The Washington times., 1925-06-30
FLAYS D. c.
POLICY ON
KHAN
Congressman CeIIer Demands
Permit for KIuxers Parade
Be Revoked

| Hurting sensational charges
against the Knights of the Ku
Klux Khan, Congressman Emanuel
Celler Of New York has called on
the District Commissioners to
withdraw the permit given the
organization to parade on Penn
sylvania avenue on August 8.
Protests Are Filed.
The Medico-C hirurgical Society OF
the District, comprising 100 coIored
physicians, and the American Asso-
| citation, Of Los Angeles, Cal, like
wise have filed vigorous protests.
To all Of those opposing issuance
Of the permits, the Commissioners
in a "stock" letter are replying:
1.-THE Commissioners know CT no
reason why this organization should
not be permitted to parade the
same as other organizations, pro-
vided that it observes the laws
and regulations made governing
such parades.
''It has been the custom of many
years standing to grant such
permits to all kinds Of bodies,
, sectarian and non-sectarian, which
are not known to be seditious or
disorganizing, and the Commission
ers know of no instance OF dis
order occasioned in the District OF
Columbia by this organization"
Congressman Celler in his letter
says:
washington was chosen for. this
parade in a hopeless endeavor to
| recruit the orders dwindling mum.
bers. The Capital, it is supposed,
| licity. It is curious that these
wizards, kleagles, hobgoblins and
monsters will parade late in the
afternoon, so that at the finish q
huge flaming cross can be erected
in the vicinity Of the White House.
KIuxers Are Played
"Will not such a spectacle tend
to a breach of the peace? The col
ored population OF Washington is
very heavy. Furthermore, this be-
deviled and benighted order pro-
scribes against well nigh half Of
our population. 1t would deny
citizenship to the foreigners, Cath.
oIics, Jews and negroes. Are you,
as United States officials, going to
put the imprimatur of your appro-
val of these practices, which seek
to subvert the Constitution OF the
United States?
This order has outraged and en-
ragged thousands of American citi-
zens. The Khan murders at Mer
| Rouge, La, rivalled only by Poe's
Murders in the Rue Morgue.' are
still fresh in memory. The excuses
committed by these night providers
| In other states are a stencil in the
nostrils of good citiZenry.
Religious orders have been per-
mitted to parade in Washington,
and, rightly so. But this order uses
religion for irreligious purposes.
| what an anomaly! Washington
rejoiced that in the newly formed
United States every man could
worship as his conscience dictated
and there would be none to make
him afraid
'Yet, there is to be permitted,
| upon your say So in the Sylvan
theater, in the shadow Of the
monument erected in the memory
of Washington, arch foe Of religious
intolerance, rites tending to destroy
every vestige Of federation"
The colored medical society Of
/ Washington charges the khan, con
ceived in iniquity, born in dishonor
and nurtured in hatred, inspires
and abets and condones, if it does
not commit crimes"
COIOred People Object
A special committee, comprising
| Doctors J. II. Ross, John K. Rec
tor and w. H. Wilson. states that
| revocation of this permit is not
an improper step in that there is
| no compulsion of law which makes
1t mandatory upon officials to grant
the benefits of the law to any or.
ganization or individual whose es.
| sence of action is the vitiation OF
law"
The committee tells the Commits
| Bioners that if they believe them
selves without authority to revoke
the permit they should seek the
| opinion Of the corporation counsel.
1--WE request revocation Of this
permit in our name and in that of
more than 100000 negro citizens of
the District Of Columbia" says the
protest, ION the ground that this
parade will disturb the harmonious
relations now existing between the
various racial and religious groups;
will disrupt the public peace, tncite
to strife, and is inimical 20 public
policy.
"A parade by the Ku Klux Khan
is an unwarfanted, though futile,
affront to Jews, Catholics, negroes,
and foreigners why by far COM
! prise the majority Of the population
Of the District Of Columbia