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 CHAPTER IV

THE LEAGUE IN WASHINGTON

Summary of the League's Results Throughout the United States—Report of the National Directors—Facts, Figures and Totals for All the Divisions.

Facts now may be made public property which until lately might not have been divulged. We therefore shall find profit now in studying the central organization by means of which the aroused Americans combined to fight the hidden forces of their unscrupulous enemy. The origin and growth, the general plans and methods of the American Protective League, have been explained; and it will now be well, before we pass on to the specific story of the League's activities, to give some idea of the wide-reaching consolidation of those activities which followed upon the establishment of the National Headquarters.

The report of any official may seem dry and formal, but the records should be made to show how America's amateur Scotland Yard organized to fight the forces of Germany all over America. This portion of the League's story is therefore of great value to anyone desirous of knowing the logical steps by which the League developed into a truly national institution.

The liaison officer of the National Directors, Captain Charles Daniel Frey, made his report and summary of November, 1918, to Colonel K. C. Masteller of the General Staff, Chief of the negative branch of the Military Intelligence Division. This report was a general assembling of the national activities of the League up to the time of the signing of the Armistice. Certain extracts are made in consonance with the general outline above indicated. It should be noted that this report covers only a portion of the League's work in Washington. The Department of