Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-27

4 ALIEN BOMB PLOT
Timely Raids Put Down
/ Attempt to Destroy
Woodbury. Plant
CASKILL'S DISCLOSURES
League Head Promises An.
other Roundup Before Its
Work Stops February l
CASKILL'S DISCLOSURES

Before a loyal force of workers was
organized at the Government bag-load-
ing plant near woodbury., n. j., hun
dreds of enemy aliens were discharged
and scores arrested.
Government agents and members of
the American Protective League dis
covered bombs under railroad cars at
the plant, found combustibles that were
designed to fire the plant and at one
time made such a raid on disloyal and
dangerous workers that the activities of
the plant were virtually suspended
These disclosures we're made today by
Frank NJ. D. Gaskill. assistant chief
of the Philadelphia branch of the Amer
lean Protective League, which will end
its operations on February 1.
The organization. which has in its
personnel every type of citizen, from the
millionaire to the humble factory work
er, has supplemented the Department Of
Justice for nearly year, 1t has more
than $500 members, and has investigated
more than $4,000 persons.
Plans Another Big Raid
'Tt will go out Of business on Feb
ruary l." said Mr.. Gask!l today, but
before we sing our swan song, we will
conduct another big raid and then at
tend a banquet in one of the big hotels"
Mr.. Gaskill would not reveal the
nature of the raid or disclose the time
that has been set for the leagues final
roundup.
Discussing the activities of the or
ganization, Mr.. Gaskill asserted that Il
has succeeded in holding enemy aliens
In check and that owing to its system,
Philadelphia has been spared from dis
astrous fires and explosions.
1.-THE organization never gave the dis
loyal element an opportunity to get
started" said Mr., Gaskill. AS an In
stance of It's work, he cited the activities
of the organization in the bag loading
plant near Woodbury.. N. J. Hundreds
OF tons of powder were handled in that
plant every day during the war.
I'VE went there and organized force
of secret service men that numbered
200. They worked in the plant and,
checking up on the enemy aliens, found
a condition that was alarming. During
the early days the plant was half filled
with disloyal workers and spies, but
they were cleaned out and not a single
big fire or explosion occurred. The men
found bombs secreted under freight
cars, detected combustibles that had
been designed to fire the buildings and
dogged the enemies so persistently that
they fed. One day when they learned
that We had planned a wholesale clean
up, more than eco left the plant and
never returned for their wages"
What League Has Accomplished ,
Summarizing the work of the Ameri-
can Protective League. Mr. Gaskill said
that 1852 enemy aliens were investl-
gated. $50 cases of sedition and dis
loyalty had been run down and that
3726 men had been apprehended In
Stacker raids.
40 explain the purpose of the organ
ization its sponsors point to the reply
made by Ambassador Gerard when the
Kaiser informed him that he had soc. 900
reservists in America who would take up
arms for the Fatherland. Mr.. Gerard
replied that America had $4,000 lamp
posts on which the German reservists
could be hanged.
Protective League went on the lookout
for the reservists and their friends In
its ranks are business men. manufac-
turers, financiers andf, in fact, men rep
resenting every walk of life. 1t Is a
secret organization, and not until the
banquet is held will the members learn
the identity of the men who have been
their fellow workers.