New-York tribune., January 02, 1921, Page 3, Image 65

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MAGAZINE
and
BOOK SECTION
*rck
STrilmitJe
MAGAZINE
and
BOOK SECTION
PART VII TEN PAGES
SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 1921
PART VII TEN PAGES
Once Outlawed Ru-Klux Klan Plans Northern Invasion;
Negroes Demand a Federal Investigation of Secret Soeiety
Maintenance of "White Supremacy"
Is One of the Order's Professed
Objects
By Torrey Ford
WITH the blue law epidemic
barely on the wane and the
building trade frauds still
Jn the news, New York City can
hardly afford to interrupt the height
of its busiest shooting season with
ot?aj more sideshows. Yet another
looms ominously, almost demanding
attention. Enter?to put the matter
concisely?the Knighta of the Ku-,
Klux Klan.
Though nearly a half century has
passed since a night-riding clan of
Southern whites took the law into
its own hands and terrorized the
r.ewly emancipated negroes, few have
forgotten the tragic details of those
bloody times. Thomas Dixon re
created the whole episodo in The
Clansman; Griffith, with a genius
for realism, again presented the
Klan to a nation of film f ans in "The
Birth of a Nation," and now comes
a revival that has neither paint nor
powder, scenery nor advance agents.
Branches in the North
A reorganized Ku-Klux Klan,
with branches already established
lh?onghout the South, has invaded
the North with the avowed intention
of becoming a national fraternal
order. A den has been projected for
New York City.
As all activities of the Klan are
accomplished with the direst secrecy,
the exact status of the local den is
not known. Not an address nor a
name has been divulged during the
course of the investigation.
Colonel William Joseph Simmons,
Imperial wizard of the Knights of
the Ku-Klux Klan, in a statement
telegraphed from Atlanta last week,
refused to comment on the situation
except ln general terms.
"I can neither affirm nor deny the
eadstence of a local Klan in New
York City," he said, "as we have
never formally- announeed such
facts to the public. This informa?
tion is of vital interest only to mem?
bers of the organization. Should
an emergency arise in New York de?
manding the presence of the Ku
Klux Klan for the preservation of
the fundamental principles for
which this organization stands, I
eaa say frankly that the Ku-Klux
Klan would be there on the job.'
Adraits New York Branch
Later in the week, while indulg
ing in a telegraphic debate with Al
fred J. Talley, then Assistant Dis?
trict Attorney, Colonel Simmons
.made some further admissions about
the New York den.
"It would doubtless surprise Mr.
Talley," said Colonel Simmons, "to
know just how many workers and
members of the invisible empire are
in New York City to-day, and it
would probably shock Mr. Talley to
know who they are and what their
official ar.d business standing is in
N'sw Yerk City."
Doubtk-ss there will be Bome sur?
prise for Colonel Simmons when it
ls brought to his attention that the
Srst definite information concerning
the proposed New York den came
through confidential correspondcncc
of the Klan with an official of the
National Association for the Ad
Tancement of Colored People,
??'ho3e headquarters are at 70 Fifth
Avenue.
Posing asto white man interpstfd
?n the formation of a local den an
association official arranged to have
fcis name submitted for membership
to the Klan.
The Klan'* Objects
After a few days he received the
Wkming letter from the "Imperial
Paiace of the Invisible Empire, De
Ptrtment of Propagation, Office of
*? Imperial Klragle, P. O. Box
12?4, Atlanta, Georgia":
&'-?r Sir:
Aa a leading citizen of your com
ftttitjr, and having confidence ln
7<>'iT patriotism, I take the liberty
? brioging to fovt attention a ESiit
m which cannot fall to appeal to
?"?ry real American.
Tr.*. atorj of the Ku-Klux Klan, of
"*? r?eonttrsetioa days, and its
Kkllaat ntr/;? ln hehalf of v/hito
jjtpramaejr, !n?urp* n * piace ln the
?**rt ot ev<*ry true American, there
h ftddisg to tho tUty which elos
?*r? atovni th* nurn?:n of <>,rir:ral
jtfttbsn JJedford Furrr-.l, iu Grand
. ^I%rd, and Gen^rnl John B. (Jor
A 4oa, who waK at tho head of the
<*rt ln Gaorgl*.
