hands and the
agents of secret societies succeed in capturing a number of the lodges,
this great stabilizing force might become a gigantic engine of
destruction. How insidiously these efforts are being made we shall see
in the next chapter.

12

SECRET SOCIETIES IN ENGLAND

We have seen that from the Illuminati onwards subversive societies have
always sought recruits amongst orthodox Freemasons. The reason for this
is obvious: not only do the doctrines of Freemasonry lend themselves to
perversion, but the training provided in the Lodges makes an admirable
preparation for initiation into other secret systems. The man who has
learnt to maintain silence even on what may appear to him as
trivialities, who is willing to submit to mystification, to ask no
questions, and to recognize the authority of superiors whom he is in no
way legally obliged to obey, who has, moreover, become imbued with the
_esprit de corps_ which binds him to his fellow-members in a common
cause, is naturally a better subject for the secret society adept than
the free lance who is liable to assert his independence at any moment.
Perhaps the most important factor, however, is the nature of the masonic
oaths. These terrible penalties, which many Freemasons themselves regret
as a survival of barbarism and which have in fact been abolished in the
higher degrees, have done much to create prejudice against Freemasonry,
whilst at the same time they provide an additional incentive to outside
intriguers. In the opinion of M. Copin Albancelli, the abolition of the
oath would go far to prevent penetration of British Masonry by the
secret societies.

Now, by their obligations British Freemasons are forbidden to join these
irregular societies, not only because their principles are in conflict
with those of orthodox Masonry, but because in most cases they admit
women. According to the ruling of Grand Lodge, "any member working under
the English Jurisdiction ... violates his Obligation by being present at
or assisting in assemblies professing to be Masonic which are attended
by women." Warnings to this effect have been frequently given in the
Lodges; on September 3, 1919, the Board of General Purposes issued the
following report:

The Board's attention is being increasingly drawn to sedulous
endeavours which are being made by certain bodies unrecognized as
Masonic by the United Grand Lodge of England, to induce Freemasons
to join i