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
One night a squad of operatives, led by the Chief, visited an
apartment in a down-town building to investigate a report that
liquor was being served to soldiers and sailors. When they gained
entrance they found no uniformed men upon the premises, but one of the
operatives who had lived in San Francisco recognized the unmistakable
odor of opium smoke. He said, “Hop, Chief!” A search was made and a
large quantity of opium was found secreted in various nooks of the
apartment. Further search revealed twenty-three sticks of dynamite, a
complete kit of burglar’s tools, a supply of saws and other devices
used by crooks. A bolt of silk and other new merchandise, afterwards
identified as property stolen from stores, also was uncovered. Five men
and a woman were taken to jail.
One of the most interesting cases was that of a German who left Germany
fifty-six years ago, at the age of six years. He went to South Dakota,
where he prospered greatly, and moved to Minneapolis about fifteen
years ago. At the outbreak of the war his remarks were such that his
business associates and social acquaintances practically ostracized
him, and the members of his lodge preferred charges of disloyalty
against him. The man was brought to headquarters. Members of his
lodge were invited to be present, and he was given twenty minutes
seeing himself as others saw him. His attitude at first was stubborn
and defiant. The Chief then began to dwell on the suffering of his
children; said they were refused admittance to fraternities, were not
invited to parties and that his boy departed for the mobilization camp
brokenhearted and in tears over the fact that none of his family were
at the station to bid him good-bye at the most important milestone in
his career. This line of talk seemed to soften the subject. He broke
down and said, with tears: “I never was talked to like this before
in my life, but I never had anything said to me that did me so much
good. Will you please shake hands with me?” After that his fellow
lodge members affected a reconciliation on the spot. This man’s future
conduct was above reproach after this incident, and he became one of
the most active workers for the Red Cross and Liberty Loan.
A well known clairvoyant and spiritualist medium of Minneapolis was
brought into the office by one of the District Captains. She was
told that she had been talking sedition, and waxed indignant at the
idea of anybody accusing her of sedition when she was a woman so far
removed from ordinary planes, who could see into vast rounds of space.
Her complacency was seriously jarred when informed that one of our
operatives had crawled into her basement through the coal chute and
listened to her seditious talk. Her inability to see into the basement
caused her to have renewed faith in the long arm of Uncle Sam.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account