A branch of the rawrgMlfA Klan
jfM to-day, which ha? b?an bro?d*n*d
W* a atandard fraternal ordar,
:*fc?/eby enlarglng the acope of its
<K y*t r*ta;ning all of the pro
"*? fMtarts of th? old Klan,
should bo ln every eommunity of tho
nation.
Ita need to-day, when the four
teen million people of the colored
race are organizing, and when the
?narchist and Bolshevik forcea are
to this "feeler," for shortly after
ward ho received another letter
from the Imperial Kleagle, dated
Sept. 17, 1920. It read:
Dear Mr. -:
Your very good letter arrived dur?
ing my absence from tho city on a
speaking tour. It is gratefully ap
preciated.
Wo expect to start an organization
of work in New York State in No?
vember. I hope we may have your
ablo cooperation, aa I am sure you
are qualified for m?mbershlp in our
order. 1 attach herewith question
naire which I will thank you to flll
out, and when the answers to the
questions are received, no doubt you
will qualify to be on tho inside of
our work, and I will then be in posi
tion to give you some information
which will be of interest and prob?
ably startling to you.
We have in mind about 800 men
in New York City whom we expect
to honor by bringing into the initial
glorious country that lt has been in
the past.
With kind regards and highest
esteem, I am
Very truly yours,
(Signed) EDWARD YOUNG CLARKE
(L)
IMPERIAL KLEAGLE.
In tho name of our fathers?for
our country, our homes, and each
other.
The Qtfesflonnaire
The questionnaire was attached
to a letter from the Aulik of the
Imperial Wizard, which ran:
Dear Sln ?
Your Inquiry has been received
by the Kligrapp of tha great
Wizard and he is lnstrocted to pro
pound to you tha followlng neceB
sary lnterrogatorles. Upon the re?
ceipt by us of this sheet, with all the
questions below properly and tmth
fully answered by you, if same ls
satisfactory, we will lmpart to you
tho information you desire. With?
out delay you will flll in, slgn and
return this sheet by early mail. You
will find stamped envelope enclosed
for this purposc.
Very truly yours,
KNIGHTS OF THE KU-KLUX KLAN,
By
17. Of what rellgious faith are
your parents? -
18. What secret fraternal orders
are you a member of (if any)?
19. Do you honestly believe '.n the
practice of real'fratemity?
20. Do you owe ANY KIND of alle
giance to any foreign nation, gov?
ernment, institutiafc. $vcx, people,
raler or person? -
I most solemnly assert and afflrra
that each question above ls trutii
fully answered by me and ln my own
hundwriting,. and that below la my
real signature.
Signed '
Date !?-? Inqulre*
Postofflce address " ?? :
Investigation Begun
At this stage of the negotiations the
correspondence was abruptly termi
nated, and it was taken or granted
that the Klan had discovered the
identity of the man who was apply
ing for membership. The colored
association turned over the complete
correspondence, together with other
land and the Constitution upon
which our government is founded.
Are Labeled Fanatics
"This Ku-Klux Klan, on their own
declaration of principles, is composed
of narrow-minded bigots and scare
head fanatics. There is no place for
therift in New York, and good citi
zens and real Americans will set
their faces against them and, their
wild aspirations.
"Let the aearchlight of truth and
fair dealing be turned on these
?brave knights' who aro afraid to
fight in the open and claim to be part
of an 'invisible empire.' This is no
time, nor is America the place, for
the creation of any empire, invisible
or otherwise."
Colonel Simmona, wiisard of the
Klan, replied to this attack with
considerable vehemence. In part, he
said:
"When Mr. Talley, by inference,
chargea that the operations or ac?
tivities of the Knights of the Ku
Klux Klan in New York City will be
in violation of law or antagonistic
to the fundamental principles and
ideals of the American government,
out of ignorance he states an un
truth, and if his threat to prevent
the operations of the Knights of the
Ku-Klux Klan in New York City is
based upon the expectation or belief
that the organization in its opera
&-.-_
where this organization is active and
\ here crime has passed beyond the
control of regularly constituted au
thority, our organization has won
for itself the deep gratitude of the
ofiicials of law and order and the
sincere appreciation of the citizens
cf the community. As an arm of
the law and a real bulwark of civil
authority and the preservation of
law and order the Ku-Klux Klan is
an invaluable asset to any commu?
nity ln America."
