensed reports, taken at random from the whole as mightbe possible within the existing space limitations.

In the East and Northeast were located many or most ofthe great munition works and embarkation points as well asmany centers of war work, manufacturing and shipping.This meant one form of work for the A.P.L. In the greatmiddle section of the country—the semi-industrial, semi-agriculturalcentral and north-central states—the activitiesof the League were slightly more varied. This cluster ofinland states we have grouped as North. The South is knownalmost traditionally; and the West may arbitrarily be madeto cover the far lands to the Pacific Coast itself, the stateof California, with its great cities, alone being given subclassificationin another section of this volume. Into theseseveral hoppers the grist was thrown.

[Pg 365]

Would you like a real history of the war, a story whichdoes convey a comprehensible picture? The simplest way isthe best way. Read the Atlantic Monthly for January, 1919.Does it give a great pen picture by some artist in words?No. But it gives verbatim translations of bits of conversationheard by a nurse in a hospital full of wounded Russiansoldiers; detached, disconnected comments, points ofview, records of personal experiences. That is great reporting—thegreatest reporting in the world. Had our morefamous correspondents kept away from the routine of thealleged “front” and gone into the hospitals for a half millionpersonal statements of wounded men of every nation,they would not have failed to show us the war. They wouldhave written a great story of the war—a real history of thewar. Now the astonishing thing about the record of theA.P.L. is that its reports came in precisely that way. Thestory of the League becomes a history of the country servedby the League.

NEW YORK

Once in a while an operative landed a big case on a smallclue. A New York operative was sent out to look up oneR. R. A——, an employe of a shirtwaist factory, who wasalleged to have said that he knew how to beat the draft. Thesame suspect was heard to say that he knew of four men,the knowledge of whom would be worth $10,000 to theUnited States. When interviewed by an A.P.L. operative,he denied most of the allegations made against him, but hedid give the name of an Austrian army officer named L——who had plans of submarines and battleships of the UnitedStates. This latter gentleman was followed, his baggagesearched, and the plans confiscated.

Chautauqua County, New York, includes the cities ofJamestown and Dunkirk, each of which had an A.P.L.branch, the former being the first to organize, June 26, 1918.The Chautauqua County division proper was organized aslate as October 28, 1919, an assistant chief being appointedfor Jamestown and for Dunkirk. The entire county coversan area of about 1,000 square miles and has a population ofmore than 100,000.

[Pg 366]

The League was of great service in rounding up delinquentswho failed to return questionnaires. Local Board No.1 of the Jamestown District on November 20, 1918, hadninety-eight delinquents. By December 10, the A.P.L. hadreduced that number to twenty-one, and since then fifteenmore have reported, leaving only six delinquents out of atotal registration of 2,135.

The community was carefully organized with regard toeach of the financial war drives. In the war stamps campaignone E—— was discovered selling stamps withouthaving been authorized to do so. Investigations showedthat he had been secretary of the local branch of theGerman-American Alliance and was in constant associationwith alien enemies. An associate of his, who may be calledR——, said that the German Club was pretty much run bya man named F——, an Austrian enemy alien who belongedto some lower order of German nobility but had movedto Austria. He became an “Austrian” when the UnitedStates declared war on Germany, but was willing to claimcitizenship in any country now that diplomatic relationswere severed with Austria, since he could speak several languages.The A.P.L. found means to inspect the livingrooms of F——, discovering great quantities of Germanpapers and an Austrian flag. The remainder of the story,told in the words of the Chief’s report, shows how a mightysmall fire sometimes can generate an enormous volume ofsmoke:

A report comes from Jamestown, New York, regarding onewhom we will call Henry D——, described as follows:“Known to many in this town as strongly pro-German; aradical socialist; believed to be an anarchist; has been veryactive going from one town to another. He left Jamestownfor Rockford, Illinois; he went thence to Chicago, thence toGrand Rapids. From the latter city he came back to Jamestown.He has now gone to New York. We understand heis contemplating a trip to the old country. Has been verysecretive about his movements. Seems to spend a greatdeal of money in travel, although he is only a workman; has[Pg 368]boasted that he had strikes called in every shop to which hewas sent.” This man was put under surveillance by theNew York office of the American Protective League undercharge of being a dangerous alien enemy, and was properlydealt with.

There were no instances of violence in Chautauqua Countyarising out of the war situation. The community was at alltimes right side up. Those who have sought to belittle orimpede any war activity were effectively stilled.

Schenectady, New York, organized its division on March 1,1918, with one chief, two captains, four lieutenants, andeighteen operatives. The division conducted sixty-seven investigationsfor character and loyalty; forty-two under theEspionage Act; twenty-six cases of propaganda, and fifteenof draft evasion. The division was commended by the WarDepartment for showing a high standard of efficiency; alsoby the Federal Reserve Bank at Albany. Schenectady has alarge foreign population, among whom may be found quitea good proportion of radical Socialists. These people wereexpected to make trouble when we went to war, especiallyas two of the largest local industrial concerns, the GeneralElectric Company and the American Locomotive Company,were engaged on munitions and other war work. There wasno overt act, however, but on the contrary, the people of thecity proved intensely patriotic, over-subscribing every loan.

Rochester, New York, reports routine work for its division,but had a good many operatives ready for any emergencythat might arise. The record-cases do not represent theamount of work actually done, but yield the following figures:Character and loyalty reports, 190; selective service,4; training camp activities, 2; liquor and vice, none; warrisk insurance, 1; sedition and disloyalty investigations, 25.Rochester would seem to have been much more pacific—notpacifistic—than at first would be expected.

Albany, New York, offers an instance of a phenomenonmore or less frequently recurrent during the war—namely,the apprehensiveness of the feminine mind as regards mysteriousflashlights in the stilly night. The informant statedthat for some time she and her neighbors had been watchingflashes which came from a certain house at night and kept upfor a long time. She was very much excited. Two operatives[Pg 369]visited the vicinity shortly after dark. A light didappear which might have been that of a lantern. It woulddim and come on again. The informant stated that sometimesthe light would grow as bright as an automobile light,and sometimes it would seem to be red. The next morningthe operatives found a farmer plowing near the suspicioushouse. He admitted that he owned the house. He said heand his wife were American born, of British grandparents.The operatives asked him about the mysterious lights. Smilinglyhe asked them to go through the house. It then wasclearly evident that the light they had seen came from a lampin the middle of a room. The mysterious intermittentflashes were only due to persons passing between the lampand the window. The farmer also said he often workednights bundling up beets, carrots, radishes, etc., which hehad pulled during the afternoon and expected to take to earlymarket the next morning. He usually did this work justoutside the house on a bench. On inquiry as to what heused, he showed a large carriage lantern with a reflector, inthe back of which was a piece of red glass. So the womenhad been right after all. He would move this lantern fromone end of the bench to the other as he worked, and this madethe changes in the color of the light. The intermittent flasheswere due to his passing back and forth in front of it.

A big chemical poison scare was nipped in the bud by theinvestigation of a German woman who was found putting upcapsules of a white powder in her house. Of course, nothingless than poison for our soldiers and sailors could be predicted.Investigation proved that though the woman was ofGerman descent, she was entirely loyal to this country. Shemade a little extra money at home filling capsules for a drughouse in the city. These capsules contained bicarbonate ofsoda, tartaric acid, etc., and the woman took a few of themin the presence of the operatives to show that they wereharmless. Thus, another case proved to be a “dud.”

An alien enemy was wanted at Albany, reported by D.J.to be traveling on a motor-cycle. It was known that he hada girl not far away and called on her or wrote to her occasionally.The mails in this case, as in many others, wereused for decoy purposes. A registered special delivery letter,marked for personal delivery only, was mailed to him[Pg 370]at the girl’s address, with the idea that she would give forwardingdirections to the messenger who delivered the letter.The result was better than expected. When the messengerarrived at the house, he saw a man just about to leave on amotor-cycle, and thinking that this might be the man, hehailed him and presented the letter. The suspect signed forthe letter and was at once arrested and turned over to theDepartment of Justice.

Syracuse, New York, had a man at the head of its divisionwho, before he came an A.P.L. chief, had made fourhundred investigations, and since that time has directed onehundred and fifty more. A very close liaison was maintainedwith the Department of Justice and the local policedepartment.

Just as valuable as though it recorded some great crimeis the report from Hudson Falls, New York: “Our communityis made up of loyal, patriotic citizens, who respondedto each and every call to duty. We have been active in local,state and national matters throughout the war.”

PENNSYLVANIA

It is hard to tell what is going to become of all the militaryfakes and pseudo-heroes now that the war is over. Take,for instance, the case of one Captain Robert H——, ostensiblyin the United States Navy, who fancied Philadelphiaas his residence. This worthy captain was also known byother names. Sometimes he wore a uniform of an ordinaryseaman with overseas service wound stripes, although henever saw service abroad. He wrote to his wife that he hadbeen wounded and told her to hang out a service flag with asilver star, which she dutifully did. The star had not hurtCaptain H——, so why not put it in the window? Thisgentleman spoke of a great many flag-raisings and elaboratedon the seventy-two days he had spent in the trenches.He told all about German atrocities, and quite often took upcollections for sick and wounded soldiers and sailors in thename of this or that hospital. There never yet has beenfound a hospital to which he has turned over a dollar. Naturallya good organizer, this young officer invented a goodNavy of his own, the “Naval Home Defense,” and at one[Pg 371]time had enlisted one hundred and fifty-six members, includingone lady and her two young sons. The project came togrief because of a generous order for some uniforms, costingsomething like $1,000, which was placed with a local clothingfirm and had to be paid for. It is too bad, because the organizationalso had a ladies’ auxiliary, his wife being presidentthereof. This is only one of a very great number of cases ofimposters parading as officers of this or that country.

Bradford, Pennsylvania, is in the heart of the big oilcountry, and it had its own troubles by reason of its necessarilymotley population. A very interesting report on localconditions, submitted by the Chief of McKean County Division,says:

A Bradford pro-German, born in Germany but naturalizedbefore the war, has always been socialistic. Put under observation,he was heard to say in the presence of many, ata meeting in honor of a man who was going to join thecolors: “Here is your —— —— capitalistic system takingthe best men we have and leaving men like ——” His remarkswere resented and caused a row. Investigated andreported to Department of Justice at Pittsburgh, this pro-Germanwas arrested and placed under indictment.

At one of the plants the loyal workingmen had fixed itall up to paint a man a nice yellow color because he did notsubscribe to any Liberty loans. A.P.L. operatives arrivedjust in time to prevent the frescoing above mentioned. Thesuspect himself was taken aside and argued with by the A. P.L., with the result that he presently disclaimed his disloyalremarks, said he was sorry, and wanted to buy some bondswith the other boys.

The Chief goes on to say that Bradford operated undercover as much as possible. A good many townsfolk, hesays, could not identify A.P.L. at all, although there werevery few who did not know that there had been some sortof checking up of pretty much the entire population in mattersof interest to the Government. This impression aidedin suppressing a great deal of radical and seditious talk, andserved as a warning to others not to begin that sort of thing.

Reading, Pennsylvania, reports 170 cases of alien enemyactivities, 226 cases of disloyal and seditious talk, 38 cases ofinvestigation of radical organizations, such as the I.W.W.Among other interesting stories contained in the Readingreport is one which has to do with a professional labor agitator,[Pg 373]a wrong telephone number and an alert A.P.L. operative.A workman called up a man whom he supposed to behis friend, and stated that there was going to be a strikepretty soon at a certain factory. The recipient of the messagehappened to be an A.P.L. operator, who at once tookup the trail and located his man in the shop where he wasemployed. Witnesses soon were found who proved that thiswas the man who had started the strike agitation. He hadbeen there only two weeks. He had been in three other plantswhere they were doing Government work and had madetrouble in each plant. He knew the percentage of Governmentwork in each factory where he had been employed. Hewas sent to Philadelphia for full handling. It seemed thathe was trying to get in touch with an official of a Socialistorganization and pulled the wrong telephone number by mistake!You could never tell in war times when you weretalking to an A.P.L. man.

Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, had sixty-six members enrolled.Considerable character and loyalty investigation work wasdone, and a great deal of seditious talk was stopped whichotherwise might have caused trouble. The Chief adds:“The mere fact that such an organization as ours existedand that we were working in secret had a wonderful moraleffect on the entire community. I regret exceedingly thatthis organization has to be dissolved, and am of the opinionthat it will play an important part in the readjustment whichis now taking place.”

Meadville, Pennsylvania, had the usual routine work ondeserters, delinquents, etc., and fourteen operatives were keptbusy throughout the community. The Chief modestly says:“We did everything we could for our country.”

Bristol, Pennsylvania, did not turn anything in to theFederal courts, but weeded out a number of undesirable alienenemies from the shipbuilding plants in that locality. TheLeague gave very material assistance to the State Constabularyand Borough Police Officers in making investigations.

NEW JERSEY

The Trenton, New Jersey, district was one of busy environments,and it offers a number of three-star cases. Let[Pg 374]us consider one Graboski, who had a friend, Grabinski, whotipped off the A.P.L. that Graboski was not a carpenter,but a chemist with a doctor’s degree from a foreign university.This amiable masquerader was believed to have beeninstrumental in blowing up the plant of the General ElectricCompany at Schenectady, New York. In view of his information,Grabinski was dealt with leniently, but Graboski wasfollowed to his boarding-place and was there found in bedlistening to the conversation of the occupants down stairs.He was taken before the United States District Attorney asa preliminary to his internment in a southern detentioncamp.

Much more proper than contrary is the conduct of a Germanbearing the homely name of Schmidt, living nearTrenton, New Jersey. Investigation was made on reportof a neighbor. By the time the operative called, Schmidthad a service flag in his window. Many different subjectswere discussed, including music. Old man Schmidt had nomore investigations after he declared himself:

Yah, ve Chermans ist fond of musik. I like musik, undmine vife, she like it to. I haf der old violin vot I brot mitme from Chermany. I blay him a liddle alvays—old Chermantunes—vot ist all I know. Maybe you hear me sometimes—lastyear, vot? No? Vell, I blay him not any more now.You see, der boy—mine son—you don’t know him—he neverlive mit us here—he vork in Chicago—he ist in AmericanArmy already. Und I luf to blay, but all vot I know istshust Cherman tunes—dat’s all—so I don’t blay any more.I hav der old viddle avay put.

Trenton, New Jersey, staged a draft raid with two hundredA.P.L. men and a detachment from Philadelphiaunder the leadership of the Assistant Chief of that city. Atthe Trenton Fair there was a crowd of 75,000 people. Theraiders set out in fifty automobiles and broke up into smallparties. At four o’clock in the afternoon the dragnet wentto work, and no one was allowed to leave the grounds withoutcredentials. Even the fences were watched. All operatives,whether from the Department of Justice or the A.P.L.,worked with courtesy, and there was no more difficulty ingetting out of the grounds than there would be in getting into[Pg 375]a theatre if provided with a ticket. Many of the men apprehendedwere farmers from out of the way places and hadtheir wives and children with them. Those being evidentlynot of the slacker variety were released with the understandingthat they report to their local boards. No one was delayedunnecessarily. After this, all the side shows andamusem*nts were combed out, and several men were pickedup in this way. About 300 were apprehended and taken tothe armory, where their cases were passed on. Four desertersfrom our Army were taken, and the British Military Policeapprehended a man, thought to be a pickpocket, who wasmasquerading in a Canadian uniform. This raid was conductedafter the much criticised New York slacker drive,and the contrast was commented upon by the local press.

CONNECTICUT.

New Haven, Connecticut, might very well have been aseat of trouble, but appears to have pursued the usuallyeven tenor of her way, sending her young men out in hundredsto fight the country’s battles, and making very littlefuss about it. The division took part in five minor slackerraids, in which the men gave satisfactory account of themselves,working closely in touch with the Department ofJustice and the Military Intelligence, especially in the matterof protection of the large munition factories againstsabotage. New Haven is one of the great American centersfor the making of firearms, and that there has been noserious trouble there is a matter of congratulation. Therewere 226 investigations made for the War Department, eachinvestigation necessitating interviews with at least three persons.The organization at New Haven was quiet, even tempered,and strictly efficient, a fine example in a state whichwas very strong in its A.P.L. organizations.

New London, Connecticut, besides routine activities, hadone case which involved the trailing of a count, a princess,a Russian banker, a Greek candy manufacturer, and a prize-fighter,besides a person described as a “male,” but whoproved to be a young lady in a well-known local family.With these ingredients as preliminary, it might almost besufficient to tell any reader to write his own ticket—and indeed[Pg 376]the case is not yet closed. It will probably turn out tobe one of American Bolshevism. The Chief says there isenough in this for a good movie scenario. As much mightbe said for another pro-German case in which the beautifuland accomplished suspect was followed by D.J. men, whoinstalled a dictograph in her hotel apartments. This casealso had to do with a draft of $14,000 traced from Montrealto a New York bank, through which British Secret Servicemen discovered a paymaster of German spies in this country.This woman met several Army and Navy officers in thecourse of her travels along three-fourths of the AtlanticCoast. It is most disappointing to have the Chief add:“We are unable to disclose for publication any furtherfacts at this date.”

New London had a number of special investigations, someof them interesting, others ludicrous. One of the latter wasCase No. 245, Subject “Mysterious Flashes.” A womanresiding on the shore reported mysterious flashlights, intermittent,but long continued. She was sure of nothing lessthan a German invasion. An operative was put on the caseand worked five hours one night. He found a mysteriousman walking up and down the beach. He had an electrictorch which he flashed here and there, muttering to himselfthe while, and now and then putting something in hispocket. Summoning all his nerve, the operative cried:“Halt! Who goes there?” Inquiry proved that the manwas in sailor garb. When questioned as to the nature ofhis mysterious actions, he replied: “I am catching nightcrawlersfor fishing. I want to get some eels for my breakfast.”

Mystic Village, Connecticut, furnished another scare ofthe same variety. Near the village is a hill, known as LanternHill since Colonial days, because it is a convenientsignal post. Stories got out about mysterious lights onLantern Hill. On one clear night the investigators saw whatseemed to be unmistakable signalling. The light was brilliantand changed in color from green to red. State andNaval authorities resolved to look into the matter, and it wasarranged that on a given night patrols of naval reservistsfrom the submarine base and detachments of the HomeGuard should surround the hill, while forces of the Guard[Pg 377]were to patrol the shores of the sound to catch sight of anyanswering signals from the sea. The patrols were duly set,and, sure enough, the light began to show as brilliant andmysterious as could be asked. It seemed to swing at analtitude of about two hundred feet above the woods. Itoccurred to one of the naval officers on watch that with theaid of his powerful night glass and a convenient perpendicularpresented by the side of the barn, he might triangulatethe position of the light. He had not been at this verylong when he broke out into laughter and announced thatwhat they had taken to be a mysterious light was only astar rendered abnormally brilliant by the refractive effect ofthe damp night air. Its later disappearances were accountedfor by the later rise in altitude, when of course the lightwould cease to be distinguishable from others of like altitude.Taking it all in all, this about finished the cases ofthe many mystic lights which were reported from time totime.

Litchfield, Connecticut, up near the stern and rockboundcoast, offers a good example of sober-going loyalty. Therewere only fifty-one cases of seditious talk and twenty ofpropaganda, whereas the selective service regulation involved734 cases.

Ansonia, Connecticut, was honored by the presence of aRussian Soviet Society called the “Society Lunch,” whichhad regular meetings and was organizing other societies innearby towns. Sometimes this society would get a speakerfrom the outside, such as the editor of the Russian Voice,published in New York. The city of Ansonia did not likethese things, inasmuch as they tended to promote anarchyand foster revolution. The division had one of its operativesamong the membership, he having joined the societyfor the purpose of reporting on its activities. What thesociety did became henceforth a matter of interest not onlyto its membership, but also to the local body of A.P.L.vigilantes.

The Chief of Norwalk, Connecticut, worked in close touchwith the police of his city and was on the lookout for thevarious alien enemies reported from headquarters. He says:“No alien enemy actually apprehended in my district. Theonly way we can account for it is that they were afraid tocome here.”

[Pg 378]

Essex, Connecticut, says something which will meet generalagreement: “We firmly believe that the A.P.L. hasdone an inestimable work in the protection of our country.Every man in this division is glad of the opportunity affordedto be enrolled as an A.P.L. member.”

MASSACHUSETTS

Springfield, Mass., had only nineteen members in itsdivision. That we may know the nature of the Leaguemembership as a whole, let us look at the qualifications ofthese nineteen men. They included a lawyer, a physician,a broker, a private secretary, a social service worker, an advertisingmanager, a college president, a bank president, afurniture buyer, a merchant, a superintendent of the BradstreetCompany, a traveling salesman, a life insurance agent,a masseur, a surgeon, a musician, a shipping foreman, abank teller and a high school teacher. The work of theSpringfield division had to do largely with character andloyalty investigations, which ran all the way from nobodyat all to a bishop in the Episcopal Church. Some male andfemale applicants for Y.M.C.A., K. of C. and Red Crosswere found unfit “either because of immoralities or badhabits.” Once in a while a case of disloyalty and seditioncame up which would cause a smile. An applicant for acommission whose father was a Belgian and whose motherwas a German was investigated and was found to be a loyalAmerican. When questioned, he said he was for the UnitedStates of America, but that “father would never forgivemother for the invasion of Belgium.”

A more spectacular Springfield case hung on a letter sentby the War Department to the A.P.L. reading as follows:

Will you please have your agents investigate a man livingat 71 Catherine Street, Springfield, Massachusetts, known asAugust X——, and report the result of their investigationto me?

The final result of this investigation was that the subjectwas interned, having been proved to have been a former soldierin von Kluck’s army of invasion in 1914, who had been[Pg 379]taken prisoner by the French, had escaped from France tothe United States and drifted to Springfield, where he gotemployment in a machine shop. “I have always wondered,”says the Chief, “from whom the War Department receivedthe first information regarding August X——, and wonderif again we have a case of cherchez la femme.”

DELAWARE

This state is not one of the largest in the Union, and itsreport is not one of the largest in the world, but it foreshadowsa very satisfactory state of affairs, both past andfuture.

Mr. Robert Pennington was State Inspector for Delaware.He worked by means of three county associates and a fullset of captains, one for each representative district of theState. A great deal of routine work was handled, much ofwhich had to do with applications for commissions, overseasservice, etc., as well as a certain number of sedition and disloyaltycases. Some Red Cross rumors were run down, andat least one important investigation was made of a man whowas putting out machinery better adapted for mixing explosivesthan for grinding alleged dental powder. Thesemachines were to be shipped to Switzerland to a point nearthe German border. Some draft evaders, deserters andslackers were rounded up duly. Many investigations weremade by the various chiefs and reported direct to Washington.The State Inspector had almost daily requests fromthe Department of Justice in Washington in the matter ofdraft deserters.

RHODE ISLAND

Providence, R. I., had a good active organization of 275members, all loyal and hard-working Americans. They didyeoman service in assisting the local branch of the Departmentof Justice, whose offices were so crowded with work attimes that the help of the League was sorely needed.

The A.P.L. in Wakefield, R. I., was small but busy, likeall the rest of that great little State. Much of the League’sactivity in this district had to do with covering the rough[Pg 380]and broken seashore, a region largely occupied by well-to-doGermans. Some of these alien inhabitants were found to beout-and-out disloyalists, over sixty such cases being investigated.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The lack of any extended reports from this state wouldindicate an absence of many of the tortuous problems thatassailed her larger New England neighbors. Manchester,N. H., reports that the local division coöperated with almostevery governmental activity in the State, including theDepartment of Justice, draft boards, Red Cross, Four MinuteMen, and other branches too numerous to mention. Wemay write almost identically the same comment for Maineand Vermont.

[Pg 381]

CHAPTER II
THE STORY OF THE NORTH

Nature has not put upon the face of the globe any regionmore fit or more inviting for human occupancy than thetemperate zone of North America. The soil is fertile, producingwith fair tillage all the forms of food needful forthe full development of the human species. The climate isprecisely that which calls for sufficient human exertion inthe unescapable battle of life, but not enough to debar menfrom a rich surplus of things beyond the mere living, whichin the tropics is all a man asks, or in the Arctics is all a manmay hope. Lastly, its natural transportation is easy andabundant. The rugged, virile, enterprising and successfulpopulation of that region is Nature’s offering to the problemsof the world’s future, and it is safe prophecy that inthis region of America always will be produced many of theworld’s greatest thinkers and greatest doers; because here,surely, is a splendid human environment.

But man, like other species, is a product of two forces,environment and heredity. What was the heredity of thetemperate zone? Of the best, the strongest, the most enterprising.The Colonies, New England and the upper South,sent their strongest sons west in the early days. Later, therestless populations of Europe, of Irish, Teutonic andScandinavian stock, began to swarm into that favored region,a good part of which, then known as our West, lay unoccupied.The Civil War prevented what we might call theAmericanization of the Northwest, which attracted heavyimmigration of North-European stocks. But all the menmoving out along the forty-second parallel as a meridianline of latitude were of strong, well selected human stock.That was the original ancestry of what we might call our“North.”

We rudely may group this region as that lying along theMississippi, the Missouri and their upper tributaries. Here[Pg 382]lies one of the great future countries, one of the anchoringgrounds of humanity. Beyond doubt it will eventually offersupport to a vast population. The great population-centers,the great civilizations of the world, always have been alongthe great river valleys.

In the North, then, we see a rich region, rich in soil, inforests, in minerals. Consider what ore Minnesota andMichigan, by means of natural transportation, have sent toOhio and Pennsylvania for manufacturing! Consider whatmillions of feet of rich pine Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesotahave given the world! And consider, if you can, the wealthwhich has come out of the soil of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,Minnesota, the Dakotas and all the rest of what we call theNorth! The earth has known nothing like it. Here waswon the great war of the world, in which Peace overthrewMilitarism, let us hope, for all time. Here grew the sinewwhich America put into this war, and it is in great partbecause of her rich river valleys that America to-day is thehope of all the world in the day of peace.

