and at first was financed by the payment of a one dollar initiation fee by each member. This continued until December, 1917, when it was seen that this division could not go on unless better financed. A meeting of officers of prominent manufacturers of Detroit was held, and these assured the division better quarters and competent finances. A committee went to Washington to see the Attorney General, with the result that the offices of the Department of Justice and those of the League were established close together.
Mr. Fred M. Randall, the first Chief, resigned in May, 1918, and was replaced by Mr. Frank H. Croul, former Commissioner of Police, who took the oath of Chief not only for Detroit but also for the County of Wayne. He started in by reorganizing the work.
Since the Detroit contracts for war material were so enormous—Detroit claims they were greater in volume than for any other city in the country—a division was organized under the name "Plants Protection Department." A thorough covering of each plant was made and a captain of the A. P. L. was stationed in each factory, where he had entire supervision and reported direct to the Plants Protection Department at the League's main office. That this system worked well may be shown by the records. Detroit was practically free of any destruction of war material. Several attempts to blow up plants were frustrated. It was not unusual for a man to be brought in from the plants for an interview, and many such cases were turned over to the Department of Justice and District Attorney's office. The dynamiter and other alien enemies were held down hitless.
A Pro-German Department was organized with captains, lieutenants and operatives under charge of an Inspector. The Inspector assigned all complaints, took all reports and returned them to the Record Department where the original papers were attached, and then forwarded them to the Pro-German Committee room where they were examined and passed upon.
A third department was called the Selective Service, its work being to attend to the local boards of Detroit, of which there were twenty-seven, exclusive of those in the district and Wayne County. A unique manner of handling delinquents was inaugurated—and why all states did not adopt