Another view of the revived Ku
Klux Klan is presented in Tho
Crisis for January in an article by
Walter F. White, assistant secre?
tary of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People.
Referring to recent Klan activities
ii the South, Miv White writes:
"Pathetically Amusing*'
"If one looks at the Ku-Klux
FJan solely from th? viewpoint of
the larger cities of the South, like
"TTH/S" illustration is a sketch
from an actual photograph
of a Ku-Klux Klan initiation
in a Georgia wood
PHO70.
'OLONEL WILLIAM JOSEPH SIMMONS, of Georgia,
imperial wizard of the Knights of tlie Ku-Klux Klan
encroaching daily upon the banlc
principles of Arn'rriranltim, Cfinnot
fail to ho appar?nt to the thinking
man.
If you are Intarested ln the mat?
ter I WOUld ba i;!ail to hear from
you ?t once Yours very truly,
(Signed) EDW. YOUNG CLARKE.
In the name of our fathers for
; our coui ' , 01 r hom< i and each
j other.
Membership Qualificutiom
'lt>- colored inve?tifin.tor appar
1 ently made a satiafnet^y responiKi
organization in Now York City. We
are receiving pleading lett<Ts from
Mainf, Illlnois, Mlssouri and Cali
fornia for u? to send organizera to
these places to begin work.
In viaw of the work that thls
organization, with The Moi I Sublimo
Ltneago in all History is doing and
expects to do, I do most sincerely
trust that you will qualify, nnd thtvt
you .'3ii soon bi on the Insidu of t,'<i<
rahka of our rapidly incrcasing army
of REAL, n d blooded, L00 per cont
American , dlotei rriinod that America
ohall be in the future the great and
1. Is tho motlve prompting your
inquiry serious? ?-?
2. What is your age?
3. What is your occupation? -?
4. Whero were you born?
5. How lonjr havo you reslded In
your present locnlity? ???
C. Aro you married, slngle or wid
ower?
T. Were your pnrents born in tho
United States of America? -
8. Aro you a Gentilo or a Jew?
9. Are you of the v.hito race or of
a colored rnce ? - -
ln. What educational advantn^e
have you? ?
11. Color of eyo"? - Hair?
- Woightl . Height?
12. Do you believe ln the principle:! I
of .i PURE Americani8m?
13. Do you believe in white eupre
macy?
I 1. U ha( is your polii cs?
! i \\ i.a: ?? '/our ? ?' " " ' h V
i
10. i If whal church ai c ; > ; s. i m> ,
ber (if any)? ?;-- -
material evidence, to the Department
of Justice, which began an immedi?
ate investigation.
Judgo Talley, until last week
Assistant District Attorney, in a i
statement issued both as a warning j
to the organizers of the Ku-Klux
Klan and as a reassurance to negroes I
of this city that they would be pro- I
tected, declared that no quarter
would be shown any member of such ;
an organization if it employed ter
roristic methods or violated the law
in any way. %
"There is no room," he said, "in
the great, broad-minded State of i
Now York for so un-American an
organization as the Ku-Klux Klan.!
The pretonsions that it apparently
makes to patriotism enforce Samuel!
Johnson's definition of patriotism as j
'the ?ast rofugc of a scoundvel.' No
. oath-bound organization is
nceded to preserve and perpetuate;
dovohio:3 to t?o American gov*??*-1
,ea?nt nor to uphold the laws of tho"}
tions in New York will violate any |
laws of the land or any fundamental
principle of the American govern?
ment, then Mr. Talley is chasing a
cold trail, and his dcsire to inter
fere with the operatioi3s of this or?
ganization is doomed to serious dis
appointment.
Says Klnn Is Neetled
"Tho statement that the organiza?
tion is not needed in America is an
expression of mere personal opinion,
but if the crime wave record in New
York City at the present time is any
criterion by which "-.o judge the needs
of America for an organization like
the Knights of the Ku-Klux Klan, it
would certainly seem that ai least
New York City needs the organiza?
tion and needs il /ery badly at this
time.
? "2u*| <s:\-J2; parta of the nation,
">??.