Naturally, if we should consider all these things, considerthe persistence of racial types, consider the natural contestof all these strong men for the wealth of a rich new region,we could in advance predict that here in the North, therewould be presented bitter phases of that combat which theenemy fought on this side of the Atlantic.

OHIO

Typical among the thriving industrial cities of the MiddleWest is Akron, Ohio, a city of 150,000 inhabitants, wellknown for its prominence in the rubber industry and otherlines of manufactory of great use to the Government. TheA.P.L. division in such a city might naturally be expectedto have something to do. The Akron division began in thebrain of a somewhat solitary agent of the Department ofJustice, W. A. Garrigan, who was sent to Akron to servehis country all alone, equipped with one perfectly good aegisof the law, but not much else. There were men all aboutwho were more or less actively engaged in helping Germany—menwho were spreading Socialistic propagandahindering the draft; men failing to qualify, knocking the[Pg 383]Liberty Loan, and doing everything else they ought not to doand leaving undone the things they ought to do. Mr. Garriganfound that the Government had not appropriatedmoney enough for his office rent, much less enough to employmen to keep in touch with the Akron conditions. Heneeded men. Then overnight the Akron division of the A.P. L., beginning with two hundred men, sprang into existence,as it did so magically and mysteriously all over America.Mr. Elihu Harpham, manager of a local manufacturing concern,took the position of Chief. He had able assistants,and always these men worked in close touch with the Departmentof Justice, even in its most delicate and dangerousenterprises.

Akron, according to all reports, had an exceptionally largenumber of draft slackers—men who had registered hereand disappeared before the numbers were drawn. It wasestimated at one time that 3,000 men had registered in Akronand never been heard of again. It was indeed a Port ofMissing Men. Akron Division took this matter up, and in itsfirst year’s work rounded up 6,856 men. The word passedamong all the employees of Akron’s great factories that itwas not a good thing for a man to be around without hisdraft card in his pocket. Many hundreds of men who weredelinquent came in voluntarily to their draft boards. Perhapsthe figures will tell the tale as well as words:

[Pg 384]

In the comprehensive report submitted by the Akrondivision, Chief Harpham says:

We started out in a small way to assist the Akron office ofthe Bureau of Investigation, but expanded rapidly and soonhad thoroughly equipped offices, complete card filing systems,and a sufficient force to keep our records and carry on ourwork in an efficient way. We now have a membership oftwo hundred and eighty-three, enrolled from the ranks of representativecitizens who have given untiring efforts to thework. I know of no single case that has not been handled tothe entire satisfaction of the Department of Justice, and withoutany display of officiousness. It is very gratifying to thosewho have performed service to receive these expressions ofappreciation. I shall never be able to convey to our membersthe keen appreciation of their loyal support which has madeour success possible. It has been a pleasure for me to serveas Chief and to know that we have been a part of the powerfulorganization which has contributed so much toward thewinning of the war.

Of these men who did the work—and it is work to handlenearly 12,000 cases—all were unpaid volunteers. Othermembers of the business community contributed money, althoughclassified as inactive members. Such laborers in theranks must be content to go unsung and unhonored, althoughthey truly helped to win the war.

Columbus, Ohio, is another solid, steady-going town whichmay be depended upon to do the sensible thing and the loyalthing—albeit at times in rather violent fashion. A Lutheranminister of Columbus was reported for pro-Germantalk and was found to be of German parentage, althoughhimself American born. He acknowledged he had neverallowed an American flag in his church, and had neveruttered a prayer for this country or its army. An operativetold him to be careful about his praying for “our country,”lest he should be understood as meaning Germany and notthe United States. The community forced him to leave hischarge—none too soon, for the sentiment toward him wasrapidly becoming dangerous.

A Columbus restaurant employed a German-looking cookwho seemed to have considerable money, and who acted[Pg 385]rather suspiciously. A.P.L. traced his history, coveringtwo or three positions which he had held, and at lengthcalled him in to headquarters for a general going over ofthe third-degree sort. He was found to have acted as cookin the army cantonments at Chillicothe, and was discoveredto be a German alien without permit or any papers allowinghim in this country. Among his papers there was found aphotograph of himself in the uniform of a lieutenant in theGerman army, also his order for mobilization in the Germanarmy in 1913. He is now interned.

That the Columbus division of A.P.L. was at all timesbusily engaged in winning the war on this side is amplyproved by its report:

Toledo, Ohio, had 162 cases of disloyalty and sedition toinvestigate, and 600 cases of word-of-mouth propaganda.Many of the reports turned in by zealous operatives areworth reprinting.

A slacker was brought into Toledo headquarters minushis card, but he protested that he had registered. He declaredhimself to be drunk, said that the registrar was drunk,that it was funny they couldn’t find his card, but if theywould go to Detroit and find his friend Heine So-and-so—streetaddress unknown—Heine would tell them he hadregistered. Not considered conclusive.

Another operative in Toledo fancied himself very muchin the rôle of Sherlock Holmes. In one case assigned him,he was trailing a subject who turned and started towardthe operative. The latter stated in his report: “When Inoticed the subject coming toward me, I immediately jumpedover a hedge and hid behind some bushes.”

[Pg 386]

Toledo did some business in the slacker raids, havingexamined some 2,000 men in one drive.

Youngstown, Ohio, reflects a very sensitive social conditionwhich existed during the war in every community whichowned a considerable foreign born population. The Chiefcomments on this quite frankly:

A feature of our work was the demand, made by peoplein all stations, that the Federal Government, of which wewere supposed to be a direct agency, should look after theenforcement of laws concerning health, morals and even familyrelations. A remarkable fact in connection with these investigationswas the utter inability of a certain class of Germanorigin to forget their German ties and to live up to theiroath of allegiance to America, which they took, many of them,fifteen or twenty years ago. In one case it was frankly admittedby the subject that he had never thought about Germanygoing into a war with America when he applied fornaturalization papers. We have developed the fact that manyhouseholds in America have been, are and always will benothing but a part of Germany in our midst.

Youngstown turns in 157 cases of alien enemy activities,and 459 of disloyalty and sedition. There were 213 cases ofanti-military activity and 674 cases of propaganda, not mentioning183 cases of I.W.W. and other radicalism. In thereport of this division, the Department of Justice work quiteovershadows the War Department activities, because thereare only 213 investigations under the Selective Service Actand 67 for character and loyalty, although there were 141investigations of desertions and absences without leave.

There was a certain man in the vicinity of Napoleon,Ohio, who put up a really stubborn fight against Americanism.The Chief of the division says:

Yellow Springs, Ohio, is another instance of simple, honest,heel and toe hard work. The division assisted in allthe war activities, and helped out the Department of Justicein divers instances in collecting testimony.

Wooster, Ohio, says: “Our principal activities had to dowith conscientious objectors. We tried to deal with thesepeople in accordance with the law, and also in accordancewith the regulations promulgated by the President. We hadsome amusing cases with members of the Ammish church,including their Bishop, who was accused of advising mennot to comply with the draft order. This man caused thecounty boards a great deal of trouble. He would not comein and talk with the military authorities, but the A.P.L.brought him in. You have to know these people to appreciatethe obstructions they will put around all draft matters.”

Coshocton, Ohio, had fifteen citizens who were suspectedof being disloyal, and thirty who talked too much. Membersworked when the thermometer was twenty below zero,trying to catch parties who were tearing down and mutilatingLiberty Loan posters.

[Pg 388]

A quite usual form of report comes from WashingtonCourthouse, Ohio—and it is one of the best sorts of reports:“Assisted in the sale of Liberty Bonds and Stamps to theamount of $150,000; rounded up slackers, and did investigationwork for the Red Cross. We had much automobiletravel. In the eight hundred cases that we investigated,our men traveled more than twenty-five thousand miles byauto, half of this mileage being covered by one man.”

INDIANA

Indianapolis, Indiana, attributes much of its success to thecare with which its membership was selected. All new memberswere brought in by other members who were acquaintedwith them, and were in a position to know of their loyalty.The Chief says: “Our men conducted themselves with dignity,tact and discretion, bearing in mind at all times thatthey were representing the Government and the League. Webelieve that much of our success in keeping down propaganda,sabotage and other Hun depredations was due to thesecrecy which guarded the identity of our officers. Indianapolishad a total of 209 cases of disloyalty and sedition.”

Indianapolis caught one deserter 1,200 miles from home.He deserted from the Rainbow Division at the port of embarkationand headed west. He was found, working underan alias, in a camp forty miles from Casper, Wyoming.This case was started within fifty feet of the Indianapolisheadquarters, through overhearing a chance conversation inwhich a woman said that a friend of hers was correspondingwith a man she thought to be a deserter. The suspect atfirst denied he was the man wanted, but finally confessed, andwas delivered to the proper authorities. The whole case wasfinished inside of two hours, the order for the man’s arrestgoing by wire to Casper from the Department of Justice.Another man deserted from Camp Sherman, Ohio, and withoutcoming back home to Indianapolis, went to Hastings,Michigan. Here, through a woman who passed as his wife,he had gotten a novelty concession at the County Fair.Indianapolis A.P.L. got in touch with M.I.D. of Washington.Everything was waiting for the gentleman on his[Pg 389]arrival at Hastings. He is again in the Army—or was atthe time of the Armistice.

Though wireless scares are most frequent on the seaboard,almost every city can boast several of them. An Indianapolisoperative thought he had discovered certain wirelessantennae on the property of a family with a German name.A pole was found fastened to the roof of a shed, wires beingused to connect it with the attic of the house. It was noticedthat the attic had close-drawn blinds, whence lights wereoccasionally seen. The whole thing simmered down to anoutfit put up by some young men to practice telegraphy.

Indianapolis also became interested in a man who claimedexemption on account of heart trouble. He weighed 225pounds, and stood six feet and one-half inch, though he wasonly twenty-five years old. It was arranged to have thisman examined by an out-of-town physician. This resultedin his being brought before the medical board in Cleveland,where he was found fit for military service. There was nodirect evidence that he had been taking any depressant forhis heart, although the facts were thought to point thatway. It was said that some doctors gave slackers medicineto give them temporary “heart disease.”

Michigan City, Indiana, had a very busy A.P.L. divisionwhose activities were sometimes curious. For instance, thetown boasts a somewhat well advertised mayor, Fred C.Miller, who has made Michigan City famous as being theproud possessor of the only alien mayor in the United States.Miller openly violated the President’s proclamation barringalien enemies from Washington, D. C. He was held until athorough investigation could be completed, and during thisinvestigation A.P.L. furnished D.J. with a report showingthat twenty-one of the city officials and employees of MichiganCity also were alien enemies! It would seem thatAmerica has not yet been discovered at the foot of LakeMichigan. The loyal minority of the population, during themayoralty campaign, turned over information to A.P.L. tothe effect that one hundred and forty-four alien enemieshad failed to comply with the President’s proclamationobliging them to register. A number of these were placedunder bonds. Indeed, with the assistance of the League,the U. S. Marshal’s office registered a total of 2,200 male[Pg 390]and female alien enemies. A.P.L. developed the evidence onwhich one Herman Kauffman was interned at Fort Oglethorpe.This division also caused something over one hundredand fifty draft evaders to be taken before the localboard as the result of a three months’ drive under cover,which combed all the factories and railroad yards.

At Peru, Indiana, A.P.L. worked in combination withthe “Loyal Citizens’ Vigilance Committee of Miami County,”an earlier organization of loyalty lovers which embracedabout three thousand members of the hundred percent-loyalclass. Mr. F. D. Butler was chief, and Mr. W. F. Schrader,head of the Vigilance Committee, assistant chief of A.P.L.The two organizations appear to have had amiable andefficient relations. There is something in the character ofthe Peru Vigilance Committee which seems to be reminiscentof the old “Know Nothing” party which had existencebefore the Civil War, and whose general platform was thatof America for Americans. Does this Indiana VigilanceCommittee, indeed, foreshadow a revival of some such politicalmovement at a later date? It seems to have retainedsome of the tenets of the old Know Nothing party, whichalso worked in absolute secrecy, and had its grips, pass wordsand countersigns.

One may recall that it was an Indiana poet who wrote theline, “The Booger man will get you if you don’t watchout.” At least, between A.P.L. and the Vigilantes, a goodand sufficient scare seems to have been thrown into the disloyalelement around Peru.

There is grit, shrewdness and loyalty all combined in thereport of the Chief of Rensselaer, Indiana, division. It istoo good to change and the cases cited are given in the Chief’sown words:

[Pg 393]

These cases do not exhaust the files of Rensselaer. Thereare more of the same sort, but these give a good idea of thesort of problems which tested the courage, ability and resourcefulnessof A.P.L. operatives and chiefs throughoutthe war.

Elkhart, Indiana, is present or accounted for in almostevery branch of the service. The Chief says: “We foundmost of our cases pro-German, with some spite work. ElkhartDivision handled a total of 600 cases of all sorts, ofwhich 117 were concerned with alien enemy activities. Anumber of reports were investigated which charged certainGerman sympathizers with offering up prayers in church forthe Kaiser and the success of the German arms. Therewould seem to be no use in praying for the Kaiser now.”

One of the most American parts of Indiana is good oldBrown County, long famous because there is no railroadwithin its confines. The Chief reports: “This has beena quiet sector. Our people are native stock, absolutely loyaland patriotic. A few late-comers of German origin beganto talk too much, but when they found they were beingwatched, they stopped. It is good to live in an old-fashionedAmerican community such as we usually read aboutin books.”

MICHIGAN

Perhaps not many people in the United States have heardof Midland, Michigan—it is one of the many new nameson the war map. But the Midland report—in many waysthe best report turned in by any A.P.L. chief in the entirecountry—bulked large and was very thorough indeed; inshort, it was a day-by-day record and report of activities ina town engaged in making deadly gases and other chemicalsfor use in the war. Midland is the site of the Dow ChemicalCompany’s chief plant, a concern which manufactured acetonefor airplane dope, mustard gas, T.N.T. and a numberof other special products for the Government. As a consequenceit seems to have been a magnet for alien enemy workmenand American laborers with pro-German sympathies.Something broke loose almost every day; on some days, two,three or even four cases came up. Altogether the Midlandreport is an extraordinary document—indeed the most veritable[Pg 394]and illuminating day-to-day record of all which theLeague has produced. This blotter form of report suppliesa remarkable narrative of the chances and near-casualtieswhich the presence of a munitions plant brought to a normalAmerican community. It is too bad such a report cannotbe given in full, but it runs to 12,000 words, spans ten monthsof time and covers one hundred and fifty-seven cases ofinvestigation. This splendid report came out of a whollyunexpected quarter. We hear much of the romance of bigbusiness. Perhaps when the reader shall have discoveredhow many men were waiting day-by-day to wreck and ruinone big business, it will not always seem to have been soromantic after all. We may make at least a brief resuméof things which happened in and around Midland. Namescannot be given, but it may be stated in advance that practicallyevery case investigated was that of a man who had aGerman, Russian or European name.

Carl L—— was a German Lutheran minister at Midland,and seems to have been much like his brethren of thecloth in that denomination. He remarked to a friend,“Why, you do not seem to realize that Germany will sooncontrol the world.” When the Lusitania was sunk, he said,“The people who went on that ship should have been blownsky-high.” Preacher L—— is still preaching at Midland.

Alex B—— is a retired citizen of Midland. He wasborn in Germany, came to this country penniless, yet acquiredsufficient wealth upon which to retire. This country is fullof Germans of similar description, who have remained justas German as they ever were. This was the case of Mr.B——. In discussing the war, he said, “You can’t getyour troops over there because our submarines will sinkthem.” By “your” he meant American troops, and by“our” he meant German submarines. He was of thebelief that the German was a far superior race to ours.Natürlich! Gewiss! Das versteht sich!

S. F. S——, another employe, was found taking picturesof one of the buildings devoted to the making of sulphuricacid, including the railroad approaches. UnitedStates asked him please not to take any more such pictures.

A can containing a pint of giant powder was found in acar of coal which was being hoisted into the boilers at the[Pg 395]power house of the Dow Chemical Company. Two Germans,J. O. M—— and Carl S——, were heard talking ofprospective trouble at the Dow Company. The former said,“I have a bottle planted near the gate that they will hearfrom.” Both men were watched, and their plot seems tohave been aborted.

John S—— once claimed he was German, then claimedhe was Russian. He could not speak nor write Russian,but was familiar with the German language and associatedonly with Germans of the hostile type. He attended theGerman-Lutheran church and was very insolent towardAmericans. Whether German or Russian, he was dischargedby the Dow Chemical Company. He found his solace inconversation at the German store, run by two Germans, allenjoying themselves very much, conversing and settling thewar.

Ernest W——, reported as an alien enemy in the pay ofthe German Government, a sailor on the Great Lakes in thesummer time. Reported to the steamship company of Clevelandwhich used to employ him.

C. B—— works for the Dow Chemical Company. Operativereports he said United States was to blame for thewar and that Germany had told the people of the UnitedStates not to board English ships. All of which soundsfamiliar—if not convincing—to an American. Ja wohl!

John W——, reported pro-German, had expressed himselfas opposed to the United States in the war. Since wedeclared war, has been more discreet. A common case.

H. S——, in the army cantonment, but reported to havestated he would desert as quickly as he got to France. Hisofficers duly notified.

E. L. K——, a foreman in the wood shop of the DowChemical Company, reported to be willing to bet $100 thatthe United States would never whip Germany. Too badsomeone did not take him up several times! Ach! das thutuns leid!

A. B. B——, reported by some patent attorneys to haveappeared at their office desiring the Russian patent for adinner pail which would be capable of containing severalsticks of dynamite hidden in coils. A compartment for aclock was also called for. This would be a fine thing for a[Pg 396]workman to take into a building such as this Governmententerprise. The attorneys did not care for confidential relationswith such a client. Close watch was kept for threeweeks, but the client did not come back.

John G—— said when the Lusitania was sunk, “Whatin hell were the —— —— on that boat for, anyway—werethey not warned to keep off?” Which again soundsfamiliar. Indeed, that was the attitude of practically everyGerman or pro-German in America, no matter whether naturalizedor not.

Alma, Michigan, is a pleasant and quiet city, but you can’ttell where a big story will break. Drama is no respecter ofgeography. Which is by way of saying that one HermanR—— is reported by Gratiot County Division to have beenraised on a farm in this locality. During the war he wentto Spokane, Washington, and joined the I.W.W. He wasindicted among others in the Haywood trial and disappearedwhile waiting for trial. Gratiot County Division wasdirected to look him up.

A visit was made to the sister of R——, who herselfappeared as much an I.W.W. as need be. Through persistence,however, they learned where Herman was approximately.It was concluded that the brother and sister mightcorrespond, so the mails were watched. Sure enough, onthe third day there came a letter from Spokane addressedto another sister, and bearing the Spokane postmark. Thena brother of Herman was visited, and from him and from hisunmarried sister a snapshot was obtained of Herman andhis pal, each holding an I.W.W. paper facing toward thecamera, which sufficiently well identified them and theirtendencies.

Later on both Herman and his pal were located, apprehended,tried, convicted, and sentenced in the Chicago trial.

Ottawa County, Michigan, has in its population a largepercentage of people of Dutch descent. There are also manyimmigrants from Holland, some naturalized, others not.Most of these people have an inborn hatred for England,which was mistakenly called pro-Germanism. A correct understandingof the psychology of these people was no easy matterto arrive at, but the A.P.L. handled most of them insuch a way as to convert them into patriots rather than[Pg 397]malcontents. The Chief adds, however: “It should not begathered from this that our population as a whole was notheart and soul for America. We rarely met anything viciousin the way of disloyalty. Hollanders are ultra-Calvinistic,unemotional and not easily stirred to enthusiasm, and it wassometimes difficult to reach their hearts with feelings ofpatriotism and love for the land of their adoption.”

Washtenaw County, Michigan, had the reputation of beingthe worst pro-German community in the Eastern Division ofMichigan. Fully four percent of the people were pro-German.Large districts are nothing but old German settlements,“infested with that worst brand of citizen—the secondor third generation German.” The Chief instituted aseries of Star Chamber courts which put a wet blanket onthis gentry and changed Washtenaw County into one of thequietest communities in the State. The A.P.L. men werenot known to one another, but they were in all strata ofsociety. They uncovered several rampant cases of Bolshevismand conducted a good many character and loyalty investigations.They investigated also 144 alien enemies whoapplied for naturalization. The total number of alienenemies investigated ran above 700, so it may be seen thatthis organization was kept pretty busy.

Ludington, Michigan, looked into fifty cases of disloyaltyand sedition, and investigated six hundred cases of oralpropaganda. The Chief says: “We investigated about twothousand cases; delivered upwards of two hundred speechesfor the Red Cross; nullified three strikes of workmen—oneon the railroad, and the other two in plants doing governmentwork. Over seven hundred men were involved.” Ludingtonalso reports the case of a German reservist who wastraced from this point to France, from there to Winnipeg,thence to Seattle, thence to Chicago. The suspect was finallyapprehended in Chicago and interned. Real sleuthing!

Benton Harbor, Michigan, is adjacent to strongly Germanneighborhoods. There were 1,000 men who signed up forLeague work, each man contributing one dollar to the commonfund. The county was split up into five districts, eachmanned by a lieutenant and several operatives under him.A general secrecy obtained as to the membership, and thedivision was very active and efficient.

[Pg 398]

Grand Rapids, Michigan, was a busy center of activity,and one of the best-handled divisions in the United States,3,907 cases being investigated, exclusive of about 500 minorcases in regard to German language, Liberty Loan, WarSavings Stamps and other miscellaneous cases. Of the grandtotal, 2,357 cases were investigated under the “work orfight” order. A.P.L. at Grand Rapids had a busy season,and did its work well. It deserves as many pages as it isgiven lines.

Iron River, Michigan, had the usual routine. One case,slightly unusual, had to do with one Victor F——, aSwede fifty-eight years old, naturalized in America. He reluctantlyadmitted a pro-German tendency, but as he hada large family, the local chief was disposed to leniency.The Chief says: “I had previously learned that this man,with his family, was worth about $8,000. I had him agreeto purchase $2,000 worth of Liberty Bonds at once andto leave them in the custody of the local bank until the endof the war. He also contributed $300 to the local warchest, and agreed to aid soliciting committees among hisneighbors. He has kept his promise in these respects, and haskept silent about the war.”

Manistee, Michigan, is in one of the most pro-Germancounties of the State. A number of German agents had asort of representative at Manistee. There were seventy-eightresidents who swore fealty to Germany, although onlytwenty-one of these remained loyal during the closing daysof the war. Not infrequently times became a trifle heatedat Manistee. German sympathizers once shot at the Chiefof the A.P.L., who had just apprehended several Germansuspects who were accused of making blue-prints of pumpsgoing into United States battleships. The organization wasactive throughout the war, and was on its toes at all times.

Mount Clemens, Michigan, is in Macomb County, a largeproportion of whose inhabitants are of German origin. Aflying field is located near Mount Clemens. Hence a specialofficer of the Department of Justice was in charge. Most ofthe work had to do with pro-Germanism, ninety-seven of suchcases being investigated. There were seven cases of alienenemy activities, two of sabotage, fifty-six connected withselective service matters, thirty of character and loyalty,[Pg 399]and seven of food-hoarding. No grass grew under the feetof this division.

ILLINOIS

There ought to be at least one good stiff report from sometown located near a big Army cantonment. Rockford, Illinois,entry point for Camp Grant, has submitted a reportwhich meets every specification. It must be understood thatfrom 30,000 to 75,000 troops came under the jurisdiction ofRockford Division each couple of months or so throughoutthe war. Rockford is a great manufacturing point andfor some time has been a center of I.W.W. activities, aconsiderable number of I.W.W. clan being found amongthe laboring classes there. The League watched these peoplevery closely, secured stenographic reports of their clubspeeches, etc., and thus got some strong Government evidence.

After war was declared, these agitators became very violent,and carried on an active campaign against the SelectiveService Act. On one occasion they conducted an all-daymeeting and picnic at Black Hawk Park, which was nothingbut an organization meeting so timed as to interfere withthe draft registration. We locked up three men, at whichthe other members of the two local unions thronged thestreets to the jail and demanded the release of the men. Weput an additional one hundred and thirty-five members of theI.W.W. in jail, and standing room only was available.Special interurban cars were chartered, eighty persons beingremoved to adjacent counties. The jail was pretty badlywrecked. The leader of these men got two years imprisonment,it being proved also that he was an alien and subjectto deportation. The Immigration Bureau has secured a warrantfor his deportation, and he will go abroad permanentlyat the expiration of his sentence. Federal Judge Landissentenced one hundred and eleven of these men to one yearin the Bridewell at Chicago. This case has been referredto in the report of Mr. Colby, D.J. agent at Chicago, as oneof the most important in the Western country. A specialagent was sent out by the Department of Justice to Rockford,with the result that an office was established there tocarry on the joint work more efficiently.

[Pg 400]

After Camp Grant was located at Rockford, the A.P.L.had much more work to do. While the buildings were goingup, about 50,000 men passed through the employment bureau,from 7,000 to 10,000 being employed in the work. All classesof men were attracted to Rockford, and the local divisionwas busy in keeping watch over them. Thirty-five I.W.W.members were taken from the camp laborers and handled indifferent ways—always with encouragement to go awayand stay away. Two alien enemies were found among thelaboring men at Rockford. They had come to America surreptitiouslyafter the war began in Europe and had workedat various cantonments. They finally admitted they wereGerman subjects, and were interned for the war. After thecantonment was completed and the troops began to arrive,the divisional activities of the A.P.L. centered largely inthe detection of violations having to do with the morale ofthe troops. Five operatives were put to work on liquorcases, all working together under cover. Twenty-six menwere sentenced for supplying soldiers with liquor, getting anaverage of ten months’ imprisonment each.

