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
In the early summer and fall of 1918 many slacker drives were
conducted throughout the country. They were made under the
direction of the officials of the Department of Justice with
the active assistance of the Local Divisions of the American
Protective League. Effective drives occurred in Cleveland,
Detroit, St. Louis, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis,
St. Paul, Davenport, Dayton and many cities of lesser size
throughout the country.
As a result of a single drive in one city, according to the report
of the Division Superintendent of the Bureau of Investigation of
the Department of Justice, approximately five hundred men were
sent to camp as deserters and four thousand delinquents were
apprehended. These drives as a whole were carried on with the
acquiescence and with the general satisfaction of the public at
large, and with the minimum of embarrassment to the individuals
concerned. The New York city drive presented an exception where
certain difficulties arose.
As a result of these drives, several hundred thousand men were
examined throughout the country; tens of thousands who had
failed to comply with the requirements of the Selective Service
Regulations were compelled to go to their District Boards to
make good their delinquencies, and many thousand delinquents and
deserters were inducted into the army who otherwise might have
escaped service.
Members of the League have apprehended many camp deserters and
soldiers absent without leave. They have investigated thousands of
requests for furloughs where the soldier claimed illness at home
or made other claims. Many fraudulent requests were uncovered by
these investigations. These investigations, in the one hundred
divisions referred to, number 3,478.
Early in April, 1918, the National Directors conferred with Mr.
Fosdick and other officials of the Department of Training Camp
activities, and with the officials of the Department of Justice,
with regard to developing a plan for the successful enforcement
of Section 13 of the Selective Service Act and the regulations
thereunder,—the section referred to having to do with the
protection of the military and naval forces of the United States
from the evil influences of vice and prostitution in the vicinity
of the camps. In the one hundred divisions referred to, the number
of investigations was 5,866, or in the country at large, 41,062.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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