The New York herald., 1921-01-10

Special Despatch to TIE NEW YORK HERALD.
ATLANTA, Jan. 9.Within the last
few days the supreme executive
committee Of the relncarnated knights
of the Ku Klux Klan has decided upon
the first step to be taken to extend the
active operations Of the order into the
Northern States.
At meeting at the national or So
called imperial" headquarters here
II was decided that Col William J.
Simmons, the head of the order, or the
Imperial Wizard. shall begin in about
ninety days tour of some Of the large
cities OF the North, where small be-
ginnings have been made by local or
ganizers.
Col. Simmons will address secret
conclaves of the order In those cities,
and also public meetings at which he
will endeavor TO prove that the new
Ku Klux Klan stands for the broad
principle of Americanism; that 1t is
not narrow or impelled by race preju-
dice: that IL seeks the preservation OF
law and order, and finally that 1t
should appeal 10 all 100 per cent. ma
tive born white Americans" OF the
North as we'll as of the South.
New York probably will be the first
OF the Northern cities to receive @ visit
from Col. Simmons. The correspondent
of THE New York HERALD has been in
formed here upon what appears to he
reliable authority that there are more
than 5000 members of the Klan In New
York city, and that at least thirty active
Klan Eagles. or gospel spreaders." are
at work extending this membership in
the city and state OF New York. The
names and exact number of the members
is kept secret. That is one of the rules
of the order, copied from the original
lSu tlux Klan OF reconstruction days in
the South.
Grand Division Here.
Thus far only the name OF the I'M
perial Wizard has appeared in print.
Later, when the whole country is organ
ized-provided the somewhat vislonary
and wholly stupendous scheme Of the
present executive officers Is ever carried
Quit is intended that various States
or communities will be grouped. In grand
divisions. and that each OF these divi-
tions shall have sort Of sub-wizard
whose name also will bo made public.
IN this ambitious scheme to extend
the borders of the Invisible Empire
II is proposed that New York city shall
be a grand division by Itself, with one
OF these subordinate chleftains who
would have a public Office with the name
knights OF the Ku Klux Klan" on the
door and his own name beneath. No
other name OF an officer or member of
the Klan would be made public or ap.
pear In any oG the operations of the
organization. THE NEw YoRK HERALD
correspondent was informed by a MEM
Der OF the executive stan OF Col Sim
mons that the aim OF the order Is to
recruit n membership OF approximately
250.Ooo In New York city Not untfl
that figure Is approached will an execu-
tive officer OF the Klsn appear publicly
40 such In New York. according to the
present plans.
SLOW long II will take 10 reach this
goal Ia New York neither Col Simmons
nor any OF the othor imperial" officers
with whom the correspondent talked will
attempt to estimate at this time. All
they Will say is:
The Khan is growing with surprising
strides In New York and other northern
communities. we have been almost
overwhelmed since last spring with tho
extent of this growth. We were not pre-
pared for II. The rate OF increase In
mounting every month II ought not to
Continued on Second Page.