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
A few weeks later we found that the work was too great to handle
in such small quarters, and about the first of May contracted
for half of the eighth floor of the building, the Department of
Justice taking the other half. At this time Mr. Trumbull was
appointed Assistant Chief.
As a nucleus of the state organization, we took the names
of the men who had been doing volunteer work for the United
States Attorney’s office, and we proceeded to send out to these
men the work that came in their territory, and as they proved
satisfactory, appointed them as inspectors of a certain district
and gave them directions whereby they organized.
About July first, the League took over from the Department the
handling of all draft matters, the Department loaning to the
League two special agents to supervise and the League furnishing
all the men for the actual work.
We think the strongest recommendation we can give of our loyalty
and interest is the approximate number of cases handled from April
11, 1918, to February 1, 1919, which number amounts to about
5,000, with about 4,000 draft cases under the Selective Service
Act.
On or about October first, Mr. Wolcott resigned for the purpose of
taking up active duties with the Army, and Mr. John W. Hannigan
was appointed Chief in his place.
The relations of the League with the Department have been of the
closest, and there has never been any friction. Special Agent
Kelleher has stated that if it had not been for the activities
of the League, it would have been absolutely impossible for his
office to handle the great volume of work.
Once in its swing, Boston Division proceeded to do as Boston always
does, and to work in thorough and efficient fashion. A detailed
statement of the work for Department of Justice covers 525 cases of
alien enemy activities, 292 cases under the Espionage act, one case of
treason, seven of sabotage, eleven of interference with the draft, 128
cases of propaganda, twenty cases of radicals and socialists, seven
naturalization cases, and other investigations amounting to 484.
For reasons above outlined, the division did little in food and fuel,
and there was not much to do for the Navy. There were seventy-seven
cases of character and loyalty investigations, 331 passport cases, and
262 cases that had to do with war insurance and like matters.
A. P. L. was, as usual, of great use to the War Department. The
division conducted 514 investigations for local boards, examined
4,000 slacker raid cases, as well as fifteen gentlemen who did not
know whether to work or fight. There were 1,908 applicants for
overseas service who were investigated, as well as 510 applicants
for commissions. The division deserves compliments for its steady
and intelligent administration of the whole range of the complicated
problems that rose out of the war situation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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