The New York herald., 1922-06-19
SURVEY Shows KLAN
STRENGTH IS WANING
Ku KluX Thrives in Only
Two Regions Despite
Leaders Boasts.
FAILURE In NEW YORK
Feeble Efforts Observed in
New Jersey and in
Connecticut.
SOUTH is IT'S MAINSTAY
SOUTH is IT'S MAINSTAY
Racial Antagonism Enables
Order to Exist Along the
Pacific Coast.

After seven years what has hap
pened to the Ku Klux Klan. successor
in mumnlery to the vigorous regula-
tors OF the old reconstruction days?
Where does it stand, this masked and
robed company, with it's fiery cross,
borrowed from the Rosicrucians; it's
Srotesque vocabulary, its racial and
religious wedges and its slogan of
white man supremacy? Has it waxed
or waned? Is it a power to be reck-
oned with socially and politically or
fas it wilted under the terrific barrage
Of denunciation and ridicule directed
at it for years?
In the effort to obtain answers to
these questions THE NEW YORK HERALD
instructed it's correspondents the coun-
try over to investigate the standing
and Importance Of the Klan in their
respective States and to report the
facts as they are. The result of this
survey is extremely interesting, cover
ing as it does some thirty States. 1t
reveals preeminently that the modern
Ku kiuX Klan is disappearing force
except in two sections of the country.
These regions are the South and
the fringe Of TIE South and the Pacific
coast. The reason the Klan still
thrives thereabouts is that racial
antagonism burns hotly in each
antagonism 10 the black man in the
South, to the yellow man in the Far
West. We find, therefore. that the
organization. frankly based upon racial
hostilties, maintains strength, in these
States particularly: Georgia. Alabama
Mississippi, Florida. Louisiana, Texas.
Oklahoma, Maryland Delaware and
Kentucky of the South. and in Cali
fornia. Oregon and Washington of the
Pacific coast
Fails IN New York.
Elsewhere the Nlan strength las
declined visibly until in twenty States
at least it is negligible o. non existent
and. in a dozen more it is passive and
uninfuential. In New York, for en-
ample, the klan never obtained a foot
hold and is not even a shadow to-day
In the grain raising States ce the
Northwest it was rcpu,sed by the
steady thinking. law abiding farmers.
Tn the East the seeds OF it's propa- =
Sanda were blown on the wind Even
in a few of tie Southern States. Vir-
ginia and the Carolinas, its onetime
Importance has faded
In the South and West. where even
now there are determined efforts be-
Ing made by the constituted authori-
ties 10 uproot il as q dangerous, un-
democratic. un-American thing, nota-
bly, in Texas and California, where
there have been long series of out
RACES. the Klan exercises considerable
political influence mostly in local af-
fairs, and ii includes among its mem
hers in these states not n few public
officials. even police officials This is
true in Florida also. Eut there are
signs along the southern and western
horizon that the Klan. like other in
tolerant movements of the past CEN
tury and n quarter. is doomed to OK
tinction on the part of intelligent opin-
ion. With few exceptions it thrives
most strongly to-day in regions where
ignorance thrives also
Probably the crest of Klan power
was in 1920, when it claimed. with
some degree of truth membership
nationally of 100000 and organizations
I'm all States of the Union save three
Montana, Utah and New Hampshire.
The survey just made by THE NEW
York HERALD would not Indicate n ma
tonal roster of more than 100000. and
II does indicate that in all except "a
dozen States the organization is dying.
rapidly here, slowly there.
It's Purposes Exposed.
The causes of the decay of tho
movement are plain. In tne frs.
place, expressions uttered o, written
IN all parts of the United States dur.
ins the last two years that the Khan
has been under fire, clearly reaffrm,
the indisposition of tle American pAJ.
pie TO go behind the law t. correct
evil or injustice. In the secof place.
numerous investigations-Deo oartment
Of Justice, House of Representatives,
Grand Juries in many States. many
District Attorneys and many civic
bodies-eXposed the true character of
the Klan as provocative of racial an,
religious antagonisrns ami as contcmp-
tuous of law and tho grounded con-
stitutions of order, In the third place.
the money grabbing activities OF the
Khan disgustcd many persons who
might otherwise have sympathized
with its aims, for I'm seven years OF Is
existence IL collected mil ions mot less
than $10.000.o0o
There follows detailed SIT vcy OF
tho situation In manv States togethe;
with n quickly comprehensive table
showing the strength of the lNu Klux
Klan in those States:
NEW YORK.--Efforts of the Ku klu<
Khan TO establish their invisible en-
pire" In the Empire State seem utterly
10 have failed. Two years ago agents
OF the organization came TO New York
city from Atlanta and approached
many persons but the idea did not take
hold MAYOR Hylan denounced the K1an
and its purposes. as did Judge Alfred j.
Talley then Acting District Attorney.
There Is some 1Slan activity In adj
Joining States. Connecticut and Pennsyl-
vanla, and some in New Jersey across
the Hudson. but none whatever in this
Stato The original Klan ambition TO
make New York city a separate Klan
division and TO cover the State with
Rleagles or "gospel-spreaders' COM
pleteiy failed because the public was
n. A -