Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1917-12-06
DEFENSE SOCIETY CALLS
FOR LOCAL VIGILANCE CORPS

city, today made public a request
received from Richard M. Hurd,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Of the American Defense Society,
urging citizens here to organize a
local vigilance corps. for the pur-
pose of aiding the government in
putting an end to German propaganda
and enemy activity which has been
responsible for fires. ammunition
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 meth
cd of propaganda which has been so
effective in Russia and Italy is now
being attempted in this country with
an alarming degree of success" &C.
cording to the appeal to Americans
now being issued by the American
Defense Society. German propa-
ganda has long been supplied to our
troops in the encampments. The
ship building program is being in
terfered with by German inspired
| strikes. Germans arc directing the
boarding of food supplies to an ex-
tent that panics have already been
prevalent in the leading cities. News
papers are giving daily accounts of
! fires in ammunition plants and in
grain depots and the country is now
on the verge of an even greater ca
lamity in the shape Of railroad
strike which threatens to cripple
our national industry"
! The far-reaching need of the local
Vigilance Corps can readily be seen
when it is known that in this coun-
| try alone there are several million
alien enemies representing Germany,
Austria, Bulgaria. Turkey and other
countries sympathetic or allied with
the Prussian autocracy. Almost with
out exception these enemies are al
lowed to go about as they see fit,
and while the government has done
much toward tightening the censor
ship of mails and cables, neverthe-
less there are numberless channels
by which these enemies are in touch
with and directing the genius of Ger
man propaganda in Berlin.
If Americans mean to stand by
the men at the front, whose lives are
already 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.
The plan of the organization un-
dertaken by the Society and rec
commended to loyal Americans pro.
vides for the enrolment of a small
American Vigilance Corps in every
city and town which shall classify
all residents under the following
terms.
/. Loyal.
2. Disloyal.
3. Doubtful.
| 4. Unknown.
ton of citizens the Committee is
urged to make further designation
of the following list:
/. Alien enemy.
2. Pro-German.
| 3. Achievement.
In the letter of instructions to
branch organizations the Executive
Committee of the American Defense
Society gives the following direc-
tons:
"At the earliest possible moment,
when you have made your classifi.
cation of ellen enemies, pro-Germans
and those opposed to the government
in this war. send this list to the no.
lice department, the local represent
| alive of the department Of justice,
and to whatever representatives of
the army or navy intelligence bu-
reaus there are in your community.
Do not let this matter rest, however,
with the first classification of the
enemies. Too much stress cannot be
put on the Importance of having
your own Vigilance Corps take steps
to watch alien enemies, pro-Germans
and those opposed to the Govern.
ment. Only by such cooperation
will you be able to give effective aid
to the government. Take every
means you can to let the people of
your city know the names of our en-
emies.
Unofficial announcement has al
ready been made at Washington that
the Government is about to register
alien enemies in America. Your COM
mittee already having acted along
such lines, will naturally be in a po-
sition to greatly aid the Government
Census when such census is taken.
No doubt attemnts will be made
to evade the Government Census and
] information on the enemies in your
community will therefore be of the
greatest value.
you are enjoined to watch the
speech. associations and activities of
every man whom you suspect of dis
loyalty and to send in the immedi-
ate report For further information
and instructions regarding the work
of the Vigilance Corps of the Amer
lean Defense Society. address Nation
al Headquarters, "A East 23rd ST.,
New York City.