I have been informed that an important role was played in the propriation of the World War directed against the monarchical Central Powers by the policy of the international "Great, Orient Lodge"; a policy extending over many years and always envisaging the goal at which it aimed. But the German Great Lodges, I was furthermore told—with two exceptions wherein non-German financial interests are paramount and which maintain secret connexion with the "Groat Orient" in Paris—had no relationship to the "Great Orient." They were entirely loyal and faithful, according the assurance given me by the distinguished German Free Moron who explained to me this whole inter-relationship, which had, until then. been unknown: to' me. "He said that, in 1917. an international meeting of the lodges of the "Great Urient" was held, after which there was a subsequent conference in Switzerland: at this the following programme was adopted: Dismemberment of Austvia-Hungary, democratization of Germany, elimination of the house of Hapsburg, abdication of the German Emperor, restitution of Alsace-Lorraine to France, union of Galicia with Poland, elimination of the Pope and the Catholic Church, elimination of every State church in Europe.
I am not now in a position to investigate thesvery damaging information which has been transmitted to me, in the best of faith, concerning the organization and activities of the Great Uriéht Lodges. Secret and public political organizations have played important parts in the life of peoples and States, ever since history has existed. Some of them have been bene ficial: most of them have. been destructive, if they had to have secret passwords which shunned the Eght of day. The most dangerous of these organizations hide under. the cloak of some ideal object or other—such as active love' of thei neighbours, readiness to help the weak and poor, and so torth—in order that, with such pretexts as a blind, they may work for their real secret ends. It is certainly advisable to study the activities of the Great Orient Lodges, since one cannot adopt a final attitude toward this world-wide organization until it has been thoroughly investigated.
I shall not take up the war operations in this work.
I shall
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.