The second bureau, that of Information, took up on its part the trades classification rather than that which we may call the geographical classification into city districts. There was a captain in each of the seventy-eight commercial lines of the city, and each captain had lieutenants and operatives in his particular line of business. In this way there was what might be called a double covering of the city, both as to information and investigation. For instance, in each hotel there would be a captain, lieutenant and operatives. The Bureau of Information had entire charge of the financial end of the League, and it supplied men to the Investigation Division for the purpose of raids, or for whatever matter required special assistance.
In the War Department work, the selective service bureau was in charge of a captain with proper assistants, who handled all violations under Section 6 of the Act. A member of this bureau was detailed with each exemption board, and this division handled all the draft investigations. It made a great many searches of this sort, prevented a great many evasions, and corrected many incorrect classifications. In the slacker raids which New Orleans had in common with practically every other big city of the country there were sometimes as many as three hundred operatives employed, and it is estimated that more than 20,000 slacker investigations were made in all.
New Orleans was a “wet town,” in close proximity to two Naval stations, three aviation fields, and two cantonments. It is easily seen what this meant in the way of activities for the A. P. L. There was a special liquor bureau put in charge of a captain and assistants. The division Chief and his aids made an agreement with all the local breweries and all the wholesale and retail liquor dealers that no intoxicating liquor should be sold in bottles after 7:00 p. m. This cut off a great deal of bootlegging and much of the heavier drinking which could not be controlled by the local police. This bureau was most efficient, as is demonstrated by the fact that Colonel Charles B. Hatch, U. S. Marines, who was in charge of the police forces of Philadelphia, was sent down to New Orleans by Secretary Daniels of the Navy to make an investigation of the New Orleans situation, and reported that so long as the A. P. L. was on the job there was no need for the establishment of a military police in New Orleans, or of extending any other law-enforcing organization. A. P. L. has rarely had a better compliment than this.
This bureau had chemists making analyses of several alleged soft drinks, and caused a cessation in their sale when they were of a suspicious character. In general, it locked up the town in a manner entirely satisfactory to the military and naval authorities. Anyone going to New Orleans in war times would have found it anything but a wide-open place.
Yet, but lately, New Orleans was called rather an “open town” in other ways: hence the vice bureau, established under the constant personal supervision of the division Chief. There were squads kept out all the time in control of the “district” and uptown sections of the city, this patrol being kept up day and night. It was not in the least infrequent that A. P. L. men would be out many nights on service of this sort.
In order that the operations of this vice bureau might be facilitated, Chief Weinberger was named U. S. Commissioner by Federal Judge Foster. Women apprehended under Section 13 of the Conscription Act were brought before Commissioner Weinberger, their cases investigated and affidavits made. When necessary, they were sent to the isolation hospital for investigation as to their physical status.
In order to prevent sending these unfortunate women to jail with criminals, the American Protective League at New Orleans engaged in the enterprise earlier referred to—its “Amproleague Farm.” Here there were ample dormitories, fully equipped, and a garden was maintained. There was a matron in charge. The place was kindly and helpful in every way, and every attempt was made to change the women spiritually as well as physically during their stay. Thus the League went a step further than acting simply as a merciless police force. It took care of young men who ought to have taken better care of themselves, but it did more. It took care not of one sex alone, but of both sexes, and in the truer and more lofty sense of the word.
In this operation of the liquor and vice bureaus, local Army and Navy camps detailed men to help the A. P. L. The local organization of the Home Guard, to the number of about a hundred, were admitted to membership in the League also. This organization, which was under military discipline, could be quickly assembled for night service. Transport of the League was cared for by the automobile division of the Bureau of Information. The latter men rendered special service to prevent the shipment of liquor into dry territory, whether in violation of the Reed Amendment or in violation of Section 12 of the Conscription Act. The New Orleans district had one neighboring cantonment which was in dry territory.
In brief, New Orleans showed what all the divisions of A. P. L. did throughout the country—good judgment and common sense. It did the thing necessary to be done, the most obvious and most useful thing. That duty was the caring for the personnel of the soldiers and sailors grouped in such numbers in or close to New Orleans. Human nature was accepted as human nature, and dealt with as such. These are the conditions which perforce colored the work of A. P. L. in New Orleans. They do not reflect the average community life of that city in any ordinary sense of the word, although many of the cases most valued by the Division itself have had to do with that manner of work.
For instance, the vice bureau apprehended two young women under Section 13 of the Conscription Act. Brought before the U. S. Commissioner, they were released upon their personal recognizance, but failed to appear on the next morning. Later they were located in Houston, Texas, and brought back to New Orleans. They were not kicked down. They found homes at the “Amproleague Farm.”