M. Lewis, the Grand Secretary of the Lewis Hierarchy of the Family Racket, went

abroad with his party, traveling on the Royal Revenues at the expense of the paying members or victims of this Fraternal Racket. He also visited Brussels, met the Imperator of Europe—Hieronymus, held a special conclave of the Fuposi, was inducted into the “thirteenth traditional historical” degree of AMORC (a new degree reserved specially for the Hierarchy of the Lewis family) and was also honored and inducted into “one of the oldest arcane orders in Europe.’ See Rosi- crucian Digest, March 1937, pp. 61-62. It will greatly interest the reader and inves- tigator to read this article, from which it appears that the Lewises are still using the Fuposi as a fraudulent device for the promotion and perpetuation of their fra- ternal racket.
804
Petieoe meio Vis OF KeoeC. “AUTHORITY. REVIEWED
The said Manual containing the foregoing statement is continu- ously being sold and circulated through the mails throughout the United States.
Another Version of the Oft-Told Story
Further on in his Manual, in a “brief biography” of himself compiled by himself “from facts gathered from our various official publications and from official records,” we find still another ver- sion of the often-told story of how the Imperator of the Lewis Hierarchy fabricated the family racket and his Rosicrucian ‘‘au- thority” therefor, as follows:
(92) “After many years’? of continuous scientific and psychic research even in the fields of wireless (radio) when this science was little known, he made his first contact with the work of the Rosicrucians, through obtaining copies of the secret manuscripts of the first American Rosicrucians,® who established their headquar- ters near Philadelphia in 1694. A member of the English Branch which sponsored the first movement in America, Mrs. Colonel May Banks-Stacey, descendant of Oliver Cromwell and the D’Arcys of France, placed in his hands such papers as had been officially transmitted to her by the last of the first American Rosicrucians, with Jewels and Keys of Authority’ received by her from the Grand Master of the Order in India, while an officer of the work in that country.
“For several years correspondence was maintained with differ- ent representatives of the foreign jurisdictions until proper inves-
°JIn 1909 Mr. Lewis was twenty-five years of age. To be sure, he had not spent many years in scientific research. This is one of the many artifices used by him to promote his fraternal swindle.
6 In his statement in quotation (81) he was related to a descendant of one of the members of the alleged first Rosicrucian foundation, through whom he gained access to these secret manuscripts. In quotation (82) these papers were presented to him by the Legate from India and in quotation (89) they were merely passed on to him in a “proper way”. Here he made the first contact with the Rosicrucians through the secret manuscripts of the alleged American R. C. founded in 1694, but in quota- tion (15) his remarkable scientific ability attracted the Rosicrucians to him and in 1904 he was made a Fellow of the R. C. in France and in 1905 a “Dignitaire Supreme of the Rosicrucian Order”. Which of these inconsistent, false representations can anyone believe? None. They are all fraudulent artifices.
‘The validity of Rosicrucian authority which can be conferred by “Jewels and Keys” is very questionable. This would be a laughable joke if it were not an Artifice of Fraud.
805
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE VG) BOOK De
tigation could be made establishing the worthiness of Dr. Lewis to carry out the warrants® then in his possession. Finally in 1909 he was directed to make his appearance before certain high officials in France. He visited Toulouse, the ancient city of the Rosicru- cian International conclave, and returned from that country in possession of further authority. “This, and the papers possessed by Sro. Stacey, were presented to a Committee* of over a hundred American citizens! and the foundation for the decreed revival of the work in America was laid, with Sro. Stacey as Grand Matre of the Order, and Dr. Lewis as Supreme Grand Master.’ (Rosi- crucian Manual—AMORC, 1934, pp. 129-130. The italics are
outs. )
Nearer the Truth—But Not True
Thus it is that his many varied, inconsistent and contradictory false representations concerning and made in relation to the fab- rication and organization of his fraudulent Rosicrucian Order and his alleged Rosicrucian authority therefor narrow down to this last revised statement now being circulated in the last edition of his so-called Rosicrucian Manual. This statement is nearer the truth than his previous false representations on the same subject. Here he alleges and falsely represents that the foundation of his fabri- cation was laid upon the “papers” of the first American Rosicru- clans—with whom he denied all connections’—and “Jewels and
8 According to all of his former claims and statements, heretofore reviewed, he had no warrants of Rosicrucian authority in his possession before 1909, nor has he ever received or possessed such a warrant. This is a Fraudulent Artifice.
