The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-02-23
KHAN UNMASKS;
 10 HEREAFTER B HOW ITS FACE
Official Copyrighted State ment Is Issued from
 Headquarters

T official announcement is made by l he Ku Klux klan that the mask has been discarded as part or It's official regalia. In a copyrighted Etatement issued at the organlza- lions headquarters, it is asserted that "in every Klavern through but the nation. Klansmen' for swore the mask and the state |ment also made it clear "the or Her has no political ambition for Itself or members"
 In a 4.000 word statement ls- sued at St. Petersburg, Florida, bn January 25, and sent out by |The Associated Press, Dr. w. A. |4otalan, Imperial Lecturer and |Klan evangelist, said on Febru' bry 22, general unmasking would Follow the conferment of the K |Trio or Third Degree upon all members of the order, an action provided for by the constitution hdopted six years ago in Atlanta land would signalize abolition of Eecrecy in membership of the |I<lan.
 The statement denied reports that the robe and helmet would be abolished and declared em- that the unmasking did |nDt result from any anticipated hnti-masking legislation or recent hgitation in Alabama, Georgia, In diana or Pennsylvania.
 Answering specific questions, [Dr. Hotalen said in effect that the Klans policy will be opposed Ito demonstrations and parades. such action might be ta- lken by members on occasion, but will be unmasked. He declared ignorance of any threat by Dr. Hiram w. Evans that members voting for Alfred E. Smith for President would be dis missed, characterizing such re- ports as "the invention of some reporters
 kIan to Fight Al"
 You can bet your immortal soul it will" the statement an swered to the query. Will the Klan take an active part in the campaign against 'Al Smith for President?" declaring Smiths "Romanism and not his Catholic ism" was reason for this action.
 Dr. Hotalen said Senator Thom- as J. Heflin, of Alabama, was not an official of the Klan nor in iss employ and, in so far as he knew. not even member of the order, further declaring that the klan did not intend to nominate Heflin for President or to nominate any other individual for this office.
 The Klan does not favor the third party idea" he said.
 Dr. Hotalen's statement said that on January 8 and 3 the I'm perial Kloncilium, the whole Col lege of Grand Dragons and all Imperial Representatives of the invisible empire met in Chicago, H.. and received the KTrio, or third and unmasked degree. Five hundred Klansmen received this degree in Chicago January 9, and on January 10, in Montgomery, Ala, 1,5O0 were recipients of the degree, he said.
 Every Much in Error"
 "Press dispatches reporting the Montgomery ceremony and con lectures of most of the editorial writers who have since comment ed thereon, have been very much in error,'' he said. "The news dispatches state that the an- nouncement of the unmasking of the Klans came as thunderclap' and burst like bombshell upon the unsuspecting Klansmen gath cred in Montgomery.
 That statement is untrue" he continued, pointing out that the unmasking was anticipated Dy Klansmen. and that all local Klans had received announce ments of the approaching action. !"
 Dr. Hotalen is attached to the realm of Alabama Klan, and is said to have taken an active part in the organization work of the Klan since he became memb sr ;,, 101Q