Masonic Documents

In the preface to the first edition of his monumental work on Secret Societies, Pere Deschamps writes:

"A Catholic from infancy and a priest . . . I have never belonged to any secret society . . . nor ever received under secret or otherwise any intimate communication from any member of such a body. Nevertheless, I am quite certain—and many freemasons will agree with me—that I have a much fuller and wider acquaintance with Freemasonry and the principal sects which it includes than have most Freemasons, even those that are apparently very high in the ranks of the Older.

"This knowledge is the fruit of observation and prolonged study of the European revolutions [of the past century] of their different phases and developments, of the laws and constitutions to which they have given rise, and the assemblies or outstanding individuals who have been their promoters. The study of these elements in their entirety and their mutual relations led me on to investigate the causes that produced them, and this investigation has finally brought me in contact with their hidden and mysterious origin [viz., the secret societies]. The study of this last aspect of the question has enabled me not only to gain an assured certainty of the existence of such a hidden source but also to make its existence and its character quite evident to every sincere and impartial enquirer."

Sources of Information Concerning Freemasonry.

The author then proceeds to describe in detail the main sources from which the student may obtain a pretty full and accurate knowledge of the character, aims and general methods of Freemasonry, which is the parent and the model of all the modern secret societies. That these sources are abundant and authentic need not cause surprise. It is almost impossible that it should be otherwise seeing that Freemasonry alone, not to speak of the numberless allied associations, counts its adherents by the million and that its activities have already gone on for nearly two centuries.

These Sources are in the first place the Masonic constitutions, and the authentic collections of statues, also the Masonic manuals, the books of ceremonial, the catechisms, the official descriptions of the oaths and obligations belonging to the different rites; the yearly calendars, etc., etc. Next come the published Transactions of Masonic gatherings, as well as the numberless Masonic reviews and official organs in all parts of the world, in which the principles and aims of the Order are oftentimes openly avowed. Then we have the authoritative works of Masonic writers dealing with the different aspects of Freemasonry, describing the nature of the Masonic cult and analysing the spirit and ideals of the Masonic Order.

Again, much may be learned from the attitude adopted by the Masonic body in different countries on such questions as Marriage, the Education question, the relations of Church and State, etc., as well as from the policy and activities of leading personages closely connected with the Order. Now and then, too, valuable information has been communicated by important members who were at one time zealous supporters of Freemasonry, and had been admitted to some of its inner secrets; but afterwards repented and left its ranks Finally, in some instances secret Masonic documents of the highest importance have fallen accidentally into the hands of Catholics or have been seized and published by the civil authorities.

In the present chapter, which is supplementary to what precedes, we shall, without following any special order of subject-matter, give some samples of extracts from Masonic documents, chosen almost at random, which may help to illustrate further different portions of the preceding chapters.

Barruel and Robison.

We begin with a few extracts from the documents of the Illuminati, which the Bavarian Government seized and published in 1785, after the suppression of the Illuminist Sect. We quote from the extracts given by the Abbe Barruel and J. Robison. Both these writers lived at the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. They were the first to point out the intimate connection of the Bavarian Illuminati with Freemasonry and with the French Revolutionary movement. Barruel had been a member of the Society of Jesus till its suppression (1773) and later on became one of the ablest Catholic apologists of his time. The most important and best known of his many works is his Memoires pour servir a L'Histoire de Jacobinisme, first published in London, 1796, and translated into almost every European language. The aim of the work is to trace the rise and development up to the French Revolution of the Secret Societies. He denounces Voltaire, d'Alembert and Frederick II of Prussia as the chiefs of a great anti-Christian conspiracy (identified with Freemasonry) which brought about the suppression of the Society of Jesus, the production of the Encyclopedie, and the spread of the anti-Christian movement in France.

In this society was merged Weishaupt's illuminism after its supposed suppression in Bavaria. From the union of the two sprang the Masonic sect of the Jacobins, whose activities reached their climax in the anti-Christian excesses of the French Revolution. Efforts have been made, which for a long time were partially successful, to discredit Barruel's work. Modern research, however, and the course of events in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries have served to establish his main conclusions.

