The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-04-05
TO ROUND Up SPIES.
Virtually Entire Force Of Govern
ment's Employees Engaged in Work.

the entire force of the government S
civilian employees, approximately
100000 men and women, engaged III
every branch of service, has peen
summoned to aid the bureau of in
yestigation and the secret service IN
detection of spies and Apprehension
of persons engaged in plots, IN
trigues. or other activities against
the interests of the United States.
In addition, the government mas
sought the active cooperation OF the
police and detective forces OF every
town and city of consequence
throughout the country. Hundreds
of letters requesting such coopera-
ton have been mailed broadcast oy
the department of justice, and re-
plies pledging unstinted aid are COM
ing back in great numbers by tele-
graph and mail.
Army of Postmasters.
The largest single force the gov
ernment has enrolled in its nation
wide spy hunt, with the possible ex-
ception of the municipal police and
detective forces, is the army of post
masters, all of whom have been in
structed to permit no clue to the
identity of suspected individuals and
their activities to go unreported.
Under the postmasters are working
city and rural letter carriers, force
all told of about 100000 men.
Instructions to the federal en-
ployes call for the prompt reporting
to designated authorities of all in
formation, no matter how minor it
appears, which might be Of value or
furnish clues in ferreting out agents
of foreign governments.
Keeping Close Watch.
Under this head come letters pass
ing through the mails, kilograms and
overheard scraps of conversation in
dicating activity against the govern
ment.
Such information will be promptly
forwarded to the proper investigating
body at Washington, the name of the
informant held secret and an inquiry
quietly begun wherever investigation
is warranted.
Although no request for coopera-
ton has been addressed to the gen.
eral public, officials will welcome and
hold in strictest confidence, coopera-
ton On the part of all private citi-
zens looking to the prevention of ac-
tivities harmful to the national in
terest.
Valuable Information.
A number of private citizens, i'm
PEELED by patriotic motives, already
have furnished much valuable infor-
nation of this character, it was said
and have aided materially in the
work of the two bureaus heretofore
engaged in enforcing the mainte-
nance of American neutrality.
The idea of enlisting virtually all
government employees in this work
originated with the department OF
justice and was promptly approved
by the heads of the various govern
ment departments.
In calling upon it's civilian en-
ployes to aid in the work of bureau OF
investigation, the government will re-
ly chiefly upon the field forces of all
its varied activities, men whose daily
work brings them in constant touch
with the public.
Other Agencies.
This includes, in addition to post
masters and letter carriers, the field
forces of the department of the in
terror, federal trade commission, de-
partment of agriculture, interstate
commerce commission, internal rev.
enue and customs bureaus of the
treasury department, department 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 forces will result, officials
believe, in obtaining vast amount
of information of great value to the
government.
Under the departments pro-
gramme, virtually every policeman,
plain clothes man and detective
other than private detectives-in
the country will be assisting directly
in the work of the governments in
vestigating bureaus.
Beyond a Doubt.