Evening Star
- Merton says he knew his claim was legally weak
- Locarno treaties put into operation
- Evans calls Klan to a militant fight for “Americanism”
The paper reports Merton’s explanation that an oral wartime share transfer weakened his asset claim, while preserving the distinction between testimony and the pending conspiracy charge. Geneva’s dispatch describes the deposit and registration of Locarno ratifications. In Washington, Evans uses the Klan convention to demand an offensive political program, coupling claims of spiritual freedom with Protestant supremacy and racial exclusion.
Translation
Merton says he knew his claim was legally weak
MERTON DECLARES HE KNEW HIS CLAIM WAS LEGALLY WEAK
Says transfer of stock just before war declaration was made orally.
Denies he sought aid of “clever politician.”
Trial of Daugherty and Miller marked by many tilts between counsel.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 14.—When Richard Merton, German industrialist, first arrived in America in April, 1921, to attempt to recover the assets of the American Metals Co., he knew his legal claim was weak. He testified to this today at the trial of former Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty and Thomas W. Miller, former alien property custodian, charged with conspiracy to defraud the Government.
His legal claim was not strong, he felt, because the transfer of the stock to the Société Suisse, a few days before America entered the World War, was oral.
In answer to a question by United States Attorney Buckner concerning the late John T. King, former Republican national committeeman from Connecticut, he said he did not come here with the idea of finding “a clever politician.” Mr. King was also indicted but died shortly afterward.
Locarno treaties put into operation
LOCARNO TREATIES PUT IN OPERATION
Ratifications of security pacts deposited with League secretariat.
By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, September 14.—The Locarno treaties of security and arbitration became officially operative today when the ratifications of all the signatories were deposited with the secretariat of the League of Nations.
The representatives of the six interested nations assembled in the office of Sir Eric Drummond, the League secretary general, and attached their signatures to a protocol affirming the deposit and registration of the treaties. Afterward congratulations were exchanged.
Those taking part in the ceremony were Sir Austen Chamberlain, Great Britain; Foreign Minister Briand, France; Foreign Minister Stresemann, Germany; Signor Scialoia, Italy; […], Belgium; and M. Zaleski, Poland.
Evans calls Klan to a militant fight for “Americanism”
EVANS CALLS KLAN TO “MILITANT FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM”
Saving U.S. from “alienism,” making Protestantism supreme, two goals.
Movement no longer on defensive, he says.
Thousands of new members predicted soon—warns of “foreign entanglements.”
Calling for a new policy of “aggressive, militant Americanism,” Dr. Hiram Wesley Evans, imperial wizard of the Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, today outlined a concrete program of “patriotic advancement” for the ensuing two years, at the second session of the order’s third biennial convention being held in the Washington Auditorium.
Three outstanding objectives toward which the Ku Klux Klan must look, now that it has reached an unprecedented stage of prosperity, Dr. Evans declared, were as follows:
“1. To save America from alienism—to prevent the mongrelization of our race and to promote a steady nationalism rather than permit the strength of America to be dissipated through an insipid cosmopolitanism.”
For Protestant supremacy.
“2. To restore Protestantism to full and unquestioned supremacy in the spiritual spotlight of America, and to make spiritual freedom the undoubted possession of every citizen of this country.
“3. To assist America toward the fulfillment of her God-given destiny by protecting the fundamental policies of Americanism that have made us the most respected nation in the world.”
Context
Why wartime property was still a courtroom issue
The United States created the Alien Property Custodian’s office in 1917 to control and dispose of enemy-owned property. Such intervention left postwar questions about who owned assets and who could recover them. Merton’s claim belongs to that aftermath: a transaction made shortly before American entry into the war was being examined years later, when both corporate ownership and the conduct of former officials were at issue.
A corporate claim brought business and political connections together
Merton linked the weakness of his claim to an oral stock transfer. The questioning about King then brought political access into the same account. Together these details explain why a dispute over company assets appeared in a trial of senior former officials: recovering property involved more than identifying a business loss; the route by which a claimant sought government action was itself under scrutiny.
Ratification turned a diplomatic agreement into an operative treaty
The ceremony marked the point at which the signatories completed the formal steps recorded for the Locarno arrangements. The UN treaty record gives 14 September 1926 as the entry-into-force date for the mutual-guarantee treaty. Depositing ratifications mattered because agreement at a conference and an operative international commitment were separate stages. The signatures in Drummond’s office made that transition publicly visible.
