Your organization should be made up only of American citizens of high moral character and good standing in your community who are willing to serve the organization from a purely patriotic motive and without compensation. Your organization will be in your charge as Chief and you will properly enroll and swear in each member of your organization on enrollment blanks which you will keep on file in your office. As soon as your organization is complete you will please forward me a duplicate list of your entire organization, with your name as Chief, with your Captains and Lieutenants and the men enrolled under each Captain.
It is essential that the greatest possible secrecy be maintained, both in forming the organization and in conducting it, and that all arrangements must be kept as confidential as is practicable, and, further, that great care must be taken by your entire organization at all times that nothing is done by it or by any member of it to unnecessarily alarm aliens in this country or cause them any apprehension as to the fair manner in which they will be treated, and that no arrests should be caused excepting after consultation with the local Government Agent or his assistants.
You will personally administer the oath to each member you enroll and accept and at the same time assign to that member a number,—enter his number on his enrollment blank, his commission card and on the list you will later forward to this office. Start with Number One, which is your number as Chief.
It is advisable that you consult with the Chief of your local Police or ask your Government Agent to do so, so that the Chief of Police may instruct his officers fully in reference to our organization so that the commission card will be recognized by the Police in cases where such recognition is desired. You will, undoubtedly, find that your local Chief of Police will be very glad to work with your men wherever his assistance may be necessary in forwarding the interest of the Government.
It is the desire of the Government that every possible source of information that may be of value to the Department of Justice be thoroughly and efficiently covered by your organization in your town and you will please use great care in the selection of the Captains, Lieutenants and members of each Company so that each Company can be depended upon to efficiently handle the work assigned to it.
In forming your organization, bear in mind the great variety of investigation that you are likely to be called upon by the Government to make, and make your organization large enough to thoroughly cover every business, manufacturing and other interests in your town that in your opinion should be covered—so that you will be immediately informed of any activity that may prove directly or indirectly unfriendly to the best interests of the Government.
You will handle the organization work along the most effective lines possible. If convenient to do so please confer with your Government Agent on the entire organization work. It is unnecessary to call your attention to the fact that the greatest possible speed consistent with thorough and efficient organization is greatly desired by the Government.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) A. M. BRIGGS,
General Superintendent.
The selection of Chiefs was inaugurated by the following communication:
Acting under instructions from Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, we are required to organize a separate branch of the American Protective League in each town. Our method is to secure the name of a live, aggressive patriot who is willing to undertake the responsibility of organizing and acting as Chief of our branch in his town, and then send him the enclosed letter which explains the organization work and ask him to undertake the work. I will be very glad indeed to have you act as the organizer and Chief of the Branch of the American Protective League if you can and will do so. Otherwise, I will be very glad to have you turn the enclosed letter over to the man in your town whom you select as the best fitted for this responsibility and have him write me at the above address so that I can authorize him immediately to go forward with the organization work.