Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-04-05
Spoilers HERE
O init This CITY
Will Keep a Sharp Lookout For Per.
sons Who Plot Against The
United States Government


A half million postmasters, letter
carriers and field agents for various
federal departments have been set on
the trail of spies or conspirators
against the United States. under
government orders, it was known to-
day. These are in addition to the
multitude of municipal police and
detectives who are being organized
into a single machine to gather in
formation on agents OF foreign gov
ernments.
At least 100000 city letter car
riers aia rural free delivery employees
alone are under orders ~ scan let
ters and packages passing through
their hands for evidence of plots
against the nation. yitually all
government employers are eyp>ctea 10
report suspicious incidents of even
scraps of conversation reaching them
which might bear investigation by
government agents.
Although no request for cooper
alton has been addressed to the gen.
eral public, officials welcome and hold
in strictest confidence cooperation on
the part of all private citizens look
ing to the prevention of activities
harmful to the national interest. A
number of private citizens. by patrio-
tic motives, already have furnished
much valuable information of this
character. it was said, and have aided
materially in the work of the two
bureaus heretofore engaged in en-
forcing the maintenance of Ameri-
can neutrality. Officials want to en-
courage citizens to communicate such
information through United States
attorneys or direct to the department
of justice. .
Department officials realize that
much of the information received
by the civilian dragnet be of a char
active that does not warrant more
than superficial investigation but they
are prepared to give each report care
full and individual attention. To this
end the forces of the investigation
body are understood to have been
augmented recently to expand the
governments investigating facilities,
The idea of enlisting virtually all
government employees in this work or
ginated with the department of
Justice and was promptly approved
by the heads of various government
departments.
instructions have been sent to
most of the employees concerned. II
Is understood that other employees will
be instructed within the next few
DAYS
" calling upon it's civiiiu1 en-
plOyes to aid in the work Of the
bureau of investigation the govern
ment will rely chiefly upon the field
forces of all its varied activities men
whose daily work brings them in con-
slant touch with the public This
includes, in addition to postmasters
and letter carriers. the field forces
OF the department of the interior,
the federal trade commission, the
department of agriculture. the in
terestate commerce commission. the
internal revenue and custOmes
bureaus OF the treasury departments.
of commerce workers
and investigators and immigration
and other officials of the department
Of labor.
The cooperation of trained detec- |
tives and other employees of munich !
pal police force will result officials |
believe, in obtaining vast amount !
Of information of great value to the |
Under the departments |
program virtually every policeman,
plain clothes man and detective
other than private detectives-in the
will be assisting indirectly in |
the work of the governments in
bureaus. The total of |
this vast force has not been estimat-
ed.