The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-04
KHAN VOICES OPPOSITION TO
 NEGRO ST AFF
Orderly Demonstration Made
 At Tuskegee As Protest To Presidents Determination To Replace White Officials CLAIM REPRESENTATION OF 5O,0OO MEN IN STATE Parade Sanctioned By Off,
 CialS Of f;' SymboIizing Disapprc Any Change In Negro lospitaI Policy
Fly STAFF CORRESPONDENT

tBy SIAFE DENTD
 USKEGEE. Ala, June 3.-With q fiery cross, 40 feet high. gleaming above them on the outskirts of Tus- kegee. between 1000 and 1,500 robed Knights of the Ku Klux Klan staged monster parade In Tuske- gee Tuesday night as protest against the governments policy of putting negroes in charge of the new ncgn. rehabilitation hospital in this city's
 Those participating in the parade came as representatives of the or ganization in the entire state. They claimed to represent a membership of 50,000 in Alabama embraced in 12S klans. Representative were present from Birmingham, Opelika, Mont somery and other cities, but the largest representation came from Montgomery, the participants having driven over by automobile this eve ming.
 Private GrOunds Untouched.
 The paraders assembled at the de- pot iii Tuskegee and the parade be- gan to move shortly after 9 o'clock. Their route took them through the grounds of Tuskegee institute along the public highway. Not a parader touched the private grounds of the institute. After passing slowly through the grounds the automobiles returned to the QepOI. Here the masked men alighted from their au- tomobiles and started another parade on foot through the streets of Tus- kegee. It was a highly impressive sight but was calm and orderly. Many countrymen had come in to see it and these added to the people of Tuskegee made a large crowd of spectators.
 The parade on foot was particular ly impressive. The klansmen marched single file about three or four paces apart and extended for fully two miles. Leading them was an automo- bile, in which a klansmen carried a large Americn flag. About every twentyfifth marcher carried q smaller American flag and klansmen at about the same intervals carried torhes. No word was spoken by the marchers. The streets were lined with automobiles all along the route and the sidewalks were also packed with spectators. It was observed tEtre during the entire course of the parade not single negro was visible. Even the negro cooks in the doWntown restaurants abandoned their posts during the parade Nu- merous citizens stated that their cooks had left during the evening. During both the automobile and foot parades white robed traffic officers stationed at various points in the city directed the traffic and the parade route.
 Spok for the organization em- phasized tonight that they came to cause no one any trouble and that they were mot there to do any one any injury. It was pointed out that the affair was simply to symbolze opposition to the policy proposed at the new hospital Negro residents were very quiet during the parade and after
 It was also announced that the parade was held only after the con- sent of the mayor and board of all uermen had been secured, so that what was done had approval of the official authorities. After the march through the streets of the city the paraders quietly diSbanded and with in short time had disappeared and there were no signs remaining of the demonstration they had just made.
 lie first actual displacement of a white emrloyo at the new govern lnont negro rehabilitation hospital here by negro occurred Tuesday with the arrival of 2 negro, John c. Calhoun of Norfolk, Va, who took the place of white woman atCnoSapher at the institution. The affair created more of a str in Tus- keSee than any incident that has yet developed It is stated here tonight that the negro stenographer left Tus- Eegee this evening supposedly fol- lowing the action of citizens in let ting him understand the situa tion