The most notable case handled in Camp Grant, or in anyother camp, was that which resulted in the court-martial oftwenty-one negro soldiers. Louise S——, a white womanvisiting a white soldier at Camp Grant, was set upon andassaulted by fifteen to twenty-one negro soldiers on the nightof May 19, the crime being committed on the reservation atCamp Grant. At nine o’clock that evening Major GeneralCharles H. Martin, in command at Camp Grant, telephonedto the local chief to meet him in town. He said his officershad been unable to make any headway on the case, and askedthat it be taken up by the Department of Justice. TheLeague put men on the case, and in three days had twentyof the culprits in custody, ultimately securing confessions implicatingall the others who were held. All of these menwere tried by court-martial; fifteen were convicted and dealtwith, five were let go, and one was declared insane. Theassistance of the civilian authorities and auxiliaries to themilitary arm was so distinct in this case that General Martinwrote a frank letter of thanks, in which he said: “I amfree to confess that until your entrance into the game, wehad not progressed very far, and I wish to make it of record[Pg 401]that it was principally due to your able and efficient servicethat we finally succeeded.”

The nature and extent of the activities of the Rockforddivision may be seen from the following summary: alienenemy activities, 95; citizens’ disloyalty and sedition, 50;sabotage, 5; anti-military activities, 13; propaganda, 13;miscellaneous cases, 211. The Navy Department asked assistancein 55 cases. Investigations made by the War Departmentcovered 21 for Military Intelligence; 242 underthe selective service regulations; 164 slackers; 45 characterand loyalty applications; 90 liquor cases; 44 cases of viceand prostitution; 25 cases of desertions, and the collectionof over 200 maps and photographs for M.I.D. TheDepartment of State also reaches out as far as Rockford,and the quietly efficient League handled forty-six passportcases alone. The Treasury Department had ten cases underWar Risk, and the United States Shipping Board asked fortwo investigations on character and loyalty.

In the nature of things, the activities of A.P.L. beingso wide, so impartial, and at times so energetic and aggressive,friction of social or business sort was sure now andthen to arise. The only wonder is that there was not a greatdeal more of it. Sometimes this grew out of spite work andpersonal jealousy, and again resulted in clashes of a widerand more distinct sort, resulting in something like communitycliques.

Mattoon, Illinois, had this sort of a tempest in a teapotfrom some such causes. That town has a Merchants’ Association,and this association, for reasons into which it is notnecessary to go here, but which perhaps had a personal basisin some measure, saw fit to fine certain members of its bodywho had contributed money for the organization of A.P.L.This caused considerable hard feeling. The Chief, P. A.Erlach, asked permission to explain the purposes of theLeague to the Merchants’ Association. This permission wasnot granted. The Chief held a conference with Judge MacIntyre,who suggested that the members who had been finedby the Merchants’ Association might be subpoenaed andbrought to the court room, not for trial, but for the purposeof clearing the situation, which did not seem to be good forthe community or the government. The Merchants’ Association[Pg 402]hired a lawyer to represent them, and a very warmsession was held, out of which, of course, nothing was derivableexcept hard feeling. In the mutual recriminations, onemember of the Merchants’ Association was alleged to haveremarked at a certain time: “After this war is over, theGermans will be the aristocrats of the world”—a beliefwhich seems to have lacked confirmation. All these matters,however, did not succeed in destroying the usefulnessof the A.P.L. in Mattoon, where it did a great deal ofhard and conscientious work.

Probably the most interesting Mattoon investigation isthat of one O’H——, son of a wealthy farmer, who claimedexemption on account of agricultural occupation. He wasalleged to be living in town and engaged in keeping books.The League went into the history of the family and producedproof that certain other paternal ancestors ofO’H—— had been engaged in the so-called CharlestonRiots during the civil war, when a band of men known as“Copperheads,” among whom was an ancestor ofO’H——, had fired upon several Union soldiers with fatalresults in several instances. The Mattoon Chief of A.P.L.submitted to the Adjutant General at Springfield, Illinois,a full brief of the investigation of the case of youngO’H——, also transcripts from Government records coveringthe Charleston riots. Young O’H—— was sent toCamp Zachariah for training.

Pastor Russell had certain followers in Mattoon, religiousfanatics of the sect known as Truth-Believers. They did notbelieve in anything but the Truth, certainly not in LibertyLoans, War Savings Stamps, or any war funds or activities.Two members of the sect were arraigned, but the Federalgrand jury did not indict them because one was a womanand the other concluded to go into the employment of theGovernment at Washington.

Near Mattoon is a settlement of the peculiar sect knownas Ammish, whose religion tells them not to bear arms. Theyopposed the selective draft, and although it was determinedto exempt their young men from actual drill, the communitypreaching became so bad that a stiff investigation was made,after which there was no more trouble.

The secret of the Mattoon fashion of investigation is not[Pg 403]told, but a number of case-reports close with the words:“There has been no further complaint from the party.”This covers the case of several citizens who did not buy asmany Liberty Bonds as they might, or were too free in theirtalk about Germany as compared with this country.

Joliet, Illinois, has certain mills which harbor a large foreignelement, Austrians and others. Several arrests and oneinternment put a quietus on German propaganda work amongthese people. “We worked through local foreign priests inwhom they have confidence,” says the local chief, and headds: “We feel now that this hotbed of Austrianism isa fertile field for the so-called Bolshevist movement, as thesort of people most frequently dealt with are very susceptibleto this propaganda. They feel that they can express themselvesfreely, now that the war is over, and they are pleasedat this opportunity. We believe that there is still muchwork ahead before the Bolshevist movement ceases to be amenace in these parts.”

Bloomington, Illinois, cites as its stand-out case the captureof a German sailor, who was interned with the PrincessIrene, the German boat at Hoboken, and had broken parole.The Chief says: “We had considerable other work to do inconducting investigations and in stopping the propagandaof loud-mouthed Germans.”

Rock Island, Illinois, is one of the most famous arsenaltowns in the country, the Ordnance Department havingerected large works there many years ago. All such postswere danger foci during the war. Rock Island Division investigated382 disloyalty and sedition cases, and 138 casesof propaganda. The selective service regulations required548 investigations. There were also the usual number ofcases taken on for the Housing Committee (it was a bigproblem to house Rock Island’s war population), the RedCross, the U. S. Commissioner, the U. S. Marshal, the CountySheriff, the Liberty Loan committees and war charities. Certainlya very satisfactory record for a place where somethingmight have blown loose had enemy wishes come true!

Epworth, Illinois, worked in close touch with the StateCouncil of Defense. The Chief reports: “Our communitywas loyal during the Civil War, and when this work cameon, we gladly put our shoulder to the wheel again. A few[Pg 404]said things quite out of place, but you can believe we werenever Germanized here. Our worst enemies were those whowould rather part with their sons than with their coin—thoughthey did neither willingly. We examined some applicantsfor overseas service.”

Alton, Illinois, just across the river from St. Louis, hadsome investigations for Military Intelligence, and some overseasinvestigations. The division had occasion to assist theSpecial Agent of the Department of Justice in St. Louis anumber of times when quick action was needed.

WISCONSIN

Justly or not, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had the reputationof being about the most German community in the mostnearly German state of the Union. No sweeping conclusionsneed be advanced as to either side of this proposition herein,for evidently, all said and done, Milwaukee is Milwaukee,and is well known throughout the country. There was atime, even previous to our entering the war against Germany,when salesmen traveling out of Milwaukee were unableto sell their goods to the retail trade throughout theMiddle West. They were obliged to go back to their housesand to say that the city which they represented was in badrepute. Just or not, these were the facts, and in time thebetter-class business men of Milwaukee, most of whom havenot lacked in loyalty, began to see that some remedy mustbe found for this prejudice existing against their city.

During the Civil War the Germans of Wisconsin, descendentsof the heavy German immigration of 1848 andthe years immediately following, had a splendid representationin the Northern army. The sons of these men are amongthe most prominent business men in Wisconsin and of Milwaukeeto-day, and it were worse than wrong loosely to accusethem all of disloyalty to this country. Upon the other hand,Milwaukee, being a heavy German settlement, did not lackin wrong-headed persons who retained their allegiance to aflag other than our own. These did the usual amount oftalking—perhaps more than the usual amount. For themthe Milwaukee Division of the American Protective Leaguehad the same remedy that has been found efficient in other[Pg 405]communities comprising a large foreign element or an elementwith foreign sympathies. It went to work quietly andsteadily, showing good judgment and good sense, as well asgood patriotism. Mr. B. K. Miller was Chief of the MilwaukeeDivision. The membership was made up of substantialmen of proven loyalty. The following table tellsthe story of their work:

Sparta, Wisconsin, from the spelling of the suspect namesin the report, appears to be located in the heart of darkestGermany. One Mr. H—— of that vicinity declared thata letter written to his father in anything but the Germanlanguage would be an insult. He was interviewed, and itis believed that he has changed his idea by this time. Anotherlocal pro-German volubly declared that the Y.M.C.A.was a “damn fraud.” He is also thinking it over. GusL—— would not allow a card with the admonition,“Speak English,” to be placed in his store. It may affecthis application for his second papers. Carl B—— wascalled on for a subscription to the Red Cross, but turneddown the callers flat. He said he had never sworn obedienceto the United States and never would, adding: “They cantake me back to Germany or any place they like, and I don’tcare a damn how quick.” Such a man, it would seem,ought to be obliged in the matter of such preferences. Apreacher, Rev. E——, seemed to talk German propagandarather than the Holy Scriptures. He was indicted. AugustY—— made seditious remarks in the open, and was reportedto the Department of Justice. Henry B—— wasreported for threats he made against his neighbor for takingpart in the War Work campaign. Several alien enemieswho were applying for citizenship were held while their recordswere looked up. Joe M—— believed the Y.M.C.A.to be a “graft,” and thought our boys were sent to France[Pg 406]to be butchered. Duly interviewed about it. O. W. S——,cashier of a bank, wrote a letter in which he stated his bankwould not take any Government certificates. He gave as hisreason that he was short of help, as one of his men was beingheld in the army against his will and “against the wishes ofthe community.” He was spoken to.

Neillsville, Wisconsin, apparently, was up on its toes. Itreports the investigation of an alien German Lutheran minister;utterances against the President and the Government,and the discovery of socialistic campaign literature for evidencein the Socialist trial at Chicago. It searched the communityfor the Socialist paper called “The Voice of thePeople”; investigated the Russellite sect and looked upthe record of 118 petitioners for naturalization; investigatedjuries in the trial of a murder case growing out of an attemptto evade the draft, in which several people were woundedand two killed, and investigated a Socialist candidate forsheriff who made contributions to a fund for printing radicalliterature. The foregoing civil activities were done in theinterest of the Department of Justice. Neillsville, for theWar Department, investigated a woman who was trying toget information about the Edgewood Arsenals; assisted theU. S. Marshals in arresting draft dodgers, and investigatedcivilian applicants for overseas service and applicants forcommissions. The Chief apologizes for not having donemore!

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, had one hundred and eleven men—lawyers,doctors, bankers, manufacturers and workmen—onher A.P.L. rolls. The investigations throughout thewar period totalled 343. There was much outspoken Germanismin this district before the United States went intothe war, but after that, it died down. One old German,when confronted by the operatives, said: “Vel, I dell youvat I dink; it is so; I dink vat I dink. How can I helb id?But I say not von dam vord—nefer!” A safe rule. “Sincethe war ended,” says the Chief, “known sympathizers withGermany have been as quiet as oysters here. When Germanyhas been a republic for twenty years or so, I hope some ofthese imported old bigots will soften.”

Racine, Wisconsin, has a population of 50,000. In aslacker raid it gathered in 3,000, including a number of real[Pg 407]dodgers and deserters. Two companies of State guards andSpanish war veterans, organized into thirty-five squads, carriedout the League’s orders to perfection.

Berlin, Wisconsin, reports: “Berger carried this countyfor Congress. We had some German propagandists who saidthat America could not win the war. We quieted them.Most of our work had to do with Liberty Bond campaigns,Red Cross, exemption claims, and Food Administration matters.”

Eau Claire, Wisconsin, makes a clean-cut report on theactivities of that division, being in touch constantly withthe Agents of the Department of Justice and ready to actat once at all times. D.J. complimented this division onits compilation of evidence. The Chief says: “Among ourcases are several which proved vexatious. We succeeded insilencing such disloyalists as we had. Notwithstanding thefact that the war is over, we know there yet lies ahead ofall good citizens an enormous work of education in rightingand keeping right the obligation of the individual to theGovernment.”

MINNESOTA

The City of Duluth, at the head of the Great Lakes, liesclose to the edge of the great Northern wilderness whosefastnesses might well beckon the evader as well as theexplorer or the discoverer. Her geographical situationmakes Duluth a sort of Mecca for dodgers, drifters and deserters,and a good part of the A.P.L. work at that point—andhard work it often was—consisted in running downthese unwilling patriots who preferred the seclusiveness ofa logging camp, trapper’s shack, or even a logging drive, tobearing arms under their country’s flag.

Olsen is a name somewhat indefinite in the upper Minnesotacountry, but it was claimed by a deserter from CampDodge who originally registered from Ely, Minnesota. Theentire Olsen genealogical tree was combed over, and manyshacks housing Olsens here and there in the woods wereexamined, but the right Olsen was not found. At last anoperative hit upon the expedient of spreading word thatthis particular Olsen was wanted to sign a receipt for some[Pg 408]property that had been left to him. The proper Olsen cameinto town, was arrested at once, and sent to Fort Snelling—thevictim of several kinds of misplaced confidence.

There came into Duluth a rather pitiful story of a younggirl of East Texas engaged to a U. S. soldier who was takenprisoner and sent to the interior of Germany. The prisonersent out a letter to his sweetheart which stated that he waswell treated. He also said that he was sending her hiswatch as a souvenir, lest she might never see him again.The girl took the watch to a jeweler. Inside of the worksthere was a note which said that everything the prisonerhad written in the letter was not true, that his nose andears had been cut off by the Germans, so that he felt himselfunfit even to be seen by her again. The girl herselflived at Nacogdoches and had met her Northern sweetheartin a Southern camp.

From Ashland, Wisconsin, there was reported to theDuluth office the name of one J——, a deserter. He wastraced out into the woods, found in the garret of a shackwhose owner disclaimed all knowledge of him, hauled downand out and sent to Fort Snelling, all in jig time.

From Erie, Pennsylvania, there came to Duluth warningthat there probably would be on a steamer due to land atthat point a deserter from the service. The boat was met,the deserter was found, and within thirty-six hours he wason his way to Fort Snelling to repent at his leisure.

One O——, an Austrian or Russian, a mill hand, wasfound in bed when an operative went after him as a draftevader. He was so indiscreet as to say, “To hell withAmerica.” At that time the operative landed on him witha stiff right, and O—— went down for the count. Theshort and simple annals of Mr. O——’s case read: “Hewas dragged to jail with his toes up, put in a cell with histoes still up, and left alone with his toes up. The next dayhe was sent to Fort Snelling as a deserter.”

All the way from Great Falls, Montana, came a deserterwho thought he could hide himself in the North woodsaround Duluth. As a matter of fact, he succeeded in doingso for more than a month although he was traced here andthere in the forest. He located on a river-drive where heworked for a time. This Mr. C—— always went armed[Pg 409]and was reported as dangerous, but this did not act as anydeterrent for A.P.L. men. The evader was classified ashaving strong I.W.W. affiliations. He was chased far inthe woods, but will have to come out some time. When hedoes, he will find the Duluth A.P.L. ready to welcome him.

The totals for Duluth might be expected to run high.Accordingly we need not be surprised to find that Duluthreports 1,293 investigations of disloyalty and sedition; 3,287men taken in slacker raids; 41 investigations for propaganda,and 186 naturalization investigations.

Freeborn County, Minnesota, submitted a very optimisticreport: “The loyal folks were so plentiful that if anypessimist happened to say the wrong thing about the RedCross or the Liberty Loans, he was promptly reported. Afew fines of $500 each in the district court soon stopped alldisloyalty talk. The Non-Partisan League was watchedclosely but we got nothing disloyal at their meetings andcould find no openly disloyal acts. They have an unusualproportion of persons of German extraction in their membership.At the beginning of the war a good many farmerstried to keep their sons at home, often using strongly coloredaffidavits. Some honestly felt that the duty to furnishfood was greater than the duty to fight, which attitudesometimes led to unfounded accusations against them.”

Wilkin County, Minnesota, watched Non-Partisan Leagueactivities closely. Members of this none too loyal organizationtalked less freely when they learned that they werebeing watched. The community had some clergymen withstrong German tendencies, but these also experienced achange of heart. One German alien, registered at Omaha,Nebraska, who had left without permission, was arresteduntil the Department of Justice at St. Paul could take himover. The fact of his arrest created a large silence amongthe pro-Germans of the region.

Grant County, Minnesota, has a little report. “A fewminor investigations of false statements about deferredclassifications were made. We got the facts. Our Countyis small, no large settlements, and everyone knows practicallyeverybody else, so there was little for us to do.”

Winona, Minnesota, sends in the best kind of a report—withfew or no figures under most lettered heads. Winona[Pg 410]has about 20,000 inhabitants, and is a small farming communitywith a floating population. Much of the work ofthe division was in stopping local gossip and loose talking.The League did, however, locate one deserter, who was dulyturned over.

MISSOURI

The tracing of a deserter may take a hundred pages in afile. A certain man registered in St. Louis, but never turnedin his questionnaire. He was classified by the AdjutantGeneral of Missouri as a deserter, and A.P.L. was requestedto find him. Search revealed him in James City,Pennsylvania. The chief of police of a nearby town foundthe man in bed. The deserter, whose name may be calledBates, resisted fiercely. It was stated of him that he wasthe first man the chief of police ever arrested who succeededin breaking a pair of handcuffs. He fought all the time untilhe was put in jail. Mr. Bates, it is to be hoped, foughtequally well in the army. He certainly got his chance todo so.

D. W. B——, from St. Louis, was once in the 108thInfantry, but vanished therefrom, leaving his uniform inNew York with a friend. One paragraph, the last page inthe file, will cover the case of Mr. B——: “As subjectwas apprehended in Buffalo, the commanding officer atFort Niagara was communicated with, and he detailed asergeant to come to Buffalo on December 17. The sergeanttook B—— into custody and conveyed him to Fort Niagara,where he is at present.”

Kansas City, among other cases, turned in a love letterwritten by a local young lady to a Japanese, Heroshirmo, atpresent living in Japan. The letter begins: “Dear Heroshirmo:How I want to write to you pages and pages ofsomething, I am not sure what. I want to tell you firstabout the beautiful summer that has just passed, how beautifulthe trees and flowers were, how infinite and blue thesky”—but perhaps that will be enough.

The A.P.L. noticed the post-mark and thought that thissort of correspondence ought to be looked into. It should.The Japanese had once stopped in Kansas City as a member[Pg 411]of a Commission on its way to Washington, and had visitedlocal friends. No international plot was unveiled in thiscase. Just the trees and flowers were discovered to be beautifuland the sky very blue. To be sure, the writer beinga woman, the letter had a postscript: “Just because I havebeen sick, would you like to send me a genuine Japanesekimona? I must tell you that all of the first page of yourlast letter except the first few lines were cut out by the censor.D——n the war.”

Jefferson City, Missouri, has jurisdiction over severalcounties but the division consisted of only twenty-one members.These men were of great value to the Departmentof Justice at Kansas City. The sparsely settled nature ofthe country around Jefferson City meant a great deal ofautomobile travel. The Chief says he has traveled as highas ninety-five miles in his own car on one case. This meanta vast amount of work for the small membership of theLeague at that point. It acquitted itself admirably.

Clinton, Missouri, faithfully performed a large volume ofroutine work such as comes to most of the divisions—somethree hundred cases in all, under various headings. TheChief concludes: “Our activities have been abundant.We mean to continue our organization here until there isno further need for it. Our personnel is made up of thebest men in this county. Our system of warning by red-white-and-bluecards has been adopted in many States andby the National Council of Defense.”

Monett, Missouri, had some trouble from the fact thatdrafted men were at first able to obtain alcoholic beveragesthere. This was stopped by the local League. There wasconsiderable propaganda by word of mouth in this localitywhich was choked off. One deserter defied all local officersto capture him and take him back to camp. Neverthelesshe was taken, returned to camp, court-martialed and sentencedto a term in the federal prison. As a whole, the peopleof this community are law abiding 100-percent Americans.Hence the League’s work was light.

Fayette, Missouri: “Thirty investigations resulted in reclassifyingtwenty-five men. We arrested three camp desertersand two men for disloyal acts. Found three menhoarding sugar and made them take it back. In some cases[Pg 412]we just warned parties that their conduct had been reportedto be reprehensible, and evidence was produced by them toprove their later love and loyalty to the United States.”

IOWA

Des Moines, Iowa, the very prosperous capital of the prosperousstate of Iowa, had an A.P.L. man attached to theIntelligence Service of the Army. He spoke German fluentlyand in order to investigate conditions inside a neighboringcamp, he pretended to be a conscientious objector, thus beingconfined to barracks with other conscientious objectors, somereal and some camouflage. A picked War Department Committee,including the Governor of the State, was combingout these objectors and ran across the A.P.L. man. Thelatter was unable to explain, and had to go through as aconscientious objector and listen to a good lecture to boot!

Des Moines had another case of a fine looking young manwho weighed about 175 pounds and who sported a clever littlemilitary mustache. He was caught in a slacker drive andon the following morning hesitatingly handed the agent atelegram sent by his father, which read: “I have told youthat damned eye-brow on your upper lip would get youinto trouble. Tell the Government I say you are only twenty—youlook older, but act younger. If you wish to pleaseyour father, enlist in the Navy.” The son enlisted.

Iowa City, Iowa, is a university town, a good, peacefuland thrifty community and one of the most useful in theWest. The foreign element in that district has been ratherBohemian than German, but the population has the usualadmixture. There are two precincts populated by Mennonites,whose religion is work and not war. One of these goodfolk refused to buy Liberty Bonds but sold enough walnutlogs from his farm to make several thousand gun stocks.This man was finally persuaded to buy as many dollarsin bonds as his logs made gun stocks. Some conscientiousobjectors from Camp Dodge were sent out to farm amongthese Mennonite brothers and thus escaped the draft, whereaslocal loyal farmers’ sons had to go to the front. This createdbitter feeling. Most of these dodgers were recalled.

Oskaloosa, Iowa, had its own share of local wrangles over[Pg 413]League war activities. One suspect was brought up undercharges of disloyalty by reason of many reports coming inagainst him. He was indicted and the local Chief says:“I have no doubt of his conviction had he not died since.”

Hardin County, Iowa, had an organization which keptthis community decent and orderly and up to the front inall of the war activities. The chief was a member of theBureau of Military Affairs for Hardin County, which hadcharge of all the war work. He was also on the CountyCommittee of Four on Military Instruction, whose duty itwas to instruct and train drafted men. Other members ofthe A.P.L. were on the Legal Advisory Board and alsowere of assistance to the drafted men. A steady-going andfirm-stepping community.

Corning, Iowa, worked in the usual unostentatious waywith the Food and Fuel administrations, etc. Two indictmentswere brought against a man who blocked war activities,the fines going to the Red Cross.

Green County reports: “All quiet in this section. Veryfew Germans in our county. None showed disloyalty exceptone old German woman who wrote to her son, a missionaryin China. Her family promised to keep her loyal.We examined into the German Lutheran schools and Germanlanguage assemblages. Nothing of much consequence.”

Decorah, Iowa, is another peaceful community in a peacefulState. Little or no trouble was met here. “The A. P.L. was organized rather late,” says the report, “owing tothe fact that we had a most thorough and efficient DefenseCouncil at work.”

Indianola, Iowa, is also a place of peace. The Leaguehad been organized only a short time when the Armisticebroke, and there were but few activities. “Indianola hasa rural population,” says the Chief, “with a very smallpercentage of foreign born. No trouble of any consequence.”

SOUTH DAKOTA.

Aberdeen, South Dakota, must have been a good talkingpoint for German propagandists, because it reports 122 casesof propaganda by word of mouth, and 128 cases of propagandaby printed matter. The division was called on to[Pg 414]take active part in the I.W.W. labor troubles, and this partof its work is described at some length in the Chief’s report:

Thousands of I.W.W.’s drift here at harvest time. Theirjungles sometimes contain as many as one thousand men.They take charge of whole trains, and force railroads to carrythem wherever they wish. They have forced the city authoritiesin small communities to send them a specified amount offood, and have defied the authorities of larger cities to controlthem. By their methods of sabotage, murder and arsonthey have terrorized certain sections of this state and destroyedmillions of dollars’ worth of property. In the summerof 1917 the annual influx started. The A.P.L. was calledon for assistance, and decidedly effective measures wereadopted. Home Guards and citizens were organized—latercalled by a D.J. officer “the Klu Klux Klan of the Prairies.”Anyhow, this section of the prairies was soon clear. In consequence,a strike was declared by the Minneapolis branch ofthe I.W.W. and some of their gunmen were sent out. Theproperty of the Chief of Police at Aberdeen was burnt. Inless than two weeks four of these men were under arrest andtwo of them are now serving sentences in the Federal Penitentiaryat Leavenworth. The methods adopted by this branchof the A.P.L. have proved efficacious. Thousands of dollars’worth of property have been saved.

As Aberdeen is located in one of the Non-Partisan Leaguedistricts, and as reports have come from nearby towns denotinga large percentage of pro-Germanism, it may be wellto quote further from the report of this division. TheChief says that one family living in Hecla, strongly pro-German,declared they would never be taken alive. The A.P.L.took over the case. One man was shot resisting arrest. Fivemembers of the family were arrested and two were convicted,while one remains to be tried. “This stopped pro-Germanutterances in that community,” says the Chief, “and materiallyaided in the sale of bonds.”

