▁members ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁ ▁Lower ing ▁the ▁init iation ▁fee ▁from ▁$ 1 0 ▁to ▁$ 6 ▁and ▁providing ▁che aper ▁ro bes ▁for ▁new ▁rec ruits ▁for ▁$ 3 . 5 0 ▁instead ▁of ▁$ 6 . 5 0 ▁did ▁not ▁yield ▁much ▁results . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁The ▁decl ine ▁continued ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁when ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Americans ▁began ▁being ▁pre occup ied ▁with ▁the ▁issues ▁of ▁national ▁security ▁and ▁Ku ▁K lax ▁K lan ▁" lost ▁social ▁influence , ▁money ▁and ▁political ▁support ". ▁The ▁K lan ' s ▁association ▁with ▁Naz i ▁sympath izer ▁organizations , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁German ▁American ▁Bund , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁Detroit ▁race ▁ri ot ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁were ▁det r iment al ▁to ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁public ▁image : ▁a ▁substantial ▁number ▁of ▁Kl ans men ▁stopped ▁att ending ▁meet ings ▁and ▁pay ing ▁their ▁dues . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁there ▁were ▁rec urr ing ▁reports ▁of ▁Kl ans men ▁involved ▁in ▁f log g ings , ▁kid n app ings , ▁and ▁mur ders . ▁The ▁inc idents ▁seemed ▁to ▁be ▁sp or adic ▁rather ▁than ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁system atic ▁campaign . ▁Trying ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁positive ▁public ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁K lan , ▁Col esc ott ▁announced ▁to ▁the ▁press ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁" ag ain st ▁f logging , ▁l yn ch ings , ▁or ▁int im