° He possessed no authority prior to 1909. He went to France begging to be made a brother and for authority for his fabrication. See quotations (17) to (21) inclu- sive. Therefore, he did not return with “further authority” nor any authority for that matter. This is simply an artifice.
1 Here we have another “tall” story about the Foundation Committee of his fabri- cation—a committee of over one hundred. It is remarkable how this foundation committee has grown with each re-telling of his false story. It consisted of nine men and women in quotation (27); of nine occult researchers in quotation (49); of nine representatives of advanced schools of thought in (63); of forty-eight Rosicru- cian students who formed a committee of sixty in (72). However, it dwindled down to twelve in (79), but here it reached the magnificent stature of over one hundred members. ‘These contradictory statements and this ballyhoo propaganda are just so many devices and artifices of Fraud to promote a fraternal swindle.
2See his denial of all connection with the first American Rosicrucians whom he also alleges founded the first Rosicrucian Order in America, in 1694 near Philadel- phia, as set forth in quotation (68).
806
PALS CLAIMS OF Rok C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
Keys of Authority” received by Mrs. Stacey from the Grand Mas- ter of the Order in India, which he says she delivered to him prior to 1909,* and the “further authority’? which he possessed when he returned from France in 1909. A review of his various inconsistent statements has shown us conclusively that he possessed no ‘‘fur- ther” original or rightful Rosicrucian authority to establish or re- establish the Order in this country, where it had been established for more than a half century and was then active and functioning.*
Therefore, judging solely from a review of his own contradic- tory and inconsistent claims and statements, the conviction becomes steadfast and the conclusion irresistible that he possessed no Rosi- crucian authority for the organization of his so-called Rosicrucian Order launched under a Rosicrucian appellation and now fraudu- lently represented to be the “only authentic, recognized Rosicru- cian organization in North America.”
A Handmaiden of Fabrication The Grand Old Lady Myth an Artifice of Fraud
On page 13 of the aforesaid Manual he published the picture of a lady with a young face and powdered hair, said to be the likeness of “Mrs. May Banks-Stacey, co-founder and first Grand Maitre in U. S. A.”—the grand old lady who delivered to him ‘“‘a few pa- pers, a small packet and a beautiful red rose” in the fall of 1914 and “whose days were numbered.’” It is very evident that the pic- ture was posed for the very purpose for which it has been used. The lady in the picture wears a cross upon her bosom and holds a Rosy Cross in her hand.
There may have been a lady by the name of Mrs. May Banks- Stacey, who may have been or may not have been a member of his fabrication in New York in its early days. However, diligent and extensive inquiry among the first and early members of his organi- zation and of the remaining numbers of his first and early Supreme
3 In quotation (26) he says that she delivered the “seal and an insignia” in the fall of 1914, which greatly fortified his work, which was the first a this lady myth in his earlier statements.
*See Books One, Two; Book Three, p. 133; Book Four, 225 to 243, and Book Six of Volume I.
©’ See quotation (26).
ppearance of
807
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS WHITE tT) 2 bOOKe ts
Councils fails to reveal anyone who knew or ever saw the “grand old lady.’ The belief persists among those first members and coun- cilors that a kind and obliging actress posed for the picture of the First Grand Maitre of the fabrication in the U. S. A.
Careful inquiry into the acts concerning the “grand old lady,” who was of “royal descent and intimately acquainted with govern- mental and military authorities here and abroad,” who performed so many marvelous and useful services for him and who delivered into his hand at the right time so many jewels, insignia, seals, keys of authority and papers, reveals that she was a myth of his own designing and creation and an artifice for the promotion of his spu-
rious R. C. Order.
