This organization was once a klavern of the White Knights of the KKK of Mississippi. Its entire membership defected to the United Klans of America and as a result it now operates as a klavern of the United Klans.

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The Anti-Communist Christian Association was incorporated in the State of Louisiana in January 1965. The incorporators informed the secretary of state that the association, with headquarters in Bogalusa, La., sought to preserve the State constitution and the U.S. Constitution "as originally written," to promote Christian civilization, and to fight communism. The association, in fact, was a cover for that faction of the Original Knights of the Ku Klux Klan which operated in the area of Bogalusa. It was led by klan officers Charles Christmas and Saxon Farmer.

In all examples listed above, the incorporators (or officers in the case of unincorporated groups) were identified as being members of a klan. Committee investigation determined that the activities of these organizations were designed to benefit the interests of the respective klan organizations. Private meetings of those organizations identified as mere covers for a klavern were identical to meetings of a klavern, while the other organizations such as the Whiteman's Defense Fund were dominated and controlled by klan officers and members.

INFILTRATION

Like the iceberg, the bulk of a klan's membership, by design, is concealed from the general public. Also by design, an individual's membership is concealed from members of other local units and from most of the officers holding positions of responsibility on local or national levels of the klan structure.

Local klaverns protect the identity of members by destroying applications and by recording members by numerical designations. Local klaverns are not required to, and in fact do not, report the identity of their members to any higher headquarters.

This secrecy of membership creates conditions whereby klansmen are often able to infiltrate at will areas where their presence can contribute substantially to the influence and power of the klan. By concealing their membership, klansmen have run for public office and have been elected. They have obtained appointments as State and local law enforcement officers, as well as positions of trust within a political subdivision, local or State.

Due to limited staff, the committee was unable to conduct investigations into the backgrounds of all individuals identified as klansmen during the course of its inquiry. It did, however, document numerous instances of successful infiltration by klansmen into positions of responsibility in their communities. The committee's continuing investigation after its hearings had been concluded produced additional evidence of this. While this report reflects these findings, individual identifications will not be made because the persons concerned have not been confronted with the results of the committee's investigation.

Considering the number of members of police and sheriff's departments and their auxiliaries in the Southern States, committee findings reflect a minor infiltration in this area. It therefore appears unques

tionable that the overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers are dedicated to preserving law and order. However, even a minor infiltration is harmful to the law enforcement community. Just as one bad officer of the law throws suspicion on the entire department, one policeman who holds membership in the klan and who permits the klan to violate the law, brings the entire department under suspicion of those who seek protection from the klan. This situation also produces other problems affecting the entire community. In Natchez, Miss., klansmen in the police department, supported by the local klan, have been trying to remove the non-klan chief and to have him replaced by a klansman or someone who will not oppose the klan. If they are successful, their success will be derived from their secret klan membership.

The Governor of Mississippi rightly found that klan membership was not compatible with employment as highway patrolmen and therefore removed several klansmen from such employment. If state administrations outside Mississippi and southern municipal authorities would follow the lead of Governor Johnson, there would be fewer klan members within city or state police departments.

With respect to sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, the responsibility for infiltration of these departments rests largely with the people. Throughout the South, the sheriff is elected to his office. Thereafter, the sheriff appoints his deputies and members of the auxiliary. The committee subpenaed Sheriff Marion W. Millis of New Hanover County, North Carolina, because its investigation established that the sheriff and certain of his deputies were ideological members of the United Klans of America. Following the service of his subpena but prior to his sworn testimony, he attempted to deceive the committee by denying to the committee staff that he had held klan membership. Under oath, he admitted klan membership but contended that he and his deputies joined for intelligence purposes. In spite of this latter claim, neither the sheriff nor his deputies prepared reports or maintained files on klan activities within New Hanover County. Although these facts were publicized, Millis nevertheless was reelected as sheriff. In the area of law enforcement, klansmen were found to be sheriffs or deputies, police chiefs and policemen, highway patrolmen, constables, justices of peace, or state game wardens.

The committee is also disturbed by the fact that there are other law officers, not established to be klan members, who give aid and comfort or funds to klans. A sheriff attended a victory banquet in September, 1964, at Lawrenceville, Ga., following the acquittal of those tried for the murder of Lt. Col. Penn. Other sheriffs and police chiefs have made financial contributions to klans located within their jurisdiction. Ralph Roton admitted as a witness before this committee that he held an official position within the United Klans of America, and that he had been appointed by Imperial Wizard Shelton as a klan investigator. Roton further acknowledged that, with the endorsement of the then Governor of Alabama, he had been appointed to the staff of a State legislative commission in 1963. Roton told the committee his work as an investigator for the Alabama commission had the same scope as his investigations for the United Klans. He testified under cath that neither the Governor nor the chairman of the commission knew him to be a klansman. The chairman of the State legislative group

advised that if he had known of the affiliation, the klansman would not have been hired. No one knows the extent to which klan intelligence was fed through this employment. The testimony of the witness is not helpful in this regard.

In Bogalusa, La., City Attorney Robert T. Rester held membership in the Original Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Some acquittals of known klansmen and, on the other hand, questionable prosecutions of some civil rights advocates in Rester's jurisdiction, resulted in a breakdown of respect for law and order. While klan violence actually brought about Federal intervention and the issuance of a Federal injunction against the klan and its leaders in Bogalusa, vigorous and fair application of the law might have averted the need for Federal intervention.

