AS Burleson to Woodrow Wilson

I am in receipt of a communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, enclosing therewith copy of the letter which he addressed to you yesterday, suggesting the creation of a Bureau of Intelligence.
I feel sure it would not make for the efficiency of the post office inspectors force to place them even indirectly under such a bureau as the Secretary of the Treasury recommends, and I wish to urge that they be not included in any order that you may issue dealing with this subject.
At the present time, so far as this Department and this branch of the service is concerned, there is no crossing of wires, no overlapping of authority, and no duplication of work being done by other Departments.
The post office inspectors have been given instructions to report to the Chief Inspector any information which might be serviceable in the present exigency regarding offenses against the laws of the United States. This information I have directed the Chief Inspector to promptly transmit to the Department of Justice and also to furnish a copy thereof to any other Department which may be interested. In my opinion, this is as far as the head of the Post Office Department can go under the law, which specifically confines the duties of post office inspectors to the investigation of crimes against the postal laws. Having these inspectors furnish such information in this manner does not interfere with their duties as inspectors nor with the organization of the service, but to have them report to two different Departments and receive instructions from each would have a tendency to bring about the very condition that the proposed order is intended to prevent.
The post office inspectors force at this time is barely adequate for postal necessities, and the imposition upon them of additional duties might hamper or seriously impair the efficiency of the postal service. Even though it were permissible under the law, I fear it would be unwise to embrace the inspection force within the scope of any order to be issued creating a Bureau of Intelligence such as is suggested by the Secretary of the Treasury.
I do not desire to be understood as opposing the creation of a Bureau of Intelligence as recommended by the Secretary of the Treasury, and of course I stand ready to direct the Chief Post Office Inspector to forward to any Bureau you may direct the information gathered as above outlined.