Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1917-12-13
DEFENSE SOCIETY CALLS FOR
LOCAL VIGILANCE CORPS
Immediate Action Necessary Says
Their Appeal

team Defense Society, urging citlZenS
there to organize a local vigilance
corps, for the purpose of aiding the
Government in putting an end to
German propaganda and enemy ac-
tivity which has been responsible for
fires, ammunition plant explosions,
sabotage, food scares and other at
tempts 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 propaganda
has long been supplied to our
troops in the national encampments.
The ship--building program is being
interfered with by German-inspired
strikes. Germans are directing the
boarding of food supplies to an cx-
ltent that panics have already been
prevalent in the leading cities. News
papers are giving daily reports of
| fires in ammunition plants and grain
| dapots and tho country is now On the
verge of an even greater calamity
in the shape of a railroad strike of
unprecedented extent which threat
ems to cripple cur national industry"
The far-reachiLg need of the socal
Vigilance Corps can readily be seen
when it 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 numberlss
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 stan
by their Government, the opportunity
is Offered in the additional service
they can give to this work of the
American Defense Society.
This plan of organization undertake
en- by the Society and recommended
to loyal Americans provides for the !
enrolment of small American Vigi- y
lance Corps in every city and town
which shall classify ALL residents Ks
under the following terms:
1. Loyal.
2. Disloyal
8. Doubtful
A. Unknown
Following the general classification
of citizens the Committee is urged |
to make further designation Of the L
following list \
1. Alien enemy.
2. Pro-German J.
3. Anti--Govemment. (
branch organizations the Executive
Committee CT the American Defense I
Society gives the following directions \
"At tho earliest possible moment,
when you have made your classified I
ton of alien enemies, pro-Germans,
and those opposed to the Govern =
ment in this war, send this list to II
the Police Department, the local rep
resentative of the Department of q
Justice and to whatever representa- u
lives of the army or navy intelli-- q
senco bureaus there are in your
community. Do not let this matter 81
'est, however, with this first CLASH II
'lcation of the enemies. Too much pl
stress cannot be put on the import
ince Of having your own Vigilance "a
Corps take steps to watch alien enc
MES, pro--Germans and those oppos- A
I'd to the Government. Only by such
cooperation will you be able to give g.
effective aid to the Government
Cake every means you can to let
he people CT your city know the
James of our enemies"
unofficial announcement has al
eady been made at Washington that
he Government is about to register
nc alien enemies in America Your
committee already having acted
Icing such Lines, will NATURALLY be
a position greatly to aid the Gov
rnment Census when such census
taken. No doubt many attempts
AL be made to evadA the official
government Census and information
n the enemies in your community
ILL therefore be of greatest value"
You are enjoined to watch the
peech, associations and activities Of
very man whom you may suspect
disloyalty and to send in the
report. For further in
'rmation and instructions regarding