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
SIR: In compliance with your request, we beg to submit the
following statement of service rendered the War Department by the
American Protective League. As you know, local divisions of the
League are in operation in practically all towns and cities of
substantial size throughout the United States, and the League has
been extended, through a plan of county organization, generally
throughout the rural communities. It is not possible to submit to
you an accurate classified statement of the aggregate of all of
the work done throughout the country. We are able, however, to
present a general statement of the activities of the League for
the War Department of the United States, with a detailed report
of the work of the local divisions in one hundred communities
of the country. The total population of these communities is
approximately one-seventh of the population of the entire country.
The work of the American Protective League for the Military
Intelligence Division of the War Department began soon after
the entry of the United States into the war. When the National
Headquarters of the League were established in Washington in
November, 1917, the National Directors conferred with Colonel R.
H. Van Deman regarding a plan for wider service throughout the
entire country. One of the National Directors was commissioned
in the army, assigned to the Military Intelligence Division and
detailed to the work of the League. In April, 1918, a department
of the League was installed in the Military Intelligence Division,
and since then the work has constantly grown in volume. A Captain
in the Military Intelligence is now in charge, and at the present
time thirty-six employes are working in the Section.
The increase in the volume of work is clearly shown by the
records. Investigations directed by the Section in May, 1918,
numbered 819; in June, 1777; in July, 2382; in August, 3617;
in September, 6736; and in October, 6604. These investigations
were of applicants for overseas service for the Y. M. C. A., Red
Cross, Knights of Columbus, Jewish Welfare, Salvation Army, and
other civilian organizations; of applicants for commissions and
employment in various Departments of the Army, including the
Quartermaster Department, Surgeon General’s Office, Department
of Aeronautics, Ordnance Department, Signal Corps, Army Chaplain
Service, Chemical Warfare Service, etc. They also included
investigations on counter-espionage matters, German propaganda,
deserters, slackers and various other miscellaneous cases, all of
which was made at the direct request of the heads of the different
sections of the Military Intelligence Division at Washington.
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