To that doctrine, and to that alone, can the dead at the peace table nod their voiceless assent. By that doctrine only, continually kept alive, continually enforced, can their deaths ever be justified and made glorious indeed. Under that doctrine and for that purpose, we, who have our war to fight out here in America for a generation and more, can continue the battle, knowing that it is for a good cause, and knowing that we shall win.
The old oath of the American Protective League exists no more. The silent army has disbanded. But now it remains the privilege of each of those men, and their sons and brothers, to enlist again in a yet greater army, and to swear a yet greater oath, each for himself, at his own bedside, gravely and solemnly:
THIS is my country. I have no other country. I swear to be loyal to her always, to protect her and to defend her always, and in all ways. In my heart this is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God!
THE END
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
HISTORICAL STATEMENT OF HINTON G. CLABAUGH,
DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT, U. S. BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION
Shortly after the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany on February 1, 1917, Mr. A. M. Briggs, then vice-president of a poster advertising company of New York, Chicago and elsewhere, whom I had met in connection with several official investigations, called at the office of the Bureau of Investigation, and made substantially the following statement: “Diplomatic relations have been severed and in all probability this country will be drawn into the European war. I am physically unable to join the active fighting forces, but I would like to help in some way, and it has occurred to me that a volunteer organization might be of great assistance to an investigating bureau such as the one with which you are connected. I hereby pledge all my time and all my resources. I am not a man of much wealth, but the Government is welcome to every dollar I possess, as well as my time, and I earnestly hope that if you can think of any way in which I can be of assistance to this Bureau you will command me.”
In the meantime I had a conference with the late Herman F. Schuettler, then General Superintendent of Police of Chicago, and attended a meeting of prominent citizens of this community in the Federal Building.
Subsequently, or a few days after the first conversation, I told Mr. Briggs I had been thinking about his idea and believed that an organization of volunteers would be of very great help to the Department, and as a first step in connection with such organization we could use some automobiles, which would enable the agents to cover several times as much territory, to say nothing of the time thus saved, but that there was no appropriation from which the Government could pay for the upkeep of such cars. I also explained to him the substance of some telegrams which I had exchanged on the subject with Mr. A. Bruce Bielaski, Chief of the Bureau of Investigation at Washington.
Mr. Briggs on February 26th tendered the Chicago office three good cars, and offered to furnish a car, or cars, for the New York and Washington offices, as per my telegram to the Chief of the Bureau, dated February 27, 1917.