Let us briefly review the wonder she was and the marvelous things she did to help in the trying and uncertain days of fabrica- tion, as told by Mr. Lewis, the creator of this convenient myth and fraudulent device. ‘The numbers in the parentheses following in the text refer to the numbered quotations of his statements, to be found, supra. In his statement of July, 1916, she appears on his birthday, November 25, 1914, and gave ‘‘a few papers, a small packet and a beautiful red rose’? and a wonderful locket. These he found to be some of the “‘papers”’ which the Masters had explained to him in Europe in 1909 would be delivered by special messenger. They were just what he needed most, and they greatly fortified his. work. She was then a “special messenger” from Europe with de- vices from Europe. He had not at that time “‘created”” or made her the Legate from India. If he had, he omitted to mention it in 1916—(26). In his statement in 1917, when he called together “nine men and women who had spent their lives in occult research to form the foundation committee” to examine and approve the “seals, jewels and papers’’ he possessed, one of the nine was “the official messenger of the Order from India’—the “GRAND OLD LADY” MYTH—(49). In his statement made in his propaganda booklet, Rosicrucian Illumination, in 1926, his myth and artifice was there represented. to be a “delegate of the Fraternity from India”, and appeared in person ‘‘with certified and sealed docu- ments, jewels and credentials to be delivered to chief officers to be elected on this momentous occasion””—on All Fools’ Day, 1915— (73). In his statement in his propaganda booklet, The Light of Egypt, issued in February, 1928, his myth and artifice was “the
808
Powe CLAMS, OF Ro-e'C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
first of many messengers of the Order from Europe.” Some time between 1909 and 1915—exact time not specified—‘she brought Dr. Lewis and the foundation Committee the final papers of the preparation for the great work and the ‘Jewel of Authority, a rare official emblem, and valuable treasures from the archives of the Oriental headquarters.” (Italics are ours.) It is strange that a Legate from India would be a messenger from Europe, but then the story is a little mixed up, so let it go at that. ‘During her stay in America she acted as the first Maitre of the Order,” but her trip to America was a fleeting one, and she did not tarry long—at least not long enough for anyone to see her except Mr. Lewis, who saw her only in his wonderful imagination—(79). In his statement in The Light of Egypt, issued in July, 1928, his myth and artifice: became one of the outstanding characters in his organization. She became a descendant of the D’Arcys of France, related to the nobility of England and a high initiate of the oldest Rosicrucian organization of London and Paris and of the Order in India, and he appointed her “‘an American Legate of the Indian Jurisdiction.” By 1928 his myth had grown wonderfully in Rosicrucian stature and importance—(80). In his revised “Complete History of the Rosicrucian Order,” second edition, 1932, his convenient, often- appearing and much traveled myth, then a ‘““Legate of the Rosicru- cian Order in India,” applied for membership in one of his Rosi- crucian societies “just before 1909.” She encouraged him to follow his urge, and he went to France in 1909 looking for the Rosicru- cian Order to carry out his “unselfish aims’—(81). While in France he was “instructed to arrange to hold preliminary founda- tion meetings for the purpose of organizing a secret group of work- ers who would receive further instructions from the Legates of the Order in India and Switzerland.” That is strange, too, that the Grand Lodge of France should have “Legates” or representatives from other jurisdictions give instructions on its behalf. Well, it did not happen, so let it go at that. On his return from France in 1909 his myth, “‘the Legate from India,” presented him with “the jewels and papers which had been preserved from the early Amer- ican foundation—(82). This, notwithstanding that in quotation
(81) he stated he had made contact with these alleged manuscripts through one of his relatives, ‘‘one of the descendants of the first Rosicrucian body in America.” Perhaps the ‘‘Legate” got them
809
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (2?) BOOK “D”
from the relative and gave them to him—who knows? And then he was greatly surprised to learn that his myth—‘*The Legate from India’’—had been instructed to nominate him as the chief execu- tive of his own fabrication at the first meeting of the self-constituted Council thereof—(83). Finally, in the last quotation heretofore set forth (92), he founded his fabrication upon “further author- ity” that he did not possess and on “Jewels and Keys of Authority” possessed by the ‘“‘Legate from India,” and she became the first Grand Maitre and “Dr.”’ Lewis became the Supreme Grand Mas- ter of his fabrication “for the decreed revival of the work in America.”
