The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1917-12-05
DEFENSE SOCIETY CALLS FOR
LOCAL VIGILANCE CORPS
Plans Outlined for Frustrating Ger
man Propaganda and Dis
loyalty to Nation

request received from Richard NJ.
! Hurd, Chairman of the Board of
Trustees of the American Defense
Society, urging citizens here to org
anize a local vigilance corps, for the
purpose of aiding the Government in
putting an end to German propagan-
da 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 meth
cd of propaganda which has been
so effective in Russia and Italy is
now being attempted in this country
according 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 national encampments
The ship-builidng program is being
| interfered with by German-inspired
strikes. Germans are 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 reports of
fires in ammunition plants and grain
depots and the country is now ON the
verge of an even greater calamity in
the shape of a railroad strike of un-
precedented extent 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 coun-
try alone there are today several
million alien enemies representing
Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey,
and other countries sympathetic or
allied with the Prussian autocracy.
Almost without exception these enc
mics are free to go about as they
see fit, and while the Government
has done much toward tightening
the censorship of mails and cables,
nevertheless there are numberless
channels by which these enemies are
| In touch with the directing genius
of German 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 opportuni-
ty is offered in the additional SER
vice they can give to this work of
the American Defense Society.
The plan of organization under
taken by the Society and recon-
mended to loyal Americans provides
for the enrolment of a small Ameri-
can Vigilance Corps in every city and
town which shall classify all resi-
dents under the following terms:
1. Loyal.
2. Disloyal.
3. Doubtful.
4. Unknown.
Following the general classiflca-
ton of citizens the Committee is
urged to make further designation
of the following list:
l. Alien enemy.
2. Pro-German.
g. Anti-Government
In the letter of instructions to
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 classifca-
ton of alien enemies, pro-Germans,
and those opposed to the Govern
ment in this war send this list to the
Police Department, the local repre-
sentative of the Department of JUS
tice 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 this 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
enemies"
Unofficial announcement has al
ready been made at Washington that
the Government is about to register
the alien enemies In America. Your
Committee already having acted
along such lines, will naturally be in
a position greatly to aid the Govern
ment Census when such census Is
taken. No doubt many attempts
will be made to evade the official
Government Census and information
on the enemies in your community
will therefore be of greatest value.
"You are enjoined to watch the
speech associations and activities OF
every man whom you may suspect
of disloyalty and to send in the i'm
mediate report. For further infor.