One klan official named during the committee's hearings was later identified by the press as being a member of the Mississippi Legislature, while one additional member of that State's legislature was identified as a klansman during the committee's continuing investigation.

At least one Georgia mayor was identified as a klansman and subpenaed as a witness. However, upon the presentation of medical evidence that an appearance would be most detrimental to his health, the subpena was cancelled.

Robert T. Rester, testifying in public session on Jan. 7, 1966, denied klan membership at the time of his appearance before the committee but invoked his constitutional privileges against self-incrimination with respect to past membership in the klan.

CHAPTER IV. KLAN OBJECTIVES, REAL AND IMAGINARY

Of the two dozen or so objectives publicly professed by present-day klans, only one is advanced with sincerity, according to a former highly placed officer in the United Klans. This "sincere" aim is the promotion of so-called white supremacy.

Klan oaths, constitutions, and other statements of principles unfailingly declare the klansmen's intention to "maintain forever segregation of the races and the divinely directed and historically proven supremacy of the white race." 1

From the evidence produced by committee hearings and investigations, most of the organized efforts of the klans-public and covertare directed toward this white supremacist goal. The covert methods adopted by klansmen in pursuit of the objective range from murder to threats and intimidation. Illustrations are provided in chapter VI of this report. Public klan activity with the same purpose such as rallies, boycotts, and political action are described in detail in chapter V. Discussion of the reputed cynicism of some klan leaders, who further klan goals with expectations of financial gain and personal power, is also reserved for other sections of the report.

A review of the nature of recent klan activities leads to the inescapable conclusion that "maintaining white supremacy" includes preventing this Nation's Negro minority from fully exercising constitutional rights and privileges, and arousing fears and hatreds among persons of all races in order to gain support for the klan philosophy that the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written "for whites only."

As long as klans cling to their white supremacist goal, no credence can be given to frequent assertions by klan leaders that the organizations are not "anti-Negro." 2

Nor can any faith be placed in the commonly made klan claim that the organizations are not "anti-Jew," "anti-Catholic," and "antiforeign born." The committee received relatively few reports of overt klan actions solely aimed against any one of these minorities in recent years. However, today as in the past, klans disseminate defamatory propaganda at rallies and from their printing presses in an apparent attempt to create animosity toward and social ostracism of Jews, Catholics, and aliens in the United States.

A number of professed objectives of presently operating klans are repetitions of statements adopted by the post-Civil War organization. Such are the klan pledges to (1) protect the weak, the innocent, and the defenseless from "the lawless"; (2) succor the suffering and un

1 This language appears in the constitution of the Original Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Official documents of both the United Klans and National Knights also list the "maintenance of white supremacy" as their purpose. The White Knights describe their aim as "strict segregation of the races, and the control of the social structure in the hands of the Christian, Anglo-Saxon white men."

A leaflet distributed by the United Klans stated the organization was "not anti-Negro" and in fact was "the Negro's friend." The leaflet, titled "The Principle of the United Klans of America, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan," is reproduced in the appendix, pp. 366-371.

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fortunate; (3) protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and all laws passed in conformity thereto; (4) assist in the execution of all constitutional laws; and (5) protect States rights.

Nothing in the record of recent klan activity indicates any serious effort in behalf of such objectives. As a matter of fact, many incidents will be recited in this report which demonstrate that lawless klansmen have preyed upon the weak, innocent, and defenseless. These klansmen have repeatedly come into conflict with local criminal laws, in addition to doing violence to the Constitution by striving to deprive others of rights guaranteed by that document.

Such lawless conduct is encouraged by the klans' assumption of power to decide what laws and what law enforcement officers should be obeyed. Most major klans have pledged support only to a constitution "as written by our forefathers" or "as originally written" and today "twisted" or "ripped to shreds" by evil men. Klansmen are instructed to obey only "constitutional" laws. Since the Federal Government is represented as a captive of Communists, klansmen are given no encouragement to respect Federal laws. White Knights documents, referred to in more detail in chapter VI, show that klansmen are furthermore instructed not to submit to the authority of local elected officials and police officers if they impede the advancement of klan goals.

Modern klans vociferously proclaim themselves to be effective opponents of communism. The United Klans of America is pledged to "fight to the last breath" to rid the country of the "insidious plague" of communism. The White Knights vow they are working for the "total destruction of communism." The National Knights promise to "save" the Nation from Communist conquest, while the Original Knights recruit on the basis of their "effective program" against communism. Evidence accumulated by the committee indicates that the vaunted "anticommunism" of klans is a deception. The klans, in fact, are a source of distorted and false information regarding the Communist movement and klans thereby actually impede sincere programs aimed at increasing public understanding of this imported conspiracy. It is obvious that klans are cynically exploiting public antipathy to communism in order to advance their white supremacist objectives.

In addition to its anti-Communist mission, the White Knights have taken on the immense responsibility of "preserving Christian civilization." An examination of secret White Knights documents reveals this is nothing more than a klan effort to "morally" justify its positions on racial issues.

Many other aims professed by klan organizations should be classified as imaginary in the absence of any demonstrated klan effort to achieve them. Such are avowals to promote and practice "patriotism," protect womanhood, promote "justice," preserve public peace or domestic tranquility, follow and promote the teachings of Christianity; and preserve freedom of speech and a free press.

A number of minor objectives, promoted in printed literature distributed by the klans, include campaigns for a limitation on foreign immigration, expulsion and/or disenfranchisement of millions of

3 Positions publicly stated by the United Klans, White Knights, and Original Knights, for example.