Chapter XLI: Appendix: C

THE ORIGINAL CALL

The following was the first national summons sent out by Mr. A. M. Briggs in the early days of the American Protective League:

I have been authorized by the United States Department of Justice,
Bureau of Investigation, to organize confidentially in your town,
a division of the American Protective League. You have been
recommended to me as a man possessing the necessary qualifications
to successfully organize and command the organization, and I will
be glad to have you accept the responsibility of building the
organization in your town and acting as its Chief.

The object of the American Protective League, which is entirely
a patriotic one, no member of which receives any compensation
whatever for his services, is to work under the direction of the
United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation, in
assisting the Department in securing information of the activities
of agents of foreign governments, or persons unfriendly to this
government for the protection of public property, etc., and any
other work that may be assigned to us by the Department at any
time.

Each local organization or Division of the American Protective
League will work under the direction of the Government Agent in
charge of the nearest office of the Department of Justice—and as
Chief of your local Division you will report daily or as often as
necessary, personally or by telephone, telegraph or mail, to your
nearest Special Agent of the Department of Justice.

Your organization should be made up only of American citizens of
high moral character and good standing in your community who are
willing to serve the organization from a purely patriotic motive
and without compensation. Your organization will be in your charge
as Chief and you will properly enroll and swear in each member of
your organization on enrollment blanks which you will keep on file
in your office. As soon as your organization is complete you will
please forward me a duplicate list of your entire organization,
with your name as Chief, with your Captains and Lieutenants and
the men enrolled under each Captain.

It is essential that the greatest possible secrecy be maintained,
both in forming the organization and in conducting it, and that
all arrangements must be kept as confidential as is practicable,
and, further, that great care must be taken by your entire
organization at all times that nothing is done by it or by any
member of it to unnecessarily alarm aliens in this country or
cause them any apprehension as to the fair manner in which they
will be treated, and that no arrests should be caused excepting
after consultation with the local Government Agent or his
assistants.

You will personally administer the oath to each member you
enroll and accept and at the same time assign to that member a
number,—enter his number on his enrollment blank, his commission
card and on the list you will later forward to this office. Start
with Number One, which is your number as Chief.

It is advisable that you consult with the Chief of your local
Police or ask your Government Agent to do so, so that the Chief
of Police may instruct his officers fully in reference to our
organization so that the commission card will be recognized
by the Police in cases where such recognition is desired. You
will, undoubtedly, find that your local Chief of Police will be
very glad to work with your men wherever his assistance may be
necessary in forwarding the interest of the Government.

It is the desire of the Government that every possible source of
information that may be of value to the Department of Justice
be thoroughly and efficiently covered by your organization in
your town and you will please use great care in the selection of
the Captains, Lieutenants and members of each Company so that
each Company can be depended upon to efficiently handle the work
assigned to it.

In forming your organization, bear in mind the great variety
of investigation that you are likely to be called upon by the
Government to make, and make your organization large enough to
thoroughly cover every business, manufacturing and other interests
in your town that in your opinion should be covered—so that you
will be immediately informed of any activity that may prove
directly or indirectly unfriendly to the best interests of the
Government.

You will handle the organization work along the most effective
lines possible. If convenient to do so please confer with
your Government Agent on the entire organization work. It is
unnecessary to call your attention to the fact that the greatest
possible speed consistent with thorough and efficient organization
is greatly desired by the Government.

Yours very truly,
(Signed) A. M. BRIGGS,
General Superintendent.

The selection of Chiefs was inaugurated by the following communication:

Acting under instructions from Bureau of Investigation, Department
of Justice, we are required to organize a separate branch of the
American Protective League in each town. Our method is to secure
the name of a live, aggressive patriot who is willing to undertake
the responsibility of organizing and acting as Chief of our branch
in his town, and then send him the enclosed letter which explains
the organization work and ask him to undertake the work. I will be
very glad indeed to have you act as the organizer and Chief of the
Branch of the American Protective League if you can and will do
so. Otherwise, I will be very glad to have you turn the enclosed
letter over to the man in your town whom you select as the best
fitted for this responsibility and have him write me at the above
address so that I can authorize him immediately to go forward with
the organization work.

We are sending you under separate cover enrollment blanks for the
enrollment of your organization. You will please personally fill
out one of these blanks and swear to it before a Notary signing
the oath in the presence of the Notary, then forward the card to
this office. After you have taken the oath yourself you will then
proceed to administer it to your men.

Enclosed herewith you will find your commission card as Chief of
your Division, which you will please sign at the same time you
take your oath, and retain. When you fill out your commission
card, please use the date on which you were appointed Chief.

As each member takes the oath, you will issue him a commission
card, filling in his rank either as Captain, Lieutenant or
Operative, and have him sign his card in your presence.

As each man is sworn in, you will please place his number on the
commission card. Please use great care that no commission card
leaves your possession until it is given to a member of your
organization after having been signed by him in your presence at
the time he takes the oath.

The matter of credentials was at first covered by a letter of instruction from the Superintendent to all Chiefs:

The badges to be worn by the members of the American Protective
League will be ready for shipment within a few days. Your members
are not required to wear a badge if they do not care to do so. In
delivering the badges to your men, please caution them to wear
the badge concealed at all times and not to display it unless it
is necessary to do so while making their investigations. It is
advisable that you consult with the Chief of your local Police
or ask the local Government Agent to do so, so that the Chief
of Police may instruct his officers fully in reference to our
organization so that the badge will be recognized by the police in
cases where such recognition is desired. You will, undoubtedly,
find that the local Chief of Police will be very glad to work with
your men wherever their assistance may be necessary in forwarding
the interests of the Government.

It is directed that each member of your organization be sworn
in by you, taking the oath printed on the back of the enclosed
enrollment blank. Paste the oath at the top of a sheet of paper,
and as your men take the oath have them sign on the paper below,
together with the number that you will assign to each man. This
list you will retain in your possession, but as soon as you
have sworn in your entire membership, please send this office a
complete list of your members with their new numbers.