In December, 1917, Fred H—— of Aberdeen was internedfor pro-German utterances. His wife turned state’sevidence on members of the local German club where membershad been fined for speaking the English language. Fourof the leading spirits of this club were taken into custody,one of them the publisher of three German language newspapers[Pg 415]of wide circulation which were openly pro-German.This man had sent to von Bernstorff $10,000, ostensibly tobe used for the German Red Cross—all of it raised fromreaders of his publication through the sale of the “ironring.” This man was sentenced and fined $500. An associateeditor of the same string of papers was interned also.One of the parties was president of the South DakotaGerman-American Alliance, and published a German languagepaper at Sioux Falls. He was charged with writinga letter which reads as follows:

I have never given any declaration of loyalty and never willdo it, nor subscribe to any Liberty Loan. The name is to mealready an emetic because hypocritical and misleading. Thata man perhaps buys bonds for business considerations, I canunderstand, but I myself couldn’t do it without thinking thatmy $50 or $100 might perhaps buy the explosive which Americanaccomplices of the allied plunderbund might throw on thehouse of my mother.

The writer of the above, as head of the German-AmericanAlliance, raffled a picture of the crew of the Deutschlandafter our declaration of war, and sold souvenirs from theboat, remitting the funds to New York German centers. Hewas sentenced to ten years in the Federal penitentiary.

The active Chief of Aberdeen also caught H. M. H——,a former lieutenant in the German Navy and an ex-instructorin the Naval School at Hamburg, who was also active inthe German-American Alliance. He got five years in theFederal penitentiary for urging young men of draft age notto enlist. Another alien enemy whose papers show that heonce had wealthy connections in Germany, although he wasengaged in making a scanty living at baling hay, was reportedas a Prussian and believed to be dangerous. Yetanother, William B——, was picked up in Aberdeen andtold a tale that sounded like one by Deadwood Dick. Hesaid he lived in the mountains of California with his uncle,who was a smuggler. He was found to be communicatingwith the I.W.W., and was sent to a detention camp. Anotherarrest was made, of Ed. R——, a wealthy farmer whostated he would rather see his daughter in a house of prostitutionthan a member of the Red Cross. He was sentenced to[Pg 416]five years in the penitentiary, and this has discouraged theexpression of such sentiments near Aberdeen.

Now, if there were nothing else whatever printed in thesepages, the foregoing would show the necessity for such anorganization as the American Protective League, even incommunities far away from manufacturing centers and notsupposed to be governed by the foreign element. The reportof the Chief of the Aberdeen Division affords grave readingand matter for grave consideration. In that one little community,which does not turn in memoranda of all its cases,there were 312 Department of Justice cases, 156 War Departmentcases, and three Navy Department cases. Seventeenpersons were arrested or interned. Perhaps the mostnoteworthy of the recommendations made by the local Chiefis this: “It has been the experience of this branch thatthe communities reached by the German language publicationshave been decidedly disloyal. It is our opinion thataction should be urged upon Congress to discontinue theforeign language press in America.” These last are wordsof gold. They ought to be remembered by every man holdingoffice in the United States and by every man seeking thesuffrages of real American citizens. The time for mincingmatters with these gentry has gone by.

NORTH DAKOTA

Fargo, North Dakota, hands in a report which varies inone important particular from those received from neighboringdistricts. The division was not making trouble enoughfor the rampant pro-Germans in Fargo, so the Leagueturned around and investigated some of its own officers.None the less, the report tells of a story of accomplishment,there being 101 disloyalty and sedition cases, 109 cases underthe Selective Service Act, and eight cases of enemy sympathizerswho threatened the life of the President.

KANSAS

It will be no surprise to those who know Kansas to learnthat this ultra-progressive, prosperous, energetic State wasunswervingly loyal throughout the war, and had few casesof any kind to report. A few sentences quoted from the[Pg 417]reports of several representative little towns will serve toshow the Kansas war temperature varied from normal butslightly, if at all.

Oswego, Kansas, reports succinctly: “One hundred percentpatriotism—no aliens.”

White City, Kansas, says: “Ours is a community of loyalcitizens. We spoke to a few about talking too much. Nothingserious.”

Council Grove, Kansas, proved to be a great deal quieterthan it used to be in the days of the Santa Fé trail. TheChief says: “We had a few pro-German sympathizerswhose cases we turned over to the Department of Justice toinvestigate.”

NEBRASKA

The A.P.L. Division at Omaha, Nebraska, was organizedat a rather late date, July 1, 1918. The Armistice shatteredthe activities at a time when there were three hundred membersof the League, each man ready to do what was askedof him. The Omaha Chief reports sixty cases of disloyaltyand sedition, and several thousand investigations made inconjunction with D.J. as a result of the slacker raids, aswell as 700 in connection with the Department of Labor.

The Chief at Hastings, Nebraska, says: “I did not knowthe work would be so extensive, or that there would be somuch to do. We have investigated some cases for Omaha,and have done a great deal of work on draft cases for thestate and county boards. We have been glad to do thiswork, and I am thankful that I could help my countrythis much.”

Callaway, Nebraska, has a grievance: “I had one genuinecase of seditious utterance, but we did not get the evidence.This man was elected State Senator by the Non-PartisanLeague. He worked against the Liberty Bonddrive. Fortunately, this year our Senator is not of hissort politically.”

David City, Nebraska, reports the usual routine work.One pro-German was taken into custody for making seditiousremarks, and was bound over to the grand jury fortrial. The local Chief reports that his organization is beingheld intact against any future emergency.

[Pg 418]

CHAPTER III
THE STORY OF THE SOUTH

The South is, in its percentage as to population, thefinest, cleanest, truest and most loyal part of the UnitedStates to-day. It holds more of the native born Americans,fewer of the foreign born, and fewer alien enemies than anylike extent of our National possessions. The only pure-bredAmerican population, sufficiently so to entitle it to a distinctorigin-color of its own on the government census maps, liesalong the crest of the southern Appalachians. There, inparts of Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia,Alabama, lower Virginia, there are Americans who forgenerations have known no admixture of any foreign blood.You will find illiteracy there, poverty, small industrialdevelopment. That has come about by reason of a topographywhich has left transportation undeveloped. The peoplehave been held back from the westbound progress ofthe nation almost as though caught by the cleats of thegreat flume through which poured our early Scotch-Irish, Indian-fighting,wilderness-conquering ancestry. But it is thefinest of gold that those cleats have caught—a clean-bred,persistent type, of the highest honor, the highest courage,the highest intellectual quality, the highest physical qualities.Here and here alone you will find a true Americantype, come down with little change from our Colonial days.Would God that every state in the North and West hadthese men as the real inheritors of America, and not thesnarling mob of foreigners who in the last few decades havecome to be called American citizens. We have seen in somepart how loyal these last have been, how much they caredfor the flag of America.

The stock of our Highlands has furnished us many strongmen, many of our greatest leaders, our greatest statesmen.Above all, it is fierce fighting stock. It has been held backby lack of education. These stark mountaineers are far[Pg 419]more illiterate than were their grand-parents. To-day,in a Cumberland cabin, you may find a Latin grammar,or a tragedy in the original Greek, of which the ownerwill say, “I kaint read none of hit. Grandpap fotched itacross the mountings when he come.” “Across the mountains”lay the Carolinas and Old Virginia, seats of the mostcultured and aristocratic life this country ever knew, andequal to the best of any land. When we lost that, we lostthe flower of the American civilization. We never shall replaceit. There is no America to-day. There never can be,unless the seed of the old American stock—never lackingin leaders—one day shall raise its voice as of old in councilswhere it will find hearkening.

The South is a wide country, covering a certain diversityof nature, but it remains singularly like throughout its borders.Politically it is still the slave of the color question,whose end no man can see. That same question restrictsthe South largely to agriculture. Of late, Northern moneyand methods have been reaching out for the raw wealth ofSouthern mines and forests, even farming lands. It is inrespect of these later slight changes in the character of thesouthern life that the A.P.L. has found its main functionthere. Had it not been for imported labor, the A.P.L.would have had no alien and seditious cases, no propagandaand no disloyalty to report, because it is absolutely truethat our Southern States, which once thought themselvesconstitutionally justified in secession, to-day are more loyalto the American flag man for man, town for town, state forstate, than any or all the remaining states in this Union.

This is true; and yet it is also altogether true that a fewSouthern States furnished more cases of desertion or draftevasion than thrice that number of states in any other portionof the Union, even though with heavy foreign-bornpopulation. How can these two statements be reconciled?

It is easy, and the level-headed A.P.L. chiefs time andagain have made it plain in their reports. A large percentof the selective service work had to do with brave youngfighting men to whom liberty and personal freedom madethe breath of their nostrils. Many of them were ignorant—moreis the pity. While we have coddled the treacherousEuropean immigrant, we have forgotten our own children.[Pg 420]Better had we thrown the maudlin Statue of Liberty intothe sea, or turned its face about the other way!

The young Southerner who could not read grandpap’sLatin book, or any other book, who saw no daily paper andknew nothing of the outside world, knew only that he didnot want to fight in a war of which he knew nothing andin which he did not think he or his had any stake. Nobodyhad threatened him, no men had stolen anything of his, hedid not know where Germany was, and he had never seena German to learn to hate him. Why should he fight? Heconcluded he would not fight. He would just hide till thiswar was over, because it was none of his war.

Very much of the A.P.L. work in the South had to dowith getting into the young man’s comprehension that ourFlag was in danger; that our women and children had beenkilled by men that did not fight like men but like brutes.Once that got into the mountain man’s mind, the day fordesertion was past and gone. There are no braver or moreskilled fighting men in the world than in these Southernhills. There are none more loyal. They did their part andwere ready to do it wherever called. They helped win thewar for America as well as those from richer states. Nowthat the war is over, let America forget Europe’s sordidsycophants, the grinning reservists of the “unbeaten” GermanArmy, and turn attention to these, her own children—nocuckoo product without an ancestry to claim, who haveno love for this country beyond their love for this country’seasy money.

MARYLAND

Largely Southern in its population, traditions and politicalsympathies, yet Northern in its aggressive spirit and industrialenterprise, the city of Baltimore perhaps is entitled tobe called “American” more than any other big city on theAtlantic seaboard. It has always been American, and inthis war has only proven anew what has always been knownby those who knew Baltimore. A hundred years or so ago,in the War of 1812, its citizens fought and fell gloriouslyin defense of their city before the British. A beautifulmonument commemorates their heroism. In this war, there[Pg 421]was no city in the country more loyal to our Government andour Allies.

Let it not be thought, however, that the enemy was inactivein Baltimore. Trouble, active and potential, was presentat all times. That it did not flare up into open destructionwas no fault of the trouble-makers. Like all ports of entry,Baltimore has a considerable foreign element. Thousandsof foreigners were employed in its shipbuilding plants, onits docks, and in the Bessemer steel works located near thecity. Of pro-Germans and alien enemies there was a plenty.Many of them, indeed, remembering the landing of theDeutschland at Baltimore before the war, would have welcomedand aided a wholesale submarine raid by the enemy—werethis possible.

However, this did not come to pass, nor did many otherthings come to pass that were justifiably feared. The pro-German,the alien enemy, the agitator, the Bolshevist wereheld safe at all times. Baltimore’s many industries wereguarded well. Happily, that industry which has given herworld-wide fame—the oyster industry—required no protection,and it is a pleasure to record that the nation’s supplyof sea-food was uninterrupted during the war.

A prolific source of trouble for the Baltimore Division layin the city’s proximity to the national capital. The overcrowdedcondition of Washington during the war forced ahuge overflow of population into Baltimore, and thus doubledthe amount of work that otherwise would probably havebeen required. This work was tackled with energy andefficiency by the Baltimore Division, which was one of thevery largest for a city of its size in the country. When theArmistice came, there were 2,500 operatives engaged in themultifold activities of the League. The following report doesnot begin to tell the full story of their achievement:

[Pg 422]

Baltimore Division organized and was on the job duringthe very first month of the war. Its first Chief was Mr.Edmund Leigh, who solved the many knotty problems oforganization and finance which arose in the early stages ofthe League’s growth. Mr. Leigh was succeeded by Mr. WilliamJ. Neale in August, 1918, who acted as head of thedivision until November, 1918, when Mr. Tilghman G. Pittsbecame Chief.

VIRGINIA

Norfolk, Virginia, was fortunate in having as its chief agentleman very prominent in all the war charities, and alsoof such generosity of nature that he paid all the expensesof the League out of his own pocket.

Conditions might have been much worse at this seaportlocality, for only eight cases of alien enemy activity arelisted, and five cases of disloyalty and sedition. This division,however, was able to do a great deal of work for theWar Department, and among other matters found one illicitstill and made four I.W.W. investigations. Another phaseof the work was supplying the M.I.D. officer at the ArmySupply Base—Quartermaster’s Terminal—near Norfolk,with many photographs of alien enemies and slackers. TheDivision had operatives in Army and Navy headquarters,among workmen, etc., and had such men included in itspersonnel as bookkeepers, timekeepers and others whose workwas much appreciated by Military Intelligence. The chiefhad twenty-one assistants, all good men.

White Sulphur Springs, Virginia, had one typical pro-Germancase. Adolph S——, a baker of this town, heldcertain opinions which would not strictly classify as American.When asked to purchase War Savings Stamps, he expressedhimself as follows: “To hell with your War SavingsStamps. If Uncle Sam didn’t have money enough to financethe war, why did he go into it? When the American soldiersget to France, you’ll find they won’t do anything but runlike hell.”

He said a great deal more in similar vein, which “washardly suitable,” says the Chief’s report, “for polite ears.”In the U. S. District Court, at Charleston, S—— confessed[Pg 423]to a violation of the Espionage Act, was fined $100 and sentencedto two years in the penitentiary.

Lynchburg, Virginia, reports that it was rather quiet.One thing it did was to draw the fangs of an organizationwhich was formed to punish such pro-Germans and warobstructionists as the law did not touch. The A.P.L. hasalways done its work hand in hand with the law, andthroughout the war has resolutely set its face against anythingsavoring of lynch law.

Considerable local trouble arose from returned negro soldiers,discharged from service, who stated that they hadsaved the world from Hun oppression and were entitled torecognition. These statements had effect on the ignorantpopulation, and it is firmly believed by the Chief that the“South has a problem on its hands in this connection whichwill require considerable time, effort and patience, if notbloodshed, to solve.” Any one acquainted in the least degreewith the great problem of the South will realize thegravity and sincerity of this comment.

WEST VIRGINIA

There were “hot times in the old town” of Hinton, WestVirginia, in good part by reason of the activities of one man,the local Chief, who, for some time was cook, captain andmate of the Nancy brig. Local disloyalty induced him togo to Washington and ask government help, and the Leagueorganization followed. One pro-German in Hinton had theKaiser’s picture on the wall. It is not there now. Thehead of this family was a locomotive engineer. The Chiefnotified railroad officials not to allow him to handle anytroop trains. Another engineer expressed the belief that atroop train was carrying “some more fish bait.” He wasalso relieved of any future work on troop trains. Twoschool teachers, after talking with the Chief, hung up fourUnited States flags and began to sing all the latest warsongs as well as take an active part in Loan drives, RedCross work, etc. The largest hotel in the town did not speakwell of the war, and the Chief notified the officers in chargeof troop trains to get their meals somewhere else. A localnewspaper printed an article reflecting on the Red Cross[Pg 424]canteen. “I had all the papers publish an article over mysignature,” says the Chief, “that any criticism of the RedCross should be addressed to the Bureau of Investigation atWashington. For this I have been commended by the RedCross membership.” It appears that he ought to be commendedfor his own record, which, on the face of it, is in theblue-ribbon class.

NORTH CAROLINA

Lexington, N. C., is in the southern mountains. The Chiefsays: “Owing to the peculiar reaction of the mountaineer’sphilosophy to the draft laws, many of them ‘stepped back’into the ‘brush’ to wait until the war was over. We spentmuch time in traveling around among the lumber jacks andsent out word to many delinquents. It was a simple thingto reach most of these men through the medium of sometrusted friend—much simpler than sending armed men intothe laurel thickets after the fugitives. I don’t believe thereis one case out of ten in western North Carolina where anyof our men avoided the draft through a malicious motive.Whenever a friendly adviser could reach them to explainthe situation, the majority of them gladly came out. Weoften made trips of from thirty to fifty miles into theisolated sections. At one point thirty miles from a railroadwe got information which was sent across the sea to Franceand stopped an undesirable appointee to Y.M.C.A. workthere. Some humorous things came up in our mountaintravels. One day our road dwindled to an almost obliteratedtrail with grass growing all over it. We sighted anold woman, the first human being seen for several hours,and asked her if that was the right way to Doeville. Theold woman looked at us with great contempt, and remarked:‘Lord bless us, you-all is right in Doeville dis minute!’”

The Chief of Lexington says that not everyone understandsthe mountain boys and that they certainly make excellentfighters when in the army. “One of them in mydistrict,” reports the Chief, “had to be run down andcaptured by his own father, who delivered him over to theauthorities for military service. This boy was the first ofhis company to distinguish himself in France.”

[Pg 425]

The Chief of Salisbury, North Carolina, Division sends inhis final report in homely and convincing phrases, a mark ofthe good common sense employed in his work. One pro-Germanwas called into the office and the Chief said to him:“Mr. ——, I hear that the next time you and your familycome to town over the public road, you are going to beblown up without any warning.” The man struck the tablewith his fist and said: “I’d like to know how! The publicroad is mine and I’m going to travel on it.” The Chief said:“So our ships had a public highway to Europe. The Germanshave destroyed vessels, women and children withoutwarning. What do you think of it?” The pro-Germanthought this over a minute and exclaimed: “Why hasn’tsome one talked to me like that before? I never saw it thatway before.”

Hickory, N. C., says: “Our work was largely educational.We had no aliens—all native born American citizens.Thirty of our leading citizens constituted the membershipof the League. When we went to work, all the ’aginners’who were against the war got on the right side. Especiallywas this true after the amended espionage act wentinto effect. In my judgment,” says the Chief, “the psychologicaleffect of an organization that could be felt but notseen helped wonderfully in bringing to their right sensesthe small minority that were not in right at the start.”

Durham, N. C., pulled off one raid on a circus crowd andgot ten slackers. “Our community has a foreign element,”says the Chief, “and is above the average in respect to lawand order. Our members were prominent in the war activities.”

SOUTH CAROLINA

Anderson, S. C., says: “Our organization has beenanxious to answer every call. There are practically noforeigners in this section, so violations of the war measureshave been almost negligible. Most of our work has beenmaking reports for overseas service. The men all considerit a great honor to have been members of the League.”

A man whom we may call Benny Vogel deserted from the105th Infantry at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina. In[Pg 426]some way, he found his way to Schenectady, New York,where he proceeded casually to marry a young lady of thatcity, under date of April 19, 1918. The wife was watched.The deserter was caught and returned for punishment.

St. Matthews, S. C., reports: “On the whole there waslittle enemy activity. We unearthed six cases of dischargedsoldiers drawing government money who were not entitledto it, and eight cases of parties receiving allotments fromsoldiers for incorrect amounts. We changed such undesirablesentiment as existed in our community, and with tactand judgment rather than by drastic measures. We thinkour community is among the most loyal of any in Americaand doubt seriously if there is one per cent disloyalty here.Some who at first were lukewarm changed, and we knewit was due to the policy adopted by our organization. Weworked on the Sunday law and the fuel laws, the food regulations,etc., all in a quiet way, but, we think, with good resultsthroughout our county.”

GEORGIA

All sorts of stories show in the League files. One regardingsubmarine bases along the Georgia and Carolina coastwas traced down to the purchase of a piece of land by aformer grocery clerk, a naturalized German, who resided inSavannah for many years. He was outspoken in his sympathywith Germany before the United States entered thewar. A report made by the Navy Department to the NationalDirectors of the League states:

“On January 6, 1918, this man was tried in the city courtof Savannah and found guilty of violating the prohibitionlaws. He was fined $400 and sentenced to six months onthe chain gang. Before he had fully served his sentence hewas re-arrested by the United States Marshal on a presidentialwarrant and subsequently interned.” The brief phrase“presidential warrant” covered many and many a case ofnaturalized Germans who became too loquacious in thiscountry before and after we entered the war.

Atlanta, Georgia, had a nice scare about the report that aGerman U-boat captain had landed and was on his way toAtlanta, dressed in an American officer’s uniform. Operatives[Pg 427]were out and trailed every military or quasi-militarylooking man on the streets or anywhere else. Their firsthaul included a major from the Judge Advocate General’soffice and a Judge from the Federal Court. The next alarmcame from two operatives who trailed an officer just off thetrain, who turned out to be a colonel of the Quartermaster’sCorps, U.S.A. The latter was able to make his escape.The Chief adds: “Just how many suspects were held upthat night it would be difficult to state. Operative No. 3turned in a report of his activities the next morning. Itseemed he had held up the following personnel: One Lieutenant-Colonel,sixteen Majors, twenty-three Captains, forty-twoLieutenants, one Lieutenant-Commander, three Ensigns,and seven Sergeants—a total of ninety-two suspects.” Heclosed his report with the following heartfelt remarks:“Well, I didn’t know what kind of uniform the Germanhad. Besides, every man I stopped was a blond. I didn’tstop any other sort.” D.J. reported it was satisfied thatno German submarine officer had visited Atlanta.

ALABAMA

Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most active andinteresting divisions of the League. It took on 1,849 casesunder the Selective Service Act, 76 investigations of pro-Germans,123 cases of deserters, and 153 Red Cross loyaltyreports, besides a large list of general war activities. Someof the star cases of deserter hunting at Birmingham arereported in another chapter.

Like many another community, Birmingham also had itswireless case, and like most cases of the sort throughout thecountry, it created much excitement in the division whileit lasted. Certain mysterious light flashes, supposed to besignals, were reported along the top of a high hill on the outskirtsof the city. Operatives detailed on the case couldlearn nothing, but still reports kept coming in. Finally, oneastute visiting chief followed a high-powered transmissionline along the mountain and found that the limb of a treeat a certain spot would touch the wire when swayed by thewind. The repeated rubbing had worn away the insulation,exposing the bare wire. When the limb came in contact[Pg 428]with the wire, especially during a rainy night, a spark wouldbe made when the limb and wire separated: The Chief adds:“When the limb was cut off, we received no further reportsof mysterious signals.” There have been bluish-white lightswhich some thought indicated a wireless outfit in operation.

Montgomery, Alabama, reports one of those curious caseswhich were sometimes met with in the course of the League’sinvestigations. This was a straight-goods, dyed-in-the-wool,bona-fide conscientious objector. His name was W. A.P——, a farmer who had a son in the draft, but whoneeded him on the farm. He accompanied the boy to theexamination board, after the young man had been arrestedby the sheriff. He brought his Bible to the board and triedto prove that he was justified in his objections; that he wasresponsible for the care of this boy; that the Lord had givenhim that duty and no one else. The old man was violentlyopposed to bloodshed and quoted the scriptural words,“Thou shalt not kill,” and “Children, obey your parents.”The Chief had a long talk with him at his farm. He admittedthat he told his son not to answer questions, and thathe had another son who had attained his eighteenth birthdayand had not registered. The Chief told him to be carefulor he would get into trouble. He said, “I am not gettinginto any trouble; it is you people who are provoking thewrath of God.” All the agent could do was to tell him thathe must come before the United States Commissioners.P—— was brought in to the Committee, and bound overto the grand jury. Before the trial, he stood up and remarked,“Let us have a word of prayer,” and prayed ferventlyfor several minutes. He carried his Bible with himat all times. P—— seemed to be generous. “He cameto Montgomery and brought a couple of gallons of nice syrupfor the Deputy and Commissioners,” says the Chief. Onewould think that the A.P.L. would be glad to have peaceat any price in such surroundings, even without syrup.

Selma, Alabama, is another one of the loyal Southerncommunities. “We kept down seditious utterances,” saysthe Chief. “Without doubt we have had a most wholesomeeffect on our citizenry by letting every one know that thiswas not a time for anything that was not one hundred percent American. I do not believe there was a greater force[Pg 429]for good in the State of Alabama than the American ProtectiveLeague.”

FLORIDA

Cocoa, Florida, is not far from one of the Governmentshipyards, and so had had some contact with persons inclinedto be pro-German. By way of explaining the additionalactivities sometimes taken on by the League, the Chiefsays: “This office worked with the Special Agents atJacksonville, and with officers of the Seventh Naval District.We have also given information to the Collector of InternalRevenue concerning those who should pay income tax. Ourdivision consisted of twenty-four members—all high-classmen who could be relied upon in any emergency that mightarise. We were taking steps to enlarge the organizationwhen the German balloon burst.”

Eustis, Florida, was more especially concerned with warcases. Forty-one cases of draft delinquency were handled;two slacker raids were conducted, and there was a little“work or fight” activity. Eustis is in a county whichhad the reputation of harboring a good many slackers anddeserters, who sought peace and quiet in some of the out-of-the-wayplaces. Through the activities of the local A.P.L.division, this situation was cleared up distinctly. The Chiefsays: “We believe we have been instrumental in protectingmany people from their own follies, and have broughtto justice men who were engaged in obstructing the Government’swar activities in one part of the country or another.It has been a pleasurable though arduous service that someof us have rendered in this work.”

Kissimmee, Florida, reports: “All quiet along the Kissimmee.Our community was singularly free of annoyanceof any character. Two or three persons were indiscreet intheir language, but we found that a small reminder wassufficient to stop the talk.”

KENTUCKY

Louisville, Kentucky, is a busy and famous old town witha reputation for being engaged in the manufacture of[Pg 430]trouble-making products, but there seems to have been verylittle trouble. Only eighty-nine cases of disloyalty and seditionare reported, and 308 under the selective service regulations.

Mr. George T. Ragsdale, the first Chief of Louisville Division,instructed his men to keep under cover, so that thepersonnel of the division was very little known. More than700 reports were made in all, and nine men were sent tothe penitentiary. Local business men furnished most of theworking capital. Upon Mr. Ragsdale’s resignation, Mr. J. V.Norman was appointed Chief, taking over about 400 members.The city was divided into nine districts and theCounty in three, with the usual subdivisions of captainsand lieutenants as operatives. The membership was up toabout 700 at the time of the signing of the Armistice.