J. Robison was contemporary with Barruel. He was a very distinguished scholar and university professor of Edinburgh. His book is entitled Proof of a Conspiracy of Freemasons and Illuminati against all the Religions and Governments of Europe, of which the fifth edition is dated Dublin, 1798. Robison's main conclusions coincide with those of Barruel. He was a bigoted Scotch Presbyterian, ignorant of Catholicism, and strongly prejudiced against it. Having been himself at one time a Freemason on the Continent, he writes of it with a certain degree of inner knowledge.

Documents of the Illuminati.

The following passages, quoted by Barruel and Robison from The Original Writings of the Illuminati, will convey some idea of the character of the Illuminist sect and of its aims and ideals, all of which Illuminism has impressed upon Freemasonry:—

"To reinstate man in his primitive right of equality and liberty we must begin by destroying all religion and civil society, and finish by the destruction of all property [viz., property rights', . . . A time shall come when man shall acknowledge no other law but the great book of nature. This revolution shall be the work of secret societies.

"It is necessary to establish a universal regime and empire over the whole world. . . . Under the new empire all other governments must be able to pursue their usual progress, and to exercise every power except that of hindering the Order from attaining its end.

"Despotism has robbed men of their liberty. How can the weak obtain protection? . . . Nothing can bring this about but hidden societies. . . . Princes and nations shall vanish from the earth. The human race will then become one family . . . and reason will be the code of law to all mankind.

"Seek out those who are distinguished for their power, riches or learning. Spare no pains, spare nothing in the acquisition of such adepts. If heaven refuses its aid, conjure hell. . . . These [viz., men of wealth and rank] are a good type of people. They augment our number and fill our coffers. . . . Make these gentry swallow the bait; but beware of communicating to them our secrets. For that species of adept must always be persuaded that the degree they are in is the highest.

"We must acquire the direction of education and of Church government, the professorial chairs and the pulpit.

"We must profess the warmest concern for humanity, and make the people indifferent to all other relations [viz., such as those of family and country]. . . We must endeavour by every means to gain over the reviewers and journalists; as well as the booksellers, who in time will see that it is their interest to side with us.

If a writer publishes anything that attracts notice, but does not accord with our plans, we must endeavour to win him over or decry him.

"Only those who are certainly proper subjects shall be picked out from among the inferior classes for the higher mysteries. . . . No religionist must on anyaccount be admitted into these . . . Every person shall be made a spy on another and on all around.

"You can't imagine what respect and curiosity may priest degree has raised. . . . A famous Protestant divine who is now of the Order is persuaded that the religious contained in it is the true sense of Christianity. O Man, Man! To what may'st thou not be persuaded!"

Such extracts could be multiplied. The plans and ideas revealed in them are substantially identical with the aims and methods of the inner circles of Freemasonry during the nineteenth century and down to our own day.

Documents of the Carbonari.

The following extracts are taken from the correspondence of the Italian Alta Vendita (or Haute Vente), which is commonly supposed to have been at the time the governing centre of European Freemasonry. The documents were seized by the Pontifical Government in 1846. They were communicated by Pope Gregory XVI to Cretineau-Joly (March, 1846), who published them in his work L'Eglise en face de la Revolution with the approval of Pius IX:—

"Our ultimate end is that of Voltaire and of the French Revolution the final destruction of Catholicism, and even of the Christian idea. The work which we have undertaken is not the work of a day, nor of a month, nor of a year. It may last many years, a century, perhaps; in our ranks the soldier dies; but the fight goes on. . . .

"Crush the enemy whoever he may be; crush the powerful by means of lies and calumny . . . if a prelate comes to Rome from the provinces to exercise some public function, learn immediately his character, his antecedents, above all, his defects. If he is already a declared enemy, an Albani, a Palletta, . . . envelop him in all the snares you can lay under his feet; create for him one of those reputations" which will frighten little children and old women; , , . paint him cruel and sanguinary; recount regarding him some trait of cruelty which can easily be engraved in the minds of the people. . . As France and England, so Italy will never be wanting in facile pens which know how to employ themselves in these lies so useful to the good cause. . . . Let the clergy march under your banner in the belief always that they are marching under the banner of the Apostolic Keys. . . . Lay your nets in the depths of the sacristies, seminaries, and convents. . . .

