id ations ", ▁and ▁also ▁had ▁pro - B und ▁Arthur ▁Horn b ui ▁Bell ▁removed ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁organization . ▁ ▁Dies ▁Committee ▁hearing ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁Col esc ott ▁was ▁question ed ▁by ▁the ▁Dies ▁Committee , ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁the ▁House ▁Un - American ▁Activ ities ▁Committee , ▁head ed ▁by ▁Martin ▁Dies ▁Jr . ▁( D - TX ). ▁Col esc ott ▁was ▁critic ized ▁by ▁Dies ▁for ▁the ▁K lan ' s ▁alleg ed ▁anti - C atholic ism . ▁During ▁the ▁hearing , ▁committee ▁members ▁John ▁E . ▁Rank in ▁( D - MS ) ▁and ▁Joe ▁St arn es ▁( D - AL ) ▁def ended ▁Ku ▁Kl ux ▁K lan ▁as ▁an ▁" American ▁institution ". ▁The ▁Dies ▁Committee ▁question ed ▁Col esc ott ▁about ▁the ▁connection ▁of ▁the ▁K lan ▁to ▁violence . ▁He ▁claimed ▁that ▁terror ism ▁was ▁actually ▁against ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁the ▁K lan , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁so - called ▁or ▁alleg ed ▁Kl ans men ▁behind ▁these ▁acts ▁were ▁former ▁members , ▁extrem ists , ▁which ▁the ▁K lan ▁had ▁p urg ed ▁from ▁its ▁ranks . ▁He ▁also ▁test ified ▁to ▁the ▁Committee ▁concerning ▁the ▁then - current ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁K lan ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁membership ▁and ▁fin ances . ▁There ▁were ▁reported ly ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁registered ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁K lan . ▁In ▁the ▁financial ▁year ▁ 1 9 4 1