The Alaska daily empire., 1920-06-17
MYSTIC SHRINE
 HISTORY DATES
 FROM SSa A. D,
Order Active in Many Far Eastern Countries; Found-
 ed Tn America Tn 1872
(By l.. l.. Harding)


 A few facts relative to the orig in and objects of the great Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine distinguished representa- tives of which order will be in the city two weeks from today, seem opportune at this time.
 The Order of Mystic Shrine was great power as early as 698 A. D. The ritual originated in Alleppo. It was very active in Arabia from it's foundation. In 1897 it was ere ated in Cairo and rapidly spread throughout Egypt Prominent Mus sulmans comprised it's membership in Southeast Europe. Shrinedom's g constant aim and purpose in the Mediterranean and Europe was the acquisition of power which it used solely to benefit the communiteis by subsiding the turbulent elements without regard to religion or nation ality. The order acknowledged a true and everlasting God, and on this principle they judged and pun ished criminals that had escaped justice, as mysteriOusly as they did it boldly. The emblem of the or der was a crescent formed by two large tiger claws, joined together by a plate of gold, on one side of which was represented a female sphinx.
 Shrinedom flourished in Mediter- ranean countries in Egypt and neighboring countries and as far as India. Nearly every government al official was member of the Shrine.
 Brought To West
 In 1870 the noted actor w. J. Florence, in Marseilles France, by influential friends, was invited to a ceremonial in the Shrine Temple called "Bokhara," the Potentate be- ing Yusef Churi Bey; the ceremonial was put on with full Oriental splen- dor and wonderful scenic effects. So profound was the impression made on the actor that he immed- lately endeavored to get the ritual, and through his efforts and the en- deavors of Dr. Walter N. Fleming, succeeded in doing so.
 In 1872 Doctor Fleming procured detached and mutilated sections of a translation of the ritual of the Arabic Egyptian Order of the Mystic Shrine which had been brought tol America by one of the foreign rep resentatives through inc hands of Oswald Merle D'Aubigne, 32 degree. It was exceedingly imperfect and in- complete and badly translated An other section of the ritual wasI brought from Oriental Europe byl Illustrious Brother w. J. Florence Through the efforts of these two Nobles, assisted by noted linguist, the translation was completed in it's present form and was perfect translation and the same ritual used by the second Kalif. Omar the Mag In introducing the order in America it was deemed advisable to restrict the secrets to Masons of the highest degree only.
 Nobles Fleming and Florence con
  tinguished Masons, and these thir- teen constituted the first Shrine Temple at New York City. It was named Mecca. These brothers con ferred the degree on others for the purpose of spreading the order. There are today over one hundred and fifty temples in North Amer lea. with a membership totalling many thousands. Knight Templar Masons of the York Rite and Thirty Second Degree Masons of the Scot tish Rite only are eligible for mem bership in the Shrine.
 The first Temple established on the Pacific Coast was that of Islam, at San Francisco in 1883; then came Fl Nader Temple at Portland, where the Imperial Council meets this year; then the Los Angeles Temple and fourth, Afifi Temple, whose divan will accompany the Im- perial Council to Juneau this month.
 The first Imperial Council, the governing head of all Shrinedom, was established in 1876, and the Imperial Council will also be Ju- neau visitors this month, and it will confer the degree on the fifty Alas ka candidates June 30th.-the first time this has been done in the his tory of Shrinedom in North Amer ica