Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-24

| BOlSheviSm and L. W. W.-lSm is
held by William Pinkerton, head OF
| the Pinkerton detective agency OF
worldwide fame, as only passing
annoyances aid asserts that they
or any other such movements, can
be successfully combatted and theiI
growth controlled.
| In en- address before the Interna-
! tiCnaI Association of Chiefs of PO-
| lice recently in New Orleans Mr.
| Pinkerton said:
Before this honorable body ad-
| journs | desire to say a few words
! about the Bolsheviki, which, with
| the l. w w and their kind, SC
I often have been, and, with increas-
| ing frequency. must be considered
and dealt with by peace officers.
Il ask you to consider my re-
marks as suggestions for discus
sion and consideration, with a view
! of finding, if possible, way TO
( centraliZe a course for the future
control of these elements that will
! be an improvement over the here
/ tofore indefinite, spasmodic. unsat-
/ isfactory, and, often, injurious
methods.
1t is not my intention in any
way TO criticise past efforts of city,
state or federal organizations. Dur
ing The abnormal condition s
/ brought about by the war, many
unforeseen situations developed
that had to be handled with avail
able means, or those speedily de-
veloped.
AT the present time 1 consider
the l. W. W. merely a passing an
noyance, and it, bolshevism, and
any other such movement, can be
successfully combatted, their prop
uganda reduced and their growth
controlled, if not entirely eradicat-
ed, in this country, if taken in
hand forcibly now.
Prior to the war the secret SER
vice of the United States consisted
only of a small force. probably no
more than rs members, with their
work restricted principally to acts
against the treasury and guarding
the president of the United States.
This organization, for its size, was
one of the most efficient of its kind
in the world, but being limited in
numbers and scope of work, was
not, at the breaking out of the war,
prepared to deal with the thous-
ands of cases that sprung up re-
curing police and secret service
work.
AT the outbreak of the war there
was pressed into the service an
army intelligence department,
navy intelligence department and
the department of justice, and there
were also formed such organiza-
league, the protective department
of the United States, shipping board
and the plant protection depart
ment, this last for the protection
of manufacturers and plants hav-
ing large government contracts.
In addition, owners of many
other large plants engaged in war
work adopted such police and de-
tective service as each deemed ad-
visable. These various organ:Za-
lions were working practically in
dependently Of each other, under
separate arrangements and mex
perienced investigators, with differ
ent plans of operation, often on the
same cases, and because of the
lack of Capitalization and coopera-
ton more often spoiled than &C
compl-shed results. At a few of
the. larger centers an attempt. was
made to centralize and divide this
work, but, as a rule, this met with
lack of cooperation.
Persons to perform important
government secret service work in
the army and the navy intelligence
departments were selected from
among doctors, bankers, merchants,
architects, etc, and / am creditably
informed that of these less than l
per cent, or one person in each
hundred, had previous police or de-
tective experience. This created
separate forces of thousands, with
out training, for vitality important
work, which, at all times, requires
training and experience to be of
real service.
The limited results achieved
by these hastily organized intelli-
gence, or secret service depart
ments, are known to you through
your almost hopeless efforts to Co
operate and assist those inexperi-
enced forces. Their inexperience,
zeal or jealousies frequently spoil
ed important clues of cases that
otherwise could have been success
fully developed. The Ineffective
ness of such work was well illus
trated by the recent congressional
into the army intelli-
gence department methods, in con-
nection with their work relating to
the l. ". W. and anarchists, and
the very meager results secured by
that department
You will recall that only recent
ly there was published an army in
department confidential
government list of alleged alien
enemy sympathizers, anarchists or
radical socialists. This list should
not have been made public, and
since it's publication has been
shown to be SO inaccurate and so
unjust to some of those named
therein, the department took
drastic steps to curb the zeal of
of the intelligence de-
partment, and removed the names
Of injured persons from the list.
Gentlemen, l have known of Sc
,ret agents in this country, who.
after establishing themselves in
positions where they could secure
valuable information for the gov
eminent, have been exposed and
bair IICnfulnncc