The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-30
LOCAL BRANCH A. P. l..
 IS DISBANDED AT
 DINNER LAST NIGHT
tcontinued from Page Five,


 listed in the files of the department, and within few hours after the sign ing of that document as many as 60 of the more dangerous ones were in jail, and from that day until this the exist ence of the German spy in America has been made miserable and uncertain py the unrelenting activity of the agents of the department of justice, assisted by the American Protective league"
 ACTIVITIES SECRET
 The activities of the league were se- cret, in line with the policy of the gov ernment, which fact contributed to its effectiveness and acted as deterrent to those who might otherwise have engaged ia reasonable endeavors. The member ship of the league has been carefully guarded and each member was required to subscribe, under oath, to a statement that he was a citizen of the United States that he would uphold and de- fend the constitution and the laws of the United States against all enemies, for cigr and domestic, and that he would bear true faith and allegiance to the same at all times and all places as a true and loyal citizen thereof. The mem- bership embraced men of all stations in society, and all kinds of business, pro- viGed they filled the above requirements.
 Among some of the notable achieve ments of the league, mentioned by MT. Milner, were: Gathering evidence which resulted in the conviction of 100 l. W. w. ir. Chicago; making shorthand reports of Eugene V. Debs' speech used as evil dence in his trial and conviction; in in- vestigations which resulted in the arrest and conviction of Edmond Di Castellot. Mime. Despina Storch, Robert DeC1ai- mont, Mme Elizabeth Nix and Baron Herri DeBeville. German spies, in New York; gathering maps and photographs of Belgium, LuXemburg, northern France and western Germany, numbering over 5000, which were sent to the military ir telligence department in France, which aided greatly in mapping those coun- tries; 100000 investigations without sir gle case of dereliction among it's 300,- 900 members.
 "Coming down more specifically to what has been done in Birmingham. The lea gue has been in active operation only about one year. I having been appointed chief, January 9, 1918. The membership grew slowly at first because at that time none of US really knew our neighbors in so far as their sympathies for or acsinst our country were concerned" said Mir Milner.
 Gradually band of citizens, above reproach and of unquestionable nerve, was gathered together and our work ur certaken. We were not long in get ting, through the local department of justice and from various other sources. scme of them anonymous. hundreds of clues which were investigated. Of course in matters of this kind there are bushels of chaff for only few kernels of grain. and a large number of investigations were without practical result.
 ! LOCAL PRO-GERMANS , At that time you will remember the amendment to the espionage act had not passed, and was not signed by the Presi- dent until the 18th day of May. 1918. If tLat amendment had been enacted six months earlier there are a. number of people on the streets of Birmingham who would be in an internment camp, or in some prison.
 Tt might be of interest to you to know that we have list of many persons in Birmingham who should have been im- prisoned for their seditious utterances