The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-23
a SENATOR'S IN
KHAN RANKS,
IS CLAIM
Norman Hapgood, in Hearst's
international Magazine,
Reveals Conditions.

Fourteen United States Senators
and Congressman, thirty Washing
ton correspondents and numerous
Government officials are members
OF the Ku Klux Khan. according
to the revelations of Norman Hap
good in the February issue Of
Hearst's International Magazine ex-.
planning how Washington is honey
combed by the khan.
Declaring that the Ku Klux Khan
aims to dictate to courts, juries,
legislatures and governors; that its
victories in the November election
have made 1t still more confident
of this control; that it Is already
issuing orders on points religious
and racial. Mr.. Hapgood presents
actual evidence in the form OF con-
fidential letters, secret messages,
kilograms and other written
material some in code, which de.
scribes Ku Klux methods Of con.
trolling the administration OF len
tice. of melting out punishment, and
OF obtaining information.
KSansmen On Jury.
Mr.. Hangood cites an instance in
Dewitt county, Tex, where the
grand jury called to investigate the
khan itself, was composed of ten
klansmen and two other members
friendly to the khan. Naturally,
says Mr.. Hapgood; the report it
rendered was more than an exonera-
ton. 1t was a eulogy. Another
instance is at Asheville, N. c.,
where an organizer and Kleagle of
a local Ku Klux Khan was indicted
on various charges. His attorneys
prevented the case. from appearing
before a judge known to be unfavor-
able to the khan and brought it UP
before a Judge who is a klansman.
"A hundred per cent American
Judge" writes Mr.. Hapgood,
means Judge favorable to the
khan"
when there are acts Of violence
and other violations of law COM
mitted by masked men. frequently
in the uniform of the khan, the OF.
ficers of that organization always
say that these crimes were not COM
mitted by that organization" says
Mr.. Hapgood. What really hap
pens Is that a few chosen men act,
the khan as a whole having no de.
tails"
A system Of spies who watch the
HtuIS anu bClSS4d pH COIlIIluElCA"
tons provide much of the klan's
inside information.
Members In Postoffice.
There are many klansmen In
the Postoffice Department through
out the United States as well as
in Washington. Some time ago
there were sixty-five in the post.
office at Portland, Ore. The post
master reported the situation to the
Postmaster General. There have
the members Of the khan in the
postoffice to the effect that they
were tampering with the mail Of
citizens who were not klansmen."
In October a khan was formed
In Washington which, 1t IL claimed,
now includes thirty well-known
newspapermen, fourteen United
States senators and representatives,
high officers Of the army and navy
and other officials Of national
reputation. But inasmuch as there
was little attempt at secrecy in
forming this branch Mr.. Hapgood
ventures the opinion that this ef-
fort is possibly not as serious aa
the more secret ones.
Imperial Klailiff Clarke. he de-
CRITICS. CldIIi6 10 udN6 u AIdnSIIldn
in the United States Secret Service
at Washington who keeps him Ad-
vised whenever that branch of the
Federal Government does anything
with the Ku Klux Khan. Among
the letters presented by Mr.. Hap
good to substantiate his statements
10 one which contains the khan in.
junction to destroy this letter by
fire." Others contain khan formula
and code words such an "jtGub"
which means I'm tho Sacred and
Unfailing Bond" and AKAI, 70 do,
note II Am Klanaman."