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Show ! DECLARES U. S. HIS EXECUTE0J4 SPIES Official , of American Defense De-fense Society Gives Out Startling Statement. XEW YORK, Jan. 24. C. S. Thompson, Thomp-son, chairman of the press committee of the American Defense society, in an ' informal discussion at a luncheon given by the organization here today, declared the society had been informed that the United States had executed fourteen spies since the beginning of the war with Germany. He added that the enemy aliens in this country "should be apprised of these facts as evidence of America's determination to protect herself." J 'We are informed," Mr. Thompson, said, "that up to date fourteen spies have been shot by direction of the military authorities of the United States since the beginning of the war. At least two of the spies were from Detroit. We believe that this is the sort of information that the public should know." Co-ordination of the yarious government govern-ment intelligence bureaus and "the strict enforcement of military measures mea-sures against the enemy in this country," coun-try," were urged in an open letter to Senator George E. Chamberlain, chairman chair-man of the senate committee on mili- tary affairs, made public here tonight by the American Defense society. The letter declared that the work of the bureaus offer caused duplication or runs "crosswise," and the merging under un-der one head is recommended for the bureau of investigation of the department depart-ment of justice, the United States secret se-cret service of the treasury department, depart-ment, the war intelligence bureau of the war department and the bureau of postoffice investigation, as well as other smaller agencies. In its letter to Senator Chamberlain, the American Defense society declared that as lute as last month ships carrying carry-ing ammunition destined for Germany had been cleared at New York. "On December 20 last," the letter said, "a steamer which had been cleared by federal authorities for Copenhagen Co-penhagen at New York carried half a million rounds of German small arms ammunition, and on December 31 another an-other steamer sailing from New York carried a million rounds of ammunition ammuni-tion either manufactured or stored in this country aud intended for Germany. Ger-many. ' ' WASHINGTON, Jan. 2-1. Major General Crowder, judge advocate general gen-eral of the army, said tonight if any spy had been executed in the United States he had never heard of it. Reports Re-ports on such cases in the army would come to General Crowder's office. At the navy department it was flatly denied de-nied that there had been any executions for espionage by the naval establishment. |