Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-25
FBI Reveals
No.Weakness
In It's Work
G-Men Show Alerfness
Far Beyond Others
BY DAMON RUNYON


TNHE work so far of the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation
in this war proves that at least
we have no weakness in that
phase of our national defense.
Under good-looking, sharp
witted J. Edgar Hoover, the re-
doubtable Omen have already
demonstrated an alertness far
beyond that of any department
directly connected with the
stern business OF fighting the
foe. q"
Their immediate efficiency on
the outbreak of the war UNI
doubtedly traces to the prepara-
ton against exactly this contin-
gency that was begun by Hoo
yer long ago.
He was battling the Nazis in
this country several years be-
fore hoStilitieS opened, rs is
indicated by his departments
record of warfare, against bund-
ism and all other subverSive
clements throughout the ma
ton.
DROBABLY Hoover knew, and
Il still knows, every individual
in the United States of sub
versive tendency and enemy
connection. Many have been
rounded up and slowed away in
safe places, and those at large
are most likely carefully tabled
and subject TO nabbing any mo-
ment.
This is a large country with
large population. but the FB-
Eye has shown that it has a
penetrating stare.
No other department of the
government enjoys the conf
dence of the people TO the same
extent as this organization. The
recent apprehension of the
Saboteurs landed on these shores
was just another instance of
the vigilance of Hoover's men,
but it increased public faith in
them.
Hoover himself is probably
the greatest chief of any agency
Of this character we have ever
had, and II is a good thing he
was on the job for the war.
THE far-reaching extent of the
Il FBIS knowledge of wrongs
was demonstrated after Pearl
Harbor, when Hoover'S lads i'm
mediately laid hands on numer-
o1s bad Japs along the West
Coast.
Apparently Hoover had less
confidence in the Japanese than
some OF our government heads
in Washington and had long
been casing" the dangerous
ones in connection with local
police departments, so when the
time came he knew the ones to
grab.
Evidently. he had been listing
them even when Washington
was kidding itself that there
would be no war with Japan.
He also had Italian enemy
aliens spotted.
While sabotage is something
that can never be completely
avoided. the swift action of the
FBl undoubtedly scotched many
desperate plots and warded off
incalculable damage.
have no means of knowing
to what extent this nation en-
cages in counter-eSpionage, if
any, though ! assume ii is not
asleep on that point.
also conjecture that the FBI
has fist in that business and
knows as much about what is
going on in the enemy countries
as they know about what is
going on here.
The idea some persons enter
tain that the other guy is al
ways smarter about maneuvers
Of this nature than old Uncle
Samuel is quite erroneous, as I
think will be shown when the
whole story can be revealed.
THE FBI has practically sup
Il planted all our old time
methods of secret service that
began away back IN the Revolu-
ton when il was entrusted al
most entirely to volunteers.
Patriots of tife-typc Of Ma
than Hale. In the Civil War an
early Pinkerton was one of the
disturbances OF the North Tor
information from behind the
Confederate lines and both SIDES
eventually had rather elaborate
systems OF espionage
But never I'm its history has
the nation had an organization
as thoroughly competent in
guarding against the foe from
the inside, so 10 speak. as the
Federal Bureau OF Investiga-
ton
You have probably read much
of the supposedly machine-like
quality of the secret services of
other nations. but they are not
10 be compared with Hoover's
force in intelligence. in speed of
operation, or any other way.
This is one government agency
that We can really boast about.