Most of the investigations handled by the Louisville Divisionwere on requests coming from local draft boards, althoughthe several branches of the government’s legal organizationfrequently asked for aid. Several thousand menwere questioned in the slacker raid of August 3. Thirty-fivemen were taken to jail and fourteen inducted; among these,several deserters. Sometimes at a race track a quiet investigationwould be put on without any open raid.

Among the list of delinquents turned in was a man namedLyle D. B——. An intercepted letter resulted in anexamination of the man’s mother, who refused to tell wherehe was. Portland, Oregon, was suspected as his present residence.The case came to an end when it was found that thedelinquent had been committed to the Federal penitentiaryat McNeil Island, Washington. His questionnaire was forwardedby the local board to the penitentiary and returnedproperly filled in. The man had a fairly good alibi. Theusual cases of religious fanatics, loud talkers and bearersof false witness were uncovered in the League’s work. Manyof the best citizens of Louisville were engaged in these somewhatundignified and often thankless tasks of ferreting outsuch matters.

Lexington, Kentucky, as might easily be expected, reportsin American fashion: “The sentiment of our entire populationis hard against the Germans and their allies. Our peopleare almost unanimous in their opposition to showing[Pg 431]Germany any consideration, even with furnishing themfood after their defeat. The one sentiment is that Germanycould feed herself while in war; now let her feed herselfsince she is out of war.”

The work of the Lexington Division was mostly concernedwith the local and district boards. It handled 405 cases ofthis sort. There were only thirty cases of disloyalty andsedition investigated, and forty cases of word-of-mouthpropaganda.

Marion, Kentucky, says: “We are glad to report thatour county has been so patriotic that little of any importanceis required to be done. We had to caution a few of our citizensas to the bad results of opposition to the United Statesin the war. We have no foreign element. Our citizens comefrom Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina, and are ofold families. We rarely see anyone of foreign descent inthis section except traveling men who make trips throughthe county.”

Somerset, Kentucky, had a bad man—a deserter whoescaped from Fort Oglethorpe once or twice, the last timetaking along his rifle and pistol. He barricaded himself inan old house at Helenwood, Tennessee. The A.P.L. tookhim all right, in spite of his threats. He is in Fort Leavenworthfor twenty years. From far off Livingston, Montana,came a request to Somerset Division to arrest one WillieMcK——, a professional evader. He was found attendingchurch. The Chief says: “We walked in and gave hima tap on the shoulder, and told him to come out. Just aswe started for the door, the choir began to sing, ‘God bewith you till we meet again.’ It is going to be some time.”Somerset concludes: “We did not stop when the Armisticewas signed, but kept watching everything and giving theGovernment the best that was in us!” Isn’t that fine?

TENNESSEE

The A.P.L. work in the beautiful and historic old cityof Nashville was somewhat circ*mscribed because of theactivities of other agencies already in existence. The divisiondid its share in the routine work of war activities, apprehendingevaders, conducting numerous investigations, and[Pg 432]vigilantly keeping tab on the comings and goings in the OldHickory Powder Plant.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, did its bit and did it well. Tenprisoners who escaped from the local War Prison were apprehendedby division operatives, and brought back for reinternment.One member of the division discovered anextensive system of graft in connection with the Governmentconstruction work on the Nitrate Plant at Sheffield, Ala.Report of this was furnished to a Special Agent, who wasdetailed by the Government to conduct an investigation.The Chief comments: “Just what can be proven in thiscase remains to be seen.”

Some of the most amusing Chattanooga investigationswere those of the religious sect known as the “HolyRollers.” Several of these preachers had preached sermonsin which they condemned the Red Cross and the Governmentgenerally. These men were apprehended, and members oftheir congregations testified at local headquarters. Someof these preachers were moved by the “spirit” in theirtestimony, but after they remained in jail a short time, theysaw the Scriptures in a different light, and very few of themoffended a second time.

Another Chattanooga case had in it the possibilities ofgreat mischief. A large amount of mail to an illiteratemountaineer caused an A.P.L. operative and a SpecialAgent of the Department of Justice to go to the top of SandMountain, and in a dirty log cabin they found a wagon loadof I.W.W. literature and correspondence in which wereletters from Emma Goldman and other leading lights ofsocialistic faith. The man himself was working in a foundryturning out Government orders; he was organizing a strikeat the time he was taken into custody.

Clarksville, Tennessee, is in the loyal Southern country,and is very free from alien population. There were onlytwenty-five investigations for disloyalty and sedition, andpropaganda was almost negligible. As this is the tobaccoproducing section, there was considerable property investigatedunder the Trading with the Enemy Act, and somehelpful reports were made to the Alien Property Custodian.The League members were active in all the war work.

Hopkinsville, Tennessee, had a great deal of trouble over[Pg 433]illegal transportation of whiskey, a great deal of which wentto workers in government powder plants in an adjoiningcity. “We arrested so many that no record was kept,”says the Chief. Things became quieter later on.

Huntingdon, Tennessee, is another disgustingly quiet andsatisfied community. “People nearly all natives,” says thereport, “and mighty few expressions of disloyalty. Wehave watched for violations, but nothing has developedworthy of report.”

TEXAS

San Antonio, Texas, is in a strongly pro-German neighborhoodand has a large citizenry of German descent. It isrefreshing nevertheless to see that in this good old Texastown, once distinctly Spanish, the language of the UnitedStates prevails to-day and only one flag floats over theAlamo. There were thirty-four investigations for sedition,and twenty-four cases of propaganda. The usual numberof overseas examinations were held. On the whole, SanAntonio seems to have been quiet and peaceful and distinctlyloyal in every way, in spite of her location so close to NewBraunfels.

The San Antonio Chief concludes his too brief report witha little story:

Laredo, Texas, on the Mexican border, was organized forbusiness. The Chief says: “We have very few alienenemies resident here. Before we organized, there wassome talk of a disloyal nature, but this situation changedat once when it got out that we had seventy-five or eightymembers whose identity was unknown to the public but whowould be pretty sure to be out for business. For the six oreight months before the Armistice we heard scarcely a wordunfavorable to the United States or her Allies. We think wedid something in the way of prevention if not of cure.”

Yoakum, Texas, has ten cases of disloyalty and a likenumber of word-of-mouth propaganda. A good local chiefof a fighting family says: “We were ready at all times tomeet any emergency regardless of distance or difficulty.”

Beaumont, Texas, is in the oil country, and such centersquite often attract alien population. The Beaumont reportcovers sixty-three cases of alien enemy activities, eighteencases of disloyalty, and ninety cases under the selectiveservice regulations.

ARKANSAS

Cotter, Arkansas, reports that it is a community withvery few foreigners, the population being American forgenerations back. The Chief says: “We had two deserterswho lived for two weeks in an inaccessible camp in the mountains.They finally got hungry, came in and surrendered.We also had one draft-dodging case of a peculiar sort. Thisyoung man, according to his marriage license, should haveregistered in June, 1917. He did not. We traced him toOklahoma, and from there to Springfield, Missouri. Hewas taken into custody by the Chief of Police at that pointon our order. We sent a certified copy of his marriage[Pg 437]license, but he had enough of his relatives on hand to swearto his true age, to secure his release.”

Helena, Arkansas, also comes into court with very cleanhands. Its report shows a membership of 127, which provedto be none too large, as all hands found work to do. Investigationswere handled all over Arkansas, Mississippi andLouisiana.

Fort Smith, Arkansas, found its slacker raids more interestingthan anything else. It conducted two of them, aslacker or two being apprehended each time. One stranger,who was sufficiently indiscreet as to fail to register, wasunceremoniously hauled out of bed and turned over to thelocal war board. No alien enemy activities came to the attentionof this division.

OKLAHOMA

The State of Oklahoma does not submit a wealth of materialfor this history of the A.P.L., and indeed the evidenceseems to indicate that there was comparatively little materialto submit. Chickasha, Oklahoma, sends in a little report,covering three alien enemy investigations; four cases of disloyaltyand sedition; one case of sabotage; five cases of word-of-mouthpropaganda; two deserter cases, and seven characterand loyalty investigations.

There are numerous reports at hand, which are made inthe form of figures only, but it is impossible to print these indetail.

[Pg 438]

CHAPTER IV
THE STORY OF THE WEST

Under the caption of The West, we arbitrarily are groupingall of the states lying west of a line running north andsouth from the western borders of the Dakotas to the easternedge of New Mexico. This excludes part of that great regionlong known in America as the Great West,—a country thatis no more, and never again can be on the face of this earth,unless war and pestilence one day shall quite remove ourpresent human population. What we retain as the Westfor A.P.L. classification purposes still has some distinctcharacteristics. It still is largely unknown land to Easterncitizens, still holds the flavor of a romantic past, as well asthat of a great and unknown future.

The region thus set off comprises more than a third of theacreage of the United States. It is the most thinly settledportion of the United States and, made up as it is in largepart of arid lands or mountainous regions, no doubt on theaverage it always will remain so. Yet here lie the richestremaining forests of America, and no one may know howmuch of additional mineral wealth. Here also, our countryhalts at the shore of the Pacific and looks westward at thefuture. In the march of King Charles, his knights pausedat Rockfish Gap, and those merry gentlemen carelesslyclaimed possession of all those unknown lands that lay tothe westward, “as far as the South Sea.” Well, we havemade the crossing of the continent. We are at the SouthSea now.

Who and what are we, however, who stand at the edge ofthe Pacific and look westward? Are we Americans? Whocould call us such? We are not the same Homeric breednow that we were when the first rails went west. Takingour arbitrary section herein, west of the Dakotas, andstudying the statistical census map of the United Statesmade in 1914—the first year of the war—we find that[Pg 439]the population of Montana is more than fifty percentforeign-born, or of foreign-born parentage. The same istrue of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho,California, Oregon and Washington; all have populationthirty-five to fifty percent foreign of birth or parentage!This, in what we have thought was the American West!

There is no American West. There is no America. Butfor the Grace of God, we are gone. This is no mere rant.Study the census maps yourself—you can have no morethrilling, no more fascinating and no more saddening reading,search how you may. The trouble with most of usAmericans was that we did not know our America. ForAmerica, this war is not over. It is just beginning. Themore we set aside preconceived notions or biased andunctuous conclusions based on suppositions and not factsfor premises, and the more we learn the actual facts regardingthis country’s problems to-day, the more we shall beobliged to that sobering and wholly distasteful thought thatAmerica is at the threshold of her real war. That mandoes not live who can with any color of authority predictthe end of that irrepressible conflict. No Statue of Libertycan avert it; no jaunty melting pot doctrine can conjure itaway.

But the great West, which with the great South remainsin larger percent American than do the North or the East,was zealously on guard throughout this war. Few of ourfar-flung marches but had an A.P.L. outpost of Americans,and these were eyes of the same sort that long ago lookeddown the brown barrels of long rifles in the frontier days.If we had a frontier now, here it would lie, between thePrairies and the Pacific; and the frontier always has beenloyal. It was loyal in this war. The next great Americanwill come from the land of the old Frontier. What, thinkyou, will be his message? Will it be of melting-pots?

COLORADO

Denver, Colorado, must have a rather thrifty population,for there were 140 cases of food hoarding reported fromthat division. Operatives of the League investigated 789cases of disloyalty and sedition under the Espionage Act,[Pg 440]and the division as a whole worked in close coöperation withthe local draft boards. The Chief says: “We looked intothe German language situation; also vice, liquor, bootlegging,and general lawlessness in coal mining camps. Weinvestigated the loyalty of many individuals who were underconsideration for membership in patriotic associations orfor City or State positions.”

Delta County, Colorado, had one simple and kindly pro-Germansection foreman who left spikes sticking up in thewagon road crossing, so that they might possibly destroysome American tires. Very thoughtful, but not very damaging.Apropos of one of the more lurid happenings inthis division, the Chief says: “We got a riot call to a smallsettlement six miles out, and I responded with three detailsof A.P.L. members. We arrived on the scene at 11:00p. m. and found thirty armed Americans who were just startingin to clean up a settlement of eleven German families.We quieted things until we could make an investigation, andthen found that a poison scare was at the root of the trouble.A German administered a pint bottle of bluing to one of hissick horses. The horse very promptly died. Heated imaginationdid the rest.” The A.P.L. certainly prevented bloodshedin this instance.

Mancos, Colorado, gives a pleasant little touch of localcolor: “Just a few days before war was declared withGermany, one G. B. B——, a resident of Mancos, Colorado,made some very derogatory remarks to the effect thatthe war, if it was declared, would be a rich man’s war, forthe benefit of the wealthy class, and that the United Stateshad no business in war with Germany; that the Americanflag would soon be dragged in the dust, and by the Germans,if war were declared. His wife also stated that the Germanshad done nothing worse than the soldiers did in our latecivil war. Many remarks were made showing sympathy withthe German cause. When the news of the first big victoryof the Allied armies was received here, an impromptu celebrationwas held on the streets of the town, and all ofdoubtful sympathies were asked to mount a box and wavean American flag. Some half a dozen did so, and did itgracefully and with seeming willingness, but Mr. B——refused to come out. Later, at another celebration, he was[Pg 441]made to come out and wave the flag, though he did it withbad grace and only upon being strenuously urged to do so.He made a long talk trying to tell how loyal he was, buthe would not submit to waving the flag until really made todo so, and then in a very insulting way. He made no moreviolent utterances after the time mentioned.”

Red Cliff, Colorado, had at least one hectic moment: “OnOctober 14, 1918, the County Treasurer’s deputy, Mrs.F——, deliberately tore down the Fourth Liberty Loanposter, remarking that ‘That has been up there long enough;it has almost ruined our flowers in the window.’ It wasdeveloped that our County Treasurer, Mr. C——, was ahoarder of food, and the local Food Administrator arrestedhim and fined him $25 for the benefit of the Red Cross.The County Treasurer called me into his office, caught meby the throat and tried to scare me, saying: ‘I understandyou are showing a paper around here trying to ruin mycharacter; that you are saying that I am a dirty slacker.Aren’t you ashamed of yourself to circulate such dirty liesabout me?’ Then the fun began. I struck him and toldhim that if he was guilty of hoarding 2,000 pounds of flourin his brother’s attic, he certainly was a dirty, low-downslacker and traitor. He weighs about 225 pounds; I weigh143. He threw me down and sat on me for fifteen minutes,trying to make me apologize. I didn’t, and never will forany man of pro-German type.”

For a man weighing only 143 pounds, the Red Cliff chiefseems to have been active. He sent back three Canadiansubjects and caused a decided change of heart in a pro-Germanwho was the son-in-law of a local banker. Thesuspect got wind of the fact that he was being investigated,and his conversion was very prompt, he making no attemptto sit down on the local Chief.

Prowers County, Colorado, investigated fifty cases ofmouth-to-mouth propaganda, a notable case in its annalsbeing that of a German Lutheran minister who refused toanswer the question as to which side he wished to win thewar. It did not take him long, however, to realize that hehad made a blunder. He asked for time. The next day hedeclared very promptly that he wanted the United Statesto win. He was instructed to prove this by preaching and[Pg 442]praying it in private as well as in public, which he agreedto do.

MONTANA

Billings, Montana, organized its A.P.L. division onlythree months before the signing of the Armistice. The Chiefsays: “It was a privilege to serve. We are grateful forthe opportunity that came to us. Our field was small, andour time of service was short, but if we contributed in somesmall way to the success of the League’s work, we feel amplyrepaid.”

Red Lodge, Montana, is a coal mining town with a considerableforeign element, so it early organized a “LibertyCommittee” of two hundred citizens. This committeeworked in with the A.P.L. The fact that a division of thelatter body was organized was not definitely known, but thebelief got out that the Government had a secret agencyworking at Red Lodge and that it was in working order;“which it was,” says the Chief.

NEW MEXICO

An instance of shrewd detective work comes from Albuquerque,New Mexico, whose Chief reports:

We received a copy of a letter mailed from this pointseveral months previous, illegibly signed, but clearly addressedto a man named H—— in Holland. The letter,intercepted by censors, contained disloyal statements aboutLiberty Bonds, and referred to “our bank.” We assumedfrom this that the writer of this letter was a banker. Theuse of blank paper instead of a business letterhead suggestedthat he was a transient. Albuquerque being quite ahealth resort, we surmised that the banker was probably awell-to-do health seeker. Accordingly, we combed the higherclass resorts frequented by visitors of this type. Goingthrough the list of patrons at one of these places, we foundthe name of A. H——, resident of an Arkansas town. Byreferring to the bank directory, we discovered that this manwas a director and officer in the bank at that town. We sentthis information to the National Directors in Washington.[Pg 443]It was sufficient. The investigation of the whole case consumedthirty minutes. We admit it was a little differentfrom the usual routine that we usually had to follow.

UTAH

Green River, Utah, had a couple of cases which made sometrouble. One was that of William F. A——, and CallieA——, his wife. Evidence was secured showing that thisman was not a citizen, although he had voted as such. Itwas alleged that he was handling high explosives in violationof the law and that he expressed disloyal sentiments.Military Intelligence in Salt Lake confiscated the arms andammunition, and had A—— registered as a German alienenemy. His wife was very bitter in her denunciation of theUnited States and the Red Cross. The son of the two wascharged with being a draft evader. Another man, JamesH——, was alleged never to have registered for the draft,although within the age limit. He was arrested, admittedhis guilt, and was turned over to the County Board.

Hiawatha, Utah, seems to have been for the most partquiet during the war. This division says: “Due to theloyal spirit of our people, our report is short. We are in athinly settled locality. We got only one fine imposed, aviolator of the food regulations, who pleaded guilty.”

Richfield, Utah, is a farming community off the railroad,having no large labor organizations to make trouble. TheChief says: “A few pro-Germans were quietly warned,and that was all that was necessary. All our members wereorganized and watchful, and there was not much to do. Anyservice we could render we gladly gave.”

Santaquin, Utah, sends the best and most satisfactorykind of a report: “I am proud to state that this littletown has been loyal to the core. We have not found a singleslacker or disloyal case. Investigated one or two cases ofmen asking for military service and found them O.K. Inall the drives for bonds and thrift stamps, we have ‘goneover the top,’ and we hope to continue with the same goodspirit and loyalty.”

Moab, Utah, has a local chief of a calm turn of mind. Hesays that most of the talk he heard was just that of some[Pg 444]ignorant people who didn’t know the difference between warand peace times. The Chief adds that he saw only three orfour parties who refused to buy bonds. “I had a talk withthem, and they bought willingly,” he adds!

From Fillmore, Utah, the Chief reports: “Not much todo in this out-of-the-way place. We watched every personwho came into town. No telling when we might not havebeen of service in apprehending some person badly needed.”

Smithfield, Utah, reports: “We had only twelve in ourorganization. Our community is only two thousand—afarming community of good quiet citizens. We support theconstitution; over-subscribed for Liberty Bonds, Red Cross,and War Savings Stamps. If you realize what a ruralcommunity like this is, you know there is not much to do.We have done what we could with the local boards in draftmatters.”

ARIZONA

Tucson, Arizona, is the land of sunshine and appears tohave been very peaceful. The Chief reports that there wereplenty of war activities going on all the time, but none ofthese were of a nefarious sort. There apparently was nothingwild or woolly about an A.P.L. job in Tucson duringwar times.

Cochise County, Arizona, was once somewhat famous forloading up a railroad train with undesirable citizens andthen telling the engineer to steam ahead. None the less, thislast year or so Cochise has had absolute peace and quiet.Ever so often, of course, a dissatisfied citizen would go overto Mexico, subsist on red beans for a while, and then try toget back. He would usually find the getting back a triflemore difficult than the going over. About 1,000 investigationswere made, most of them referred to the Departmentof Justice at Bisbee and Douglas. About forty-five or fiftymen of the live-wire type did the work. There was alwaysan element of danger present, though nothing ever broke.

Naco is directly on the border between Mexico and theUnited States. Douglas, not far distinct, is a busy town ofwhich smelting is the big industry. The historic town ofTombstone is the county seat. Bisbee is one of the largest[Pg 445]copper camps in the world. There were good men and truewith the A.P.L. in all of these towns, and they did fine,loyal service for the flag.

WYOMING

An artless report comes from Weston County, Wyoming:“We had a number of people here who were pro-German,but all such cases were quieted with a little assistance.One man said that he was in hopes that he could eat anothergood meal in his own country, Germany. When he gotthrough talking to all the people who waited upon him, hewent home and committed suicide.”

Moran, Wyoming, is hardly a place where you would lookfor a Russian countess. None the less, Moran contained onefor a while, and A.P.L. found her there and made certaininvestigations. One I.W.W. leader was also discoveredby alert operatives.

Sundance, Wyoming, is in the short grass country, andreports but little German activity. Most of the work of thisdivision had to do with draft board matters. The ranchcountry of the west was in a very large measure strictlyloyal, as the reports show.

IDAHO

Idaho Falls, Idaho, had one case which again shows thepronounced anti-Americanism of the German Lutheranchurch in America during the war. C. C. M——, a ministerof this denomination located at Blackfoot, Idaho, appliedfor the position of chaplain in the United States Army. Thelocal chief of the A.P.L. investigated him and found himto be violently pro-German. It was known that he hadthreatened to blow up the town of Blackfoot with dynamite,and had also made threats to poison the source of the watersupply of the town. Did Rev. Mr. M—— get his chaplaincy?He did not. A local applicant for the position ofCaptain in the United States Army, as Inspector of Arms,was also investigated, and was turned down on account ofhis strong pro-German tendencies.

Almo, Idaho, reports: “Our locality is wholly a stock[Pg 446]raising section and is sparsely settled, so there has been nodisloyalty or trouble whatsoever. There is nothing to reportexcept that the people of this section are absolutely O.K.in their loyalty to Uncle Sam.”

CALIFORNIA

Long Beach, California, sends in a two-page report whichis entirely too modest, because it covers 8,590 investigations.Out of this number, ninety were held in the Federal courts.Twenty were convicted, and three were found not guilty.Forty slackers and deserters were arrested, and three alienenemies, who were taken in the shipyards, were interned.Some 3,000 persons who had made indiscreet remarks againstthe country were warned to good effect.

In the Long Beach district were four shipbuilding plants.It was learned that several I.W.W.’s were numbered amongthe employees. They were taken from the shipyards forcause. The Long Beach chief was reluctant to disband, andwhen the time came to do so, he made arrangements by whichthe division will be held as a sort of reserve. “If at anyfuture time you need our assistance,” says the Chief, “youwill find us waiting.”

Oakland, California, looked into the color of the hair andeyes of 387 persons under the heading of disloyalty andsedition. There were 356 investigations under the draft act.Oakland Division dealt out its punishments to the enemydrastically. Seventeen well-known local Germans, businessand professional men, drank a toast to the Kaiser in theFaust Café, a German restaurant. The A.P.L. got thenecessary evidence, and ten of these men were convicted ofdisloyalty. The court put the punishment at three monthsin the chain gang, and a fine of $250 each. They do notnow know any such phrase as “Hoch der Kaiser.”

Crescent City, California, had at least one high light.The Chief reports that an enemy alien, a baker, learned insome way that his loyalty had been questioned, and immediatelystarted to gather all the rifles and pistols that hecould, declaring that with a dozen guns he could hold thewhole town at bay. Officers searched his place of businessduring his absence, and found several of the guns loaded.[Pg 447]The man claimed to be a naturalized citizen, but could notshow his papers. His case was cared for.

OREGON

The far Northwest bordering on the sea caught flotsamand jetsam, caught problems, as seaboard regions alwayshave and always will. The city of Portland, Oregon, sharesin these matters, though it is old, settled, and much disposedto quiet. Portland’s main concern in life is the growing ofroses; but early in the war Portland had already thrownaway her rose-growers’ club and set her hand to the axrather than to the garden trowel. As a city, it is a goodplace for roses, but a poor place for alien enemies.

A certain man of many aliases, whom we may indicateas D——, was arrested for being found within half amile of the Armory without an enemy permit. He wasfound to be the owner of a great deal of I.W.W. literature.Investigation proved him to be a man of vitriolic temper, andone possessed of considerable means. He was very wellinvestigated and jolly well interned.

A man by the name of F—— was arrested as a Germanalien, traveling without a pass. Very naturally, he claimedto be a Swiss, as do all German waiters. Investigation ofhis case proved he was in the habit of signing as a seaman,on ships about to sail, and then refusing to go on boardat sailing time. His peculiar conduct got him in wrong withthe Sailors’ Union. A close examination developed that hewas a former German naval officer, and pictures of him werefound in the German uniform. He was interned as a dangerousalien.

If Portland’s A.P.L. could not get a man one way, therewere always other ways available. One J. B——, placedunder suspicion by the angry accusation of a woman whomhe claimed to be his wife, was discovered to be a draftevader from Chicago. It was found also that he had areal wife living in Oklahoma. The pretending wife forgedthe wife’s name to the man’s questionnaire, thus securingfor him a deferred classification. He was indicted for violationof the Mann Act and Conscription Act, and got elevenmonths in jail.

[Pg 448]

The first slacker convicted and sentenced for violation ofthe Conscription Act in the State of Oregon was C. B——of Portland, who was discovered to have failed to register.He was arrested the 10th of July, 1917, tried and convictedand served thereafter as an example.

The hundreds of cases in Portland were of much the samesort as those arising in other cities. The law of averagesheld good. Once in a while a man was reformed, and oncein a while a flivver was found. E. B——, of California,registered at Fairfield, California, June 5, 1918, was postedas a deserter and arrested by an operative of the A.P.L.at Portland, Oregon. He was of Swedish descent, and thehearing of his case developed that many of his friends hadtold him that he could get out of the Army by claimingexemption as an alien subject to deportation. It was explainedto him that if he went back to Sweden under deportation,he could never again return to the U. S. as a citizen.This cleared up his mind distinctly, and he resolved to gointo the Army and will probably make a good citizen.

Canyon City, Oregon, says: “We had one man who wasconstantly spilling over in favor of Germany. Our memberstook him over the jumps and made him subside. Hecould have been convicted, but neighbors promised to beresponsible for him, and they kept their word. Our peopleas a whole were very loyal, and we had only a small numberof cases to handle.”

