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
We charged her with disloyal talking. She stated that she had
done no disloyal talking, and in fact had taken good care not to
talk against the Government in any way; furthermore, that she
had a son in France and if she was against the Government she
certainly would not have allowed him to go. We then asked her
about her statements regarding the Research Hospital. She stated
she had spoken to her lawyer about it and he had told her it
was not so necessary to change the name of the Hospital as it
would be to change the name of a business. She thought the name
should remain “German” because the Germans had in the beginning
founded the Hospital. We stated that there were no Germans over
here to found it. “Well,” she said, “I mean German-Americans.” We
then stated there were no German-Americans here, either, but all
Americans. She began crying and said that no one could understand
her position, that she had sisters in Germany and nephews fighting
in that Army, while her own son was in the American Army fighting
against them. She stated that the dirty stories about the German
army were all lies. We told her that it was our duty to demand
that she should not do any talking. We were convinced that she is
very pro-German and that the only way to prevent her from talking
would be to put her where there are no other people except Germans.
This is a very fair statement of one of the greatest problems of
America to-day. What shall be done with the hyphen? It must go, else
this war will be fought again.
While the war was yet young, a tip was received from the draft
board that a certain young man had failed to appear when called.
Investigation showed that he had deserted his wife, leaving her in a
destitute condition. He had three sisters in the city, consequently
A. P. L. assumed he would at some time communicate with one of them.
By certain means, operatives established a watch on the mail as it
was delivered, locating him at different times in Oklahoma, Colorado,
Arizona and other western points. One day a telephone call was received
stating that one of the sisters had been heard to converse with him
over the ’phone; that he had arrived in town at 2:30, and at 4:00
would be at a certain place to visit a sister. A. P. L. men arrived at
that place. In a few minutes a man of the draft-evader’s description,
wearing a cowboy hat and typical cowboy attire, came swaggering up the
steps. When taken, he put up a somewhat original and unique story:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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