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
It is to be noted that the above numbers apply to folder numbers only,
and many folders contain more than one case, some of them as high as
250 cases. For instance, the investigations of a jury panel would be
carried all in one folder under the name of the trial on which that
jury was to sit. The figures in selective service matters are the
actual number of cases turned over to the League at the time they
started work with the various local boards. Subsequent to this date
the A. P. L. officers in charge of the work at the various boards were
given thousands of cases which they reported directly to the board,
there being no file in the office in such instances. The A. P. L. Chief
of New York therefore thinks it a very conservative estimate to say
that the number of individuals investigated by the New York Division
would run between 300,000 and 400,000. All these cases in the New York
office system were filed alphabetically under the name of the person
or firm to be investigated; for that reason definite figures could not
be given in any summary. As League operatives became better acquainted
with the Chairmen of the Draft Boards, more and more cases would be
turned in directly to the Local Boards, which left the files incomplete
also in cases of this character.
On Long Island, near New York, there were several large military camps,
including Camp Mills and Camp Upton, and several aviation fields. The
A. P. L. zone inspectors in charge of Nassau and Suffolk Counties,
together with the Deputy Chief, in charge of Long Island, coöperated
closely with the Intelligence officers of these camps. A. P. L. quite
often was of assistance in locating deserters from these camps, it
being the usual thing for an officer to telegraph A. P. L. to pick up
the pursuit.
A. P. L. also investigated a great many cases for the camp authorities
at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, South Carolina, because this camp
was occupied for some time by the New York National Guard. Sometimes
the League would be asked to investigate the statement of a man who
wanted a furlough because his family in New York was sick. A great many
fraudulent requests of this kind were discovered. The War Department
detailed a special officer to handle cases of deception of this
character, and A. P. L. turned over to him a great deal of information
of this nature as well as many reports which had come in to A. P. L.
of the sale of liquor to men in uniform. Captain Peiffer, the officer
in charge of this work, at one time investigated some thirty hotels in
New York City. For more than two weeks these hotels were covered by
A. P. L. operators. This officer had a lieutenant detailed to watch
liquor and vice matters on Long Island, who made his headquarters at
Hempstead. A. P. L. officers coöperated with this lieutenant in every
way and gave him much assistance in closing up saloons and hotels that
came within the five mile limit of the various camps.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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