The Washington times., 1922-09-08

VIR Gin IA
OFFICIALS
0NQlu V|VE
Sheriff and District Attorney
Deny Laws Are Given Lax
Enforcement.

enforcement.
; While the authorities at Fort
Myer moved last night to break
up the practice Of staging wild
petting parties inside and outside
the low wall separating the east
ern expanse of Arlington National
Cemetery from land abutting the
Military road, the Arlington coun-
ty branch Of the Ku Klux Klan
met to formulate a plan of cam
paign against alleged immoral
conditions in several sections of
the county.
Is Parties Driven Out.
The place of the gathering and
details of deliberations are, of
course, a secret, though men high
In the councils of the knights Of
the Flaming Cross gave out word
OF the assembly.
The attention of Klan officials
In Washington has been drawn for
a long time to what they describe
as 1.-The Virginia situation" result
ing in the recent posting of letters
calling upon law enforcement Off
GERS of Arlington county to halt
spooning, liquor drinking. bootleg.
ging and gambling.
Last nights move to protect the
great cemetery, studded with the
graves and monuments of thou
sands of soldiers and sailors. was
A. hxr CnI
tie. Fort Myer depot quartermas.
ter, and charged with maintenance
of order on the Arlington reserva.
ton.
He drove fifteen parties whose
automobiles were parked along the
road away from the cemetery pre-
cincts, none offering resistance. He
was accompanied by Robert Dye.
Arlington superintendent. and a
watchman. u.s.. -. .,
One man, who is a leader in this
Jurisdiction of the Klan, declares
that the campaign ofsthe Arlington
main at q law enforcement official
who is charged with laxity in per.
formance of his duties.
The election at which he might
be superseded will not occur for
two years more.
The posting of letters warning
that failure to check hilarious pet
ting parties in the national GEM
etery and along Four-AIlie Kun,
and to break up the county liquor
traffic would necessltate action by
the khan brought forth verbal
broadsides last night from A. C..
Clements, sheriff. and Frank l..
Ball, commonwealth attorney.
~ ~ ~AN Al n.
TO show that he and his deputies
break up the whiskey traffic. He
further declared that an inspection
Ief the tract inside and outs lie =
cemetery walls said to be the rem
devious of automobile petting par
ties revealed but two cars parked
last night, and these on Govern
ment soil, where he has no juris-
diction.
Ball Il Incensed.
Ball suggested that complaints
Iby the khan or anyone else should
Icome to the properly constituted
authorities.
Ordinarily" he said. 'I pay lit
tile attention to anonymous com.
,Imunications of any kind. but the
iIslanderous statements concerning g
;llaw and order in Arlington county
IIpublished this morning are so
grossly false that for the sake Of
;Icommon decency they should be
;lpublicly denied.
"As the prosecutor Of this county
III welcome any information from
the Ku Klux Klan or anyone else
which would aid in the capture
and conviction of lawbreakers, but
I 80 n -.
/! Plantations to know that this
county will continue to be governed
by the constituted authorities, and
that not for an instant, will any
man. or set OF men be permitted to
, take the law In their own hands.
n Heavy Strength.
II The force Of the khan in Airing.
ton county cannot be accurately
estimated numerically, but Wash
ington officials of the order claim
It's rolls carry the names of prac.
tically every male voter Of good
standing, and the same flourishing
condition exists in Fairfax county,
they aver. From their statements.
the klansmen would appear to be
committed to a definite program Of
cleaning up" In the county, which
lies at the doors Of the Capital.
~ OF even greater interest is the
promise made by khan, heads that
when the Virginia situation is
settled, attention will. be turned to
Washington" What lines, their ac-
tivities would take was not dis.
closed.
While the battle lines between
the representatives Of visible and
invisible government In Arlington
county were being drawn today, Of
flcials high and low were puzzling
their heads over the Jurisdiction
under which environs Of the Gem.
etery fall. -
The stretch between the eastern
wall and the Military road, according
to Colonel Bonnycastle Is under his
control, but he can make no arrests.
he said. unless crimes or mis-
deameanors are being committed
thereon.