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
At about this time Mr. W. Rodman Peabody of the Committee of Public
Safety pointed out to Washington the efficient manner in which Mr.
Endicott had organized that committee throughout the State. There was a
local committee of safety in every town, and also a state-wide machine
organizing the banking, real estate and other important business
activities. He suggested that instead of a division of A. P. L., there
ought to be a sub-organization “organized by the Committee of Public
Safety at the request of the Department of Justice.” It was understood
that this minor organization should have the general features of A. P.
L. and should act as the Massachusetts branch of A. P. L. A list of
good names was suggested of persons suitable for the organization as
thus outlined.
Mr. Elting of the National Directors, however, made the point that
an arrangement of this kind would have a tendency to discredit or to
disintegrate the League in other cities. The Attorney-General also was
opposed to any organization which did not show the exact status of
a purely volunteer body, as had been done in all other parts of the
United States.
Mr. Peabody still wanted the Committee of Public Safety to appear
as the parent or controlling body, and a lot of valuable time was
wasted over this tweedle-dee argument. A compromise was effected,
and on April 15, 1918, the National Directors had advice that the
Massachusetts organization was hiring offices, and assumed that the
work had begun and that Boston would copy as nearly as possible the
form of letterhead used by A. P. L., putting the names of the National
Directors on the left-hand side and substituting the words “Protective
League.” Underneath that was to appear the legend: “Organized by the
Massachusetts Public Safety Committee under the Direction of the U. S.
Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation.” Boston expressed the
belief that Washington would not be able to tell the difference between
this organization and any other so far as loyalty and efficiency
were concerned, although sensible of the Washington feeling that
Massachusetts was starting a year late and might be suspected of lack
in coöperation.
All concerned having thus been satisfied, Massachusetts began A. P. L.
work a trifle late in the game, but none the less proceeded to show
that it could produce as effective an organization as any other in
the country. Assistant Chief H. E. Trumbull makes his report on the
regulation A. P. L. blanks and letterheads, and adds the following data
as to the later organization of A. P. L.:
Mr. Samuel Wolcott was appointed Chief, and we took two offices
at 45 Milk Street, in the same building with the Department
of Justice. Mr. Trumbull, then a volunteer operative with the
Department proper, consented to help with the new organization,
and Mr. John B. Hanrahan was appointed by the Department of
Justice as a special agent to oversee the work of the new
organization.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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