Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-06-24
BRITISH BODY
 PARENT OF AMERICA
HuguenOt and Scotsman Stand Out Prominently Among Those at Gre. atiOn of English Grand Lodge.
 History Is Interesting.

masons in the United KiI\lom and the establishment of the Grand Lodge in England, which is the parent. or ganization of all Masonic bodies in America and throughout the English speaking world.
 At meeting of the Grand Lodge held in the Royal Albert hall today, the duke of Connaught, who has been grand master for the last 16 years, presided, and prominent members from all parts of the United King dom were in attendance. Tomorrow a service will be held at the same place which will be open to members of lodges other thar the Grand Lodge.
 Two hundred years ago four of the leading Freemason's lodges in Lon- don, believeing that in some way they had been neglected by Sir Christo- pher Wren, one of the foremost Ma sons of his day, met at the Apple Tree Tavern in Charles street, Covent garden, and there solemnly resolv- ed "to cement under z grand master as the center of union and harmony.'" Accordingly, year later, on June "A, 1717, ''the day of light and roses," the first Grand Lodge was formally initiated at the Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul's churchyard, and from that time orwards it b. came the supreme authority, with out whose warrant no new lodges could be formed.
 Five years after the establishment of the Grand Lodge in England Masonry was introduced into France. In 1729 the Grand Lodge of Ireland was established. About the same time the order made ite first appear ance in America. According to many Masonic authorities a provincial grand lodge, and also z. private lodge were established in, Boston, Mass. in 1733. In slT34 the Boston lodge ob-, tained a place on the roll of the Grand Lodge of England. The same year Benjamin Franklin, probably initiated in England, wrote to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts as grandmaster of Pennsy lvania. About the same time Franklia published the Masonic constitution. Another not able pionea of the Masonic order in America was George Washington, WHO was lHlIldLcu at IeucIlChSuuI 5, Va., in 17s2.
 Two of the men who stood out most prominently in the creation of the Grand Lodge of England were John Theophilus Desaguliers, a Huguenot refugee, and James Ander- son, Scottish preacher and writer. Coming to London in 1710 Anderson became pastor of the Presbyterian church in Swallow street. He was a prominent Freemason and besides had considerable learning. It was, therefore, natural that when the Grand Lodge determined to produce an authoritative digest of the consti- tutions of the brotherhood they should assign the task to him. This work, under the title of "The Consti- tutions of the Free Masons; contain ing the History, Charges, Regula- tions, etc., of that Most Ancient and WorshiphI Fraternity" was long by English Freemasons, and an Am erican facsimile of the first edition was issued in 1855 at New York. John Theophilus Desaguliers was a Frenchman, a native of La Rochelle. His father was a Protestant pastor, and when, in 1885, the edict of N2n- tes was revoked by Louis XIV, and the persecution of French Protestants followed, Jean Desaguliers fled hasti- ly to England with his little son, then only two years old. After stay in Guernsey, Desaguliers came to Lon- don and became pastor of the French chapel in Swallow street. He also kept school at Islington, where, later on, his son assisted him. Some time later the way opened up for John Theophilus to go to Oxford and, in course of time, he became lec- turer on experimental philosophy. In 1712 he was back again in London where he settled down in Channel row, Westminster, and continued to lecture. Desaguliers will always be remembered as being the first man to give popular lectures on natural sc.- ence, venture which met with marked success. He was the author of many books and worked in col laboration with James Anderson in compiling the Constitutions"
 King George V, is not a member of the Masonic order, but his father King Edward, was a most enthusi- astic Mason, and, as prince of Wales, filled the office of grand master for upwards of 26 years. The German emperor, like King Gee rge, has kep, apart from the fraternity, although his father also was ar enthusiastic
 Mason. The emperor's brother Prince Henry of Prussia, is, how ever, associated with the order.
 It is interesting to add in this con nection that a vast majority of the presidents of the United States, from George Washington down to William H. Taft, have been MasLns. A notable exception, however, was John Quincy Adams, who talked and wreee an tagonistically to the ort;er. with much