A Look Back
APPLICATION FOR DISPENSATION TO FORM A LODGE AT COBLENZ, GERMANY
From the
Report of Grand Master D. F. Johnson December 1922
Shortly
after my installation as Grand Master I received an application from American
soldiers of the Army of Occupation, located at and near Coblenz, Germany,
asking for the right of forming a lodge at that place, this petition was signed
by eleven brothers, holding membership in Texas, and by seventy-nine Masons
holding membership in various lodges scattered over the United States.
After many
days and nights of consideration and taking counsel from some of the best
informed Masons in Texas, I wrote to the Masonic Club at Coblenz, that I would
grant them a dispensation when they had conformed to certain formalities
required by the Constitution and laws of the Grand Lodge of Texas.
On February
22nd, these brethren wrote me as follows:
"To
tell you that your letter of January 16th brought joy and happiness
into the hearts of all American Masons on the Rhine is expressing it mildly. When Brother Forbes presented your letter to the
club on the 3rd of February it marked a turning point in our history,
and the enthusiastic, appreciative manner of its reception by the American
Masonic Club would have brought tears into your eyes, when a result that we
have hoped for, worked for, and prayed for seemed to be at last realized, the
singing of the Doxology seemed to be the only thing that answered. We hope the notes someway reached across the
ocean to you."
Before writing
them that I would grant a dispensation I wrote to United States Senator Brother
Morris Sheppard, and secured through him a statement from the War Department at
Washington that the Army of Occupation would remain on the Rhine for almost an
indefinite period, and would probably be several thousand in number.
These
matters had scarcely been adjusted, and the details of the matter worked out,
when it was announced through the press that the entire Army of Occupation
would be returned to the U. S. at once.
This news
also reached the brethren at Coblenz, who immediately sent a cablegram
notifying me of this fact, and asking me to hold up the granting of the
dispensation, which lasted, for several months, during which time there was
sent to me from all over the United States demits from various lodges, and
finally on June 22nd I mailed a dispensation· to the following named
brothers, whose demits had been received:
John P.
Griebel, a Past Master and life member of Independence, Mo., as special
representative of the Grand Master, with powers coequal to that of a District
Deputy Grand Master; C. 0. Bailey, first
Worshipful Master; H. B. Jordon, first Senior Warden; H. L. Kingston, first
Junior Warden, and the following named brothers: Melvin G. Brownson, T. H. Burwell,
Gottifried Buettschle, Barney Forbes, Roy M. Hare, W. H. Saddler, John Sasser,
Wm. L. Wylie, Paul Audus, Walter S. Bennet, F. W. Brown, F. 0. Bryson, Paul J.
Casey, E. E. Cole, J. H. Cross, J. A. Dolan, D. H. Finley, Andres Florin, J. E.
Grimes, G. F. Hobson, L. W. Hulet, J. H. Johnson, Aaron Kapler, E. E. Lockhart,
W. A. Lowenberg, J. H. McFall, J. W. McKeever, C. E. Macey, J. W. Marshal, V.
E. Miltonberg, R. J. Pahnke, J. S. Patrick, J. T. Priestly, H. H. Siff, H. S. Purnell, J.
M. Yaylor, J. H. Walton and W. B. Wisely.
This
dispensation was received in due time, and on July 4th the American
Lodge, working under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Texas was set to
work in the presence of two of the most distinguished Masons of the United
States, Brother John H. Cowles, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern
Jurisdiction, Scottish Hite Masons, and Past Grand Master Edward C. Day of
Montana - who were sojourning in Germany.
And thought
I had understood from the first report that still another distinguished Mason
and statesman, former Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, was also present, a
later letter informs me that Brother Marshall was one day late in reaching
Coblenz, and failed to witness the establishment of the Texas American Lodge in
Germany on the historic day of the birth of our nation.
