Follows the statistical record of the work accomplished by the Chicago division of the American Protective League up to January 21, 1919:
| Neutrality cases investigated. | 43,026 |
| War Department-all branches. | |
| Character and loyalty investigations | 3,739 |
| American Red Cross. | |
| Character and loyalty investigations | 115 |
| Illinois Volunteer Training Corps. | |
| Character and loyalty investigations. | 141 |
| War Risk Insurance cases | 230 |
| U. S. Bureau of Naturalization cases | 3,905 |
| Draft investigations | 30,440 |
| Food Administration cases. | |
| Food investigations | 12,637 |
| Sugar investigations[3] | |
| 179 | |
| Fuel Administration cases. | |
| Coal investigations | 3,263 |
| Lightless Night investigations | 1,500 |
| Total investigations[4] | 99,175 |
| Number of men temporarily detained for examination of Registration and Classification Cards during the Slacker Drive of July, 1918 | 200,000 |
| Delinquents apprehended and forced to appear at local Draft Boards | 44,167 |
| Deserters apprehended and sent to Military Camps | 1,900 |
| Record compiled for the U. S. Marshal for Alien Enemies; number of entries | 18,000 |
| Escaped criminals apprehended and turned over to Police Department | 38 |
| Blue Slip Summons issued | 726 |
| Automobile license numbers registered on first Gasless Sunday | 129,204 |
| Photographs, maps, postal cards of views of Germany sent to War Department | 9,525 |
But it is from the notebooks of the operatives, recording varied activities all in the day’s work, that we get the real reflex of the A. P. L. We cannot forego giving a few extracts from the stories of Chicago captains.
Let us take at random the summary from S——, captain of District No. 11, where there were fifty-six members—forty active operatives, under a captain, two lieutenants and a legal advisor. This district covers a large portion of the most German section of Chicago, part of which is loyal and part very much otherwise. In six months, during the last year of the war, there were 512 cases assigned to the district by headquarters, and the district turned in to headquarters 298 complaints. Character and loyalty investigations to the number of fifty-three were made, necessitating from five to fifteen interviews each. In the slacker drive, July 11-13, a total of 1,744 individual cases were interviewed and disposed of in this district. Between 9:00 p. m. and 4:00 a. m. one night, eighty-one I. W. W. investigations were handled.
The total number of cases on record in this district for the six months is 3,842, which, if averaged, gives sixty-eight cases to each operative, but as only forty were active, the average should be figured as nearly eighty cases per capita. There is not figured in the foregoing about one thousand interviews which were necessary in making up reports to different departments of the Government on factories, saloons, garages and other buildings and structures, which might come under the head of miscellaneous services.
The activities of the operatives of District No. 11 were not confined to the boundaries of their own district. An illustration will show what is meant. A deserter was being protected by all branches of his family. Operatives spent nights interviewing every ascertainable relative and friend. Nothing could be learned except that the various members of the family, male and female, were so mixed in their sex relations that apparently no two of the opposite sex were living together in a legally permissible way. A chance lead pointed to a couple living in the country ten miles beyond the city limits. An hour’s interview with the man and his consort, the two being examined separately, resulted in the chance mention of Norfolk, Virginia. Being pressed on this remark, the man hesitatingly declared he had had letters from Norfolk from the suspect who was working there and that he, the witness, would himself write to Norfolk at once and get definite information. The operatives agreed cheerfully to the proposition. On their return to the city, a telegram was immediately dispatched to Norfolk. By the time the letter from the “loyal” relative reached Norfolk, word was received that the deserter was located and taken into custody. The action of this little drama was staged entirely outside of District No. 11.
During the “heatless days” two operatives from the same district entered a saloon. They found it warm, the heat coming from a large radiator in the middle of the room covered by a table. The proprietor claimed he was unable to shut off this heat without shutting off the heat from rooms above where he had lodgers. The operatives went to the cellar and found no attempt had been made to shut off the heat from the saloon. Returning to the saloon, they investigated a back room, which was also heated, and where they found four men playing cards. The proprietor claimed these men were his lodgers and that this was their sitting-room. A search was made and evidence found which proved these men to be conducting a regular clearing-house of information for the enemy’s use. Leads were discovered that spread in many directions and made the case one of the most important handled by the District. A camouflaged saloon radiator was the starting point.
Each operative discovered that the badge he wore bred a feeling of respect or fear for the authority of Uncle Sam which was quite marked. Seldom was an attempt made to dispute its meaning or to take exception to the request or direction made under its authority. The most desperate characters showed a meekness and a docility that was surprising. The only explanation reasonable is that the United States has from the start of the war shown the world and its own people that it meant business, and that in playing with the authorized agencies of the Government, criminals were not playing with politicians or officials who might be influenced, but with the newly and sternly roused sense of American loyalty which would brook no traitor or near-traitor under the Star and Stripes.
District No. 13 had an interesting case handled by Lieutenant McR—— and Operative L——. They searched the room occupied by the suspect and found two handbags and several suit-cases filled with clothing and some chemicals. They interviewed the subject. His registration card gave his serial and order number, and draft board status which was Class No. 5 Austrian. The operatives went back to report this to the Inspector, and upon returning found that the subject, his wife and sister had fled. By calling upon the different taxicab companies in the neighborhood, it was found that they had used a yellow taxicab to move their effects to an apartment several miles distant. A raid was immediately organized. Four men and two detective sergeants went to the new address, and the apartment was surrounded. One of the men saw a figure which appeared to be a woman, attempting to cross the area between the two buildings from one third story window to another, and he called to her to stop. One of the men inside the building, hearing the call, put his head out and found the subject on the window sill of the adjoining building in a very embarrassing position. It was not a woman, but the suspect, in woman’s clothes! He was hauled in and put under arrest. In the meantime an analysis of the chemicals had been made and they were found to consist of materials for the manufacture of enough explosives to blow out another end of the postoffice building. Information was received from the League at New York to the effect that he was a very dangerous enemy alien.
This same District landed another good case. One morning a traveling man heard a little girl say to a small boy playmate, “We have a fine piano in our flat,” and the boy finally answered, “That’s nothing, we’ve got a German spy in ours.” The traveling man turned a complaint in to the Department of Justice and in due course it came back to our district to be investigated. The operative had little to start with. Finally he asked a little girl if she had ever heard any boy make such a remark. By merest chance, she happened to be one of the children who had overheard the boy, and at once pointed out where he lived. The operative then went to the apartment and questioned the boy’s mother, telling her that he was getting a list of boarding-houses in that district for directory purposes and, of course, asking her the names and occupations of all lodgers. He noticed that one of the names was German and after he had finished his list he asked her if he might see the accommodations. When he reached the German’s room, he saw a trunk of foreign make. He opened it and found lying inside on top of the clothing a cartridge belt filled with loaded cartridges. This he noticed had seen much use and was worn smooth. He also found papers, drawings, a Lueger pistol and several other things which an alien enemy is not supposed to enjoy during war times. The landlady stated that the man was a draftsman in the Federal Building. It was subsequently found that the drawings were plans of the Municipal Pier and the Federal Building. About five o’clock the next morning, several Federal officers took the man down to the Bureau of Investigation and found that he was an enemy alien in the employ of the German Government. Within twenty-four hours he was on his way to Leavenworth under an order of internment.