New-York tribune., 1909-03-03
MASONIC BRETHREN
.Ne1c President Viii Find Them
Among Rulers of Europe.
e tcopyrieht, 1aOa. by the Brentwood company.I

E ECopyright 1909. by the Brentwood Company.l
From tomorrow onward the great international
fraternity OF Freemasons Will be able to boast
another ruler in its ranks; for President Taft,
who is about to assume the chief rnagistracy
Of this great republic. by virtue the election of
his fellow citizens. initiated only the other
day as member of the craft. Among those be-
longing thereto President Fallieres. who is at
the head of the French Republic. and also Emile
Isouhet, who was his predecessor at the Elysee;
while Edward VII, King Gustavus of Sweden.
Frederick VII Of Denmark. King Haakon of Nor
way and Emperor William likewise Masons.
Several Of them, notably the monarchs of Swe-
zen. of Denmark and of Great Britain. held high
Office in the craft until their accession to the
throne but in each resigned the grand
tsrship on succeeding to the crown. owing to the
fscr that the duties of q Masonic grand master
sometimes conflict with those of sovereign. Thus,
during the last year of Queen Victora-s reign the
discovery that an atheistic Masonic lodge, known
ss the Hiram Lodge had been instituted in Lon
dnn under charter from the Grand Orient of
rance compelled the then Prince of Wales to
tes,,e a somewhat violently worded decree against
17-eoob Nasons dehounCing them as beyond the
Masonic pale and prohibiting British members Of
the craft from holuing any Masonic intercourse
NTH them True, it was in keeping with the atti-
.t,5e assumed by the Grand Lodge of England in
,g7- when the Grand Orient of France banished
:, "a speak K. the Almighty from its lodges, exclud
,re in the most rigorous fashion from its cere-
,,,o7ies al acknowledgement OF or reference TO the
eC Universe
.+a roe rIayed by Masonry in the political life OF
E-,cs where most Of the leading statesmen, from
r. President Of the Repablc and the Premier
aov-nv-ard. are members OF the craft II to
- the least awkward. and t is easy to that
,f circumstances We're 10 arise necesstating the
5=,,a NJ another such attack upon French Masons
t the English Grand Lodge. the connection of the
z-,rg with the latter in the capacity of grand
Easter would not merely endow the manifesto with
a official political and international character,
1+ vre5ld be calculated 70 impair the friendly
1stions between the two countries.
This danger brought home Edward VII
within a few weeks after his becoming King For
among the earliest petitions which he received on
assuming the sceptre was an appeal, signed not
only by a large number Of Turkish Free Masons,
hut likewise by thousands Of other members of the
craft. calling upon him uee his influence TO
secure the freedom Of q brother Mason, eX-Sultan
Mursd. who according TO the words of the petition.
had for the last quarter Of a century been i'm
prisoned az Constantinople on the pretext Of a
mental maiady'' by his younger brother, the pres
ent ruler OF The Ottoman Empire 1t was perhaps
fortunate that a few days before this petition
reached its destination Edward had surrendered
the grand nastership Of the order in England to his
brother, the Duke of Connaught. since otherwise
his Masonic obligations would have forced him TO
take some steps in behalf of Murad which might
have clashed with the political interests of his
empire
If call attention TO this it is in order to show
that although there IS noIhlng 10 prevent q MdsoA
from holding the supreme executive power Of a
nation he cannot while in that position undertake
70 I'll any Masonic Office President Taft viii
therefore have 10 forego any Of the higher digni-
ties Of the order and viii be forced content him
self with the relatively humble status Of mere |
Master Mason as long as he remains at the White !
House
Nowadays the hostility OF the Papacy TO the craft
"a hostility resulting largely from the atheistic
tendencies and doctrines of the Latin lodges Of the
order-prevents any Roman Catholic ruler from |
belonging 20 the fraternity But in olden times II
was different. Thus. Louis XVI Of France. who /
net with his death on the scaffold, and his TWO /
Younger brothers who reigned over France as
7 mis- XVIII and Charles Y. respectively, were
Mssons belonging 10 q Paris lodge known as Les
Trots Freres' (the Three Brothers. King Charlcss
son. the Due de Berry, was likewise prominent
Mason. and SO. too, was King Louis Philippe and
his eldest son. the Due OTleans, father of the late
Cornte de Paris. Napoleon MS action in Joining
the Italian branches Of the order as young man
involved him in good deal of trouble after be
coming Emperor Of the French for his italian
fellow Craftsmen were continually demanding OF |
hin that he should sacrifice 10 them and to their
aspirations the interests Of the French nation