Evening star., 1937-10-01
BY JOHN H. CLINE.

BY JOHN H. CLINE.
Carrying his case to the country,
Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black
tonight will answer charges that he
is a member of the Ku Klux Klan in
a radio address delivered from the
living room of the modest home of a
friend, Claude E. Hamilton jr.. 1922
Tennyson street.
Justice Black will speak at $50 pm.
Hamilton is general counsel for the
Reconstruction Finance Corp, and he
and his wife have been friends of the
Blacks ''for a long time" Mrs. Hamil-
ton said. She added she was quite
excited at the prospect of having the
speech made from her home.
II think it will be very historic and
interesting" she declared.
The Hamilton home is a compara-
lively small brick structure of Co
lonial design. The room from which
he will speak is one of the two prin-
cipal rooms on the first floor, the
other being the dining room.
Preparations to Take Seat.
1t was also learned today Supreme
Court attaches are making prepara-
tions for Black to take his seat Mon
day. AS the newest member Of the
tribunal he will take the place of
Justice Cardoza, on the extreme left
of Chief Justice Hughes, and print
ed slip showing this seat distribution
has been prepared for visitors.
When Justice Black begins his
talk it will mark the first time a
Supreme Court justice his used the
radio to discuss controversial SUBJ
ject.
His decision to broadcast his an
swer to the Klan charges presumably
was based on two factors. First was
his animosity toward certain sections
of the press that opposed his legisla-
tive policies and his appointment to
the court. The second factor, in all
probability, was the belief he could
present his case most effectively in a
personal talk, after the manner of the
Presidents famous "fireside" radio
talks.
Three radio chains, National, Co.
lumbia and Mutual, will carry the
talk, making it available to about 285
stations. 1t will be broadcast locally
over Stations WRC, WMAL, WJSv
and VOL.
Contents of Address Guarded.
The contents of the address are
being closely guarded and the justice
may not make copies available to the
press in advance of its delivery.
There Is every reason to believe
Justice Black will deal directly with
the principal charge-that he Joined
the Klan in Birmingham, Ala, in
1928, resigned in 1925 and then ac-
cepted life membership in the order
In 1925. The possibility that he might
deny the charge in toto still remained.
but most of his friends believe he will
admit that he once joined the Klan,
taking the position that his resigna-
ton in 1925 was positive and final and
that presentation of the gold life
membership card the following year
was merely a gesture of friendship
and did not have the effect of read
mitting him to the Klan.
Should he take the latter position.
it is expected he will cite his record
IN the Senate in support of liberal
legislation as disproving the allegations
that he is imbued with religious or
racial prejudices.
Justice Black today is presumably
putting finishing touches on the ad-
dress and consulting with few inti-
mates concerning the desirability of
changes in phraseology.
He left the Alexandria home of
Mrs. Blacks brother-in-law and sister
Mr.. and Mrs. Clifford j. Durr. early
yesterday morning, a friend explain
ing that he wanted to be all by him.
sell somewhere to work on the speech"
Durr, an r. F. C. attorney, handled
arrangements for the broadcast. The
raolo networks assigned Black half an
hour IN event his talk should exceed
the 20 minutes he said he would re-
quire.
Other Justices Broadcast.
his ADDRESS VIII not be the first
broadcast by a member of the Supreme
Court, but 1t will be the first one of
a controversial nature.
The late Chief Justice Taft. Chief
Justice Hughes and the late Justice
Oliver Wendell Holmes all made radio
addresses.
TAFT spoke in connection with CAM
paign to raise money for Yale Uni
versity. Hughes delivered addresses
that were broadcast at the laying of
the corner stone of the new Supreme
Court Building and at annual meetings
OF the American Law Institute here.
Holmes spoke briefly on his ninetieth
birthday.
Last Winter, former Justice John
H. Clark of San Diego, discussed Presi-
dent Roosevelt's court reorganization
plan over the radio. Clark resigned
in 1922.
Broadcasting officials said Black
would not be required to submit his
speech for approval before goirx on