"The dream of the secret societies will be realized for the most simple of reasons because it is based on the passions of man. . . . Let us prepare our arms in the silence of the lodges, erect our batteries; flatter all passions, the most evil as well as the most generous; and everything leads us to believe that our plans will succeed one day even beyond our best calculations. . . .

"The Alta Vendita desires, that under one pretence or another as many princes and wealthy people as possible should be introduced into the Masonic lodges. . . . It will afterwards see what it can do to utilize them in the cause of progress. . . . They serve as birdlime for the imbeciles, the ambitious, the bourgeoisie, and the needy. They will serve our ends while intending to labour only for their own. They form a magnificent sign-board, and there are always fools enough to be found, ready to take part in a conspiracy of which some prince or other seems to be a ringleader. . . .

"It is upon the lodges that we count to augment our ranks. They form without knowing it our preparatory novitiate. . .?

"Let us be especially on our guard against exaggeration of zeal. A good hatred, thoroughly cold, calculated and profound is of more worth than all artificial fires, and all the declamations of the platform. At Paris they cannot comprehend this; but at London I have met men who seized better upon our plan, . . . Presently we shall have a printing press in Malta placed at our disposal. We shall then be able under the British flag, with impunity and certainty, to scatter from one end of Italy to the other books, pamphlets, etc., which the Alta Vendita shall judge proper to put in circulation, . . .

"It is not in the blood of an isolated man, or even of a traitor, that it is necessary to exercise our power: it is upon the masses. Let us not individualize crime. . . . It is necessary to generalize it. . . . Let us not then make more martyrs; but let us spread vice broadcast among the multitude; '. . Let them breathe it through their five senses; let them drink it in, and become saturated with it. . . . Make men's hearts corrupt and vicious, and you will no longer have Catholics. Draw away the priests from the altars, and from the practice of virtue. Strive to fill their minds and occupy their time with other matters . . . it is the corruption of the masses we have undertaken—the corruption of the people through the clergy, and of the clergy by us—the corruption which ought one day to enable us to lay the Church in the tomb. . .

"One of our friends, laughing at our projects, recently said to us: In order to destroy Catholicism it is necessary to commence by suppressing woman. The words are true in a sense; but since we cannot suppress woman, let us corrupt her with the Church, corruptio optimi pessimna [Corruption of the best is the worst]. The best poinard with which to strike the Church is corruption."

We might multiply such quotations directing how youths are to be entrapped, women corrupted and utilized for corruption, how the ecclesiastics are to be deceived, how Calvinism is to be utilized, etc.

Aggressive Anti-Christian Character of Freemasonry.

The following extract from a speech delivered September 20, 1902, by Senator Delpech, President of the French Grand Orient, conveys an idea of the general spirit and character of that body:—

"The triumph of the Galilean has lasted many centuries but now he dies in his turn. The mysterious voice announcing [viz., to Julian the Apostate] the death of Pan to-day proclaims the death of the impostor God, who promised an era of justice and peace to those who believe in him. The illusion has lasted for a long time. The mendacious God is now disappearing in his turn. He passes away to join the dust of ages with the other divinities of India, Egypt, Greece and Rome, who saw so many deceived creatures prostrate before their altars. Brother Masons, we rejoice to state that we are not without our share in this overthrow of the false prophets. The Romish Church, founded on the Galilean myth, began to decay rapidly from the very day on which the Masonic Association was established.""

The following is an extract from the speech delivered at the Masonic Congress of Geneva, 1902, by the Deputy Grand Master of the Swiss Lodge, Alpina, This lodge is amongst those recognized by and closely allied with the Grand lodges of Great Britain and Ireland:—

"We have one irreconcilable enemy [viz., the Pope and clericalism]. Its army is black as the darkness of night, and as numerous as the microbes whose swarming multitudes poison the air around us; it is powerful, closely organized, well disciplined, and a model of blind obedience. This army fights to do evil. Freemasonry battles to do good."

