When Frank Appleby was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1920, he and New Jersey U.S. Sen. Joseph Frelinghuysen became the champions in Washington, D.C. who were leading a fight to save Barnegat Lighthouse. Along the way, the two were among the first to recognize another threat to the Jersey Shore and the emerging tourist industry.

In February 1922, Appleby appeared before a House committee to alert the country of a new menace.