Name of the Lodge at Coblenz
At the
request of the petitioners for the dispensation, the lodge was christened
"Lahneck Lodge, U. D.," the petition reciting the following reason
for naming it "Lahneck" Lodge:
"We
desire to have the lodge named Lahneck Lodge, in commemoration of those
sterling Masons (Knights Templar), twelve in number, who made the last
sacrifice in defense of their beliefs. It
is fit and right that on this historic grounds, our lodge should perpetuate the
memory of the last of the Noble Order of Knights Templar, for it is within a
stone's throw almost of our meeting place, that the last of the Knights Templar
laid down their lives in the defense of those principles which we hold dear.
"Phillip
and the Pope conspired to destroy the organization in order that they might
share between them the property which had belonged to the Knights for centuries. The Grand Master and fifty of his followers
were burned at the stake by those whose chief motive was rather a desire to
confiscate the possessions of the Templars, than any religious war against
heretics and sinners.
"The
Archbishop of Maine had long cast covetous eyes on Castle Lahneck (whose ruined
precincts are now hallowed by martyr blood), which shielded twelve Knights
Templar, and their retainers, and armed with papal authority, he proceeded down
the Rhine, with many vassals and mercenary soldiers, and reaching Castle Lahneck,
commanded the defenders to yield or die a shameful death on the gallows.
Well aware
that this would be their fate in any case, the oldest Templar cried out in a
loud voice that they were all prepared to suffer, like their brethren in
France, and were resolved to fight to the last drop of their blood.
"Against
overwhelming numbers they fought, day after day, and right being on their side,
destroyed great numbers of their attackers, though their own ranks suffered
severely.
"Prominent
in all the hand-to-hand struggles were the heroic figures of the twelve
Templars, in their white mantles, adorned with the blood red cross. At last, overwhelmed by superior numbers, one
by one they fell beneath their shattered shields, and bleeding from many
wounds, closed their eyes in death. Finally,
only one veteran stood; with blood flecked sword, among the dead bodies of his
valiant comrades, the last survivor.
"He was
called upon to surrender, but knowing that such enemies could not be trusted,
he called down the curse of Heaven on worldly priests and their greed of land,
and lifting on high his sword, rushed upon his foes and fighting heroically,
fell to earth never to rise again.
Thus
perished the last of the Noble Order of Knights Templar. But their story is remembered by the faithful
to this day. Could any more suitable or
appropriate name for our lodge be possible?"
So in
acknowledgment of the wishes of our soldier Masons, the name "Lahneck
Lodge" was granted them in the dispensation.
Immediately
following the setting to work of Lahneck Lodge, the members and the
distinguished brothers present, the lodge was called from labor and repaired to
the historic castle, where the lodge was again called to labor, and the
officers duly placed in charge.
Jurisdiction
Doubting the
authority of the Grand Master to form a new district, I gave no specific
territory for this new lodge, and am referring that point to the Grand Lodge,
should it approve my action in granting the dispensation to form this lodge.
Eligibility to
Membership
In order to
clarify this point until the Grand Lodge could make further investigation, I
ruled that any American citizen who had been on duty in Germany with the
American Army, or who had lived in the Coblenz district for more than six
months after his discharge from the American Army, or any soldier or sailor,
who is an American citizen without a fixed place of residence, and who was located
in an area not nearer to any lodge working under any Grand Jurisdiction of the
United States, would be eligible. I also cautioned the brothers to carefully
guard the latter clause, in order to prevent conflicts with friendly sister
jurisdictions.
No Invasion of
Territorial Rights
Before
granting the dispensation to form Lahneck Lodge at Coblenz I received the
following certificate from the German Masonic Lodge located at Coblenz:
"Coblenz, Germany, Feb. 14,
1922.
"FRIEDERICH ZUR
VATERLANDSLIEBE LODGE
"To the
American Masonic Club, Coblenz.
"Dear
Brethren: In the name of St. John's Lodge, Friederich Zur Vaterlandsliebe, at
Coblenz, under the jurisdiction of the Grand National Mother Lodge in the
Prussian States called 'Three Globes' at Berlin, we hereby certify that we have
no objections to the establishment of an American lodge, which is legally under
the jurisdiction of a recognized Grand Lodge in America, and will only work among
Americans, resident in the Rhineland.
"The
newly established American lodge will also be permitted to work in our Temple
in accordance with terms to be agreed upon later.
