THE BUILDER OCTOBER 1925
THE ATTACKS ON FREEMASONRY IN AUSTRIA
BY BRO. THEODOR HILM, AUSTRIA

CONDITIONS in Austria in recent years have been of much interest to
Freemasons, but little has been permitted to become known because
of the necessity for extreme secrecy as to membership, even to the
adoption of Masonic names by members of the Craft--aliases as it
were--that their true identity might not become known to those
interested in creating difficulties for the Institution. In this
brief article some little light is thrown on some of the conditions
prevailing in that country and also on the work which zealous
members of the Craft are accomplishing.

IT seems to be an endless campaign, the fight of the day with the
night, of the good with the evil, of the truth with the lie. Where
are the stronger forces? Where shall lie the victory ? The
millennium, when Christ will reign and Satan shall be bound, is it
still far away? Are the efforts of those who are striving onwards
and upwards, are they in vain ? Is it a natural law that when the
glory of the light has ended, the forces of the darkness will begin
to act? Will those who bear the light, will they make it shine, all
powerful, omnipotent, or will they stumble and fall and extinguish
the flame?

Unity is strength. This has always proved true; it is of greater
importance now than ever before. Masonry today is almost divided
into two camps, Anglo Saxon and Latin, but the battle it has to
fight is the same all the world over, as it meets with the same
type of opponents. Does that not mean preparing the way for the
enemy? Or are there hidden influences? Divide et impera, divide and
govern, a stratagem of ancient Rome--has Rome ever forgotten it ?
Parts are more easily defeated than is the whole. Hungary and Italy
are good examples. Who is to come next?

There is a singular coincidence in the ways of war. The same kinds
of soldiers are used, national troops on business, Field Marshals,
like Mussolini, visible to all eyes, commanding. The wise General
Staff in the background gives the necessary directions. And
Mussolinis, small and tall, appear everywhere. Austria has her
share, though there is paper war only. Michl, an Austrian
Pan-German, is accusing us as originators of the World War, of the
murder in Sarajevo. His recent voluminous pamphlet has been much
noticed in Austria and Germany and has found a wide circle of
believers. Numerous attacks have followed. The most important
perhaps, and of more recent date-- where the General Staff even
appeared on the scene-- was an article in the "Reichspost," the
official paper of the Roman Catholic party, the mightiest in
Austria.

This article, which appeared on April 4, 1925, is entitled "The
Secret Brothers." It tells first of the successes of Freemasonry in
Austria, how the Viennese Grand Lodge, founded Dec. 18, 1918, with
fourteen lodges and a thousand members, shows today sixteen lodges
and 1500 members and is principally interested in educational
problems. This, it says, it learns from the Narodny Listy, a
leading Prague journal, while the viennese Press, where the lodges
have widespread connections and wield a power as never before, does
not speak about these successes. The article says it is as if the
lodges did not exist and did not have influence in every form of
local government and legislation. The Press is silent, it says,
hiding by this silence the proceedings which go on behind closely
drawn curtains, concealed from the eyes of the mortals which do not
belong to the secret fraternity.

In the general turnover after the war the lodges succeeded in
getting official acknowledgment, according to this writer, for at
that time nothing appeared so urgent in legislation as to grant
this permission. To speak the truth, the article says, the lodges
had never had great troubles before for, disguised as humanitarian
associations, they were doing their work and their members were
only obliged to go to the near Pressburg for the ritualistic
assemblies. Now, having free course, says the writer, it was
presumed they would come out of their secret corners and tell the
world what they had to say, what gifts they had to bestow on
mankind.

But things happened differently, according to the article in
question. A festival meeting was held on the first of June, 1919,
in the palace of Archduke Ludwig Viktor--a great triumph, with 600
brethren present, all in Masonic clothing. "Now we are trusting the
future," an orator declared. "If we have been taken until now as
some kind of valets of the King of Hungary, as mere harmless,
peaceful dreamers, what an error, we are not quite so harmless. Now
the way is free, as there are kings no more." In the same meeting
the Grand Master proclaimed: "Now a real Masonic activity will
begin !" Nevertheless, the "Reichspost" says it is hidden, the
brothers disguised as philanthropists, as popular educators and
orators, acting in a hundred changing forms, always one aim in view
which they are concealing now ,just as they did then. They are not
mere dreamers, the article asserts. "Masonry intends and will bring
war !"

And thus the article goes on, accusing us as antagonists of
Christendom, of religious education, as promotors of dangerous
school reforms. The 1500 brothers, it says, in sixteen lodges, is
a small number, but the number does not make it. This secret
society, which wants to stay secret in the full freedom it has been
granted, does not boast itself in sumptuous temple buildings like
their American brethren, but has a predominating influence in a
very powerful political party, according to the "Reichspost," while
the social democratic Austrian workman has become its plaything.
The real leaders of the workmen are losing their power under the
sway of Freemasonry, it declares, adding that one of the most
important political facts is found in the influence of an
uncontrollable international secret society on Austrian socialism
which, it says, must seriously be taken into account.

The article was reprinted in full in the "wiener Freimaurer
Zeitung," of April, 1925, as it supplied a welcome occasion to show
that erroneous opinions prevail in many quarters. As a reply it was
stated that Grand Lodge has by no means to shun the light of the
day, that it is quite unpolitical, that it has none of the alleged
aims in view, that it has nothing to do with government or
legislation.

There is only one idea which the Grand Lodge is eager to serve, and
that is the idea of peace, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
On numerous occasions Grand Lodge has openly and repeatedly
declared its principles, and in the six years of its life has
supported officially many institutions for the furtherance of
peace. It was specially active in propagating the Pan-European idea
as a means to enable the League of Nations to become more efficient
than it is at present and in this way to seek permanent peace on
this continent. With regard to our alleged attacks on religion and
education it remains to be said that the lodges are formally and
conscientiously bound by the "Ancient Charges" which form an
essential part of our Constitution. The lodges have among their
members adherents of many parties, conservatives and
progressionists, and this being the case, it is not true that they
could decisively influence a political party.

In the writer's opinion the continual attacks are very much to be
deprecated, as we are rapidly approaching a new state of things, a
new age, and the occasion will need the co-operation of all forces
which could serve the public weal. Of course, if our aspirations
are intentionally misunderstood, we can do nothing more than
strictly follow the way marked out by the principles of our Order
and patiently endure the assaults from whatever side they may come.
