embers against Co-Masonry on account of the
political tendencies of the latter, is nevertheless still more imbued
with German influence, since, as we have seen, it has ever since it
first came into existence been secretly under Germany direction. Indeed,
during the war this influence became so apparent that certain patriotic
members, who had entered the society in all good faith with the idea of
studying occult science, raised an energetic protest and a schism took
place. Thus, just as in the case of Co-Masonry, the more clear-sighted
recognized the imprudence of placing themselves under foreign control.
That this was no imaginary danger is shown by a correspondence which had
taken place some years earlier and has recently been brought to light.
It will be remembered that the great aim of Weishaupt and the Illuminati
of the eighteenth century was to obtain control over all existing
masonic and occult Orders, This also became the dream of Rudolf Steiner
and his allies in other countries, whose plan was to form what they
called an "International Bund." The idea of an International Bureau for
Masonic Affairs had already, as we have seen, been started in
Switzerland; this was the same idea applied to occult groups, so that
all such societies as Rosicrucianism, Theosophy with its various
ramifications of Co-Masonry, etc., Hermetic Orders, isolated occultists,
and so on, were to be placed under German control. The audacity of the
proposal seems to have been too much even for some of the most
internationally minded members of the Stella Matutina, and in the
discussion that took place it was pointed out that admirable as the
scheme might be, there was nevertheless some British spirit amongst
these Orders to be reckoned with. Even Mrs. Besant's followers, headed
by the Co-Masons, described as a group which "attracts a large number of
idle women who have leisure to take a little occultism with their
afternoon tea," might be liable to ask, "Who are these Germans to
interfere?" But the real obstacle to success was held to be British
Freemasonry, to which a certain number of students of occult science,
including all the members of the S.R.I.A., belonged. "English Masonry,"
it was remarked, "boasts the Grand Lodge of 1717, the Mother Lodge of
the World. They are a proud, jealous, autocratic body. Co-Masonry
derives from the Grand Orient of France, an illegitimate body according
to English ruling. No English Mason can work with Co-Mason