The New York herald., 1922-12-11
CALLS UNITY LEAGUE
DANGEROUS AS KLAN
Hastings, Sponsoring Bill
Aimed at Ku KluX, Decries
Counter Movements.
STRATON TALKS FIGHT
Weapons Would Be Kind
Words to Those Looked
On as Pariahs.
OLD PREACHERS BLAMED
Calvary Pastor Says Lame
Ducks of Pulpit Back Klan
to Escape Work.
OLD PREACHERS BLAMED

] pldlG OcIidlOl -ClcCts lilC <aliCliSdA
Unity League, which has come to New
York from Chicago to dispute the
right of way with the Ku Klux Klan.
is just as dangerous to the public in
terest as the Klan. Mr.. Hastings is
the sponsor OF bill about to be intro
duced into the State Legislature and
aimed to cripple the Klan by making
it file with the Secretary Of State all
the names of the citizens Of the In
visible Empire living in this State.
Yesterday Mr.. Hastings issued a
statement, which In part follows:
"At the risk Of being misunderstood
by some people, I would like to regis
ter my opinion that American public
interests are as greatly endangered by
such organizations as the American
Unity League, now appearing in New
York as the enemy Of the Ku Klux
Klan, as they could be by the Ku Klux
Klan itself.
'T am opposed to the Ku Klux Klan
simply because 1t Is the most cowardly
band of bigots and assassins that ever
bid for public favor in this country.
But the organization of counter-move-
ments in sections where 1t could not
gain a foothold under any circum-
stances will not eliminate its influence
in other sections. In fact. believe
| the organization Of such movements
will not only keep the Klan alive and
| soidify it's forces but also perpetuate
the fires Of organized internal strife
and hatred in this country"
Straton's Talk IL q Surprise.
The Rev DR.. John Roach Straton dis
Church last night by not saying what
many Of them thought he might say on
his topic. How to Fight the Negroes.
| the Foreigners. the Catholics and the
Jews--the More Excellent Way" DR..
Straton had nothing but the kindest
| words for all these races and national
tiles. In part, he said:
'The race problem will never be
| solved by the bad negro on the one hand
and the mean white man on the other!
! Thank God, these characters are neither
really typical of the classes which
they are sometimes supposed to repre-
sent. The vast majority of negroes are
quiet peaceable, Industrious, lawabid-
ing people, who ask only to be let alone
and to get chance to demonstrate
what they can do individually and as
race. Likewise. the vast majority of
white people like them and are kindly
disposed toward them.
What the white people have done for
the negroes in the matter of education
and In other ways proves this. And the
time has come when these better ele-
ments in both races must take charge
of the situation and control 1t, rather
than to leave longer the direction of af-
fairs to the few negroes who are
vcously inclined and who will become
easy tools for the Bolshevists and the
few whites who purpose to rule by set
ting up SUPERFICIAL power of terror
ization and vengeance.
II am informed that the Ku ,Klux
Klan is badly tied up with the courts
down at its headquarters In Atlanta.
Speaking as a Southerner. so far as
that section is concerned, l wish to say
I do not believe that the Klan move
ment represents the better thought of
the South
$50 far as / have been able to see,
the Klan In the South and West seems
to be largely under the domination and
leadership Of a lot of lame duck
preachers. They play out In the min
istry, and then instead of selling insur-
ance or peddling churns. as they did in
| former times, they devote their time and
| talents to saving the country by or
! ganizing men into secret disguised So
cieties and dressing them UP in night
( gowns and Ounce caps.
mo; the better Judgment of the
South Is not for the Ku Klux Klan, and
what we need to do in the present hour
In the South and everywhere else Is to
i apply yet more fully the principles of
true Americanism and the spirit of
Jesus Christ to the race problem. We
need to recreate and assduously culti-
vate the spirit OF good will and right
| understanding and mutual helpfulness
rather than TO fan the embers OF preju-
dice, persecution and racial rancor and
hate. Whatever the final outcome Is
no permanently wise and righteous solu-
ton can be found until there is right
spirit within both races"
Sees Bar to Prosecutions.
Walter Nelles. counsel for the Ameri-
=
ment saying that 1t was the opinion of
the union that any wholesale prosecu-
tion OF Klansmen as such would be
prosecution OF ideas and not OF acts and
therefore un-American In principle.
Efforts to locate the Rev. DIR. William
J. Mahoney and E. ID. Smith at the
Hotel Pennsylvania yesterday revealed
evidence that somewhere in the city
konklave of Klan 1Sladds was under
way. DR. Mahoney Is the Imperial
Klokard OF the Invisible Empire. Smith
is the King Kleagle In this State. They
are both registered at the Pennsylvania,
but whoever answered tho telephone In
the room supposed to be occupied by
the Imperial Kokard said In a sepul-
chral voice.
There Is no Mahoney here. brother"
From Smiths room came a voice say.
! ing:
1--WE know nothing about the Ku KluA