WASHINGTON

Yakima, Washington, tabulates its activities as 93 casesof disloyalty and sedition, ten cases of word-of-mouthpropaganda and sixteen I.W.W. cases, besides the usualroutine work.

Snohomish, Washington, sends in a report indicative ofan unexpected amount of activity. There were 302 casesof disloyalty and sedition, nineteen of sabotage, twenty-fourof anti-military activity, fifteen of propaganda, as well as116 cases under the selective service regulations, and 124under the “work or fight” order. The Chief closes hismodest summary with the statement that the work waslargely connected with I.W.W. and Socialists activitiessuch as were noted in the Northwest during the war. He[Pg 449]says: “We had the state secretary of the Socialists in thepenitentiary. Many I.W.W.’s were jailed, and many morewere inducted into the Army. Some of the latter tribe havebeen court-martialed since entering the Army.” As it were,and so to speak, Atta Boy!

ALASKA

And now let us give, as the very last tribute of The FourWinds, the report of a town which may seem a long wayfrom home to many readers, but which, out of all the manyhereinbefore mentioned, will show best of all the far-flungactivities of the American Protective League. This reportcomes from Anchorage, Alaska. Leopold David is Chiefat this far off station, and every word that he has writtenshall go to the readers of the League:

It has a safe and significant sound—the A.P.L. atAnchorage. Not a large place, indeed, but there were sevencases of alien enemy activity, twenty-eight of disloyalty andsedition, five of anti-military activities and thirty-two ofpropaganda, beside two I.W.W. investigations. Anchorageseems to have been uncertain whether to work or fight insome instances; 206 cases came up of this sort. In additionto these, 143 draft cases came before the local boards, aswell as 62 slacker cases. Twenty-two cases under the headof liquor, vice and prostitution were disposed of. The FoodAdministration had only four cases. It is gratifying to notethat every head and sub-head of the report is filled out conscientiouslyand carefully.

We may now cease the reading of further reports fromthe four points of the compass in America, and rest withthis one from Anchorage, submitting once more the convictionthat these many varying reports, covering multifoldlines of investigation, make the best and truest reflex ofAmerica ever gotten together in printed form. The readingand summarizing of the reports made an extraordinaryexperience, such as can hardly have come to many individuals,probably to none outside of the Department ofJustice; and it is not known whether a similar enterpriseever has been undertaken even in that great office. By nomeans is it to be supposed that all the reports sent in havebeen mentioned in these pages—only a small fraction havehad even the briefest mention. Many hundreds remainunnamed in public as do hundreds of thousands of men whomade them up, not asking recognition for their work. Itwould be cheap to thank such men, or to apologize to them.In A.P.L., each of us has done the best he knew. For that,there is higher and better approval than that of any printedpage.

[Pg 451]

BOOK IV
AMERICA

[Pg 452]

—Col. John McCrae.

From the volume “In Flanders Fields,” copyright, 1919, by G. P.Putnam’s Sons. Printed by permission.

[Pg 453]

CHAPTER I
THE RECKONING

Our Duty to the Soldier—Our Lasting Quarrel With theFoe—The Story of the Census—No More Traitors—Shuttingthe Gates Against the Huns—The New Patriotismfor All Americans.

Vox populi, vox dei is a fine phrase. But fine phrasesoften half-state or mis-state facts for sake of the half-idea’ssound. Many popular conceptions are wide of the truth.

The world had come to call the French people light, fickle,inconstant, volatile, incapable of grave and deep emotions.That was the popular American idea of France up to 1914.The man who would voice that idea now would be treatedwith anger or silent contempt by all the world. Now weknow the silent, modest, simple, enduring faith, the unfalteringcourage, the undying flame of heart which madethe real France.

We thought Great Britain cold, phlegmatic, emotionless.Who would say that to-day of a brave and strong peopletrying their best to ask us not to mention their battlesagainst odds, their steadfast courage in holding the line,but to feel and understand the real admiration and loveBritain really feels for us in these days.

We Americans thought ourselves above fickleness andlightness always, boasted always of our common sense andsteady practical point of view. We called France hysterical.Was it so? No. Once again popular counsel is wrong. It iswe Americans who are the most hysterical people in theworld. We make a purpose and forget it. We erect a heroand forget him. We believe, boast, acclaim, hurrah—andforget. We are easily excited—it is we who most easily grow“high headed,” as the French say. It is we, of all nations,who most quickly forget.

In that fact regarding the American character lies the[Pg 454]great hope of Germany to-day. It is the great fear of ourgallant friends in arms, who held the line from which we solong were absent. It is the great danger of America. Lestwe forget! Lest we forget! The danger is that we shall forget.And if we do, the great victory of this war is lost.

Our Army is turned back toward home again. We greetour soldiers with much blare of trumpets. We mention largeplans of industry for to-morrow. We slap each man inuniform on the back and say: “Fine! Noble! You are ahero! You have saved the world!”

But to-morrow—To-morrow! And once more, what ofto-morrow!

The soldier comes back to his old world shyly glad thathe still lives, hoping for the renewed touch of hands heknew, seeking the place in life that once was his. But, in spiteof our protestations, that place is no longer his. It is asthough he really were dead. The waters have closed overhis place and he is no more. To-morrow he is forgotten—andhe may listen to stay-at-home stories of how the warwas fought and won—the “history” of this war, which,like all other history, will not be the truth but what we allaccept as the truth because that is the easiest thing to do.

But if the soldiers of this country are to come back onlyto the old America, the hurrying, scrambling, hectic, hystericalAmerica—and those are our deserved adjectivesmore than any other people’s—then we have not won thiswar but have lost it.

Our quarrel with yonder foe is not done. We shall havebeen faithless to our own blood and kin if now we forget.The war begins now; not ends. It must yet be fought outhere at home in America. It will require all our courage towin it; if indeed it can still be won.

There have been some great editorials struck off in thewhite heat of American conviction in these tremendous daysfollowing the Armistice and before the conclusion of thePeace Conference. Here is one from a Chicago journalwhich ought to be read and remembered by every statesmanand every citizen in America.

Germany is not dead or defeated in America. She willraise her head again. Again we shall hear the stirring inthe leaves, and see arise once more the fanged front whichhas so long menaced the world. The time to scotch thatsnake is now, to-day; and this is no time, when our maimedmen are coming home, when our young boys are growing up,to be faithless to those men who—their eyes still on us asthey fling to us the torch of civilization—lie not yet contentnor quiet in Flanders Fields.

The great debt of the world is by no means yet paid.Whether or not Germany pays to the material limit, is notso much. Whether or not we get back a tenth of our warmoney, is not so much—that is not the way the great debtof the world is going to be paid. We cannot pay it by[Pg 456]oratory or by fine phrases, or by resolutions and conferencesand leagues of nations. We cannot pay it with eulogies ofthe dead nor monuments to the living heroes. We cannotpay it by advancing our breasts again against shot and shell.

The debt of the world must be paid by America. Wecan pay it only by making a new and better democracy inAmerica. We can pay it only by renewed individual sacrificesand a renewed individual courage.

We must remake America. We must purify the source ofAmerica’s population and keep it pure. We must rebuildour whole theory of citizenship in America. We must caremore for the safety of America’s homes and the safety ofthe American ideal. We must insist that there shall be anAmerican loyalty, brooking no amendment or qualification.

That is to say, we must unify the American populace—orwe must fail; and the great debt of the world must remainunpaid; and the war must have been fought in vain.

The old polyglot, hubbub, hurdy-gurdy days of Americaare gone. We are no longer a mining camp, but a country,or should be that. Happy-go-lucky times are done for us.We must become a nation, mature, of one purpose, resolvedat heart. Now we shall see how brave we reallyare, how much men we are.

What is America to-day? What undiscovered soul wasthere lying under the paint and the high heels and thetambourine and the bubbling glass in the fool’s paradise ofour excited lives? What was there of sober and resolvedcitizenship under the American Protective League—a forceso soon developed, so silently disbanded? Very much wasthere. All that a nation needs was there—if that nationshall not forget.

It is one thing if a quarter million men go back to businessand forget their two years of sacrifice; if three millionsoldiers also forget their sacrifices and simply drop back intothe old business world which they left. But it is quite anotherthing if three and a quarter million American citizens,sobered and not forgetful, do take up the flung torch andsay that the dead of Flanders shall rest content—notmerely for a day or so remembered—not merely for a yearor two revenged, but for all the centuries verified and madeof worth and justified in their sacrifices.

[Pg 457]

A part, only a small part, of the work of the AmericanProtective League is done. We who silently pass back yetfurther beyond recognition, are not disbanded at all. Theflung torch is especially in our own hands. We have beenonly pretenders in this League, we have been only mummersand imposters in this League, if we do not individually carryon the work for the future. That work, as we take it, is tomake America safe for Americans, and to leave each mansafe in his own home, in a country of his own making, at atable of his own choosing.

When work on this book was first begun, it seemed to allconcerned that the great matter was to accumulate instancesof shrewdness in catching criminals; stories of plots foiledand villains thwarted. We all of us wanted to see stalk bywith folded arms a tall, dark, mysterious stranger in a longcloak, with high boots, and a wide hat pulled low over hisbrow. We wanted him, in the final act, to pull off his hatwith the sweeping gesture of one hand, his false moustachewith the other, and stand revealed before us, smooth-facedand fair of hair, exclaiming “It is I—Clarence Hawkshaw,the young detective!” We shared the American thirst forsomething exciting.

It became obvious, as the great masses of sober, conscientiousrevelations from the very heart of America came rollingin and piling up in cumulative testimony, that what hadat first seemed the most desirable material was the leastdesirable. If this record is to have any ultimate value—andit should have great historical value—that must be,not because of a few flashy deeds, but because of a great,sober, underlying purpose. Our final figure of the A.P.L.man is not to be a Hawkshaw, but—an American.

When the time came to call a halt and to disband, therewas not a member of the League who did not lay down hiswork sober and grave of heart. The sum of the reaction ofall these reports, large and small, from the hundreds ofcenters where the League was active, leaves any man acquaintedwith the facts convinced that America has doneher part splendidly, here at home, in the war. It is splendid—whatAmerica has done. Far more splendid, whatAmerica is. Still more splendid, what America is to be.

The best reading for any American in these days is the[Pg 458]census map of the United States. Next year we shall havea new one, for by then, ten years more of our history willhave been completed. The census map comes out once everydecade, printed in different colors, showing the location ofthe foreign-born in the United States. The American-bornregions have appeared in steadily lessening areas as thedecades have passed.

It is only with a grave heart that any real American canface the census map to-day. The conviction is inevitablethat we have been too long careless of our racial problems.If we are to have an America now, we must change. Ourgolden age of money-making is not a double decade in extent.We cannot go that road another twenty years. If your sonis meant to be an American, have him study the census mapand the story of the A.P.L. Then he will learn somethingabout his own country. He has not known. His father hasnot known.

The English came early in our history and the Scotch-Irish,the finest of frontier stock. The Pennsylvania Dutchcame and built homes. Then came the Irish, facile and quickto blend. Our immigration before the Civil War was north-European—sturdystock, fit for the forests and prairiesand the vast new farm lands of the West. Now we began tomine and manufacture more, and our immigrants changedthe colors of the census map. We began to import workcattle, not citizens, for our so-called industrial captains.Steamship companies combed southern and southeasternEurope. Our miners could not speak English. The Irishmanworked no more on the railroads, the sewers, thestreets—he shrank from the squat foreigner as the leanYankee shrank from him—as the Italian, in turn, willshrink from the Russian bolshevist, if we allow him toswarm in.

The map shows you all these things inexorably. It showsthe shrinking of the American-born regions to-day to onlya small spot on the tops of the Cumberlands in Kentucky,Tennessee, North Carolina and a corner of Alabama andGeorgia. Now check up this rough census outline with thereports printed in these pages from all over America. Wesoberly must conclude that America is not America. Wefind that the great states of each coast are practically[Pg 459]foreign—New York most of all; that the Bolsheviki aboundin the mines of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Montana, wherecoal and copper and iron are found; that Southern Europehas not yet moved its center of population west of the Mississippi;that the Scandinavian and German element occupiesWisconsin, Minnesota and parts of upper Iowa. Andthe American—where is he?

Would to God that the chameleon record, that fatallyaccurate census map, could show us the American huespreading decade after decade, and not these other colors ofthe map of America, showing the extension of the foreign-born!It is time now, old as we are, that we should seek afar more normal balance of the increase of our foreign-born.

Something is wrong. The census map shows that it istime to put up the bars at Ellis Island. They ought to goup for ten years at least. Twenty—thirty—lo! Thenthis would be America, and all inside our gates would beAmericans. The gates ought never to go down as they havein the past. We ought to pick and select our foreign-bornpopulation. If we have not the courage to do that, weare lost.

Give us a generation of selected immigration; deport theun-Americans who divide their loyalty; revoke the naturalizationof every man interned in this war and of every otherdisloyal man,—every adherent to the law of violence anddestruction,—and then, and then only, the result may bean American population and a real America.

The best possible news for America would be that of thedeportation of more than 300,000 false and foresworn citizenswho have acted as German spies in America duringthis war. Send that many away from America, and thoseremaining soon would learn that the hyphen must go forall time. If not, let them also go. We do not need Germansnow. The world is done with Germans. We want Americansnow.

It is by no means impossible that some such action willbe taken very soon. In his last annual report, the AttorneyGeneral of the United States recommends that all alienswho were interned during the war should be deported andthat Congress shall pass a law to that effect. This woulddeprive us at once of a select society, estimated to number[Pg 460]from 3,000 to 6,000, who have been taking their ease intheir inn at our expense. Banded or disbanded, when theAmerican Protective League says that law must be passed,it will be passed. And then we shall begin to have anAmerica and not a mining camp with open doors. Hunt outAmericans for your leaders. Vote for them. Where havewe ever found better leaders?

The Department of Justice officials are on record to theeffect that these interned aliens should not be left in thiscountry to make future trouble and to serve actively asGerman agents. They were often trained propagandists;men involved in bomb plots; men who plotted against ourshipping, against the transportation of our troops. Wehave no law by which we can punish those men further.Are they good citizens to retain? Our Department of Justicethinks not.

Among these interned prisoners are bank presidents, exportersand importers, college professors, merchants, musicians,actors, former officers of the German army and navyand merchant marine. Many of the names which have appearedin the testimony of the Senate Overman Committeeappear also on the internment rolls. There are consuls,officials and noblemen, so-called, who also have been in ourinternment camps. Do we want them in our homes? TheDepartment of Justice thinks otherwise.

Not less disloyal than these greater figures are thousandsand hundreds of thousands of minor figures, paid or unpaidpropagandists of Germany in this country during the war,pro-Germans, hyphenates, silent or outspoken, who are notAmericans at all. Do we want them in our citizenship? Ifwe cannot get rid of them, ought we to import any moreof them?

Already Americans stir uneasily under the revelations oftreachery within our gates. They ask of themselves,—Sincethese things were true but now, what guarantee have we forthe future? How can America protect herself against thefuture treachery of so large an element of her population?

The answer to that question is very easy for bold men.Let us clean house. If the existing broom is not sufficientfor that, let us make another broom. The revocation ofcitizenship for acts of disloyalty to this country is a remedial[Pg 461]agency which will be applied more frequently in thefuture. A law should be, and probably will be, placed uponour statute books which will hold over the head of everyforeign-born citizen attaining citizenship in this country awarning that he must come into this court with clean handsand must keep his hands clean forever thereafter. That isto say, there shall be no more an absolute patent of citizenship,nothing irrevocable any more in the citizenship of theforeign-born. We will hold a first mortgage—we will givehim no deed. Four years ago, doctrine like this would havebeen scouted. Four years hence it will be accepted, perhaps,as the truth; indeed, the tendency has already begun. Ineight years it will be a law. In twenty years, America willbe a nation, and the strongest on the globe.

In New Jersey, Frederick Würsterbarth, who had a certificateof American citizenship, perjured himself and remainedtrue to his foreign birth. He declared he would donothing to help defeat Germany, and had no desire to seeAmerica win. He would not contribute to the Red Cross orto the Y.M.C.A. He added the old hyphenated plea thatto support the war against Germany would be like kickinghis mother in the face. The Federal courts canceled the certificateof citizenship of Würsterbarth. In the New Jerseycase, the judge said of Würsterbarth: “Before he couldbe admitted to citizenship, he must declare under oath thathe would support the Constitution of the United States andentirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity toany foreign sovereignty. Public policy requires that no oneshall be naturalized except he exercise the utmost good faithin all the essentials required of him; and where the governmentis shown that good faith in any of the essentials isquestionable, the burden must be on the respondent to dispelthat doubt.”

In addition to the statute which shall make false citizenshippapers revocable, little doubt exists that we also shallhave a law requiring the immediate deportation of any foreignerwho has failed to take out his second naturalizationpapers within the prescribed time. The A.P.L. investigationsduring this war uncovered countless cases of thesepseudo-citizens. Of what use can any Monroe doctrine beto America if it is our constant practice to nullify that[Pg 462]doctrine and stultify ourselves by allowing practical colonization?And if you do not believe that we have foreigncolonies, study your census map and the history of theAmerican Protective League.

Is it bitter, such a belief? You think we still need theGerman language in the United States? One hundred andforty-two Illinois schools eliminated the study of Germanfrom their curriculums during the last year, while twentyschools reduced the courses offered in that subject. Ninety-sixschools introduced the study of French for the first timeand twenty-one schools added it to their curriculum in thatone state.

You still think this is rabid? Read from the report ofthe Secretary of the Interior of the United States.

Who are you, new man at Ellis Island? Are you a demobilizedGerman soldier looking for easy money in America?Let us see your hands. Qui vive! Advance, and givethe countersign! And don’t let it be in German.

What all the world is fearing to-day is the growth ofBolshevism. It has ruined Russia—and we must pay forthat; it is blocking the peace parliaments in Germany—andwe must pay for that. It is beginning in America andmay grow swiftly in the turbulent days after the war—andwe shall have to pay for that. Nobody knows what theBolshevist is nor what are the tenets of Bolshevism—least ofall the Bolshevists themselves. They have recruited theirranks from the most ignorant and most reckless—from thedregs and scum of the world. Their theory is that of force;of government they have nothing. They use the force oflaw without any surrender of privileges to the law. Theirtheory of life is self-contradictory. None the less, sincethey cannot be reasoned with, they constitute a menace toany country. The mischief makers of all classes make recruitsfor Bolsheviki—socialists, radical I.W.W.’s, anarchists,the red flag rabble of every country united in thegeneral ignorant greed of the wolf pack.

Bolshevism may come to America through the Socialists,through the I.W.W. or through the Non-Partisan League—whichin the State of North Dakota to-day hold a two-thirdsmajority of both House and Senate. It will grow out of theignorant and discontented foreigners unassimilated in thiscountry. We must expect it naturally to come from theseand from the pro-Germans in this country, because thosepeople never have been satisfied with what we did in thewar. In general, Bolshevism lives only on its own excitement,its own lack of plans, its own eccentricities. It findsits opportunity in any time of unrest and of slackenedgovernment.

[Pg 464]

We have troublesome days of reconstruction ahead inAmerica. Food prices and wages cannot go up forever,but it will be difficult to reduce wages and food prices. Weshall have unemployment in this country. We shall havesoldiers in this country dissatisfied because they find themselvesand their deeds so soon forgotten. These things allare among the menaces of America, and they must be faced.It will require a united America to face them successfully.

Shall we import more such problems, or shall we dispensewith certain of those which we now have? Besides all thisirresponsible and sporadic Bolshevik propaganda, we maycount upon the old, steady, undying, well-conceived andwell-spread propaganda of Germany after the war as muchas before and during the war. We shall meet—indeed, thisvery day are meeting—propaganda against the Allies intendedto split us from France and Great Britain. Germanyis going out after her lost markets all over the worldas best she can. She will need all of her propaganda tohelp her crawl back even into a place in the shadows ofthe world and not in the sun of the world’s respect. Whilethe war was going on, some firm in America bought a shiploadof German toys. Who wants such blood-reddened toysin his home? Soon we shall see German goods in our markets.Who wants such goods? Soon we shall hear thesubtle commercial scoff, “It’s all bosh to refuse Germangoods, for they are better and cheaper.” Is it so? Is itour duty to be unsentimental in business? Germany wasquite unsentimental when she tore up the Belgian scrap ofpaper. It now would seem to be time that we had somesentiment of the old sort. Sentiment rarely is fundamentallywrong. So-called common sense quite often is no morethan common selfishness.

As these pages go forward, the Allies’ declaration is thatthe Hun shall not be allowed in the peace conference norin any League of Nations whatever that may be drawn up.One thing is sure. No League of Nations ever will bestronger than the individual thought of the countries combining.Our League of Nations will be no stronger thanour feelings against pro-Germanism. If we forget that, andtake up the game at the old place, our League of Nationsis dead at its birth.

[Pg 465]

The Department of Justice, having removed restrictionson enemy aliens, and having wiped out the barred zonesand the necessity of passes or permits, has released a greatmany pro-Germans who will slip back into their old placesin America. In Great Britain the German waiter—so frequentlythe German spy—is not going to be allowed to takehis old place. It may cause some inconvenience, but GreatBritain is going to get on without him. That is what wemust learn in America—to get on without some of thestolid or the obsequious labor that we have had. With thebarring of alien labor, we should suffer many inconveniencesin our personal lives. If we cannot endure those inconveniences,then we can have no League of Nations. Withthe refusal to buy any article made in Germany, we shouldbe letting ourselves in for a considerable individual loss.Unless we are willing to accept that loss, we can have neithera League of Nations nor an America worthy of the name.

Germany is crippled, but not beaten and not repentant.The Germans regret the sinking of the Lusitania only becauseit was the thing which brought America into the war.For the war itself they are not sorry. If defeat did notmake them repentant, heavy indemnities may help teach themsomething of their real place in the world. That lesson willbe all the stronger if we in America shall make more stringentimportation and deportation laws—if we shall deport moreGermans and import less German goods. There is many andmany an American home where German goods never againwill enter the doors.

Prince Carl, of the House of Hohenzollern, when speakingof the war, said he thought that Germany ought not to havestarted her submarine warfare “without being absolutelysure it would succeed.” He said he regretted the Germanpropaganda in the United States—because it had been carriedout so clumsily; he said that Germany ought to havestarted her propaganda here on a larger scale, and oughtto have spent millions of marks instead of thousands! Thereyou see the German idea and part of the German policy inAmerica. They have learned some lessons, but not the greatlesson of the humble and the contrite heart.

Maximilian Harden has been a voice crying in the Hunwilderness for most of the time of the war. He says that[Pg 466]now there is no real revulsion of feeling against the menwho have caused Germany’s name to be a stench in the nostrilsof the world. The soldiers returning from the frontare cheered as heroes, though their hands are caked withthe blood of innocent women and children. Not one of thegroups scheming for advantage at Berlin has expresslyrepudiated the war. Not one has expressed horror at theviolation of treaties.

Are these pages indeed bitter? They cannot be made bitterenough! We cannot sufficiently amplify and intensifythe innate American horror at the revealed duplicity of thisnation which we have fought and helped to beat. We findtheir spirit to have been one of fiendish ingenuity, theirintellect of that curiously perverted quality to which attentionhas been called. Germany never has exulted more inthe success of her armies in open warfare than in her successat stealth and treachery. Are these the men we wishto see marking our coming census maps?

We have nothing to fear from Germany. We have beatenthe Germans at every game they have produced, and we cancontinue to do so. We are the victors and they are thevanquished. They made the vast mistake of being beatenin this war. There is no reason why we should fear themin the future, on either side of the Atlantic. Major H. C.Emory, a former professor at Yale, in a late address, rathercolloquially voiced something of this feeling of confidencein his own country:

Let us get sane! Get over this German bug of thinkingthat somehow or other the Germans are superior. Morallythey are greatly inferior, but people have thought that somehow,intellectually or in organization, they are better thanthe rest of the world. We have shown them that we cansmash the German military organization, which we havesmashed. There is an idea that the Germans can do us inbusiness; that somehow this is a race that we cannot competewith on normally fair terms. Put that out of your head!They are a patient, hard-working race; they will work fourteenhours a day where a Russian won’t work four. Theywill plod faithfully. But, gentlemen, they are dumb; they arestupid. They do not understand things. They do not getthe psychology of anybody else; and a large part of their[Pg 467]science and their supposed superior way of doing things isbluff and fake. They have done some good work, but nobetter work, and they are not doing better work, in the fieldof economics than the English, the French, and the Americans.In the field of business they have nothing on you. For thelove of Mike, don’t be afraid of them! You can put it overthem every time.

We need not fear either the arms, the arts or the artificesof Germany. What we need to fear, really, is our easy-going,unsuspicious American character, our tendency toforget everything else in the great game of affairs. It istime now that from the great mass of the American peoplethere shall appear silently, standing shoulder to shoulderand side to side as they have in their old organization, anew American Protective League. Our old League determinedthat our homes and our property should be saved.Let the new League determine that our country and ourprinciples shall be saved. All the eyes of the world turnto America to-day. The remainder of the world is distracted.In Berlin, radicals coming up from the dregs aredoing their best to get control of a ruined country. “Bismarck’sstructure was wonderful while it lasted,” says aneditorial in an able American paper, “but it was a nationwithout a soul. It was made of blood and iron, and itcould not live because the spirit was left out.” Neither canour civilization or our citizenship live if they are made ofsilver and gold, and if the spirit be left out.

It is time to look at the census map of America. We mustrevise those colors in the next ten years, or we have lost thewar. This distrust of Germany in America, in South Americaand in Europe, is something which should excite nosympathy and no pity whatever. Wars are not cleared up,for example, on any basis of sympathy. There is no usefiguring what we can do to show Germany how sorry weare. The thing to do is to leave Germany sorry. She hascoal, iron, timber, copper, potash, phosphate, abundant othernatural resources. If she cannot handle them, others canhandle them for her. Marshal Foch has threatened repeatedlythat if Germany continues cynically to disregardthe terms of the armistice, he will march again on Germany.[Pg 468]That is hard doctrine? Yes. But it was Germanythat lost the war.

