Evening star., 1922-11-21
KAN RULE STORY
DENIED BY PARKER
Louisiana Governor Says
Article Is SIander on
His State.

COY. Parker of Louisiana, who YES
terday. Conferred with President Hard
ing and officials of the Department OF
Justice concerning activities of the
Hu Klux Khan in Louisiana, visited
Congress today to hear President
Harding's message to the special ses-
sion. He planned to leave Tor nome
late tonight
The governor planned no further Of
1icial activity concerning the ku ktuN
Elang while here. it was said tins
,uorring by Attorney General Az
COCO of Louisiana. who accompanied
him on his official conferences at the
department of Justice and the White
House Nor was the governor eN-
pccted to make any further state
,n.nts in connection with the situa..
ion which he reported to the federal
authorities.
According to a White House state
rnent yesterday the federal govern
,ueut promised cooperation where
national interests We're concerned IN
the state The state. however. was
said to be in no need OF federal aid
At present.
Pnrker's Letter to Post.
Gov. Parker last night addressed
q letter to the WaShingto Post con-
cerniup pccial correspondence pub
Iish.d by that paper from Louisiana.
The governors letter follows:
Never since have been reading
newspapers have / known writer
to build such IA fanc:fui superstruc-
fur. on such Il slight foundation OF
fact as has been done by George
Rothweli Brown of Your staff in the
article sent YOU from Baton Rouge
and printed with such display in Your
issue of sunday. The article is,
Slander on Louisiana and on its chief
executive.
Il did not see your correspondent
and he made no application for an in
rerview. Most Of his statements
"ould have been disproven had he
made even the most superficial in
vestigation. To state that the klan
has reduced the, sovereign state of
Louisiana to the vassalage of the in
visible empire is one of the most eN
travagautly inaccurate observations |
have ever known uewSpaper man to
make and it is the more ineNcusahte
because the man was on the ground.
There is absolutely nothing on which
he could have based his statement
hat the machinery of $tlte govern
Inent has almost ceased TO function.
No Idea of Asking Aid.
There never has been the most re-
Louisiana of appealing t" the fed
rral government TO 20 into the state
"f Louisiana and take over the ad-
IuinisI Iration Of government.
II will not take the time tee deny
each of the many miSstatvments in
.-our article. but can say it is 90 per
cent Inaccurate and conveys Il totally
wrong impression. The damage done
uy this artici" and the Importance
given it by the display with which
81 10 flr.a
subject of conference OF my return to
Louisiana, at which time it viii be
decided as to the further action that
will be taken.
Fight Has Only Begun.
Masked men and invisible empires
have no place in America, and l have
denounced the Ku kfux Khan as vigor-
ously as l know how i'll its own strong
hold We have only begun to fight this
movement. which strikes at funda
,nentals of orderly government. We
will be able to rid Louisiana of this
vicious development the more quickly
if We can have the help of other states
and of the federal government. We can
deal effectively with our local situation
il il can be cut OF from the support and
ENCOURAGEMENT 1t IS receiving from the
outside. / have SUUsLt cooperation iu
an effort to meet the situation i'll the
most immediate WAY. ard 10 free the
people of some of oIr-conln:onities from
The terrorism in which they now are
held Since the Iilan doe; rot work IN
The open. | may say that the problem
presented is largely an investigatorial
one" .ss-
AsyseH ,Nnd Parker in Tilt.
Announcing that he had been unable
to discuss the subject on the floor Of
the House because. OF an early adjourn
lnent of. that body Representative AS
well OF Louisiana issued Il statement
de hat wei
'iitionS III Louisiana such as described
n the Post articles. He mad" public
It telegram of inquiry sent 10 the Sheriffs
and judges in thu. eight parishes in his
district an their replies. each OF whch
reported e., editions tranquil.
''lf these published attacks ti11auate'
rom the governor Of Louisiana, or ii
he had advance knowledge rf or cnnnrc-
ZION with their publication" said Mr..
-AswellS : statement he presents 4 hu-
Initiating and pathetic spectacle. as he
plays cheap politics to gain front-page
rotoriety.
tar as it referred t" him. Gov Parker
declared it was untrue" and added
hat MIR. ASwellss district was Zone OF
ne recognized heads of the IA k1ux
j Ian Of L"niSana."
Whippings by Masked Men.
Explaining the situation in his
state. Coy. Iarkor said conditions
"rowing out of activities of the Khan
we're serious in only two sections
There had been some bad nutraseS h..
asserted. iucluding whippings by
masked men. and terrorism in some
com mmunititS HAD followed.
Correspondence with the Depart
rnent of Justice ON alleged activity of
rhe Khan was begun some time ago
and request for q conference. " ith the
President followed. II was declared
that thcr" never had been an intcn-
tlon to ask for federal interference
within the state: that tn" object
sought was cooperation generally in
removing what the governor termed
the support and encouragemeuT
which, he stated tho klan in Louis
lana received frpIa without the stat.
Friends of Gov. Parker asserted that
the alleged kian activities was only
one OF several matters which brought
him to Washington. Others included
his opposition to the appointment of
walter Cohen. II negro. controller
of customs ut New Orleans. He was
understood to have discussed this
matter with senators RansdelI and
Broussard of Louisiana in confer
eDceS at the Capitol.