Items of Masonic Policy and Methods.

Extracts, such as the following, culled from Michel's collection entitled La Dictature de la Franc-Maconnerie sur La France, illustrate some of the standard methods of Masonic activity:—

"Freemasonry ought to be felt everywhere; but nowhere definitely revealed."

"We ought to be most zealous to make our ideas permeate the masses of the people. . . We rejoice in the fact that they are germinating and bearing fruit."

"Sporting clubs, Boy Scout companies, convivial organizations, choral societies, all the types of association that attract youth . . . these are a fruitful soil on which to exercise Masonic propaganda with the greatest profit."

"The Congress of the Grand Lodge of France declares by the almost unanimous vote of the lodges that—(i) It is in favour of a single type of school, with free education. . . (2) It wishes to impose upon all, even those of lesser capacity, the obligation of attending continuation schools, . . . (4) It favours the monopoly of education [viz,, by the State] and the immovability of the teachers."

"An admirable aspiration towards an ideal of altruism and pacificism is carrying the brethren of most of our lodges to set their hopes on the complete and absolute realisation of that organism for the liberation of modem society, 'The League of Nations.'"

"It is a part of the duty of universal Freemasonry to give its whole support to the League of Nations so that the latter should no longer need to be subject to the interested influences of the governments."

Religion of Freemasonry.

Such extracts as the following, taken from authoritative exponents of British Freemasonry, illustrate the type of religion which it propagates:—

"To hearten them [viz,, the Initiates] to the task, the Initiatory colleges have held up a prototype in the person of some great soul who has already trodden the same path and emerged triumphantly therefrom. . . . In Egypt the prototype was Osiris. . . . In Greece the prototype was Bacchus. . . . In Masonry the prototype is Hiram Abiff. . . . In the Christian and chief of all systems . . . the greatest of all exemplars died at the hands of a mob."

Again, the same author writes:—

"It is well for a man to be born in a church but terrible for him to die in one; for in religion there must be growth. A young man is to be censured who fails to attend the Church of his nation; the elderly man is equally to be censured if he does attend—he ought to have outgrown what that Church offers and to have attained a higher order of religious life. . . . Each human life is as a bulb providentially planted in some pot, in some religion, in some church. If it fulfils the law of its nature . . . it will outgrow that pot."

The Freemason, an English Masonic review (Aug. 21, 1926), has the following:—

"Freemasonry is able to stand by and behold the march of all religions as they pass in review. . . . All, however, are seen moving along the line of natural evolution towards one and the same ethical and spiritual goal."

Solidarity of All Freemasonry.

The following is an extract from the ritual or ceremonial for the instalment of a Grand Master in lodges of the Ancient Scottish Rite:—

"Friendship is the sacred bond which unites together all the Brethren of our Craft; for however much scattered they may be over the face of the earth, they all compose only one body; because one is their origin and one their aim; one the mysteries into which they are initiated; one the path by which they are led; one the guage and measure applied to each and all of them; and one the spirit by which they are animated."

The following is taken from the address of congratulation sent by the Grand Lodge of Italy to the Prince of Wales, afterward King Edward VII, on the occasion of his installation as Grand Master of the English Freemasons. Similar addresses were sent by the French Grand Orient and other Continental jurisdictions. The Italian Freemasons were then (about 1874) perhaps the most prominent and aggressive section in Europe:—

"May it please your Royal Highness to permit the Grand Master of the (Grand Orient of Italy to unite, etc., etc. . . . Italian Masonry therefore rejoices at this new lustre shed upon our world wide Institution, and sincerely prays that between the two Masonic communities may be drawn ever more closely those fraternal ties which, despite the want of that official recognition, which we venture to hope will soon be effected, have always bound us to our English brethren. . . "

A short time afterwards (July 19, 1875) the following appeared in the London Times;—

"The announcement was made on Saturday at the consecration of a new lodge, named after the Prince of Wales at the Alexandra Palace, that his Royal Highness the Grand Master of the English Freemasons had given official recognition to the Grand Orient of Italy. . . "