It is altogether likely that not the best writing in theworld, not the most partisan history in the world, will everbe able to give a clean bill of health to America’s conductof this war, or to restore the old American confidence thatwe were the one great people of the world. The scales havefallen from the eyes at least of our soldiers. They know,and presently all the world will know, our shortcomings.Three million men will have something to say about thepolitics of this country. Perhaps they will say that ournext war shall not find us so unprepared. Perhaps theywill say that our next war shall not find us with an armyof 2,000,000 spies, propagandists and pro-enemies who claimAmerican citizenship. The Army man is the worst foe ofthe censorship which has held back the truth from Americafor so long. Perhaps the Army man will be able to settleaccounts with that politician whose stock in trade is theholding back from the American people of the knowledge ofthemselves. It is time to raise the real banner of America.It will take courage to march under those colors. But ifwe cannot march side by side and shoulder to shoulder, thenwe have lost this war, we have lost the Monroe Doctrine, wehave lost the League of Nations.

Why should we try to avoid the truth? Nothing is gainedby that. The truth is that the reckoning of this war is notyet paid. Eventually it must be paid through the resolutionand individual courage of those citizens who are notashamed to be called American. Ostracism of the hyphen,where it is known still to exist; fearlessness in the boycottof blood-soaked German goods; rejection of the blood-soakedGerman hand; the wiping out of the foreign languages inthe pulpit and press of America; the revocation of citizenshipbased on a lie; the deportation of known traitors—thoseare some of the things which must go into the oath ofthe next A.P.L. Until we can swear that oath and maintainit, we have lost the war.

It is a far cry enough. We have not shot one Germanspy out of those thousands whom we have found workinghere in America. We have not deported one man. We haverevoked the citizenship of only two men—the above mentioned[Pg 469]Fred Würsterbarth, who had been a citizen of Americafor thirty years, and Carl August Darmer, of Tacoma,Washington, who had been a citizen in America for thirty-sixyears. Do you think these two men were any worsethan a one hundred thousand others who worked as spies ofGermany? Hardly. The war remains still to be foughtagainst these men who still are under arms. Apply thistest to your friends and associates—to your lawyer, yourdoctor, to your grocer, above all, to your alderman, yourcouncilman, your mayor and your representatives in Congress.Why not? It is only the same test which the UnitedStates District Court in New Jersey applied to Würsterbarth.

Eight years ago an American minister of the gospel whohad lived much abroad, especially in Germany, came backto this country and wrote a book which perhaps never wasvery popular. He held up the mirror of America to herself.His views to-day would not be so much that of onecrying in the wilderness. Let us follow along, in a runningsynopsis of the pages of his book, a hint now and then frompage to page, and see what one man thought in that longago before war was dreamed of; before the German armyof spies, military and industrial, had been unearthed; beforethe plans of Germany for world conquest had been divulged.That writer says:

Such extended quotations are made from one writer (Mr.Monroe Royce; “The Passing of the American”) only becausethese truths of ten years ago are equally true to-dayand more true. In the past ten years our census map haschanged yet more. And now into this crude population ofours we have inducted all the seeds of discord of this war.We have learned a sudden distrust of a large number ofour citizenry. Our returning soldiers will bring us yet moreproblems. The spirit of unrest in this hour of anarchy willadd to all these problems.

It is time for another oath, sworn indeed for the protectionof America.

[Pg 472]

AT THE PEACE TABLE

[Pg 473]

CHAPTER II
THE PEACE TABLE

The Price of Peace—The First Days After the Armistice—FerociousTreachery of Germany in this Country—TheTest of the Citizen—The New America.

To the merely morbid mind, the white faces of the starved,the moans of the maimed, the black habiliments of thosewho mourn, may be thought parts of a drama whose terribleappeal has found no counterpart in the human emotions.For the average man, soon to settle back to the grim struggleof making his living, perhaps even these scenes will fade, theworld turning from them because the world can endure nomore. But someone must make the peace, must bind up thewounds. Someone must point out the future to the staggeringpeoples, dizzy from their hurts. And it is not aloneEurope which has a future to outline. Our own history isnot yet written; our own problems lie before us still.

What shall a just peace be? If it must be tempered withmercy, to whom shall we show mercy—to the foe whom wehave beaten, or the coming generation of Americans whomthat foe has done all he could to betray and ruin? Shallwe fight this war through now until it actually is done; orshall we face an indeterminate future, with possible furtheryet bloodier and more appalling wars?

Now the dead arise and demand their justice. The worldleans over the rail of the arena, cold-faced, thumbs down,pitiless of the armed bully who lies vanquished and whimpering.A race which would fight as Germany has fought, andfor such reasons, will fight again when possible. Such a raceunderstands nothing but force. Mercy is mistaken with apeople which knows not the meaning of mercy. Britain hasa huge war bill against Germany; that of France is largerstill. What of our own bill? And what of the total of allthese sums, added to that which the war has cost Germany[Pg 474]herself? If the Germans should be serfs for centuries, theycould not pay the reckoning in silver and gold alone. Butthat is not the great question. What of the silent dead,demanding also their due before Almighty God?

Germany never can pay her bill. So long as her languageis spoken, it will be the tongue of a debtor race whose accountnever will be paid and never can be. And why shouldthe world forgive that debt or that debtor, even should itfind it impossible to collect the debt. What outlaws such adebt in the just belief of the world? Shall continued arroganceand treachery serve to outlaw that unpaid debt?Shall a continuance in America of the old German ways inAmerica serve to outlaw her awful and eternally unpaiddebt?

Why does such feeling as this exist in the minds of themost chivalrous of foes against whom Germany ever fought?Why should America and France and Britain feel an implacablehatred against a helpless enemy? In other warsthe sign of submission has arrested the wrath of warriors.But not in this war. The world looks on beaten Germanyto-day with cold scorn and with no feeling of relenting. Itis the way that she fought—it is the spying that she did,the brutality that she showed, which has awakened the ice-coldwrath of the world to-day. That wrath means to exactit* pound of flesh from the heart of Germany itself. Whatof the dead who died unfairly? What of the innocent andthe unarmed dead? Only in her own tears of blood couldGermany learn the humble and the contrite heart. She hasnot yet learned her lesson. It must be taught her for acentury yet and more.

More and more as the facts shall come from Europe, uncoveringthe real Germany, showing her ferocious treacheryall over the world, her utter insensibility to any feeling ofresponsibility, her abysmal ignorance of such a term ashonor, shall we be ready to make fair conclusions; for thesemust be our only premises.

It is only those who really know Germany’s methods inAmerica—those who know her treachery, her duplicity, herefforts to undermine our country—who can make up a fairjudgment as to how Germany should be treated in thefuture.

[Pg 475]

The members of the A.P.L. have drawn aside the masksand found hundreds of thousands of two-faced “citizens”amenable to no sense of honor and fair play, hating the flagthey have sworn to honor. America does not need thosepeople. America needs only the facts about them. Thejudgment thereon will be written in the next two generationsof American history.

The plea of Germany for food after the Armistice wasonly part of her old propaganda. Her attempts to splitthis country away from the Allies is now carried on onlyas a part of her old systematic propaganda. It behoovesus to be well aware of such methods, since we once haveknown them. Germany will not be allowed at the peacetable. She will not be allowed in the League of Nations.Why? Because she has lost the right to shake the hand ofhonorable soldiers. How about honorable citizens?

There is not so much bitterness as cold and relentlessreason in all such statements. But you may get a trace ofbitterness from the press of Europe, suffering as Europehas all these years under the ruthlessness of German war.There is indeed “every reason for belief that other pledgeswould be as treacherously shattered did not the victors controlthe only agency which Germany understands—sheermaterial force. There can be no compassion based on anycode of sound morality for people so despicable as to snivelfor help in the midst of an orgy of cowardly iniquity. Germanyin this last and most loathsome of her ugly roles shouldexcite about as much legitimate sympathy as a hungrysnake.”

The murders of Liebknecht and of Rosa Luxemburg haveexcited certain strange comment in the German press.“What will the world think of us?” asks the Germanpaper Vorwaerts, “if we commit murders such as this?”

That certainly is a purely German question! It is a trifleacademic. What in Germany is the murder of one womanor one man? The seventh of May, 1915, was proclaimed anational holiday in Germany. On the seventh of May in1916, 1917, 1918, the German people closed their shops andtheir factories, and in holiday attire paraded the streets tocelebrate that glorious German victory when a submarinesank an unarmed vessel and murdered more than a thousand[Pg 476]persons, many of them women and children. And now Germanyasks what the world will think of her for killing oneor two of her own people!

The whole truth will never be known, but more than100,000 citizens of Belgium and France were put to deathon various pretexts; thousands of women made the sport ofviolent beasts who wore the Kaiser’s uniform; thousands oflittle children maimed and tortured and every conceivablebarbarity and infamy committed upon them. And yet Germanyapologizes for killing two more persons! And Dr.Dernburg counts upon the future friendship of America!

It must be the just men and brave men of America whoshall constitute the court to determine the treatment of theforeign element in America. All of those men within ourgates who retain their sympathy for Germany are enemiesof this country after the war as much as they were duringthe war. They must share then in the defeat of Germanyand must pay the losses of the loser. The victor decides.“We are the victors. Let the foreign element reflect on that—weare the victors, not they, in this fight which theyelected. It is only the man who makes the dollar his TenCommandments who will feel toward Germany in Americaafter the war as he did before.”

What we Americans need is not so much a League ofNations as a League of Americans. The soul of the AmericanProtective League—renamed, rechristened and reconsecrated—mustgo marching on even though the Leaguebe disbanded, its unseen banner floating no more over adefinite organization. As citizens we must unite in a commonpurpose, or the war will have been lost for us no matterwhat shall be the treaty at Versailles. If we open our heartsand homes again to the former traitors at our own table,then we have lost this war. It is of little consequence whatis done with the Kaiser—he is too pitiable a figure to beable to pay much, even with his life. But Kaiserism inAmerica, still growing, still reaching out in the old ways—thatis a different thing. We were leagued against thatonce, and must be leagued against it forever.

It is accurate enough to say that this war was no loftything in any phase. It was much like any other war, basedon the biological impulse of nations to go to war almost[Pg 477]rhythmically, almost periodically. Commercial jealousybrought out the war, and that it was “forced on” Germanywas never anything but a pitiable lie. Germanywanted to control the Suez Canal, to enlarge her possessionsin East Africa, to obtain the rich Indian possessions ofGreat Britain. All this was to follow her defeat of Englandand France, her absorption of Belgium, Denmark andHolland, her consolidation of Middle Europe, her subjectionof the mujik population of Russia, already suborned andbought and beaten by German propaganda. It was indeeda grandiose scheme of world conquest. Nothing that Alexanderplanned could have paralleled it. But it failed!

In our own country, we of the A.P.L. have seen treasonweighed and bought like soap or sugar, and the price wasready in German gold, no matter how high. Our morale wascontinuously assailed. Through our colleges, our schools,our churches, Germany always intended to undermine Americaand to break down her patriotism. On the list of menof intellect whom Germany had bought, there are, besidesa long list of college professors, fifty other names, includingjudges, editors, priests, men of large affairs. The Germansatyrs of diplomacy juggled huge figures carelessly in acold-blooded commerce which dwelt in hearts and souls andhonor. That was done merely in the hope to divide andconquer the United States, all in good time. German-Americancitizens? Why, no. Why use even that hyphen? Ifthey were not Americans during the war, they are notAmericans now. They are no more demobilized than Germany’sarmy is demobilized. Their hearts are no morechanged than the heart of Germany has changed. If theywere not at one time above prostituting the most sacredoffices in the world, they are not above that now.

Let the dead speak at the peace table! Let them tell ofthe simplicity and worthiness of the German character, theGerman “love of liberty.” We are often told about Germany’spart in our Civil War. We are not fighting thatwar now—we are fighting this war. We are asked to distinguishbetween the German rulers and the German people;but the obvious truth was that Germany was more unitedfor this war than we were united for it, more than GreatBritain or France was united for it. She planned it as the[Pg 478]exact working out of a business system—she made it herindustry, her ambition, her business enterprise for this generation.Is such an ambition as this stifled forever in hersoul, on either side the Atlantic? Let us not be too easyand too foolish. We are just beginning to learn about ourown citizenship. If Germany struck medals to commemorateits gallant dead, each dead man of ours at the peace tableought to bear that medal in his hand which would serve asproof of Germany’s oneness with her Kaiser in this war!

In these merciful and liberty-loving terms a Germanapostle of “kultur” writes:

Let us bravely organize great forced migrations of theinferior peoples. Let them be driven into “reserves,” wherethey have no room to grow ... and where, discouragedand rendered indifferent to the future by the spectacle of thesuperior energy of their conquerors, they may crawl slowlytoward the peaceful death of weary and hopeless senility.

Superior energy! Thrift! Efficiency! Let dead lips atthe peace table spell out those words. We remember theAlamo. We remember the Maine. Shall we forget theLusitania?

That statesmanship is not acceptable American statesmanshipwhich plans mercy for such a people, or whichtolerates the thought of unsafely letting in more of thatbreed within our country’s gates. It is a false and weakstatesmanship to mince matters in days like these. HadGermany’s war been fought out honestly by soldiers inuniform only, against soldiers in uniform, in accordancewith the customs among warriors, then that war might oneday be forgotten. But Belgium and France, plus von Bernstorffand von Papen and Scheele—No, no, and again, No!We Americans can not forget.

The propaganda campaign is beginning again here, now,in America, even in the existing confusion of our industries,in the hurrying of our own plans for demobilization. Weshall soon hear stories intended to make us believe thatFrance robbed us commercially, that Britain does not loveus and only used us. Can you not hear now the Germansong: “The war is over now. We are at peace. Let usforget. Kamerad!”

[Pg 479]

But we are not at peace. Our dead stand at the tablewith all those other gallant dead, to demand their hearingthrough all time. We must be done with foresworn citizenshipin America. We could forgive a soldier; but we cannotforgive a naturalized German who foreswore himselfwhen he took the oath of allegiance to our country. Thattreachery is one thing which must go—that is one thingwhich shall never be forgotten or forgiven in America.Such men as these lost their war. There is no injustice, nounfairness in any of these words, which sound so harsh.They set lightly on the innocent, heavily on those who haveguilt in their hearts.

It is for every man of foreign blood to know his ownheart—we cannot know his heart for him. He alone knowswhether he is German or American. He knows which hewants to be. We know that he cannot be both. That is theone test—the impossibility of a man being both a goodGerman and a good American. Let him choose. Let himread his own heart. And let him remember that he is notthe victor but the vanquished in this war.

One great American—I fancy even his enemies willallow him that title now—wrote as his final message toAmerica the real answer to this war as it applies to us inAmerica. Colonel Roosevelt’s last plea was for Americanism.It was read at an All-American Benefit Concert by atrustee of the society, because of the Colonel’s indisposition:

To that doctrine, and to that alone, can the dead at thepeace table nod their voiceless assent. By that doctrineonly, continually kept alive, continually enforced, can theirdeaths ever be justified and made glorious indeed. Underthat doctrine and for that purpose, we, who have our warto fight out here in America for a generation and more, cancontinue the battle, knowing that it is for a good cause, andknowing that we shall win.

The old oath of the American Protective League exists nomore. The silent army has disbanded. But now it remainsthe privilege of each of those men, and their sons and brothers,to enlist again in a yet greater army, and to swear ayet greater oath, each for himself, at his own bedside,gravely and solemnly:

THIS is my country. I have no other country. I swearto be loyal to her always, to protect her and to defend heralways, and in all ways. In my heart this is the truth, thewhole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God!

THE END

[Pg 482]

APPENDICES

[Pg 483]

APPENDIX A
HISTORICAL STATEMENT OF HINTON G. CLABAUGH,
DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT, U. S. BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION

Shortly after the severance of diplomatic relations between theUnited States and Germany on February 1, 1917, Mr. A. M. Briggs,then vice-president of a poster advertising company of New York,Chicago and elsewhere, whom I had met in connection with severalofficial investigations, called at the office of the Bureau ofInvestigation, and made substantially the following statement:“Diplomatic relations have been severed and in all probabilitythis country will be drawn into the European war. I am physicallyunable to join the active fighting forces, but I would like to helpin some way, and it has occurred to me that a volunteer organizationmight be of great assistance to an investigating bureau suchas the one with which you are connected. I hereby pledge allmy time and all my resources. I am not a man of much wealth,but the Government is welcome to every dollar I possess, as wellas my time, and I earnestly hope that if you can think of any wayin which I can be of assistance to this Bureau you will commandme.”

In the meantime I had a conference with the late Herman F.Schuettler, then General Superintendent of Police of Chicago, andattended a meeting of prominent citizens of this community inthe Federal Building.

Subsequently, or a few days after the first conversation, I toldMr. Briggs I had been thinking about his idea and believed thatan organization of volunteers would be of very great help to theDepartment, and as a first step in connection with such organizationwe could use some automobiles, which would enable the agentsto cover several times as much territory, to say nothing of thetime thus saved, but that there was no appropriation from whichthe Government could pay for the upkeep of such cars. I alsoexplained to him the substance of some telegrams which I hadexchanged on the subject with Mr. A. Bruce Bielaski, Chief of theBureau of Investigation at Washington.

[Pg 484]

Mr. Briggs on February 26th tendered the Chicago office threegood cars, and offered to furnish a car, or cars, for the New Yorkand Washington offices, as per my telegram to the Chief of theBureau, dated February 27, 1917.

On February 27, 1917, I wrote the following letter to Mr. Bielaski,Chief of the Bureau:

“This letter will introduce to you Mr. A. M. Briggs, concerningwhom I have already telegraphed and written you. Please besure to have Mr. Briggs meet Mr. Wrisley Brown, Mr. Horn andMr. Pike; and I should also like to have him meet Mr. Suter ifhe is in.”

The Mr. Wrisley Brown referred to was Special Assistant tothe Attorney General, and is now Major Wrisley Brown of theMilitary Intelligence Division. Mr. Raymond Horn, Mr. A. H.Pike and Mr. John Gardner were assistants to the Chief of theBureau. Mr. Suter was Private Secretary to the Attorney General.

On February 28, Mr. Bielaski sent me the following telegram:

On February 28, 1917, I wired Mr. Bielaski as follows:

Mr. Briggs also tendered a gift of fifty to seventy-five automobiles,to be divided up among the various offices of the Bureau, inthe principal cities, where they could be used to best advantage,without any cost to the Government whatsoever, as per my letterto the Chief of the Bureau of February 27, 1917.

On March 14, 1917, I sent a personal letter to Mr. Bielaski,Chief of the Bureau, enclosing a letter addressed to me by Mr.Briggs under date of March 14, a copy of which I have and whichis as follows:

On March 19, 1917, Mr. Bielaski telegraphed me as follows:

Mr. Bielaski confirmed his telegram by letter under date ofMarch 20th, which reads in part as follows:

On March 20, I telegraphed Mr. Briggs as follows:

On March 20, I received the following telegram, dated NewYork, from Mr. Briggs:

I then wired the Chief of the Bureau, and on March 22, Mr.Briggs wired me from Washington as follows:

Thus it was that Chicago was the first city in the United Statesto have such an organization. It was the idea of Mr. A. M.Briggs, and of no one else. Although in public speeches, lettersand upon other occasions he has been generous enough to creditthe idea to me, I want it positively understood that the wholescheme was his thought, and it is due to his untiring energy andsacrifice that the organization was started and put on its feetduring the early period of its history, when many people wereinclined to look upon it and ridicule it as “a bunch of volunteerdetectives, etc.” Mr. Briggs personally defrayed all expenses inthe early history of the organization. National headquarters werehere in the Peoples Gas Building and the Chicago Division was[Pg 487]formed as well. Thomas B. Crockett was Assistant Chief of thenational organization prior to the time, or until the time, he wasmade a Major in the Army, and assigned to the IntelligenceBranch, Central Department.

At the beginning of the war, the Bureau of Investigation handledall complaints of violations of so-called federal war laws, theenforcement of which were not specifically charged to other departmentsor bureaus by statute. In time, however, the military authoritiesestablished a bureau of Military Intelligence, and the Navyestablished in Chicago the Aid for Information and Naval IntelligenceBureau.

Under the direction of the Bureau of Investigation, a WarBoard was formed, consisting of representatives of the followingInvestigating Bureaus:

Chairman: Hinton G. Clabaugh, Division Superintendent, Bureauof Investigation, Department of Justice.

Colonel Carl Reichmann, former Military Intelligence Officer,Central Department, War Department.

Major T. B. Crockett, Military Intelligence Officer.

Lieutenant Edwin L. Reed, Aide for Information, 9th, 10th and11th Naval Districts.

Lieutenant Commander Clive Runnells, Naval IntelligenceOfficer.

General James E. Stuart, Post Office Inspector in Charge.

Colonel L. G. Nutt, Supervising Agent, Internal Revenue.

H. R. Landis, Inspector in Charge Immigration Service.

John J. Bradley, U. S. Marshal.

Charles Howe Bradley, Special Agent in Charge, TreasuryDepartment.

Davis S. Groh, Special Agent in Charge, Plant Protection Division,War Department.

John H. Winterbotham, Chairman, Chicago Division, AmericanProtective League.

Robert A. Gunn, Chief, Chicago Division, American ProtectiveLeague.

John H. Alco*ck, former Acting General Superintendent of Police.

John J. Garrity, General Superintendent of Police.

Morgan Collins, former First Deputy, Superintendent of Police.

By degrees the League, through the Bureau, tendered its servicesto these several branches.

In this necessarily brief and naked sketch of the early days ofthe American Protective League, I ought to add just a word or soregarding the composition and the purposes of this War Board.I called a meeting of the heads of the various federal investigationbureaus of the several departments of the Government, having to[Pg 488]do with investigation involving the detection and prosecution ofcrime under Federal laws, and the general superintendent ofpolice, who represents the local authorities. The purpose of thismeeting of the committee was to discuss various matters relatingto individual bureaus, with the idea of coördinating the workand to have maximum efficiency with minimum confusion andexpense, and thus to avoid unnecessary duplication of work. Acommittee representing two or three departments was appointed,which met almost daily for many months. This committee was ofinvaluable assistance. It kept the various heads of bureaus workingtogether in harmonious coöperation, and many constructiveideas were put into effect.

Chief Thomas I. Porter, Operator in charge of the Secret ServiceDivision, Treasury Department, nominated me for Chairman. Thenomination was seconded by Colonel Carl Reichmann, MilitaryIntelligence Officer, and unanimously approved, although I favoredthe selection of one of the older men. Captain Charles DanielFrey, later of the Military Intelligence Division at Washington,and one of the National Directors, attended the first meeting, andwas selected secretary of the committee.

The Chicago Bureau, assisted by the American Protective League,has conducted some of the most important investigations in thecountry. It is my judgment that the convictions under war lawsin the Chicago district will equal that of any three cities in thecountry. While comparisons are odious, I am referring to therecord as a matter of pride rather than egotism.

Topping the list with the famous I.W.W. trial, as late asMay, 1917, it was believed that the I.W.W. situation was onewhich should be handled by the state authorities, but their activitiesand the history of the organization were such that the Governmentundertook to follow it up officially shortly after that time.

I was placed in charge of the investigation at Chicago. A branchbureau was established in the McCormick Building, and assistedby a number of Special Agents, we worked there continuously,not coming near the Federal Building for eight or ten weeks, untilon September 5, 1917, the Government, through search warrantprocess under the Espionage Act, raided I.W.W. headquartersin approximately one hundred different places throughout thecountry simultaneously. The prosecution was in charge of SpecialAssistants to the Attorney General, Frank K. Nebeker, Frank C.Dailey and Claude R. Porter, as well as Oliver E. Pagan, IndictmentExpert and Special Assistant to the Attorney General, andU. S. District Attorney Charles F. Clyne.

Indictments were subsequently returned. A trial, lasting anumber of months, was had, which resulted in convicting about[Pg 489]one hundred, or practically all of the active leaders of the I.W.W.movement, ninety-seven of whom were sentenced by Federal JudgeLandis and are now serving sentences in Leavenworth FederalPenitentiary. Cases are pending, as this is being written, againstother leaders of the I.W.W. in Sacramento, Kansas City, Omahaand elsewhere.

In connection with the preparation of the evidence at Chicago,I take this occasion to commend most highly the efficient, untiringassistance of Special Agent George N. Murdock, of the Indianapolisoffice, who was assigned to Chicago and relieved me of the investigatingdetail work in December, 1917, and he continued to assistthose in charge of the case throughout the trial. Mr. Murdock isstill Special Agent of the Department of Justice, in active chargeof the investigating work at Sacramento, Kansas City, Omaha andelsewhere.

The Bureau of Investigation and the American Protective Leagueare very greatly indebted to the late Herman F. Schuettler, thenGeneral Superintendent of Police of Chicago, for his competencyand very great assistance personally, also his entire Police Department,in helping make the American Protective League a successin Chicago. The same is true of John H. Alco*ck, former ActingGeneral Superintendent of Police, Morgan Collins, First DeputySuperintendent of Police, and other officials of the Police Department.

I shall therefore not burden this memorandum except to callattention to the famous Rockford draft cases, which resulted inthe conviction of about one hundred persons. (Rockford is theentry-point for Camp Grant Cantonment.)

After war had been declared and during the discussion in Congressof the Draft Act, the I.W.W. members and their sympathizerscarried on an active campaign against the Act, and whenthe Act was passed, simply advised their members not to register.They were particularly active in the Chicago Division, as wellas around Rockford. To insure carrying out their plans at Rockford,an all-day meeting and picnic was announced for June 5 atBlackhawk Park for the purpose of keeping their members andsympathizers together until after the close of the registrationbooths in order to prevent their registration.

