Page:The web (1919).djvu/432

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with the wire, especially during a rainy night, a spark would be made when the limb and wire separated: The Chief adds: "When the limb was cut off, we received no further reports of mysterious signals." There has been bluish-white lights which some thought indicated a wireless outfit in operation.

Montgomery, Alabama, reports one of those curious cases which were sometimes met with in the course of the League's investigations. This was a straight-goods, dyed-in-the-wool, bona-fide conscientious objector. His name was W. A. P——, a farmer who had a son in the draft, but who needed him on the farm. He accompanied the boy to the examination board, after the young man had been arrested by the sheriff. He brought his Bible to the board and tried to prove that he was justified in his objections; that he was responsible for the care of this boy; that the Lord had given him that duty and no one else. The old man was violently opposed to bloodshed and quoted the scriptural words, "Thou shalt not kill," and "Children, obey your parents." The Chief had a long talk with him at his farm. He admitted that he told his son not to answer questions, and that he had another son who had attained his eighteenth birthday and had not registered. The Chief told him to be careful or he would get into trouble. He said, "I am not getting into any trouble; it is you people who are provoking the wrath of God." All the agent could do was to tell him that he must come before the United States Commissioners. P—— was brought in to the Committee, and bound over to the grand jury. Before the trial, he stood up and remarked, "Let us have a word of prayer," and prayed fervently for several minutes. He carried his Bible with him at all times. P—— seemed to be generous. "He came to Montgomery and brought a couple of gallons of nice syrup for the Deputy and Commissioners," says the Chief. One would think that the A. P. L. would be glad to have peace at any price in such surroundings, even without syrup.

Selma, Alabama, is another one of the loyal Southern communities. "We kept down seditious utterances," says the Chief. "Without doubt we have had a most wholesome effect on our citizenry by letting every one know that this was not a time for anything that was not one hundred per cent American. I do not believe there was a greater force