Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-17

mandatory. BY far the most vehe-
ment and furious attacks have come
from the extreme left-Wing spokes-
men in Washington and the extreme
radical press of New York.
Though the language Of these
professional liberals Including some
OF acknowledged Communist affilia-
tom has been unreStrained, it is
poSsible-for once-fully to agree
with them. Mostly their lurid
phrases are justified. Mostly their
charges, this time, are not exag-
gerated at all.
Black Leading Liberal.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to re-
frain from mentioning two some
what interesting facts, one of which
has been almost forgotten and the
other of which is not fully appre-
ciated, but both Of which seem to
put these raging liberals" in an
inconsistent and rather ridiculous
position.
The first fact is that one OF the
great liberal heroes of the day.
the man looked up to by all of our
most advanced thinkers" the lead
Ing exponent Of Roosevelt ideal
ISM on the Supreme Court. himself
was once a member of the Ku KluX
Khan. This is none other than JUS
tice Hugo Black, recognized leader
of the liberal faction of the court
The other and not fully appre-
ciated fact is that the agency which
more than any other is promoting
aiding and inspiring this 'rebirth"
OF the Khan in the South is the
Go and its political instrument, the
PAC, with which all true liberals"
are in sympathetic accord if not
enrolled members and financial sup
porters. Unquestionably, it is true
that the CLIO with its PAC cam
paign TO organize the South as it
has never been organized before"
is contributing help to the Ku Klux
revival, without which it could
hardly make progress, which is, in
fact, essential to its existence.
Natural Incentive.
OF course, this help is unwilling,
involuntary and unplanned. Of
course. this contribution is the last
thing the CLIO and its PAC has CAL
culated on or desires. Of course, it
will be vehemently denied. How
ever. if there is a more effective way
to stir up the horrid racial and re-
ligious prejudiceS on which the Khan
leaders so completely depend, and
at exploiting which they are so ex-
traordinarily adept, than by a CAM
paign led and directed by Sidney
Hillman, and largely aimed at or
ganizing the Negroes of the South
for political purposes, 1t Is hard to
think what it is.
When this PAC drive" comes at
time when feeling in the South
has already been stirred by the
widely advertised Communist cam
paign particularly in Florida to
have Negroes register as Democrats
in order to put your friends" in
Congress, the situation seems ideal
for the Khan wizards The fact is
that thoughtful men in both parties
deplore this eXtravagantly bally-
hooed and publicized drive" in the
South. To those who hate religious
bigotry and are anxious for better
relations between the whites and
the Negroes, both the drive" it
self, the personnel of its leaders
and their blatant and bellicose
methods seem extremely unfortu-
nate.
Fuel Added to Flames.
The AFL, which also has drive"
on in the South, was forced into
action by the CLIO initiative, and is
certainly not hurting the Khan
movement by its raucous charges,
however well based, of CIO COM
munism.
The ridiculous and inconsistent
position in which the above facts
put the true liberals" who are
tearing their hair about the revival
Of the Khan. is unimportant. Your
ayerepe "trlle lihera1'' mover kpoue