The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-28
THRONGS' SEE CEREMONIES. OF KU KLlJX KHAN
4O,0OO Attend East LalA Naturalizatio 900
 Candidates Received

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 What is believed to be the largest crowd ever gathered together in Ala barna was present at East Lake park Friday afternoon and evening to Wit ness the state naturaIization ceremonies of the. Ku Klux Klan. Five thonsa!td aliens" were conducted into the learned from reliable sources. s.ss
 Park officials .eeciared late Friday night that the attendance more than doubled any previous record at. che amusement center, It was estimated that more than 10000 persons visited the park during the afternoon and eve ming and that there were fully 40, 900 present during the ceremonies: . <,
 Even the scores of extra street cars that were pressed into. service by the Birmingham Electric company failed to handle adequately the enormous crowds, o'clock and from the park to the city after 10 o'clock were jammed, and hundreds of persons stood waiting on street corners and loading places. s.s.
 Automobile parking space was, at q premium. Machines were parked fer nearlyla mile on First avenue in both directions from the park. Fields were taken over a parking spaces, and all side streets were lined with automobiles.
 5000 Candidates sGe
 Although no definite check could be made Friday night, it is thought that nearly 5000 candidates were natural ized at the ceremonial, which started at about 10 o'clock. The ceremonies were performed on the north side of the lake, in the space used by the air plane concession. v ss5.fs
 The public was held back from the point where the work was beiris staged, but a clear view of; the Action could be obtained from points on the opposite side of the lake. |; v
 Following the naturalization work, the klan presented a fireworks, display, said to; be one of the. most brilliant ever staged in BEminghafn. Scores of rockets, aerial bombs, colored lfrhfs and other pyrotechnical displays IiRhfed the air and were visible for miles.
 The naturalization ceremonies brought to a close day; full of kixfs activities at the park. Sport contests. band concerts, fklan lectures and other events all were included in the days program. Kenneth sL. Roberts. state chaplain of the, Iowa American Legion, delivered klan. address Friday eve ming. ,'sF
 -Dr. W. Earl Hotalen, imperial .lsc. turer for the, kluxers, spoke Friday afternoon. a<t n.R0
 Recites History < t:..
 During his lecture, Dr. Hotalen re- called the history of the Ku KIuxt Klan, from it's inception immediately after tke Civil war. He paid high tribute; "a those who formed this first orRanizatiotl and to the ideals upon which their body was based. I
 "In 1870 that kIan or6aniza tioIn,,, vas disbanded, he said, Con order of. tife grand wizard and grand goblin, ' If wAs not again heard ofsuntil 1915; when 34 patriotic young men in Atlanta broukht about its reincarnation on tSatriofie principles. Since their first niSefin9s in l9l6 the klan has grown from :24ato 100000 members.
 Their greatest support cAna f|or, the Masons of the country. ESSn,kSrs of this order set to thinking aboIt fHe klan because of the tremendors sopnosi. ton 1t was receiving st fife haHsla' s,ef the Catholic church, began to realise that the kIan's ideals were, ideTf;cSI with their own. Of the y,6OO. GOO pFeE. ent members, 1,250, 900 are uaembers Sy ,os the Masonic fraternity" fe.E'
 DenOunces Smith
 Dr. Hotalen delivere6 a -seorcbin1 Genunclauon or Coy. AT Smith, candi- date for nomination. on the democratic @ tlcket for President. He termed him EGovernor Alcohol Smith,. and de- clared that without the strong battIe waaged by the klan. during, recetit yesr rs this man, Catholic, might even haze Seen e elected President of the United
 The year 1924. he said, ..is moment. ous in that it is the year set 1by tbs pope to completely Catholocize .ths N | onltsd ,lts:l, States. The pope has built up w He sends out political representa- tivss -t.' tc ether governments and receives then ,ls tnese' His representative in Italy have qua snaae sacn inroads on the Italian gov, xpls3 splsndid ]. work of the patriotic Gari- N {