?\ tfewaO \
Jacksonville, Attonta and Birming- I
lam, where the negro population is I
concentrated in certain section?, the1
(.'fforts of the Klnn are pathetically
1 amusing and are treated as such by
| colored people. Forty years ago,
when'the original Ku-Klux did ef
i iective work in terrorizing, murder
ing and pillaging the negroes ofthe
i South, it was dealing with four
million recently emancipated slaves,
| with all the characteristics follow
, ing in tho wake of two and a half
centuries of human bondage. They
were ignorant, superstitious, easily
frightened, poorty organized, dis<
trustful of each ^ther and btill be
Head of the Organization Says There
Are Already 300 Members
in New York City
ieving that they were inferior to
.vhite men. It was a comparat'vely
=imple matter to envelop tha Klan
Mth a cloak of supernatural power
*nd to send a colored man shiven
ing to cover until a parado had
oassed.
"To-day, however, the set ting has
manged. A new generation of
negroes has arisen, with thousands
jf university, college, high school
ind grammar school graduatea
among them, possessing property
and the respect for self that ac
:ompanies such possessions. ln re
?ard to the Klan, even tho unedu
cated negro looks upon it with
amused contempt.
A Jucksonville Parado
"In Jacksonville, for example, &
parade of the local Klan was held
on Saturday night, October 30.
Large nunibers of colored people
turned out to see the parado. On?
old colored woman of the ante
bellum type that is fast disappear
ing called out derisively to the
marching Ku-Klux:
" 'White folks, you ain't done
nuthin'. Them German guns didn't
scare us, and I know them white
faces ain't going to do it now.'
"That remark ppitomizea the feel?
ing. Phrased in better English it
likewise expresses the sentiment
among the larger number of edu
cated colored citizens of Jackson?
ville. But beneath the amused
tolerance there is a grim realiza
tion that the Klan will not spend
its energy in marching?that th?
sinister purposes of the movement
betoken no good to colored people.
"The situation in th* srnaller
towns and isolated rurai *ommunl
ties where the negro population la
widely scattered is of a more serious
nature. Thre the Klan can wreak
their vengeance on any negro who
dares offend them by being too pros
perou's or being suspected of some
crime, great or small, or by in
;urring the displeasure of any white
man of the community. This
rengeance extends tij wliite men who
iffend some loyal member of a Klan
>r who dare show too great friend
liness for negroes, whether for sel
fish or other motives."
Foundcd in 1866
The original order of the Ku-Klux
Klan was founded in 18(i(* in Pulaski,
1'enn., ns a social club of young i ?
it, had an absurd ritual and a str
uniform. The members accidentally
discovered that the fear of it ha
great influence over the !<
superstitious blacks, i soon
club expanded into a great fei
tion of regulators, absorbing nu
ous local bodifs that had been foi i
in the absence of civil law.
To control the negro the Klan
played upon his supei
by having night patrols, pa i
drills ? covere<
with white s heel 3, i ull
with coals of fire for eye
bones to rattle, and w i asks
In calling upon negroes they v..
to terrify at night they i i
be the spirii s of dead ' !oi
"just from Hell." Mj
and warning i were to i
politicians.
In organization the Klan was 3nod
eled after the Federal Union. Its
prescript or constuution provided for
the following organization: The en
tire South was the invisible empire,
under a Grand Wizard, General N-.
B. Forrest; each state was a realm.
under a Grand Dragon; several
counties formed a dominion, under
a Grand Titan; each county was r.
province, under a Grand Giant; tht
smallest division being a den, under
a Grand Cyclops.
The staff officers bore similar titler
?Gerii, Hydras, Furies, Goblins,
Night Hawks, Magi, Monks and
Turks. The private members were
called Ghouls.
Pegenrratrd Inln Outlaws
The object cf the Klan was to
protect the whites during the dis
orders that followed the Civil War
and to oppose tfce policy i f the Nortb
toward the South. In many com
munities, however, 3:;e Klan fell i3it('
the control of viole
came simply a band of < ?t
h was finally broken up by thc
"force laws" oi
1871 -'72.
The Klan \\..-: offit iallj
in 1889, but its.
for ome time after. >r
I ilar societies are freq
fused with the Kn-Klux K . !
:; (here ras i.
[other than a common '?.itorosi.