On June 6, 1917, Wait Talcott, Chief of the American ProtectiveLeague at Rockford, presented the facts to me and he was directedto request the local authorities in Rockford to take steps to apprehendall those who had not registered. Late in the afternoonthree were apprehended and locked up in the county jail. Thisact enraged the leaders of the I.W.W. Meetings were held,demanding the release of the persons in custody. Upon adjournment[Pg 490]of the meetings the members marched in a body throughthe principal streets of Rockford to the jail, about a mile and aquarter away, and a demand was made to release the prisoners.Upon the Sheriff’s refusal to do so, the mob incited a riot, as aresult of which, arrests were made of the leaders and personsknown to be in sympathy with the I.W.W. and placed in jail.About one hundred and thirty-five arrests were made. At the timestanding room only was available in the jail. Sheriff Guy Gindersof Rockford arranged with the Sheriffs of Boone and StevensonCounties to accept some of the prisoners. With this end in viewspecial interurban cars were chartered. Thirty-five were taken toBoone County, forty-five to Stevenson County, and about thirtyremained in the Rockford city jail. Before the transfers weremade all the glass in the windows of the jail was broken and mostof the plumbing wrecked. The leader, James Cully, was indictedby the Federal Grand Jury, tried in the federal court, found guilty,and sentenced to Leavenworth Penitentiary. A majority of thebalance were indicted by the federal grand jury for failure toregister, and about 107 were sentenced to a maximum of one yearin the Bridewell at Chicago.

This case, together with the I.W.W. case at Chicago, makesa total of 212 defendants convicted in two cases—a record, Ibelieve, in the Federal Courts of this country. The AmericanProtective League aided the Department in both of these importantcases.

As I understand it, “The Web” will be a history of the Leagueas an organization rather than a work referring to any individualsconnected with it, but, nevertheless, I desire to say that in additionto Mr. A. M. Briggs, both Captain Charles Daniel Frey andMr. Victor Elting, who later became National Directors at Washington,but who were Chief and Assistant Chief respectively ofthe Chicago Division in its early days, deserve the highest possiblepraise for the work done by them and the sacrifices theymade in putting the League on its feet. Mr. Robert A. Gunn,formerly Assistant Chief, later Chief of the Chicago Division, isalso entitled to highest possible praise for his untiring devotionto the service. Mr. John H. Winterbotham, Chairman of theBoard of Governors at Chicago, who was one of the first membersof the League, and who aided it in its financial developmentand other work, besides traveling through a number of cities inthe middle west, appointing local chiefs of the League, etc., hasdone as much as any other man to perpetuate and make theLeague a success. The League will never be able to repay Mr.John F. Gilchrist, its Chief for many months during a very tryingperiod, for his able leadership and devotion to the work. He was[Pg 491]ever available, at all hours of the day and night, and with hisassistants is entitled to the credit for making the Chicago Divisionwhat it is.

Without exaggeration, I think the Chicago Division of theAmerican Protective League did seventy-five percent of the Governmentinvestigating work throughout the war. It seems to methat this one sentence covers the situation.

When Captain Charles Daniel Frey was Chief of the ChicagoDivision, there was never a more active, energetic worker, andwhile I am not personally familiar with his work at Washington,I feel sure it was in keeping with what I know he did at Chicago.

In addition to working for all Government bureaus, and helpingin thousands of investigations, the League conducted a famous so-called“Slacker Drive” in Chicago during the period July 11 to 15,inclusive, 1918, and apprehended, or caused to go to the localboards to straighten out their records, 40,167 delinquents. Thetotal number of deserters and delinquents apprehended duringthe period of the war, or taken to the local boards and inductedinto the service, or permitted to file their questionnaire, or register,totaled approximately 67,000. Not one word of criticism was heardof the Chicago raid. During the four days, approximately 200,000persons between the ages of 21 and 31 were questioned. Hotels,cafés, saloons, baseball parks, moving-picture theatres, railroaddepots, and other places where people are wont to congregate,were visited systematically and simultaneously throughout thedistrict. A few who were unnecessarily detained, or believed theyshould not have been detained, instead of filing a protest, congratulatedthe Department and stated that their slight inconveniencewas nothing to compare with the duty they owed to thecommunity in aiding the authorities in apprehending those whohad not complied with the law. The press, throughout the periodof the war, aided the League and the Bureau of Investigation inevery possible way.

In addition to the automobile service rendered free of chargeto the Government by the American Protective League, there grewout of this idea an organization known as the Emergency Driversof Chicago, composed exclusively of women who devoted theirentire time and machines, without cost to the Government, todriving the agents around this vicinity. They maintained, fromthe beginning of the war down to the present time, an office inthe Rookery Building, and furnished this Bureau with an averageof fifteen to twenty automobiles per day. Mrs. Frederick D.Countiss, whose husband, Mr. Frederick D. Countiss, was alsoactive in the American Protective League work, was responsiblefor this organization, and subsequently Miss Florence Spoffordwas Chairman of the Chicago Division. The organization was[Pg 492]afterward taken over by the American Red Cross, and is nowknown as the American Red Cross Automobile Drivers, although,because of the manner in which it originated, it has alwaysmaintained an independent branch in the Rookery Building, overwhich Miss Spofford presided and which continued to furnishassistance to this Bureau. Personally, I doubt whether there isa single member of the American Protective League or emergencydriver who appreciates just how much this volunteer assistancehas meant to the Government during the war.

(Signed) HINTON G. CLABAUGH

Chicago, December 15, 1918.

[Pg 493]

APPENDIX B
CONFIDENTIAL CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN PROTECTIVELEAGUE AS FIRST OUTLINED TO MEMBERS

Executive control of the organization is centered in a Boardof National Directors operating from National Headquarters atWashington, D. C., in coöperation with the Department of Justice,and through it with other departments and agencies of the Government;this Board being established to coördinate the activitiesof the local branches throughout the country.

Divisional headquarters are established in the various Statesto coördinate the work of local branches operating throughoutthe divisional territory; to keep in touch with the work of each;to promote their efficiency and to render them practical assistance;and to establish and maintain ready communication with Agentsin Charge of the Bureau of Investigation of the United StatesDepartment of Justice; and to develop methods of operation.

The work of the American Protective League in the field is performedthrough the local branches. The Chief of the Local Branchis appointed, and is subject to removal, by the Board of NationalDirectors. He is the directing head of the organization and responsibletherefor. He will appoint an Assistant Chief; and, inhis discretion, an Advisory Committee.

Members of the organization must be American citizens of legalage, of good character and absolute loyalty, who undertake toserve from patriotic motives and without compensation. The rewardof a member is the opportunity to serve the Government ina responsible way in matters of grave importance. The selectionof members is a most important duty devolving upon the Chief,both because the future efficiency of the Local Branch is dependentupon its personnel, and because of the potential danger involvedin mistakes in enrollment. The interest of the Government andthe ability of the candidate to render efficient service are the firstconsiderations and are paramount to any considerations of business,family or friendship.

Every member of the organization must subscribe and swearto the formal oath before enrollment. This rule will be rigidlyenforced and no member will be recognized as such until this[Pg 494]action has been taken. The candidate will be sworn in before anofficer qualified to administer oaths.

Strict observance by members of the rules and regulations ofthe organization is required. The Government must not be embarrassedby unauthorized action of members in the attempted performanceof their duties. Experience has demonstrated the valueof a Trial Board consisting of disinterested and responsible membersof sound and unprejudiced judgment.

The Bureau of Finance procures the funds necessary for thework of the organization from voluntary contribution of citizens,and has charge of all expenditures. It is important that an accuratesystem of requisition and voucher be installed and that allcontributions be strictly accounted for. Periodic audits should bemade at regular intervals. No volunteer member of the Leagueshould be allowed to profit through his service.

Local Branches should not derive their revenue from any singleperson or interest, but should secure them from various sourcesso that no individual or business interest shall at any time be ina position to dictate as to the personnel, policy or activity of theLocal Branch. Great care should be exercised that no alien enemy,or person in sympathy with the cause of the enemy, be allowed tocontribute money and thereby discredit the organization. Experiencehas shown that through appreciation of the protection affordedthe community by a competent local organization, adequatefunds may readily be secured from responsible citizens. EachLocal Branch is self-supporting, and will be requested to makeits proportionate contribution toward defraying the expenses ofthe National and Divisional Headquarters. The efficient operationof these Headquarters, and their usefulness to the Local Branches,require adequate quarters, equipment and clerical assistance; andinvolve large expense for printing and distribution of bulletins ofinstruction and other literature.

The Bureau of Law maintains an adequate corps of competentlawyers. It advises operatives upon all matters relating to theirwork, including questions of right and authority, the competencyof evidence, etc. It assigns individual attorneys to direct particularinvestigations, and gives advice as to the construction oflaws. It revises the reports of operatives, and briefs the samefor submission to the Bureau of Investigation of the Departmentof Justice. In large and thickly populated communities a zone ordistrict system of organization has proven most effective, membersbeing assigned according to their residence. Under this plan theterritory is divided into inspection districts, each under the commandof an inspector. Each inspection district is in turn subdividedinto convenient territorial units, each under the directionof a captain. Under each captain is a company consisting of the[Pg 495]requisite number of platoons, each under the command of a lieutenant.No platoon should exceed ten men in size. Each inspectoris definitely responsible to the Chief for the territory inhis district, and each captain is responsible to his inspector forthe territory assigned to him. Cases for investigation within adistrict are assigned to the inspector for that district and by himthrough a captain to the men best fitted for the work. An auxiliarysquad for emergency work may operate directly from headquarters.

Experience has shown that a company under a captain shouldnot exceed fifty men. The organization of a company is indicatedin the general chart.

The Investigation Bureau should establish and maintain a closeassociation with the Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Investigationof the United States in order to render the greatest possibleassistance to the Department of Justice. In the larger cities andwherever possible it is highly desirable that a Special Agent ofthe Department of Justice be assigned to the Local Branch todirect the work of investigation.

It is the duty of each division chief to extend the organizationthroughout the city within the lines of his department in suchmanner as to attain so far as practicable the following ends: (1)the enlistment of responsible persons of sufficient number in eachbank, business house and industrial plant of importance, whosesworn duty it will be to promptly report through the properchannel all cases of disloyalty, industrial disturbance, or othermatter likely to injure or embarrass the Government of the UnitedStates; and (2) the establishment of an organization, throughsuch means, which will at all times be ready and able to assistthe operation of the Investigation Bureau of the Local Branch andof the Department of Justice when their investigations shall requirean entrance into and the securing of information from suchbanking, business or industrial establishments.

In this Bureau large numbers of citizens will be enrolled, forminga WEB of communication throughout the community, by meansof which quick and responsible report will be made of any and allmatters affecting the welfare of the country during the presentcrisis. The duty of members to report will extend to all industrial,social or political plans or conspiracies, and to all otheractivities or utterances, designed to embarrass the Government inthe prosecution of the war.

In extending the organization each Division Supervisor, afterhis enrollment, will prepare a comprehensive plan covering theground of his division. He will then proceed to enlist as Deputiesunder him, a responsible man in each plant or business housewithin his jurisdiction, such deputies to be executive officers oftheir respective business concerns if practicable. The deputies[Pg 496]after enrollment will select as aids a reliable man in each departmentof the business, preferably a superintendent, foreman orother man filling a responsible position in his department. Thedeputies will then confer with the aids and explain to them thenature of the organization and the scope of their duties. Theaids will suggest to the deputies the names of several trustedemployes in each department who are American citizens of legalage and who, on account of their long service and general character,can be relied upon for loyal service to the country and theemployer. The men so suggested as Reporters will not be approachedin the matter by the deputies or aids. After the selectionof the aids and reporters, the deputy will report his completeplan of organization to the Chief of the Local Branch, and uponapproval of the organization the aids and reporters will be directedby the Chief to attend at convenient times for the purpose of beingsworn in.

The Real Estate Division reports all information secured by itsmembers, and furnishes investigators with facts connected withthe construction of buildings and occupations of and removals fromoffice buildings, houses and apartments.

The Financial Division includes banks, stock and bond housesand safety deposit vaults, reports all information coming to itsmembers, and furnishes to investigators facts with regard toforeign transactions, use of alien enemy funds and transactionswith Germans. The department will furnish valuable informationin connection with the use of safety deposit vaults by alienenemies.

The Insurance Division provides useful information throughinsurance inspectors of the character and use of buildings andplants, and reports upon casualties; it also provides life insurancedata upon individuals and details of marine insurance.

The Professional Division includes engineers, accountants,physicians and other professions, and in addition to reportinginformation coming to the knowledge of its members, is calledupon for professional assistance and advice in connection withwork of the investigators.

The Hotels Division includes hotels, restaurants and theatres.The division is organized so that responsible persons will be enlistedin all departments of all of the hotels and restaurants.They will be able to make prompt and reliable reports on thedoings of all transients and others connected with the hotelsand restaurants.

The Transportation Division covers all railroads, shipping, taxicabsand teaming. This division will report information andassist in investigations throughout these interests.

The Public Utilities Division includes all lines and methods of[Pg 497]communication, including telephone, telegraph, wireless, electriclight, gas, elevated and traction lines and other local transportation.

The General Merchandise Division includes mail order houses,department stores, retail and wholesale houses.

The Division of Industries is subdivided as follows: munitions,war equipment, metal trades, lumber trades, electrical, packinghouses, grain, foodstuffs, chemicals and paints, and miscellaneous.The Miscellaneous Subdivision will include, under separate deputies,automobiles, building material, cigars and tobacco, coal, contractors,leather, motion picture producers, paper trades, photographers,and printers and engravers.

Any one of these subdivisions may be of sufficient importancein a given community to constitute a separate Division. On theother hand, many of the above divisions when locally unimportantmay be included in “Miscellaneous.”

The work of each Local Branch is under the responsible directionand control of the Local Chief. He is responsible for theefficiency of the work. It is essential that an Assistant Chief beappointed to counsel with the Chief and to act with authority inhis absence.

In cities of larger size an office in good location, convenient tothe Department of Justice, is desirable. An efficient organizationwill readily command adequate financial support, and the workwill be carried on with less publicity and greater efficiency in anindependent office, suitably equipped. Adequate clerical and stenographichelp should be provided so that investigations and reportsmay be promptly made.

In connection with the central office the services of volunteerinterpreters should be available at all times for translating papersand interviewing witnesses.

Full coöperation with Government and police officials shouldbe promptly secured so that they may be quickly available in allcases of emergency.

The work of the various Branches and Divisions should be coordinatedthrough the central office so that information or assistanceof any kind may be promptly secured at any time by anymember from any other department through the establishedchannel.

Each Local Branch will operate in close coöperation with andunder the general direction of the Government Agent in chargeof the nearest office of the Bureau of Investigation of the Departmentof Justice, and all reports of investigations, unless otherwisedirected, will be made to him. The Local Branch will coöperateat all times, through the Department of Justice, with other GovernmentalDepartments and agencies, but will undertake no work[Pg 498]from them by direct assignment except with the knowledge of theBureau of Investigation of the United States Department of Justice,or by instruction from National Headquarters. It is the desireof the organization to render useful service to all Departmentsof the Government.

Members will always be mindful of the fact that they are actingin the interests of the Department of Justice of the United Statesand conduct themselves with dignity, tact and discretion. Theymust refrain from words and conduct in any way calculated tobring the Government or the organization into disrespect.

The work of the members must be carried on wholly withoutpublicity or personal advertisem*nt.

Members will not discuss cases assigned to them with othermembers or officers of the organization, but will make their reportsto their immediate superiors. Members will not take outsideindividuals into their confidence.

Members must not permit the source of information of any complaint,or the name of the complainant, to be disclosed under anycirc*mstances. They will state in all cases where opportunityoffers that neither the American Protective League nor the Departmentof Justice will disclose directly or indirectly to any personthe name or the complainant or any person giving informationwith regard to the suspect. This cannot be too strongly impressedupon all persons with whom the organization comes in contact.

No member shall inform the suspect or his family of the fact ofthe investigation, or interview them regarding the subject of inquiry,without direct authority from his Captain or Chief.

Members will not disclose to suspects, or to persons not connectedwith the organization, the names of other members or officersof the League. It is important that the work of the Leaguebe impersonal. The enforcement of this rule is likewise necessaryto safeguard the officers and members of the League in their work.

Abuse of their credentials by members by public exhibition orotherwise will be ground for immediate discharge from membership.The use of such credentials under an assumption of authorityfor the purpose of escaping penalties for automobile speeding, orotherwise, or to secure special privileges in theatres, street carsand other public places is likewise ground for dismissal. No memberwill be permitted by such means to embarrass the organizationin its work and in its relation with public officials.

Members are not privileged through membership in the organizationto carry firearms or other weapons forbidden by law. Thecarrying of such weapons at any time is wholly upon the responsibilityof the individual.

No member will be exempt from military service under the requirements[Pg 499]of the Selective Service Regulations, or otherwise, byreason of his membership in the organization.

Members will carefully avoid any representation, direct or indirect,that they are Government officers; and will particularlyavoid any statement or implication that they are members of the“Secret Service Department of the United States.” The AmericanProtective League is organized with the approval and is operatingunder the direction of the United States Department of Justice,Bureau of Investigation. It is not connected with the SecretService Division of the Treasury Department.

When making investigations after receipt of instructions membersof the American Protective League are authorized to statethat they are making the investigation “for the Department ofJustice.”

Members of the American Protective League have no generalpowers of arrest. They are investigators only, and have no greaterpower than private citizens in the matter of arrests. As a generalrule a citizen can make an arrest without warrant where a felonyhas been committed in his presence, but there is no authority fora citizen to make an arrest without a warrant to prevent the commissionof a misdemeanor, or for a misdemeanor committed in hispresence which does not amount to a breach of the peace. Atcommon law, and except where changed by statute, it is the dutyof every citizen to assist in preserving the public peace and safety.Any citizen may arrest without a warrant one who commits abreach of the peace in his presence, or where there is reasonableground for apprehension that the arrested person is about tocommit a breach of the peace. It is essential to justify such anarrest that the offense committed shall amount to a breach of thepeace, that such offense shall have been actually committed orattempted in the presence of the person making the arrest, andthat the arrest be made at the time when the offense was committed.No private person has the right to make an arrest fora misdemeanor without a warrant after the event or upon mereinformation or suspicion. The term “breach of the peace” is ageneric one, and includes riots, unlawful assemblies, riotous andwanton discharge of firearms in the public streets, affrays, assaults,the use of profane, indecent and abusive language on thestreet, and in the presence of others, and other acts destroyingpublic order and tranquility. The right of citizens in this regard,however, depends somewhat upon the Statutes of the several Statesand members should be advised by their Local Chiefs of theirauthority in the premises. They should act only where the regularpolice officers are not reasonably available and where inaction maybe productive of serious results.

[Pg 500]

Under the laws of the United States (Act of August 29, 1916;C. 418, Sec. 3) it is lawful for any civil officer having authorityunder the laws of the United States or of any State, Territory,District, or possession of the United States to arrest offenders,summarily to arrest a deserter from the military service of theUnited States. Under the opinion of the Judge Advocate Generalof the Army (C. 17327-1) a citizen acting under an order or directionof a military officer may apprehend a deserter, but a citizen,and this term includes a member of the American ProtectiveLeague, has no authority as such to arrest a deserter from thearmy in the absence of a special request or direction of a militaryofficer.

It is seldom that the necessity for arrest arises. In such a casethe member will notify his Chief who will secure prompt actionby the proper authorities.

Cases will be assigned for investigation by the Chief to inspectorsand by them transmitted through the captains to thelieutenants, who will assign them to the members best qualifiedfor the particular work. All reports must be submitted in writingthrough the lieutenants and captains to the inspectors, and bythe inspectors to the central office. All reports of a confidentialnature should be brought to the office by the inspectors in personor by private messenger. In the smaller cities where inspectiondistricts are not created, the above rules will be accordinglymodified.

All investigations and reports are the business of the Leagueand must become matters of permanent record. They may not besuppressed or destroyed, but must be disposed of in regular coursethrough the established channels of the Bureau of Investigation ofthe United States Department of Justice.

Great opportunity for service is afforded the American ProtectiveLeague in reporting promptly and accurately all evidenceof enemy propaganda throughout the country. The League is in apeculiarly advantageous position to secure this information andpresent it to the authorities at Washington.

[Pg 501]

APPENDIX C
THE ORIGINAL CALL

The following was the first national summons sent out byMr. A. M. Briggs in the early days of the American ProtectiveLeague:

[Pg 503]

The selection of Chiefs was inaugurated by the followingcommunication:

The matter of credentials was at first covered by a letterof instruction from the Superintendent to all Chiefs:

[Pg 505]

APPENDIX D
DIGEST OF THE AMENDED ESPIONAGE ACT AS PRINTEDIN “THE SPY GLASS,” JUNE, 1918

Signed by President Wilson on May 16, the amendedespionage laws opens a new chapter in the work of theAmerican Protective League. For the first time we havean inclusive law under which to operate—a law broadenough in its scope and classifications to cover and defineas serious crimes a multitude of offenses which were classedas minor by our peace-time code but actually offeredserious hindrances to this country’s military operations andpreparations.

For the first time, too, heavy penalties have been providedfor acts and speeches which before could hardly be punishedat all under the law. Maximum sentences of twenty yearsimprisonment and $10,000 fine are not to be taken lightlyeither by disloyal and pacifist citizens or by unfriendly orenemy aliens who have made it their business, since warwas declared, to invent and circulate discreditable storiesabout almost every phase of America’s war activities.

[Pg 509]

APPENDIX E
REMOVAL OF ALIEN ENEMIES

R. S. SEC. 4067 (as amended). Whenever there is a declaredwar between the United States and any foreign nation or government,or any invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated, attempted,or threatened against the territory of the United States,by any foreign nation or government, and the President makespublic proclamation of the event, all natives, citizens, denizens, orsubjects of the hostile nation or government, being of the age offourteen years and upward, who shall be within the United States,and not actually naturalized, shall be liable to be apprehended,restrained, secured and removed, as alien enemies. The Presidentis authorized, in any such event, by his proclamation thereof, orother public act, to direct the conduct to be observed, on the partof the United States toward the aliens who become so liable; themanner and degree of the restraint to which they shall be subject,and in what cases, and upon what security their residences shallbe permitted, and to provide for the removal of those who, notbeing permitted to reside within the United States, refuse orneglect to depart therefrom; and to establish any other regulations,which are found necessary in the premises and for the publicsafety. (Act of July 6, 1798, Chap. 66, Sec. 1, Stat. 577. Asamended by Act of April 16, 1918: Public No. 131—65th Congress:H. R. 9504.)

[Pg 510]

APPENDIX F
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION REGARDING REGULATIONOF ALIEN ENEMIES

Pursuant to the authority vested in me, I hereby declare andestablish the following regulations, which I find necessary in thepremises and for the public safety:

(1) An alien enemy shall not have in his possession at anytime or place any fire-arm, weapon or implement of war, orcomponent part thereof, ammunition, maxim, or other silencer,bomb, or explosive or material used in the manufacture of explosives;

(2) An alien enemy shall not have in his possession at anytime or place, or use or operate any aircraft or wireless apparatus,or any form of signalling device, or any form of cipher code, orany paper, document or book written or printed in cipher or inwhich there may be invisible writing.

(3) All property found in the possession of an alien enemyin violation of the foregoing regulations shall be subject toseizure by the United States;

(4) An alien enemy shall not approach or be found within one-halfof a mile of any Federal or State fort, camp, arsenal, aircraftstation, Government or naval vessel, navy yard, factory, or workshopfor the manufacture of munitions of war or of any productsfor the use of the army or navy;

(5) An alien enemy shall not write, print, or publish any attackor threats against the Government or Congress of the UnitedStates, or either branch thereof, or against the measures or policyof the United States, or against the person or property of anyperson in the military, naval, or civil service of the United States,or of the States or Territories, or of the District of Columbia, orof the municipal governments therein;

(6) An alien enemy shall not commit or abet any hostile actagainst the United States, or give information, aid, or comfort toits enemies;

(7) An alien enemy shall not reside in or continue to residein, to remain in, or enter any locality which the President mayfrom time to time designate by Executive Order as a prohibited[Pg 511]area in which residence by an alien enemy shall be found by himto constitute a danger to the public peace and safety of theUnited States except by permit from the President and exceptunder such limitations or restrictions as the President mayprescribe;

(8) An alien enemy whom the President shall have reasonablecause to believe to be aiding or about to aid the enemy, or to beat large to the danger of the public peace or safety of the UnitedStates, or to have violated or to be about to violate any of theseregulations, shall remove to any location designated by the Presidentby Executive Order, and shall not remove therefrom withouta permit, or shall depart from the United States if so required bythe President;

(9) No alien enemy shall depart from the United States untilhe shall have received such permit as the President shall prescribe,or except under order of a court, judge, or justice, under Sections4069 and 4070 of the Revised Statutes;

(10) No alien enemy shall land in or enter the United States,except under such restrictions and at such places as the Presidentmay prescribe;

(11) If necessary to prevent violations of these regulations, allalien enemies will be obliged to register;

(12) An alien enemy whom there may be reasonable cause tobelieve to be aiding or about to aid the enemy, or who may be atlarge to the danger of the public peace or safety, or who violates,or attempts to violate, or of whom there is reasonable ground tobelieve that he is about to violate, any regulation duly promulgatedby the President, or any criminal law of the United States,or of the States or Territories thereof, will be subject to summaryarrest by the United States Marshal, or his deputy, or such otherofficer as the President shall designate, and to confinement in suchpenitentiary, prison, jail, military camp, or other place of detentionas may be directed by the President. This proclamation and theregulations herein contained shall extend and apply to all landand water, continental or insular, in any way within the jurisdictionof the United States.

NOTE—Made applicable to females, who are natives, citizens,denizens or subjects of Germany, by President’s Proclamation ofApril 19, 1917, except that Regulation 4 was not to become effectiveuntil such time as might be fixed and declared by the AttorneyGeneral.

Transcriber’s Note:

Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation in the originaldocument have been preserved.Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.