Evening star., 1925-08-10
Thousands Take Part in
Spectacular Ceremony at
Horse Show Park.
GREATNESS OF PRINCIPLE
PROCLAIMED BY ORATORS
Bryan Honored-Traffic Jam at
Bridge Greatest in His
tory of City.

Swept by the f1ickering shadows of
a gigantic flaming cross reared high
above the heads of an immense throng
Of spectators in the Arlington horse
show grounds, unnumbered unmask-
ed hosts of the knights OF the ku
Klux Klan brought their two-day
Washington Crusade" to a spectacu-
lar close last night with weird in
itiation ceremonial
Kneeling, with barred heads, before
a smaller electrically lighted cross,
the candidates for citizenship" in
the now unveiled Invisible Empire,
some thirty in number, dedicated
themselves 'in body, in mind, in
spirit and in life" to serve faithfully
Country, home and the ku klux
Khan"
An eerie silence fell over the great
assemblage as the sacred klan oath
was administered to the unrobed in
initiates by King kleagle l.. A. Mueller
Of the District of Columbia klan. AS
he pronounced the mystic words that
bound the new members to the 100
per cent American" principles of the
order. the kleagle, with open Bible
before him, held up cup of water.
the God given fluid symbolic of the
transparency of the lives, the clear
ness of the motives and the useful
ness to humanity" of the knights
of the Ku KluX klan.
CIima1es Strange Rites.
The acceptance into the organization
Of the new citizens" all of whom
were residents Of nearby points, came
as a climax to as strange an evening
as the thousands of curious. but re-
spectful, spectators from Washington,
Virginia and Maryland ever have had
the opportunity to spend.
The thrill Of witnessing monster
ku klux klan initiation in which the
mask of secrecy was TO be entirely dis
carded, and with an S0-foot fiery cross
said to be the largest ever erected in
this part of the country. as an added
attraction, brought thousands of visit
ors by motor, street car, bus and on
foot across the Potomac River to the
scene.
The converging of so great a gather
ing at the narrow Highway Bridge
and on the Military road, bordering
the horse show grounds, resulted in
one of the most serious traffic jams
in the memory of military and civilian
police. both prior to and Immediately
after the rites.
Although the ceremony was over
shortly after 10 o'clock, il was after
midnight before many Of the automo-
biles carrying klansmen or spectators
were free OF the congestion.
Fiery Sermon Delivered.
The whole afternoon and evening
were fraught with activities for the
Klansmen. The program began at
the show grounds at o'clock, when
a Khan spiritual was held, during
which the Rev. DR.. A. H. Gulledge of
Columbus, Ohio. national speaker of
the Invisible Empire" delivered a
fiery Klan sermon.
Without ostentation, and almost un-
known even to newspaper men, the
robed knights also journeyed to Ar
lington Cemetery and laid floral trib.
utes on the tomb of the Unknown Sol
der, and on the grave of the late vii.
liam Jennings Bryan. The Common
er has been referred to by members
of the order as "the greatest Klans-
man"
With nightfall the wide expanses
of the horse show grounds took on an
extremely animated appearance. Ear.
ly arrivals among the spectators saw
enacted before their eyes a picture
they have seen heretofore only in the
movies or have read about in books
1t was the gathering of the Klans."
The white-robed figures came mys.
teriously from all directions. mostly by
automobile, and, forming distinct
groups, took up their various stations
about the field.
Around the towering, somber cross
as yet unlighted. they formed a great
circular guard of honor, each sentinel
placing on a standing beside him a
6-foot American flag. Inside this
circle no person was allowed.
Vantage Places Lost.
Those who had thought the initia-
ton was to take place inside this cor
don, at the foot of the flaming cross
were forced to abandon the places of
vantage they had selected in favor of
other stations in the vicinity of the
grandstand. in front of which the
actual rites were conducted.
Through the courtesy Of Klan Off
cials, a Star reporter was permitted
to stand with the kleagles, titans and
major kleagies on the judges pavil
ion, which served as the dais for the
colorful proceedings, and record the
oaths, speeches and other phases OF
the naturalization"
When the hooded and robed knights
had formed a second Gordon to keeI
the milling crowds from approaching
too close to the platform Kleagle
Mueller called for silence and ther
opened the rites with a prayer, ir
which Divine guidance was invoked
for the President, his cabinet and the
Government in general.
The first speaker, whose name was
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