The New York herald., 1921-01-10
KU KLUX TO BEGIN
NATIONWIDE DRIVE
Continued from First Page.

| Continued from First Page.
be long before the Klan has fully demon
strated its national character"
From sources within the organization
the information came that the total MEM
bership OF the order in the United States
to-day is "in the neighborhood OF
100000" and that about 10000 MEM
bers are in the States OF the old South.
with the other 10000 in the North and
West. These figures were checked up
as best they could be in what appeared
to be "outside" quarters. and nothing
was found to indicate that they were
an exaggeration.
But It is practically impossible to
speak of anybody outside" of the Klan
IN Georgia. or in any Of the other
| Southern States. for the reason that 1t
| includes men in every walk of life who.
| IL they are members of the Klan, are
pledged not 10 disclose that fact to the
! Investigator. The correspondent has
reason to believe that several men of
great political Importance in Georgia to-
day are members. but he could not
prove it,
sThe itinerary Of the Imperial Wizard.
Col. Simmons, includes, besides New
York. the cities of Chicago. ST Louis.
Denver and San Francisco. AS II is a
rule of the order that the Imperial wiz
ard shall appear In public In that ca
pacity only in communities where there
are duly chartered local Klans, even of on
small scale. it will be apparent that
at least beginnings have been made In
widely separated sections of the country
The ku Kiux Klan has no connection
whatever with the might riders" In
some of the Southern States who have
been burning cotton gins and tobacco
barns. The Klan is actively preaching
against these very evils, on the theory
that lawlessness Is not a remedy for any
unfortunate situation, economical or So
cial
In some Northern newspapers 1t has
been stated that the Klan is fostering
the blue law propaganda that has ap-
peared in the last few months. Officers
of the Klan here state positively that
the Klan is unalterably opposed TO blue
laws in any form that 1t stands for
tolerance and personal liberty, and be-
l.eves that already the country has gone
much too far in the direction of re-
striction.
The Klan is frankly opposed to me-
gro, Oriental or other "colored" par
ticipation in the purely American gov
ernmental affairs of the United States,
or any community in the nation. 1t
favors the restriction Of immigration and
summary action against Bolshevists or
other foreigners who come to this cvui.
try to preach against the American form
OF government. 1t is opposed to relig-
ious intolerance in whatever form IL may
appear
1t is equally opposed to violence and
lawlessness and all Of its ends It hopes
TO accomplish by peaceful means.
This is but a broad outline of some
Of the things for which the reborn Ku
klux stands. as told by Col. Simmons
himself and some of his staff officers.
II should be known that the order is
organized along military lines, and that
Col. Simmons has his chief OF staff and
staff officers for various other depart
mcnts much like a general i'm the field.
More detailed information regarding the
purposes and methods of the Klan has
come into the possession of THE New
YORK HERALD correspondent, and will
be published later.
The Klan. It should be explained. is a
standard fraternal order. with all OF the
social and ritualistic features Of such an
order. 1t has been duly Incorporated IN
the State Of Georgia. and special char
ter has been granted to II by the SD
perior Court of Fulton county, Georgia.
It is about five years old in It's present
form.
Several years ago the Klan sought and
obtained an injunction against an al
legged fraudulent imitation order and the
case was appealed to the Supreme Court
OF the United states. the final decision
being that the existing order. with head
quarters In this city, is entitled TO the
prerogatives. paraphernalia, emblems,
costumes, &c. OF the original Ku Klux
Klan OF reconstruction days.
This is the answer OF Col. Simmons TO
the charge that has been made in the
North that II is a lawless institution:
"If the organization were not a legally
recognized body or II IL were a lawless
Institution it could not get this right
certified TO by the highest court OF the
land"
Members of the Ku Klux Klan believe
they have an idea that is as great
az the Government Of the United States
They shoot high. Let them do the
talking:
while conditions to-day are not the
same az they were when the original
Klan was organized" said Col. Sim
mons. "the need of an organization liks
the Ku Klux Klan Is Just as pressing
now as 1t ever was, but along different
lines. Its purpose Is to inculcate the
sacred principles and noble ideals OF
chivalry the development of character.
the protection OF the home and the
chastity of womanhood, the excmplfi-
cation of a pure patriotism toward our
glorious country. the preservation Of
American ideals and the maintenance OF
white supremacy, and perpetual me-
mortal to the men who served 80 val
iantly In the ranks of the original Klan.
mo man is wanted In this order who
has not manhood enough TO assume a
real oath. with serious purpose to keep
the same inviolate. No man Is wanted
In this order who will not. or who
cannot. swear an unqualified allegiance
TO the Government OF the United States
OF America. It's flag and It's Constitution.
"Only native born American citizens
who believe in the tenets of the Chris
tiau religion. and owe no allegiance
of any degree or nature to any foreign
Government. political institution, sect,
people or persons, arc eligible for MEM
bership."
Real Purposes Disclosed.