Lewis Calls a Witness His Witness Contradicts Him
As we have learned from the various quoted statements of Mr. Lewis and as shown in the quotation to follow immediately, Mr. Thor Kiimalehto was closely associated with him as his good “man Friday” and willing confederate in the organization of his fraternal swindle. But they disagreed, and Brother Kiimalehto, like all of his early members and close associates, deserted him and withdrew from his spurious R. C. Order. For a number of years they were not on speaking terms. However, Mr. Lewis needed a living wit- ness to testify to his spurious Rosicrucian authority and false claims. Having contradicted his own statements and by his own testimony having shown that they were false, he was in great need of a “‘liv- ing witness’’—an eyewitness——‘a man who was there when it hap- pened’’—to sustain his false story and to “prove” that it was “‘all true’ despite its apparent falseness. So he made his peace with his former confederate and made him Grand Councilor and Inspector- General of the New York District of “the Order.”’ Then he called on him to testify before the Convention of 1934 as to the first inter- view between himself and May Banks-Stacey, to which interview his very willing witness was the only “living witness.’ In his report of the 1934 convention he gives an account of Mr. Kiimalehto’s remarkable testimony, as follows:
“Frater Kiimalehto outlined very carefully and with much amus- ing and impressive detail the early trials and tribulations encoun- tered in forming the first Council and advisory board of the Order
810 \
pe aLob CLAIMS OF REC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
in its present cycle, between the years 1909 and 1916, and then of the creation of the first lodges and the establishment of the work generally throughout the country. He was the first Grand Master of the Order under the present regime and the first Supreme Sec- retary and later became the Grand Master of the New York Grand Lodge.
“He especially dealt at great length on the incidents relating to the time when he and the Imperator called upon the late May Banks-Stacey at her request in 1916 when she duly notified the Imperator that although he did not know her he was to come to her and receive officially from her certain documents, papers of author- ity, jewels, and other matters which had been promised him at the time of his authorization in France in 1909, and which she had been delegated by the Rosicrucian organization in India to present to him in the year 1916.
“Frater Kiimalehto explained that first interview with Mrs. Stacey in great detail and repeated in many different ways the fact that he is today the only living witness to the conversation that passed between Mrs. Stacey and the Imperator and the acts that occurred at the time. He stated that he could testify to the accu- rateness of those facts as outlined in the AMORC official history [!] of the foundation of the present cycle of the Order in North America and to other references which would be found in the Rosi- crucian Manual [!!] and magazine articles [!!!] and he stated that regardless of his present or future connections with the Order or anything that might occur in his life, he would ever remain a faith- ful witness to the occurrences on that occasion and pledge his life to the guarantee of the correctness of the report of those incidents as a disinterested [?] party.” (Rosicrucian Digest, September, 1934, p. 305. Italics are ours.)
A Most Willing Witness Altogether Too Willing and Enthusiastic!
We have seen that, according to Mr. Lewis’ contradictory state- ments just reviewed, that he first met the myth-lady at or prior to 1909, at which time she advised him to go to France to find the “unknown” Rose Cross and for his authority; also, that she deliv- ered to him many whatnots, trinkets, seals, jewels and papers in 1914 and 1915, and that she nominated him for the Grand Master- ship of his own fabrication on April 1, 1915. Now, he calls the only “living witness” to the first interview between himself and the
811
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS) Wald Ee cp OO les sees
myth-lady, in ‘‘the Grand Old Lady” hoax, and proves by him that he did not meet Mrs. Stacey until 1916; that, “although he did not know her, he was to come to her and receive officially from her” in 1916 “certain documents, papers of authority, jewels and other matters which had been promised at the time of h‘s authorization in France in 1909,” and that these were presented to him by the delegate from India in the year 1916. Moreover, the most oblig- ing and enthusiastic witness, as a “‘disinterested party,” pledges his life to guarantee the correctness of his testimony and w.ll ever re- main a faithful witness to the fact that it was in 1916 that Mr. Lewis met Mrs. Stacey—not in 1909—and that it was in 1916 when she delivered to the Imperator the ‘documents, papers of authority, jewels and other matters” and not in 1914 or 1915. Thus it is that he calls his own witness, “the only L-ving witness,” and proves by him that every statement which he himself has made upon the same subject is absolutely false!
Ah, but it is a strange and awful story when it is all patched to- gether, and even though it is inconsistent and some parts of it can- not be reconciled with other parts, the myth of the Legate from India was and is an artifice to promote and perpetuate his fraudu-
lent R. C. Order.
