s.... If the
English Grand Lodge hears of anything called 'Esoteric Masonry' derived
from such sources, under chiefs once T.S. [Theosophical Society]
members, under a head in Berlin, it will not enquire who Dr. Steiner is
or what is the nature of his work, it will simply say, 'No English
Masons of the Free and Accepted Masons may join any Society working
pseudo-Masonic rites, i.e. no one of ordinary accepted Freemasonry can
attend any meetings or attend any grades in this illegitimate body.'
Finis!... If a lodge of the Continental Order is to be established in
England, Dr. Steiner will be faced with the Masonic difficulty. This is
really serious...."[727]

Here then is one of the finest tributes ever paid to British Masonry,
for it shows that as at present constituted and controlled it provides
the most formidable barrier against the infiltration of this country by
alien or subversive secret societies. Thus the Freemasons and the Roman
Catholics are recognized as the principal obstacles to success. The
Freemasons, however, would do well to realize the attempts that are made
to break down this resistance by traitors in the Masonic camp, who,
after violating their obligations by belonging to an irregular secret
society, act as recruiting agents in the lodges. For the author of these
remarks was a British Freemason who, in collusion with a foreign adept,
proposed to penetrate Freemasonry by the process known in revolutionary
language as "boring from within." To quote his own words, "_They must be
got at from within, not from without_." This was to be accomplished in
various ways--by adepts of the Continental Order getting themselves
initiated into orthodox Masonry and then spreading their own doctrines
in the lodges, or by enlisting recruits amongst orthodox Masons and
using them as propagandists among their brother-Masons. It was also
suggested that in order not to rouse suspicion it would be better to
avoid the name "Esoteric Masonry," to adopt one of the rituals used in
England, and to employ as "officers" a "mixed group" drawn from various
secret societies. This plan has been carried out with considerable
success, and at a recent conference held by a high Continental adept
under the most distinguished patronage, it was interesting to notice the
various secret societies represented by certain of the promoters, who of
course to the general public appeared to be merely isolated individuals
interested in philosophical spec