European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 30, 1966, Darmstadt, Hesse Daniel up staff writer 35 Days this fall and Winter about 190 americans who either were members of hike flux klan or knew something about it paraded before he Al tics cmml1lto on Una Merican act in the and ornate House caucus the committee conducted Ine first congressional investigation Toni in Valbe Empire of the knights of the Kun flux Blonce its birth atop Stone Mountain what did klan probe achieve i its heyday cume 1ms when its membership reached an estimated 8 million and its standing was so pervasive that la inf Lii Talele to Oul Coille of Lac 1924 but it also had its sonic were severe that the White supremacist organization almost h revived in the 1950s when the South began a historic about face in rate this rebirth of Lanum Anil arts of violence charged to it were what prompted the committee to Bat one specific act of violence was Lac decisive on a March evening in Viola a Detroit was shut to death As slip drove Aloni a Highway near Ala after in in famous be Lauilo octo voting rights was four Kim Mimi we arrested Anil charged with president in an Uinn Lionel culled on Congress to investigate this hooded society of bigots and to enact Legisla ton to bring it under the control of the the committee for 35 Days it took on the and now it claims its investigators won hands the klan claims klan Lead in such As Imperial wizard Robert Shel ton of the United klans of America Uka boast that the hearings actually boosted klan committee members retort that Shelton is whistling in the this Point no one can say for cer Tain just what was time will Tell whether the klan suffered the mortal blow the committee had hoped to this could depend partly on How Congress and state and local authorities follow up the no matter what happens the bearings did produce these develop ments National leaders of the currently the nations largest Kkt were indicted for alleged contempt of Shelton was among they were cited by the House for their refusal to turn Over records the committee had Mure citations Are evidence was presented in support the longheld image of the klan an a White supremacist organization enl on terrorizing and sometimes murdering negroes and Whites sympathetic to the negroes there was other evidence attempting to show that some klan leaders have been making life More comfortable for themselves with the Aid of klan funds raised through initiation fees and collections at Public of Klansman have been unmasked by the at the hear ing the identities of state and local Koluns men were read into the often their membership had been a secret to the in most cases the Dis closure did Lac individuals reputation no also Learned about Hie presence of klan or in their sometimes it was a com plete other times it Only con firmed widely held most Laverns operate under Well known cover usually u local gun or fishing after Day the and particularly the read How klan leaders and Rantand Floc members refused to answer most took Refuge in the constitutions fifth which guarantees Protection against sell rightly or Many americans associate fifth amendment Sanctuary with communist and gangster John a member of the remarked that he had March 1964 wailed in vain for klan some of whom Hail said Lilicy would freely Testi to defend their actual in occasional klan Sinan did defend his claiming it was Law patriotic Ami religiously Moti record has been written on which the committee can propose what it Calls remedial the whole purpose of he in he words of com Mittee chairman Edwin was la develop he fuels needed to As Sist Congress in enacting appropriate Willis uttered those words on March the Day he announced the com Mittee would proceed with the formal a preliminary stuff he had convinced him that klan so was incompatible with americanism and was doing injury to the lie brought up another which probably explains Why made up four of the five members investigating the no pity on the of Ilus said the klan was doing harsh damage to the which it claims to protect and i am convinced Elliut the South and the entire nation will be much better off if All klan influence is once and for Willis hooded burning Crone Are part of klan meetings in Robert Shellon left and lawyer Matt Murphy Are Klong klan ii incompatible with says Edwin klan some members think that influence is already beginning to on the last Day of Public Joe who was filling in for the ailing said urls presented Al the hearings bad caused defections from klan our Overall i he will cause mom and More klans men to leave the ranks of these organizations and will reveal to All others the True and repulsive nature of the Charles said he Felt there had been a drastic reduction in the number of klansmen and that areas once infested with klan activity Are now in a stale of the Days of klan influence on political and social decisions of the South Are he if All this is it can be attributed to the performance of klan witnesses and the stuff investigation that preceded the Donald the committees chief said he has never conducted in investigation that gave him More sat from the Point of View of fully developing the he spoke from More than 23 years of experience Asun in the next step for the committee is to bold hearings on legislation that could curb groups such As the these Are not expected to Start for Sev eral the stars and stripes members have talked informally about ways to Check klan influence but Only Weltner has put Forth a specific the Atlanta Democrat has introduced a Bill aimed not Only Al the but at other criminal conspiracies such As the Cosa Nostra crime Syndicate and the communist party of the the measure would set up a Crimi Nal conspiracy control Board which would determine whether u group is engaged in a criminal if such a determination is the attorney Gen eral would seek a civil injunction from a Federal court directing the group to cease its if the injunction la the accused could be held in contempt of Weltner said this procedure would make his Bill both practical and constr he said it could replace Laws directed at communists but ruled unconstitutional by the supreme but Weltner also is the first to admit that Laws alone will not reduce klan Ter ror and on the last Day of tha he said All of us Here today arc Southern we have Given the people of our Section the facts about the and it is now time for the people of that Section to look at those weigh to determine whether or not the klan u going to govern Community affairs in tha South or whether the people of the South 11