Bro. A. Pike, who is perhaps the highest and most widely-recognized authority on Anglo-American Freemasonry, writes:—

"When the [Masonic] Journal in London . . . declared that English Freemasonry had no opinions political or religious, and that it did not in the least degree sympathise with the loose opinions and extravagant utterances of part of the Continental Freemasonry, it was very justly and very conclusively checkmated by the Romish organs with the reply 'it is idle for you to protest. You are Freemasons, and you recognize them as Freemasons. You give them countenance, encouragement and support, and you are jointly responsible with them, and cannot shirk that responsibility."

Freemasonry and High Finance.

Our next quotations shall be from an article which appeared over the signature "Papus" in the April number, 1914, of the French Occultist review Mysteria. It furnishes a further illustration of the aims and methods of the Masonic conspiracy:—

"Side by side with the national politics of each State, there exist certain obscure organizations of international politics. At the present moment the problems before these international councils are the setting-up of Alsace-Lorainc into two Swiss Cantons, the liberation of Poland, . . . the disappearance of Austria, the constitution of a United States of Europe after the final abolition of military feudalism. The men that take part in these councils are not the professional politicians, or the brilliantly-dressed ambassadors, but certain unpretentious, unknown men, high financiers, who are superior to the vain ephemeral politicians who imagine that they govern the world.

"A network of well-organized telegraphic agencies with English directors, a strong international centre of economic intelligence with German consuls, a group of French bank-directors and of Belgian, Swiss, and Japanese intelligence agents form a living, active instrument for social purposes of an efficiency quite different from a parliament or a court peopled by courtesans. A strike occurring at the nick of time to stop the construction of an ironclad; the sudden rise into importance of a commercial port; a commercial treaty negotiated at the favourable moment, etc., these are the unforeseen manifestations of those social activities whose springs are hidden, and which surprise only the uninitiated. . . . These men [viz., the secret societies organized in small groups] . . . carry on their activities in accordance with an ancient system of social organization, coming down from the ancient sanctuaries of Egypt, and reverently prserved in certain centres of Hermeticism."

Here we have the explicit testimony of one who was himself in close touch with the inner circle of esoteric Freemasonry, and may be presumed to possess accurate knowledge of its activities, as to the identity of the powers controlling international finance with the members of the inner Masonic circle. The testimony of "Papus" is confirmed by a whole mass of collateral evidence.

Documents of Disputed Authenticity.

Besides the Masonic documents of undisputed authenticity front which we have so far quoted, there is another important class of documents whose genuineness has not been conclusively established. It is clear that these documents cannot be advanced as evidence of anything which is not proved from other sources. Some, however, have a significance and importance which forbid their being passed over in silence. The most remarkable of these is the one known as the Protocols of the Sages of Sion, which was first published in Russia in 1901, and translated since the European war into most languages of the world, including Japanese and Chinese. These and some other kindred documents purport to be reports or records of conferences delivered before secret and select bodies of Masonic Jews of the very inner circles of Freemasonry; and to contain the main outlines of the policy and plans of action, elaborated long before by the Masonic Jewish leaders.

The feature which gives these documents their peculiar interest, and which no amount of adverse criticism or of arguments against their genuineness can explain away, is the startling accuracy with which the recent developments of the anti-Christian and Masonic movement are described almost in detail. The documents were certainly published more than a quarter of a century ago. How is it that they seem to indicate or clearly foreshadow events and social developments which have taken place during the last fifteen years; and to trace these phenomena to their causes? The obvious explanation would seem to be that the documents, whatever may have been their origin, are based upon accurate knowledge of the Masonic conspiracy; and that the revelations they purport to contain of the aims and methods of the Masonic Jewish leaders are substantially true.

