The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-23
Scottish Rite MasOns Receive | ThiTtI--third Degree
MESSAGES OF GREETING
Other Bodies of Masons Send Frater nal Messages to the Council. Four New Members of the
 Council Are Elected.

Washington, October 22.-Interest cen ! tered about the supreme council for the | southern Jurisdiction. Scottish Rite Ma sons today in the election of four mem- | bers to active participation ip council pro- eeedings In addition, however to the election of four active members to fill l vacancies created by death, the consis- torial session was held this afternoon Grand Commander Richardson conferred upon William Hayes Laird of Winona, Miss. and Benjamin B. Allen of Nash l vile, Tenn the order of the Grand Cross and invested them with the insignia of that highly honored rank among Scot tish Rite Masons This order was unan- 1 imously conferred upon these gentlemen l at the biennial session of the supreme council two. years ago with direction 1 that it's investure upon the persons hon ored should be performed during the pres l ent session. Commander Richardson l stated that 1t was conferred upon Messrs. Laird and Allen for distinguished ser l vice in the cause of Scottish Rite Ma l sorry.
 1 Another event of interest was the rec i cgntion of representatives of other su- 1 preme councils by the supreme council ! of the southern Jurisdiction, all of them 1 thirty third degree, active, as follows: 1 Charles F. Buch, for supreme council of { Belgium; Adolphus L. Fitzgerald for su- 1 preme council of Ireland; Henry c. AL verson, for supreme council of Uruguay; Henry M. Teller, for supreme council of Colorado, and the northern supreme coun- ell of the United States; Edward B. Hus- ! sey, for the supreme council Of Can I ada; J. w. Cortland, for the supreme council of Paraguay; George F. Moore for the supreme council of Italy; A. e. Stewart, for the supreme council of Bra ! gil, and Admiral w. S. Schley, thirty 1 third degree honorary, for the supreme l council of Mexico.
 Messages to Council. These representatives of other Scot ] tish Rite bodies the world over were re ceived by the grand commander and asked [ if they had any message to present to I the council. MT. Moore, representing Italy. told of interesting situation i among the higher bodies of the Masons of that country:
 l About one year ago there was a schsm in the ranks of Italian Masonry brought about by the action of certain l members of the supreme council, who | were also members of the Italian parlia- ment There was pending in the parlia- ment bill providing for non-sectarian schools and an amendment was offered to , the bill. Eight members of the supreme council voted against the amendment to the bill, and thereupon 1t was attempted to discipline them for their votes.
 This mode of using Masonry in relig- ious and political matters was disputed by the supreme council over which Chew alier Saverio Fera presided. and there- upon several members withdraw and took sides with the Grand Orient of Italy, which is somewhat active In the king don.'
 The newly elected member for Missouri A. c. Stewart represented the supreme council for Brazil. and said he brought love and greetings to '@A general council.
 At o'clock the sisssessne council took a recess until o'clock when the thirty third degree. honorary. of Masonry was conferred in full ceremonial form upon the following by Grand Commander James D. Richardson and the supreme council officers:
 1 Names of Degree Men.
 T. M. McMillan. Mobile: F. A. Sebring, J. E. Sheppard. S. A. Kerr. Jr., District of Columbia: O. B. Gerard and A. l.. Metz, New Orleans; Charles Henry Earth, U. s. A.
 Mississippi. B. V. White, Meridian.
 North Carolina, F. T. Meriwether, Ashe- vile. N. f7se
 Arkansas. S. P. Collinsc... and E. l.. Biggs, Hot Springs G. c. Wood. Little Rock. &
 Florida. G. P. Sullivan. Tampa.
 Oklahoma-E. C. Barrows. Tulsa; J. F. Hetherington. Oklahoma City; A. c. Hix- on L. F. Leach. Jr, F. A. Derr, J. w. Duke L. W. Baxter C. +. A. Martindale, H. T. Swearngen, w. H. Fuller l.. Bert owitz, Guthrie: A. U. Thomas, c. A. Ware, McAlester; V l.. Muldrowke Tish- omingo; R. Hoffman, Chandler.
 Texas-C. L. Alderman, Big Springs; ]. J. Ormsbee. Fl Paso; A. v. Lane. J. W. Hawerth. Dallas.
 Tennessee-C. H. Lippincott, Memphis. Benjamin Bentley Allen, James Horton Hall and John Winston Eastman, Nash vile.
 New Mexico-E A. Cahoon, Roswell; James Gurdon Fitch, Cocorro.
 virginia-H. T. Thornton Richmond. Il Lengthy Ceremony.
 The comforting of this degree occupied three hours It is looked upon by Scot tish Rite Masons as the highest honor in Masonry with the single exception of be- ing an active member of the supreme council, which by its action today was increased to 26 by the election of four new members, William Busby of MoAlester for Oklahoma; John H. Cowles of Louisville for Kentucky Melville R. Grant of Me rldian, for Mississippi. and Alonzo Chase stewart of St. Louis, for Missouri.
 These newly elected active members met in executive session in the morning at 70 o'clock.
 While the supreme council was in se. cret session today Dr. F. J. Woodman oi Washington, D. C., acting junior grand warden of the Royal Order of Scotland by appointment of James D. Richardson provincial grand commander, communi cated the degree of the Royal Order tc the following Masons of high degree: V F. Ceilings of Hot Springs, Ark; Charles K. Rosenbaum. Little Rock Elmer Biggs Hot Springs; George G. Wood. I.ittls , Rock: John Peebles. Portsmouth O.; Johr w. Hawerth. Dallas. Tex; Henry L. Pit { tock Portland. Ore. and Walter L. Royel of Washington. D. c.