The Secret Heritage
Cunning Misrepresentation by Implication
Without question and beyond all doubt, the most cunningly de- signed and ingeniously executed artifice and device used by him during his years of fraternal racketeering for the promotion and perpetration of his fraudulent Rose Cross Order is his propaganda “sealed” booklet,° The Secret Heritage, issued in 1935 and now circulating currently by the thousands by means of high-pressure, fascinating, intriguing and alluring advertisements appearing con- stantly and seemingly in endless numbers and variety in the daily, weekly and monthly papers and magazines in every city and every state of these United States. These far-flung and widespread ad-
® Several of his propaganda booklets have been issued as “sealed books”. It is one of his many cunning tricks. It is bait for the curious and the gullible by which they are drawn into his net and become supporting members of his family racket, con- tributing to the “Royal Revenues” thereof. See Chapter VI.
812
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
vertisements urgently invite anyone—everyone and ANYBODY—to write for this “New Private Book” or this wonderful ‘Sealed Book,” which will change the course of their lives and start them on the road to affluence, power, health and wealth. But, of course, this marvelous, private, sealed book is only “loaned” to make it all the more intriguing to the prospective victim.
This “private” and “sealed” public promotional propaganda daily flowing through the mails to the American public, aside from its many ingenious features, is an artifice of fraud de luxe and par excellence in this: that he simply assumes that his fabrication is the Rosicrucian Brotherhood in this country.. There is no mention of his Rosicrucian authority—no claim as to the authenticity of his racket—which has been so prominent in his former promotional literature. The only thing in the entire booklet touching upon the subject of authenticity is the Fupost certificate at the back of the booklet, shown in our Reproduction No. 52 (p. 526, supra) and discussed in Part Four of Chapter IV, supra. By this he implies authenticity without directly asserting it.
Based upon the false and fraudulent assumption—boldly and will- _ fully made—that his organization is the Rosicrucian Brotherhood and that the victims and paying members thereof are ‘“The Rosi- crucians,”’ practically every statement in the entire booklet is an implied misrepresentation. It is cunning, sinister fraud by implica- tion and allusion. Filled with graphic accounts of the lost conti- nents of Atlantis and Lemuria; with the wonders of Egyptian and more ancient civilizations; with the strange wisdom and powers of the Rosicrucians; telling in mournful numbers of the lost estate of man—suggesting that it may be regained by joining his project; claiming the guidance of the Great White Brotherhood; describing the most unusual benefits to be derived from membership in his racket—urging the ease by which all things, power and wisdom may be had under his guidance and the simple lessons at a cost so small and with the romantic suggestions of mysteries and power and wisdom contained therein, to be had for the mere asking and a few paltry cents, he has spread a nation-wide net for the unwary who yield to his insidious devices and become the deluded victims who pay the initiation fees and monthly dues that constitute the “Royal Revenues” of his Hierarchy of Fraud. Therefore, by these, the most cunning and dangerous artifices of fraud, he is now dis-
813
AN ANSWER “TO °LEWiIS Wa re BOOK “D”
tributing his pseudo-occult and mystic merchandise to the unin- formed, curious, gullible, credulous and unwary all over this fair land. With this and other fraudulent devices and artifices described herein, he has built a million-dollar fraternal swindle in the name of brotherly love and the Rosy Cross.
[t Is—and It Is Not a School Such Glaring Inconsistencies Are Badges of Fraud
In this last promotional booklet, now flooding the mail and de- livered to any and all who request a copy in response to said wide- spread and persuasive advertisement, the following propaganda is typical of the entire contents of the booklet, viz.:
(93) “* * * ‘Those who feel the ambition to rise out of the commonplace position in life, and those who feel the urge to make a success of their careers, and to assist civilization in its onward march, are welcomed into the Brotherhood as the type of individual deserving of its assistance and qualified to carry on the secret heritage of the past.
“The Rosicrucian Brotherhood has been, through all the ages since the beginning of the secret schools, the most devoted and most sincere channel for the development of man’s achievement to the highest stations of life. As one of the secret schools’ teaching con- sistently and in elaborate courses of personal guidance, it has been the foremost of all the brotherhood organizations among men.” (The Secret Heritage, p- 13. The italics are ours.)