Security and arbitration addressed different parts of the peace settlement
The report names both security and arbitration treaties. A security arrangement concerned guarantees between states, while arbitration offered a procedure for handling disputes. Their joint appearance reflects the attempt to stabilize relations through commitments about conduct and agreed means of resolving disagreements. The League secretariat served as the institutional setting in which those commitments were deposited and registered.
The Klan’s Americanism defined belonging through exclusion
The revived Klan of the 1920s directed hostility not only against Black Americans but also against immigrants, Catholics and Jews. Evans’s programme places racial separation and Protestant supremacy at the centre of national identity. His use of patriotic language therefore carried a restrictive definition of who could fully belong. The speech presented that hierarchy as a programme for national advancement.
A convention converted identity claims into an organizational programme
Evans addressed a national gathering with a two-year programme, membership predictions and a declaration that the movement had moved beyond defence. These were tools for organizing supporters around shared objectives. The call for spiritual freedom sat beside a demand for Protestant supremacy, making the unequal terms of that freedom visible within the same speech. The convention gave those claims a public platform and a timetable for action.
Original
MERTON DECLARES HE KNEW HIS CLAIM WAS LEGALLY WEAK
MERTON DECLARES
HE KNEW HIS CLAIM
WAS LEGALLY WEAK
Says Transfer of Stock Just
Before War Declaration
Was Made Orally.
DENIES HE SOUGHT AID
OF “CLEVER POLITICIAN”
Trial of Daugherty and Miller
Marked by Many Tilts
Between Counsel.
By th» AfSOriatM Pr.s..
NEW YORK. September 14
When Richard Merton. German in
dustrialist. first arrived in America
in April. 1921. to attempt to recover
the assets of the American Metals
Go., he knew his legal claim was
weak. He testified to this today at
the trial of former Attorney General
Harry M. Daugherty and Thomas W.
Miller, former alien property custo
dian, charged with conspiracy to de
fraud the Government.
His legal claim was not strong, he
felt, because the transfer of the stock
to the Societe Suisse, a few days be
fnre America entered the World ar
was oral.
In answer to a Question by 1 nited
States Attorney Buckner concerning
the late John T. King, former Re
publican national committeeman
from Connecticut, he said he did not
come here with the idea of finding
“a clever politician.” Mr. King was
also indicted but died shortly after
ward
LOCARNO TREATIES PUT IN OPERATION
LOCARNO TREATIES
PUT IN OPERATION
Ratifications of Security
Pacts Deposited With
League Secretariat.
By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, September 14. —The Lo
carno treaties of security and arbi
tration became officially operative to
day when the ratifications of all the
signatories were deposited with the
secretariat of the League of Nations.
The representatives of the six in
terested notions assembled in the
office of Sir Eric Drummond, the
League secretary general, and at
tached their signatures to a protocol
affirming the deposit and registration
of the treaties. Afterward congratu
lations were exchanged.
Those taking part in the ceremony
were Sir Austen Chamberlain, Great
Britain; Foreign Minister Briand.
France: Foreign Minister Stresemann.
Germany; Signor Scialoia. Italy; H. De
Rroucliere. Belgium, and M. Zaleski,
pola nd.
EVANS CALLS KLAN TO ‘MILITANT FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM’
EVANS CALLS KLAN
TO ‘MILITANT FIGHT
FOR AMERICANISM’
f
Saving U. S. From “Alien
ism” Making Protestant
ism Supreme, 2 Goals.
MOVEMENT NO LONGER
ON DEFENSIVE, HE SAYS
Thousands of New Members Pre
dicted Soon—Warns of “For
eign Entanglements.”
Calling for a new policy of ‘‘ag
gressive. militant Americanism.” Dr.
Hiram Wesley Evans, imperial wizard
of the Invisible Empire. Knights of
the Ku Klux Klan. today outlined a
concrete program of ‘‘patriotic ad
vancement” for the ensuing two
years, at the second session of the
order's third biennial convention
being held in the Washington Audi
torium.
Three outstanding objectives toward
which the Ku Klux Klan must look,
now that it has reached an un
precedented stage of prosperity, Dr.
Evans declared, were as follow*:
"1. To save America from alienism
—to prevent the mongrelization of
our race and to promote a steady
nationalism rather than permit the
strength of America to be dissipated
through an insipid cosmopolitanism.
For Protestant Supremacy.
”2. To restore Protestantism to
full and unquestioned supremacy in
the spiritual spotlight of America,
and to make spiritual freedom the
undoubted possession of every citi
zen of this country.
”3. To assist America toward the
fulfillment of her God-given destiny by
protecting the fundamental policies of
Americanism that have made us the
most respected nation ini the world.”
Source: Holding institution