The American Truth Society, Inc., the parent of the Friends of Peace, was founded in 1912 by Jeremiah O'Leary, a Tammany lawyer later indicted for violation of the Espionage Act, who disappeared when his case came up for trial in May, 1918; Alphonse Koelble, who conducted the German-American Alliance's New York political clearing house; Gustav Dopslaff, a German-American banker, and others interested in the German cause. In 1915 the Society, whose executives were well and favorably known to German embassy, began issuing and circulating noisy pamphlets, with such captions as "Fair Play for Germany," and "A German-American War." O'Leary and his friends also conducted a mail questionnaire of Congress in an effort to catalogue the convictions of each member on the blockade and embargo questions. Their most insidious campaign was an effort to frighten the smaller banks of the country from participating in Allied loans, by threats of a German "blacklist" after the war, to organize a "gold protest" to embarrass American banking operations, and in general to harass the Administration in its international relations. [Illustration: THE FRIENDS OF PEACE Attend the National Peace Convention, Chicago, Sept. 5 and 6, 1915 _Representing_ American Truth Society American Independence Union American Humanity League American Women of German Descent American Fair Play Society Continental League German-American Alliance of Greater N. Y. German Catholic Federation of New York United Irish-American Societies United Austrian & Hungarian-American Soc's Upholsterers' International Union and other American Societies. _National Convention Committee_ JOHN BRISBEN WALKER, of New York, Chairman ALEXANDER P. MOORE, of Pittsburgh, Pa, Secretary _Publicity Committee_ RUTLEDGE RUTHERFORD. Chairman HENRY SCHAEFFER, } RICHARD M. McCANN, } Secretaries HUGH MASTERSON. } GENERAL OFFICES: 150 NASSAU ST., NEW YORK, N. Y. Tel. 2888 Beekman New York, ____________ 1915 _Hon. Vice-Chairman of Convention Committee_ Michael J. Ryan Robert E. Ford Edmund von Mach John Devoy Jeremiah B. Murphy Henry Weismann Horace L. Brand Paul Mueller Prof. Wm. I. Shepherd Joseph Frey Judge T. O'Neill Ryan Richard Bartholdt Jeremiah O'Leary Judge John J. Rooney Ferd Timm E. K. Victor Hon. John W. Goff Hon. Daniel Cohalan Joseph P. McLaughlin Judge John T. Hylan Judge J. Harry Tiernan Patrick O'Donnell James T. Clarke Hugh H. O'Neill Frank Buchanan O. B. Colquitt Daniel O'Connell Col. Wm. Hoynes Stephen E. Folan John F. Kelly Hon. James K. McGuire A. L. Morrison Miss Annie C. Malia Ellen Ryan Jolly Thomas O'Brien J. B. Murphy Thomas H. Maloney T. J. Corrigan Marry F. McWhorter P. J. Reynolds Frank J. Ryan J. P. O'Mahony Thomas F. Anderson Letter-paper of "The Friends of Peace"]