Apart from this aspect of the case, which is the dominant one, it may be added that although the proofs of their authenticity drawn from the history of the documents themselves and a critical analysis of their contents are far from convincing, the arguments to the contrary are still less so. Especially in the case of the Protocols of the Sages of Sion, which is the most important and striking of the documents in question, the futility of the so-called "refutations" so far published, as well as the determined and persevering efforts (which have been partially successful) on the part of the capitalistic Press and the great financial interests to boycott or suppress the book, have gone far to convince very many of its authenticity. It is outside our present scope to discuss these documents at length, nor do we quote them as independent evidence of Masonic aims and methods. For the benefit, however, of the reader who may be interested in the subject, we give a brief summary of the contents of the book, and a short bibliography.

Protocols of the Sages of Zion.

The "Protocols" purport to be the rough notes of a series of twenty-seven conferences, delivered or intended for delivery in secret conclave before a select body of Jewish Masonic leaders who were present at the First Sionist Congress at Basle in Switzerland in the year 1897, under the presidency of Dr. Theodor Hertzel. The papers are supposed to have been surreptitiously copied after the congress by secret agents of the Czarist Government who found some way of penetrating for the purpose into the inner archives of a French Masonic lodge of the Misraim rite. Two well-known Russian publicists, Sergius Nilus, a pious member of the Russian Orthodox Church, and G. Butmi, an able nationalist writer and controversialist, got possession of copies independently, and both published Russian versions of the document (1901-1902). Several other editions appeared in Russia during the following fifteen years. It was not, however, until the Russian Revolution of 1917 that the book attracted widespread attention. Since then, editions have appeared in almost every civilized country of the world, and a whole literature has grown up around it.

The book purports to contain only extracts hurriedly gathered from a fuller collection belonging to the same general class as the secret documents of the Illuminati, those of the Alta Vendita, and several other extracts that we possess from the authentic writings of the leaders of the inmost circles of Freemasonry. The extracts, if genuine, would be specially valuable as embodying a statement of the present immediate objective of the Masonic Jewish leaders, and an up-to-date description of their plan of action, which in its main outlines is in harmony with what is already known from other authentic sources. But, whether genuine or not, the book is of extraordinary interest and is manifestly the product of a master mind. It presents an analysis of modem social evils such as can be found nowhere else.

Content of the "Protocols"

The ultimate object, according to the Protocols, of the Masonic Jewish policy, is the complete destruction of Christianity and the enslaving of all the Christian nations of the world under the heel of the Masonic Jews. The master weapon to be employed is gold. The principal allies to be utilized in the work are the Freemasons and other secret societies, which are all permeated and controlled by Freemasonry.

The means to be employed are the propagation of subversive and revolutionary ideas, a false and unsound system of education, the propagation of misleading economic and social theories, the destruction of all monarchical governments, the corruption of public functionaries, the manipulation of democracy through the lever of gold, and with the aid of the capitalistic monopoly of the Press and of credit; the stirring up of unrest, classwar, strikes, lock-outs, revolutions, etc. Hypocrisy, calumny, and assassination are to be freely employed. Real patriotism is to be uprooted, the old landed proprietors are to be impoverished by taxes and imposts, and displaced; and the ownership of the land to pass under the control of Jewish financiers. Internationalism is to be promoted; the people are to be demoralized by corupt literature, corrupt theatres, international sport, gambling, drinking, sexual vice, etc. The Great War is plainly foreshadowed; as are the revolutions in Russia and Hungary, as well as the League of Nations and the world crisis as we know it to-day. During the transition period between the present governmental system and the establishment of the universal Masonic regime, there is to be a secret government of Masonic Jewish leaders resting upon the control of the Press and of public opinion, while the nominal governmental authority will be practically powerless, and little more than an instrument in the hands of the Masonic masters.

Extracts from the "Protocols."

The following passages, taken almost at random from the text itself will illustrate its style and character:—

"Until the time when we attain power we will try to create and multiply lodges of Freemasons in all parts of the world. . . . These lodges will be the principal places horn which vre shall obtain our information, as well as being centres of our propaganda. We will centralize these lodges under one management known to us alone, which will consist of our learned men. . . ."

