The American Protective League, which had its beginning almost simultaneously with our declaration of war, was a volunteer auxiliary of the Department of Justice. Its organizer, a private citizen who saw the necessity of such service and the possibility of securing the effective coöperation of selected persons everywhere, had it in operation within a few weeks, with several thousand members. It grew rapidly and within a year had 250,000 members working for it in their own communities. The organization was established in every state in the Union, the country being cut up into divisions, each under a chief, and each division into districts with a captain in command of each one, while each captain recruited his own working squads and put them under lieutenants. This organization by territory was reënforced by another whose divisions were along the lines of important industries, trades and professions, the two bureaus working constantly in coöperation. In the membership of the League was represented every section and phase of American life--college professors and day laborers, bank presidents and mechanics, journalists, lawyers, janitors, ministers, carpenters, judges. The very great value of its service was due to this variety and to the intelligence and character of its membership, for it was able to penetrate into all circles, to be on the watch everywhere in city, town and country and to follow a suspect through the most devious of wanderings. It investigated pro-German propaganda of every sort, sabotage cases, suspected spies and their activities, seditious speeches and printed matter, efforts to evade the selective service act, lying reports circulated by the “whispering propaganda” method about American organizations or individuals, and suspected treasonable conspiracies. The members of the League, undertaking its work in addition to the duties of their regular occupations, served without pay and without rendering expense accounts. It carried on 3,000,000 investigations upon which it made reports, a great many resulting in the uncovering of serious disloyalties or enemy activities. So efficient was the organization that it won the warmest praise from the Attorney General of the United States, who declared that not only were its active services of very great value but that its passive effect was of equal importance, because the knowledge that its eyes and ears were everywhere had a most discouraging influence upon enemy and disloyal intentions.