Page:The web (1919).djvu/217

 Department of State. Visé of Passport                                     6 Miscellaneous                                        1       7 Treasury Department. War Risk Insurance Allotments, Allowances, Frauds, etc                                       53 Miscellaneous                                        2      55 United States Shipping Board. Under National Headquarters Bulletins Nos. 11 and 12                                                 26

Federal Investigation. Hog Island                                                 407

Miscellaneous                                          33

The beginnings of the A. P. L. in Philadelphia lay in a meeting of fifty business men, who came together April 9, 1917, and organized as the Philadelphia Branch of the A. P. L. From that time on, varying fortunes and different personnel attended the League activities. On December 26, 1917, Mr. Mahlon R. Kline, who for years had been in charge of the Claim Department of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company and had been engaged in secret service work in other corporations, was appointed Chief of the division. In February, 1918, there came in with Mr. Kline, Mr. Frank H. Gaskill, formerly Superintendent of the Franklin Detective Agency, who also had been associated with the Claims Department of the Rapid Transit Company. Although no pretense is made of naming all their associates, it should be mentioned that to these two men must be accorded a great deal of the credit for the last year's work.

Naturally the question of finances came in early. In January, 1918, Mr. Horace A. Beale, Jr., president of an iron company, volunteered to purchase any furniture and office equipment which might be necessary. This brought out the need of a permanent fund, and Mr. Beale was one of the League's staunchest supporters along these lines. There was put before the members of the Chamber of Commerce a plant protection system which has been in