The division worked to protect the Government and to protect the people also. There were a number of cases where a man and wife were reconciled; where a man and woman had been living together without marriage and where a marriage was performed; where a soldier’s dependents were in destitute circumstances and did not get the allotment. Domestic tragedies such as these ran into hundreds, and quite often the division was able to straighten them out. Many a man was considered a slacker who had tried every means of getting into the Army. Many a man looked healthy, though the Army regulations disqualified him. Such men were, as a rule, sensitive as to their physical condition. The division made things clearer and made them easier in many cases.
There were many ways in which the division proved itself useful on a common-sense and practical business basis. For instance, a soldier, gone to France, left his home in charge of a friend who had agreed to rent it, keep up the improvements, and so on. A. P. L. found that the friend had collected the rent for months, but did not keep up the improvements and did not pay the taxes. It was found he had collected several hundred dollars and had not paid out anything. He happened to own a house of his own, so he mortgaged that and paid over the money he had collected. A. P. L. arranged with one of the banks to act as trustee for the soldier. The taxes were paid and the rents are now being placed to the credit of the soldier. If it had not been for the A. P. L., the soldier would have found his property badly depreciated on his return.
This gives the barest, and, indeed, a most vague idea of the many and well-organized activities of this division. As a machine of protection it was deadly efficient. No place in the country had more to lose than had Detroit. It was a vulnerable point. It was the armor and weapons, offensive and defensive, of the A. P. L. which guarded it. The manufacturers of Detroit furnished cash for the A. P. L. The individual citizens of Detroit did not pay a cent, nor did the United States Government. Recognizing this unselfish work of thousands of its citizens, the Detroit Patriotic Fund Committee in July, 1918, made an unsolicited grant of sufficient funds to keep the division going for another year.
Detroit Division had a total of 30,056 complaints entered on the files. Of members there were enrolled in all 3,903. To each of these in good standing there was given an engraved testimonial, his sole pay for months of time given free to his country:
THE WAYNE COUNTY DIVISION presents this testimonial to .......................... in appreciation of your volunteer enlistment, as a member without remuneration, for the assignment to any duties that might arise in connection with the requirements of the Government for the duration of the Great War. We especially desire to thank you for your patriotic services in making this Division so valuable an adjunct to the general success attained by the Organization during the strenuous period just passed.
FRANK H. CROUL, Chief.
The total of 30,056 investigations were distributed as follows:
Department of Justice cases: Alien enemy activities, male 500, female 400, total 900; Espionage Act, disloyalties and sedition, 2,000; sabotage, 1,000; anti-military, etc., 250; propaganda, (a) word of mouth, 5,000, (b) printed matter, 25, total, 5,025; radical organizations, I. W. W., People’s Council, etc., 100; bribery, 150; naturalization applicants, 550; impersonating officers, 25; other investigations, 1,000, total, 1,575; total Department of Justice cases, 11,000.
War Department cases: Counter-espionage for Military Intelligence, 800; Selective Service Regulations, 15,756; work or fight order, 300; character and loyalty, (a) civilian applicants for overseas, 500, (b) applicants for commissions, 400, total 900; camp desertions and absent without leave, 600; total, 18,356.
Other branches of the Government: Food and Fuel Administrations, 200; Treasury Department, War Risk insurance allotments, etc., 500. Grand total of investigations listed January 1, 1919, 30,056.