The Web : $b The Authorized History of the American Protective LeagueHough, Emerson
History
The Web : $b The Authorized History of the American Protective League
Hough, Emerson
American Protective League; Propaganda, German; World War, 1914-1918 -- Secret service -- United States
Let us take at random the summary from S——, captain of District No.
11, where there were fifty-six members—forty active operatives, under
a captain, two lieutenants and a legal advisor. This district covers
a large portion of the most German section of Chicago, part of which
is loyal and part very much otherwise. In six months, during the
last year of the war, there were 512 cases assigned to the district
by headquarters, and the district turned in to headquarters 298
complaints. Character and loyalty investigations to the number of
fifty-three were made, necessitating from five to fifteen interviews
each. In the slacker drive, July 11-13, a total of 1,744 individual
cases were interviewed and disposed of in this district. Between 9:00
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 for the six
months is 3,842, which, if averaged, gives sixty-eight cases to each
operative, but as only forty were active, the average should be
figured as nearly eighty cases per capita. There is not figured in the
foregoing about one thousand interviews which were necessary in making
up reports to different departments of the Government on factories,
saloons, garages and other buildings and structures, which might come
under the head of miscellaneous services.
The activities of the operatives of District No. 11 were not confined
to the boundaries of their own district. An illustration will show what
is meant. A deserter was being protected by all branches of his family.
Operatives spent nights interviewing every ascertainable relative
and friend. Nothing could be learned except that the various members
of the family, male and female, were so mixed in their sex relations
that apparently no two of the opposite sex were living together in a
legally permissible way. A chance lead pointed to a couple living in
the country ten miles beyond the city limits. An hour’s interview with
the man and his consort, the two being examined separately, resulted in
the chance mention of Norfolk, Virginia. Being pressed on this remark,
the man hesitatingly declared he had had letters from Norfolk from the
suspect who was working there and that he, the witness, would himself
write to Norfolk at once and get definite information. The operatives
agreed cheerfully to the proposition. On their return to the city, a
telegram was immediately dispatched to Norfolk. By the time the letter
from the “loyal” relative reached Norfolk, word was received that the
deserter was located and taken into custody. The action of this little
drama was staged entirely outside of District No. 11.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account