The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-02
WAR DEPARTMENT
SECTION REPORT


One of ths most interesting doru.
nents dealing With Government al.
uvities ever published has just been
put out by Edmund Leigh. CHIEF Of
The Plant Protection Section, Military
Intelhgenee Mr.. Leigh resigned HIS
position in the Government aeAwice
July Is. 1919. but his report shows the
activities of the section over which
he had charge up to Decenfb 81.
1913. IL has been a carefully guard
ed secret during the war that NUM-
ton plants throughout the country
were taken care of by special staff
trganized for the purpose of protect
ing them against fire hazard and the
activities of enemy aliens. The Plant
protection Section, under Mr. Ieigh's
direction carried out a number of re-
| harkaple activities, and this work was
cone so quietly and with so little pub
hcliy that. 1t Is with considerable aston
tisnment that the public win learn fror,
this report of Mr.. Leigh what was
| actually accomplished.
NOW that the matter Is no longer a
secret. IL may be stated that the Plant
protection Section OF Military lntelh-
gence had under it's charge practicaIIy
/ every tnunition plant throughout the
United States, of which there were
Upwards OF $1,000 Tho scope Of. MIR
Lelgh's organization included severssj
thousand operatives and embraced q
humb Der of activities, such a fire pre-
Vention and the guarding. lighting and
Fencing of plants. tabulation of war
workers. with a view of gettfHg rid ,,f
hilen enemies; putting in Photograph
identification systems and the regufa
tion of visitors to war plants Pre-
Ventlon OF sabotage. incendiarisss4
plots and designs of alien enemies or
sedltlons persons, special investiga
ZION and supplying OF information u
labor conditions and employment
strikes.
The work done by the Plant PRO
lection Section ranged from rifle fac
tories in Connecticut to spruce forests
IN Ore%on. A very large portion Of
( The work had TO do with the protec-
ton of aviation supplies. materials and
/ factories, and required the services
! Of skilled men in all lines of inspee-
ton work. Ii Is doubtful il there f.
any section OF the Government which
mad such diversity of work. involv.
ing SO many important phases. Prae-
tlcally all the supplies which went
forward to Europe came at one time
or other under the supervision of ,hs
/ Plant Protest ion Section: these sun
/ plies ranging fro mtear gas To f4-inel,
shells.
! The report Just published by mr
leigh gives number of vivid phosu-
graphic illustrations. and the outside
, cover presents fire scene SHOWING
i the destruction Of vast grain sappiia$
at Dows Stores, Brooklyn. There nrs
also illustrations OF destruction 81
| large railway properties food supplies
ard rinyts, NJ
cssitics. ssg
Recognition of Mr.. Leigh's remark
able work is accorded fun credit In i,
/ very outspoken letter from Secretary
/ OF War Baker 10 Mr. Leigh dated Feb
ruary Is. 1919. in which the Secretary
{ ct War says In part -. EVERY effort
was necessary to accelerate the pro-
duction Of munitions. and incidental
/ to this was the very vital factor ot
protecting the plants where these rnu-
nltions and supplies were being fab
| ricated. and the warehouses where
they were being stored. from any sim
/ lister attack. This obligation was as
suried by Your Section or the Mill
tary Intelligence Division: the results
which have been accomplished. though
! perhaps little known to the country
are so substantial that you NAV take
a genuine pride in them"
One OF. the most Interesting sections
OF the report is devoted to quoting a
lumber of letters received by AIR
Leigh from munition firms through
out the country. commencing the
work of the Plant Protection Section
These letters are peculiarly significant
owing to the fact that. while MIR
/ Leigh's inspectors often required these
nrms 10 spend large sums OF money
+ In IRE prevention ana other recon-
/ nendations, all OF the firms appar-
/ entity recognize the necessity Tor these
| improvements
In order to carry out the work ef
Plant Protection Section special arer-
cies were established In all or the large
! centers of industry throughout the
couptry, there being N ere sstrar a /
special Offices, with resident agent
! IN each location and each agent hay
i ing under him from ten to twenty
! men. ~
The total activities OF the Plant PRO
lection Section numbered a7f55aa
various matters, including both fire
( prevention and guarding buildings
some of the items in this statistical
table are very interesting, for INIT nee
one shows that the Plant Projection
| Section dealt with e,o73 casAsfxt de
layed production; 1850 cases sf Job
5 ts''htS liiiVf ana rendering re-
| ports; more than 100000 persons
/ were included In a system of identif-
cation used in the plants in order to
check off enemy aliens There uAsra
also more than $500 watchmen and
/ more than 4 500 guards used In this
! work. In the matter Of fire prsven-
| ton there WIS a total OF lS9,152 ae-
tivities. of which more than rs, zoe
dealt with housekeeping conditions.
The Plant Protection Section not only
! required housekeeping conditions.
such MS cleaning up. but they actually
ordered the removal Of ninety build
ings which were endangering war
| plants
| The organization OF the Plant Pro-
lection Section by Mr. Leigh was one
Of the most gigantic tasks ever under
! taken by any one man during the
| period OF the war, and Mr.. Ieigh's
! experiences. has been unique In many
respects. 1t is doubtful il there il
another man in the country today who
knows intimately the needs and Te-
euirements Of every important plant
engaged in the war Industries Previous
to going into. Government service
| from which Mr. Leigh resigned July