Florida Ku Klux Klan Denies Responsibility for Miami Bombings

The Florida Ku Klux Klan last night disavowed the recent bombings of Jewish, Negro and Catholic homes and institutions. At a full Klan meeting held around a burning cross, Klan speakers criticized the recent wave of terrorism and Bill Hendrix, Florida Grand Dragon of the organization, said that the Klan had not been involved in the planting of dynamite at Jewish synagogues, a Catholic church and Negro homes.

Benjamin R. Epstein and Arnold Forster, national director and chief legal counsel, respectively, of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, who are here investigating the bombings, this week-end expressed the opinion that “while racial and religious prejudice underlies the outrages, the same criminals are not involved in all incidents.” Although the A.D.L. officials doubted that a “concerted conspiracy” existed, they said that the “pattern of violence derives from basic ingrained racial and religious prejudices that must be eradicated.”

Attorney General J. Howard McGrath said this week-end that every F.B.L. facility is being utilized to the “fullest extent” in investigating the terror bombings in Florida. He said the “investigation is in progress and every facility of the F.B.L., its field offices, and its laboratory is being utilized to the fullest extent.”