Evening star., 1932-09-17
THOUSANDS Join
MASONIC PARADE
IN CAPITOL RITUAL
High Dignitaries Mark 139th
Anniversary of Start of
Legislative Buildings.
CORNER STONE LAYING
WILL BE RE-ENACTEO
Order Will Duplicate Festivities of
September IS, 1898, Directed
by Washington.

! The square and compass that is SYM
oolic OF Freemasonry, Oldest and most
widely distributed secret society in the
world, today was made ready for the
re-enactment of ceremony akin to the
Oldest known ritual of the order, as
Masons hereabouts prepared to duplicate
the festivities of September 18. 1893.
when George Washington laid the cor
ner stone of the Capitol.
With the highest dignitaries of the
fraternity from Washington and nearby
Jurisdictions in attendance, the l39th
anniversary of the start of the Iegisla-
i've buildings is to be marked today
with gay professional on Pennsyl-
Vanla avenue of several thousand
marching Masons, garbed in eighteenth
century colonial costume and robed in
colorful regalia of the society.
Parade Begins at ppm.
Their ranks swelled by contingents of
military. trudging to the strains of mar
tlal music from a score of bands. the
paraders are scheduled to pass down the
ceremoniai avenues OF the Capital be-
ginning at O'Clock, vending their way
up Capitol Hill for the relaying of the
corner stone at $3.50 o'clock.
ritual that dates back to the Ro-
man colleges of artihcers, the ceremony
this afternoon will be featured bv the
use OF treasured Masonic relics used nv
George Washington when, attended by
impressive rites of the order. he ad-
Justed the first stone of the Capitol.
Published to their olden brightness.
tne silver trowel, marble gavel, square,
level and the apron and sash which the
first President used. have been brought
from the Oldest lodges in the Capital
area, where they have reposed for l39
years, to be welded by high figures in
the present-day fraternity.
Members of the lodges which retain
these implements as their most cher
lshed possessions will take a prominent
part in today's activities. The occasion,
linked in with the year-long George
Washington Bicentennial observance,
marks also the anniversaries of the
signing of the Constitution and of
Washington's Farewell Address, both of
which took place on September II.
Since the actual anniversary of the
corner stone laying is tomorrow, the
Masons decided to advance their cere-
monies so as not to hold them on the
Sabbath.
Will Lay stone.
BY special arrangement, the Grand
Lodge of Masons will actually lay
stone alongside the one placed by
George Washington, and in it will be
placed record of the proceedings,
relics and other significant articles Gus
tomarily placed in corner stone. The
stone will be flush with the floor and
will have an appropriate inscription en-
graved upon it. In marked contrast
with the original ceremony. microphones
will be stationed nearby and a battery
of cameramen will occupy stand close
to the stone.
The function of laying the stone,
expected to require about 10 minutes,
will be participated in by the grand
master of District Masons, Reuben A.
Bogley, and other officers of the Grand
Lodge, each of whom will place some
mortar around the stone. Following
/ this they will return to the stand on
the Capitol plaza for the remainder
of the festivities.
The entire days program followed
| by George Washington Is to be re-
enacted by members of the local Ma
sonic order within the next week Tor
| the purpose of recording the re-enact-
ment event on motion picture film.
| Today however the moving picture
shots" will be confined to scenes OF
Washington's landing on the banks OF
the Potomac. where ne was met oy a
| contingent r the Virginia Volunteer
| Artillery and to the parade and cor
ner stone laying.
Tefft Johnson. whose resemblance 10
! the First President has caused him to
| be cast in the role of George Washing
ton in many stage productions, some
of them under David BelaSco. will play
the part for the major portion of the
re-enactment ceremonies. For the actual
laying of the corner stone, however, he
will retire in favor of A. Ernest Tate,
member of the fraternity, since Mr..
johnson is not Mason.
Details Authentic.
Brig. Gen. Amos A. Fries. grand mar
shall and director of the parade, has
conducted extensive research in CO.
operation with members of the local
lodges to make every detail of the cere-
monies today as nearly authentic as
possible The United States Bicentennial
ing of the event.
The parade will include five units
One of these, consisting of nearly 2,0O0
Masons, will be attired in Colonial cos
tune, with fraternal dress added. With
this section will march the members
of the lodges which took part in the
original corner laying ceremony
Alexandria Washington, No. %; Po-
tomac, No. 5; Fredericksburg, No. 4;
Maryland, No 9, and Federal. No. /.
Mrs. Reuben A. Bogley. in the role
of Martha Washington, will ride in
Colonial carriage, attended by her two
daughters.
In the vanguard of the parade, Gen.
Fries will be accompanied by distin-
guished guests. The United States
Marine Band will be in the first d.
| vision.
Heading the second unit, which will
comprise the Colonial ma-chers, will be
Col. George E. IjamS, whose father at
tended the Masonic ceremonies at
Mount Vernon when the remains of
George Washington we're reinterred.
The third, fourth and fifth divisions
will be headed by Brig. Gen. Perry L.
Miles, Lieut.. Col. Louis A. Kunzig and
Brig. Gen. William E. Horton, respec-
lively. The fourth unit will include va
| rious Masonic lodges and affiliated or
ganizations, including marching con-
| tingent representing the Order of the
Eastern Star.
Patriotic and civic organizations will
| be included in the last division.