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
Some of the striking phases of this work are the real friendships
engendered by our associations with each other. Here the measure
of a man is his loyalty and sincerity, his judgment, his grit,
and his personal sacrifice. When you can find as many real and
true Americans as this organization contains, you need never have
worries as to whether this country is going to be safe.
Central District of Chicago is that important region covering the
great business district, out of which some four hundred men, under
four captains, regularly worked all over the city. This is not one
of the residence districts, so that the squad of operatives who
reported to this branch were far scattered throughout the city for
most of the twenty-four hours. The personnel of this district embraced
lawyers, doctors, bankers, printers, dry goods merchants, insurance
men, mechanics, railway trainmen, traveling salesmen, actors, and
all kinds of employed persons. A great many members belonged to the
prominent clubs of Chicago. There were interpreters who understood all
of the continental languages. There were both rich men and poor men
included in this membership. There were boys in the twenties and men
of sixty-five. It had come to be the practice of all the interlocking
branches of our Governmental defensive organizations to call up Central
District for men needed on some particular work. It had been the
headquarters squad, and had sent men all over Northern Illinois, and
sometimes out of the State.
There was a school of instruction for new operatives in this
district in which new men are taught the elements of the League work,
the elements of espionage laws, and other war measures. They were
instructed, also, in the fundamentals of shadow work; the details
of the selective service regulations; the principles of law and
evidence, and other subjects proper to the activities of the League.
There were seven words taught to every operative, applying equally
well to complaints and to reports—guide words in investigations. If
these seven words were borne in mind at the time of making complaint
or investigations, or in writing up the report, an operative would be
fairly well assured of embodying the information desired. These words
are: “Who,” “Which,” “What,” “Why,” “When,” “How,” and “Witnesses.”
Every care was exercised by the operative not to approach the subject
himself or to allow him to know he was being investigated. There were
countless Chicago Germans and pro-Germans investigated, ticketed,
tabulated, and filed away, who to this day do not know that they ever
told anybody anything about themselves. Many of these Prussianized
Chicagoans to-day wear heavy frowns and look aggrieved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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