"We would
further state that our Grand Lodge has no exclusive lights to erect subordinate
lodges in this territory, and that all Grand Lodges in Germany are independent
of each other, as far as the establishment of subordinate lodges is concerned,
and have the right to install subordinate lodges in the entire German
territory, even at such places where subordinate lodges under the jurisdiction of
other Grand Lodges already exist.
"Fraternally
yours,
"For the Council of the
Friederich Zur Vaterlandsliebe Lodge,
(Seal) "A.
DUCKWITZ, Worshipful Master."
Meeting Place
The brethren
at Coblenz advised me that they had a suitable place in which to hold the
meetings, free from the approach of cowans and eavesdroppers, and in all manner
secure for holding Masonic communications.
That it was
the lodge room of the German Masonic Lodge in Coblenz.
Special Representative
of the Grand Master
At the
request of the brethren who petitioned for the dispensation, I appointed
Brother John P. Griebel, a Past Master of Independence, Mo., Lodge No. 76, as a
special representative of the Grand Master, with powers co-equal to that of a
District Deputy, sufficient evidence having been furnished me to show his
knowledge of the Arts of Ancient Craft Masonry as well as a knowledge of the
Masonic laws, and on my direction the Grand Secretary furnished the lodge with a
dozen copies of the 1921 Constitution and By-Laws, together with sufficient
number of the new Monitor.
Officers
Practically
all officers of the lodge at Coblenz are officers in the American Army of
Occupation, ranking from colonel down, and all are genuine American citizens
with American ideals and American training.
These
brethren were so very anxious to establish the lodge that they notified me that
they would pay as much as $2,000.00 of the necessary expenses to send a
representative there to set the lodge to work, and though I had planned to have
some distinguished Mason of the Grand Lodge of Texas do this, development
described, necessitating the long delay, made it advisable when the decision
was finally made to keep the Army of Occupation in Germany, to act promptly, and
with the assurance that those on the ground were possessed of the proper
knowledge of the laws, and the ritualistic work, I dispatched the dispensation
by mail without sending the delegate from Texas.
In granting
this dispensation I realized that it was fraught with many dangerous
possibilities. I found no law to authorize it, but I also found there was no
law preventing it. I, along with
thousands of other Masons, had felt incensed that Masons were unable to send their
delegates into Europe during the war and work for the common cause of humanity;
I had felt that Masonry had been done an injustice when Masons were
denied the privilege of working in the army training camps, while thousands
upon thousands of the young manhood of America were mobilized to fight for the
cause which Masonry has always held as one of its cardinal virtues. I recalled that it was Masons who had founded
the American government, and had written the principles of Masonry into the
organic laws of the land; I thought of the stories and traditions of the
traveling Masons of mediaeval times, who had lived in huts around the buildings
under construction, the cathedrals and castles on the Rhine, and the historic
cities of middle Europe, who had taught and guarded the secrets of Architecture
from the vulgar stone cutters and wall builders, the cowans and rough Masons,
and had given aught of their earnings to a worthy brother in times of distress,
and I was unable to understand why our own gallant American and Texas soldier
boys should not be able to teach and to guard our modern lessons of
Architecture in Character Building, in benevolence and civil liberty, even when
clothed in the khaki, and under the tents of the American soldier, and while
located in the same old cities and towns of the ancient days.
So, my
brothers, I had this wonderful opportunity presented to me to afford our
soldier boys the privilege of forming this lodge, and I would forever afterward
have closed my lips against further criticism and bowed my head in everlasting
shame had I refused this wonderful chance which has come to but few Masons, and
no matter what may be the decision of the Grand Lodge as to the wisdom and the
advisability of establishing the lodge at Coblenz, it will always stand out in
my own mind as the crowning event of my Masonic experience and the year it has
been my privilege to serve the Craft as Grand Master.
A report
under date of August 21st shows that the lodge is going along in
fine shape, and to that date had conferred twelve E. A. degrees with two more
elected to receive same, and had affiliated three more, and had several more
applications on file for application.
I have also
received complimentary letters from Brother Cowles und Brother Day, as well as
several other distinguished Masons from other States.
D.
F. JOHNSON
GRAND
MASTER
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