Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-05-24

velopment of gas for war and for peace
time uses has gone on.
Masonry Strong in Washington.
A simple statement of a Forthcoming
event printed in a daily newspaper in
this city offers the news opportunity
to tell .of the extraordinary growth in
Masonry and in other mems organiza-
lions, secret and semi-secret, in the
District of Columbia and. as reports
have it, in virtually all other places
of the United States.
The short printed statement is this:
In Alexandra, Va, the Masonic fra
ternity of the United States soon will
lay a cornerstone of a great national
Masonic Temple as memorial TO
George Washington, who was mem
Der of the Alexandria lodge"
Early in June 100000 Mystic Shrin-
ers, all of whom are Masons, with
members of their families as guests,
will come to the capital for virtually
4. weeks celebration. Later in the sea-
son it is promised that 100000 Masons
viii make the pilgrimage to Alexan-
dria to witness the laying Of the coz
nerstone of the Washington Memorial
Temple which is to cost $4,000 600 and
which will require three years to COM
plete
The Masons. the Knights of Column
bus, and other organizations largely
have increased their membership since
the early days of the war. Washing
ton is hive of Masonic and Knights
of Columbus industry. In France dur
ing the war thousands upon thousands
Of soldiers Joined the Masons, and
thousands joined the Knights of Co
lumbus. Since the war it is under
stood that the membership in the two
organizations steadily has gone for
ward, the Masons Of course leading
in numbers.
Most congressman Are Masons.
A great majority of the members Of
the two houses of congress are mem
bers of the Masonic fraternity It is
said that about 70 per CEN. of the chief
officials of the government are mem
bers Of this same organization Mason
ry is thriving in the capitals of the
country and thriving also is the life
of other organizations of kindred or
somewhat kindred nature. Secret and
semi-secret organizations seem to feel
that the capital of the country is a
particularly good field for cultivation.
What is done here is known elsewhere.
Membership in secret and in semi
secret organizations has largely in
creased in the army and navy of the
United States. There are hundreds
and probably thousands of officers and
men of the United States army who
hold Masonic membership. Probably
the majority of the ranking officers OF
the two services are in the bonds of
Masonry.
There is also large army and navy
membership in the other organizations,
secret and semi-secret. A good many
officers and enlisted men belong to the
Knights Of Columbus, Of which one of
the chief officials is Admiral William
S. Benson, who was military adviser to
the American commission to negoti-
ate peace, and who, during the war,
was chief of naval operations.
The army officers who are Masons
have formed an organization known
as ssThe Sojourners cEub,' membership
In which is open only to Masons, and
fhe purposes Of which are social and
educational.
Huge Scottish Rite Temple.
On Sixteenth street there is mas
sively impressive building known as
the Scottish Rite Temple. It was
erected in recent years at a cost of
81. 500, 600, to be the home of the SUI
irene council of the southern juris-
diction of the Scottish Rite in America,
representing about 100 Masonic bodies,
with more than 100000 members. The
temple is modelled after the Maui
soleum Of Halicarnassus. This Ma
sonic structure is one of the wonders
of the capital, as Halicarnassus Maui
soleum was one Of the ancient Won
ders Of the world.
When the Masons come to the banks
Of the Potomac to lay the cornerstone
of the memorial to the Father of His
Country, they will visit in relays the
Masonic lodge room in Alexandria,
where Washington presided as wor-
shipful master The cornerstone for
the memorial will be laid near the
building in which Washington presided
at the meetings Of his Masonic breth-
rem. The old lodge room is preserved
as it was and it contains many ar
ticles which we're in use in Washing
toms time, including, the apron which
the Father of His Country wore when
he laid the cornerstone of the capitol
of the United States.
The Washington memorial at Alex
andria will be in large sense shrine
for the Masons of the United States.
When it is completed it will stand as
companion structure to old Christ
church, Alexandria, in which Wash
ington worshiped and of which he was
a warden.