"All the wheels of the mechanism of the State are set in motion by a power which is in our hands, that is to say, gold. . . . On the ruins of the natural and hereditary aristocracy we have set up the aristocracy of our educated class, and over all the aristocracy of money. . . "

"In order to keep them [the people] from discovering for themselves any new line of action in politics we will distract them by various kinds of amusements, games, pastimes passions, public-houses, and so on. Soon we shall start advertising in the Press, inviting people to enter for various competitions in all manner of enterprises, such as art, sport, etc. These new interests will definitely distract the public mind from such questions as we have to contest with the people. As the people gradually lose the power of thinking for themselves, they will join us in every clamour that we shall raise. . . ."

"We will encourage the love for boundless luxury which we have already developed. We will increase the wages, which will not help the workman; for at the same time we will raise the prices of prime necessaries, taking as a pretext the bad return of agriculture. We will also artfully undermine the basis of production by sowing the seeds of of anarchy among the workmen, and encouraging them in the drinking of spirits. . . . We will conceal the true position of affairs by an apparent desire to help the working-classes in solving great economic problems. . . ."

"In the whole of Europe, and on other continents with the help of Europe, we must promote dissensions and mutual hostility. . . . . ."

"We must be in a position to meet every opposition with a declaration of war on the part of the neighbouring countries of that State which dares to stand in our way; but if such neighbours in their turn were to decide to unite in opposing us we must respond by creating a universal war. . . ."

"Taxation of the poor is the origin of all revolutions and always greatly conducive to the injury of the government, as the latter, while trying to raise money from the poor, loses its chance of obtaining it from the rich. . . ."

"I think you know that gold currency has been the destruction of all States that have adopted it: because it could not satisfy the requirements of the population, all the more so, because we have done our best to cause it to be congested, and to be withdrawn from circulation. . . ."

"Each loan proves the weakness of the government. . . . which, instead of raising sums direct from the nation by means of temporary taxation, comes to our bankers cap in hand. . ."

"External loans are like leeches, which cannot be separated from the body of the government until they fall off of themselves or until the government manages to shake them off. . . . It is evident that such loans under the existing system of taxation draw off the last cent from the poor taxpayer in order to pay interest to foreign capitalists from whom the State has borrowed the money. . . ."

"We have taken great care to discredit the clergy of the Gentiles in the eyes of the people, and have succeeded in injuring their mission which could have been very much in our way. The influence of the clergy on the people is diminishing daily. To-day freedom of religion prevails everywhere, and the time is only a few years off when Christianity will fall to pieces altogether. . . ."

"In order to obtain an absolute majority we must induce everybody to vote, without discrimination between classes. Such a majority would not be obtained from educated classes or from a society divided into castes. . . . "

"It [the Press] is often empty, unjust, false and most people do not in the least understand its exact purpose. We will harness it and will guide it with firm reins. We will also have to gain control of all the other publishing firms. . . . The aggressive publications which have been instituted by us will only attack such points in our policy as we intend changing. . . ."

"No piece of information will reach society without passing through our control. . . . Even at the present day . . . all news is received by a few agencies in which it is centralized from all parts of the world."

Value of the Protocols.

If the Protocols be compared with the principal Papal pronouncements on the present social evils, as well as those of the Bishops of different countries during the past thirty years, the two sets of documents will be found to show a marvellous coincidence. In both, the same facts are envisaged, and their baneful influence on the people recognized; but they are viewed from opposite standpoints. Were it not that the Protocols were actually published more than twenty-five years ago a critic would easily be led to suspect that the document was in reality drawn up after the Great War by some student of social science, who wished to give point and dramatic setting to the conclusions he had arrived at. Hence, even if compiled or interpolated by an anti-Jewish writer, as Masonic and pro-Jewish writers assert, the document is of the greatest value. Taken in conjunction with Pope Leo's great Encyclicals and other more recent Papal pronouncements, the Protocols may be described as one of the best existing summaries of modern social science. A selection of extracts from the book would, possibly, contain a more direct, more complete and up-to-date analysis of the modern "Social Question" than any other existing treatise. Hence, it has an interest and value which are quite independent of the identity of the author, and which would still remain even if it were finally proved, as possibly may occur, that the document, at least in its present form, is a forgery.