The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-21
Protective League Renders Valuable Service to De-
 partment of Justice
LOCAL DIVISION
 HANDLES MANY CASES
Members Investigate Acts of Dis loyalty, Army Desertions and Vio- lations of Neutrality-Praised
 by Attorney General

One or the government agencies that is least heard of any probably does as much work as any one of the others is the American Protective league. It IS & branch of the department of justice and co operates with that departmen; and with tho army, the navy. the post office, the secret service. the United States marshal, district attorney and, in fact. with every other branch of the government.
 Arthur c. Crowder, president of tho Chamber of Commerce, is state inspector for Alabama, and II. Key Miner is chief of the Jefferson county division, with R. $. w. Browne assistant chief. Their offices are at 11o7 Empire building.
 The American Protective league was organized with the approval of and Up- crates under the direction of the de- partment of justice. Through it's local divisions it investigates acts of dis loyalty, slaclers, deserters, violations of neutrality, suspicious behavior on the part of any person and investigates and reports on persons who make applica ton for service in any branch of the government, either ill this country or in foreign lands.
 ALL WALKS OF LIFE
 The membership of the Jefferson coun- ty division is made up of men in all walks of life; the business man, the lawyer, the doctor, the railroader, the street railway employe, miners, me chanics, artisans, common laborers The personnel of the memberships kept sec ret. Only the officials of the division are permitted to know them They act quietly and secretly, going about their duties in this organization in the same way that they would handle private enterprise of their own.
 The local division works under and re- ports to Reese Murray, local agent of. the department ct justice Since July l over 800 eases have been investigated by the local division. While this division IS supposed to confine it's operations to Jefferson county, as matter of fact 1t | joining counties. The members go wher- ever. anl whenever they are called upon l to 20. They serve without compensation and furnish their own means of convey ance and defray their own expenses when l on the trips Only recently one man, in yestigating a particularly difficult case l remained on duty four consecutive days 1 and nights
 PATRIOTISM IS MOTIVE
 'We get many cases for investigation every day These came in this morning.
 said Mr. Miner, exhibiting bund.t containing dozen or more voluminous 1 looking documents, but we nearly al
 ways get our reports out the same day | the queries come in. The men who have
 joined the league are actuated by nc motive other than love of country and desire to do what they can to help Il in these serious times. They get no pay; they respond whenever called upon ano stay on the job until it is finished. II is purely work of patriotism on their part and they give to it an earnest ana devoted service that money could no' buy"
 The Jefferson county division has large and growing membership. No one bowever. is accepted into membership lunti inc officers have thoroughly satis f;ed themselves as to his character ane trustworthiness.
 INVALUABLE AUXILIARY Tn spaakiug of the league, Unitec I States Attorney General T. w. GregorS recently said:
 nrbe American Protective league has proven to be invaluable and com stitutes a most important auxiliary anc reserve force for the bureau or H.' vestieation. Its membership, which is carefully, guarded, includes leadina l manI in various localities who have vol lunteered their services for the purpose of being on the lookout for and re. porting to this department information of value to the government, ana 1oi the further purpose of endeavorlnf to secure information regarding any matters about which it IS requestee to make inquiry. This organization
 has been of the greatest possible aie
 in thousands of cases in the principa
 cities of the United States. It's mem hers are not officers or agents of tnt denartment and do not attempt to talk
 any decisive action in the matter, ex' cept through the regular officers Q
 tbe department It's work has beer
 performed in a thoroughly commenda
 ble manner with minimum of frictiol
 and cOmpIalnJ anu liOiii Hiot'NS, VI sAi' I highest patriotism. It is self-support
 ing organization, and it would be dir
 ficult to exaggerate the value of it
 services to the bureau Of investi3a
 tion."
 A Bruce Bielaski. chicf of the burea,
 of inspection, in speech delivered ir
 New York recently. said of the league
 ..The Attorney General. with confidenc, in the American people believed he coul, find in business men and other citizens of the country the help needed. WheI he told the American Bar association | recently that the United States wa! the best policed nation in the world he was thinking of the American Pro T tectiye league. It has nearly 300.00' i members. yet there has not been sin I gle violation of duty; not single fla grant performance of any kind by an. I member"
 Local divisions have been organized in Alabama by State Inspector Arthu lC. Crowder at Birmingham, Mobile selma, Montgomery. Tuscaloosa, An ntston, Brewton. Sheffield and at sev l eral smaller towns.
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