The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-07-01
DETROIT'S FIFTH COLUMN

story appearing in the Atlanta Journal two
weeks ago disclosed that the Knights of the Ku KluX
Khan have disbanded as national body. Imperial
Wizard James Colescott was quoted as stating that
the functions Of the officers had been suspended and
all charters had been revoked On the surface it may
that this organization which at time boosted
of over five million members on both side of the Ma
son and Dixon Line is now dead affair.
The rise of Hitler, however, has taught us many
new things about the activities of subversive groups
The Kan may be dead, but the Klansmen who have
switched their hoods are still very much alive. We
have seen the sudden rise of dozens of new, native
white, protestant organizations under variety of
names including the familiar "Neghborhood I'm
provement Associations The ideals for which the
old hooded order stood have not been abandoned and
these varied front organizations are carrying on
where the national Klan organization left off.
These front organizations, which showed their
hand in the Sojourner Truth fracas in the 1913 riot
and in the last moyoralty election, have been able to
strike fear in the hearts of many white liberals and
they have galnered tremendous political strength
Many whites who would shudder at the thought of
joining the Ku Klux Khan have been bamboozled into
supporting similar organizations with less revolving
traditions. Thousands of whites who honestly believe
in the American credo of fair play have been victim
lied by the slick-operatng, racist racketeers.
These race-mongers who have fanatic hatred for
Negroes and Jews know how to take advantage of
the basic American rights Of free speech and free
dom of the press. Operating on the fringe of the
sedton laws, some of these former KluXers are be-
eved to be the payroll of the Axis. Whether they
are enemy agents not, they have program of
christian white supremacy" which is calculated
to create social revolution.
Today the Federal government is seeking to fer
ret out these racst racketeers The latter however,
have hit upon technique of disruption which served
Hitler well in the fall of France. They are operating
mills and fantastic stories of racial nature
flooding the city. These rumors are infammatory
and provocative and they are designed to lead to
overt trouble. Efforts have been made to provoke
Negroes into violence in the wicked hope that the
whites would become panc-stricken and start an
other pogrom.
We believe that every church and every organi-
cation in our community should take steps now to
kill these vicious rumors and expose the rumOr-
mongers who deliberately seeking to thwart ma
tional unity and disrupt war production. Race
reations have improved and tensions have lessened
in Detroit as result Of the resurgence Of strong
liberal groups, religious and secular, which de-
termned make our town democratic haven. Despite
the defeatist and descriptive announcements of our
comcsrip Mayor the ma Ority of the people in both
groups are ready to follow democratic leadership
The leaders of influence on both sides of the color
line have great opportunity today to rid town
of the ifth-coumn and usher in period of genuine
goodwill.