Milford chronicle., 1917-11-30
DEFENSE SOCIETY CALLS
FOR A VIGILANCE CORPS
Immediate Action Necessary Tc
Form Local CorpssSays Their
Appeal.

Mayor Draper Of this city, today
made public a request received from
Richard NJ. Hurd, Chairman of the
Board of Trustees of the American
Defense Society. urging citizens here
to organize a local vigilance corps for
the purpose OF aiding the government
in putting an end to German prOpa-
ganda and enemy activity which has
been responsible for fires, ammuni-
tiOn plant explosions, sabotage, food
scares and other attempts to damage
the morale Of the American people.
Recent events in this country
make it plain that the German method
Of propaganda which has been so eff
fective in Russia and Italy is now be-
ing attempted in this country with an
alarming degree Of success" accord
ing to an appeal to Americans now
being issued by the American Defense
Society. German propaganda has
long been supplied to our troops in
.he national encampments. The ship
building program is being interfered
with by German inspired strikes. The
Germans are directing the boarding of
food supplies to an extent that panics
have already been prevalent in the
leading cities. Newspapers are Civ
ing daily reports of fires in munition
plants and grain depOts and the cOun-
try is now on the verge of an even
greater calamity in the shape of a
railroad strike of unprecedented ex-
tent, which threatens to cripple our
national industry"
The far-reaching need Of the local |
Vigilance Corps can readily be seen |
when II is known that in this country /
a
alien enemies representing Germany, /
Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey and other /
countries sympathetic or allied with |
the Prussian autocracy. Almost with
out exception these enemies are free
70 go about as they see fit, and while
the government has done much to-
ward tightening the censorship of the
mails and cables, nevertheless there
are numberless channels by which
these enemies are in touch with the
directing genius of German propagan-
da in Berlin.
II Americans mean to stand by the
men at the front, whose lives are al
ready being sacrificed, and to stand
by their government, the opportunity
is offered in the additional service
they can give to this work of the
American Defense Society.
Inc pldu VI OlBdnAlALlOM |
en- by the Society and recommended
to loyal Americans provides for the
enrolment of a small American Wig
ilance Corps in every city and town
which shall classify all residents un-
der the following terms:
1. Loyal.
2. DislOyal.
8. Doubtful.
4. Unknown
Following the general classification
Of citizens the Committee is urged to
make further designation of the fol- l
Lowing list: 4
1. Alien enemy.
2. Pro-German.
8. Anti-GoVernment.
In the letter of instructions to the
branch organizations the Executive
Committee of the American Defense
Society gives the following direc- '
tiOns:
"At the earliest possible moment, {
when you have made your classifica
ton Of alien enemies, pro-Germans,
and those opposed to the government s
in this war, send this list to the police c
the local representative v
OF the department of justice, and to
whatever representatives of the army a
or navy intelligence bureaus there are v
IN your community. Do not let this e
matter rest, however, with the first
of the enemies. Too
much stress cannot be put on the i'm
DOrtance of having your own Vigil
ance corps take steps to watch alien /,
enemies, pro-Germans, and those op-
posed to the government. Only by d
such cooperation will you be able to {,
give effective aid to the government
Take every means you can to let the :,
people of your cities know the names u
III our enemies" u
Unofficial announcement has al D
ready been made at Washington that 4,
he government is about to register ~
he alien enemies in America. Your y
Committee having already acted along ~
Jueh lines. will naturally be in a DO =, y
iitiOn greatly to aid the government n
,ensus when such a census is taken. a.
70 doubt many attempts will be made
o evade the official government cen 9,
ms and information on the enemies in =;
our community will therefore be Of -
he greatest value.
You are enjoined to watch the ~
peech, associations and activities Os -
very man upon whom you may sus. be
'ect OF disloyalty and to send in the ~
report. For further in -
ormation and instructions regarding
be work of the Vigilance Corps Of the
'igilance Corps Of the American De-
anse Society address National Head II
narters, A East 2Srd Street, New fir
'Ork City. a
rain waur annrure on