Thus by inference he implies that his fabrication is a secret school. The implication he would make is altogether false, but the statement that the Rosicrucian Brotherhood is a secret school is true. It is one of the great secret schools of individual training, spiritual attainment, soul development and of self-initiation into the realms of higher consciousness. To that extent he is seeking to imitate and to make his spurious Order a better imitation of the authentic Order. However, it was not always thus. His conten-
7In quotation (49) he refers to his fabrication as “this great School.” On page 31 of the October issue 1929 of the Rosicrucian Forum, a publication of AMORC (for Members only), he suggests to his members that they should “Remember when speaking to those who are not members, but who may be seeking for. the light, to give emphasis to the fact that the Rosicrucian Fraternity is not only a school, a college, but a world-wide Fraternity’, etc.
S14.
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
tion that his fabrication is a school is of comparative recent origin in his mind and his propaganda. In his official organ* in April, 1916, he ridiculed the idea and took us to serious task for asserting and maintaining that the Rosicrucian Fraternity is a School of Spirituality and asserted in contradiction thereto that the true Rose Cross Order’ is a “Lodge’’ and, therefore, not a school.
In the May issue, 1916, of his said official organ, in reply to cer- tain letters raising the question as to whether his fabrication or an- other or other Rosicrucian organizations is the authentic organiza- tion in America, he says:
(94) “A comparison of the two foregoing letters shows a sim- ilar purpose in each—an attempt to prove the genuineness of another movement and the opposite of the AMORC. If one of the above letters makes good its plea, the other must fail. Who can decide which of the above organizations is truly the legitimate Order R. C.2 All that I will say in this respect is this: join that which will help you most, but remember that there is only one organiza- tion in America which is NOT A SCHOOL, not a society, not a pub- lishing firm and not a branch of any other plan to propagate the sale of books or lessons. “That organization calls itself an ORDER, has LODGES, and gives its teachings only in closed, well-tiled tem- ples.t It is the ‘Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis’ spon- sored [only sponsored] by the Supreme Grand Lodge of France, permitted [only permitted] by the Supreme Council of the World and endowed with the ‘work’, teachings, signs? and fraternal com- munion of the Rosaecrucian masters of the World. I am its Im- perator in America, as proven by well-established papers known to many, and by the story® told in this very issue of ‘A Pilgrim’s
8 The American Rosae Crucis, April 1916, p. 13.
9 We make no distinction between the terms: Rose Cross Order, Rosicrucian Fra- ternity, Temple of the Rosy Cross, Rosicrucian Brotherhood, etc. They are simply different designations for the same order, fraternity or brotherhood. See Book Four, Volume J, and especially page 208 thereof.
1 Here again we are impressed with the fact that it was his original idea and plan ‘to design his fabrication after the Masonic system of lodges, with a symbolical initia- -tion and temple lectures and to operate it under a Rosicrucian appellation.
2 Unlike the Masons and other secret fraternal organizations, the Rosicrucians do not depend on signs of recognition.
3 We have examined the “paper” and reviewed the “story” of “A Pilgrim’s Journey -to the East’? and we have found no proof that he is the Imperator of an authentic Rosicrucian organization. However, his proof does establish that he is a self-comnsti- uted “Imperator” of a spurious and fraudulent so-called Rose Cross Order.
815
AN ANSWER TO ;LEWLS’ WHITE Ga SpOOke oe
Journey to the East.’ H. Spencer Lewis, F. R. C. 12° France.” (American Rosae Crucis, May 1916, p. 32. The italics are ours, the capitals are his.)
Here by his question: Who can decide which is truly the legiti- mate Order R. C. and the general tenor and soft-pedaled tempo of his statement, he leaves the impression that there might be some doubt as to the authenticity of his fabrication. It was only a mo- ment of weakness. At all other times he has been bold and un- equivocal in his assertions that it is the only authentic Rose Cross organization in America. However, it is always in their moments of weakness that fraudulent promoters betray themselves and re- veal the truth of their nefarious schemes.
Therefore, it doth appear from his own statements that his fab- rication is and is not a secret school. Which of his contradictory positions and claims are correct? And what do such wholly in- consistent claims prove? They prove many things—the least that can be said of them is that they are Badges of Fraud.
Deceiving and Keeping Them Deceived Uses Members to Promote and Defend His Racket
Not alone does he issue his false promotional propaganda to the public to deceive them and to secure paying and supporting victims to provide the financial support of his family and his son’s family, the livelihood of himself and his son and the revenues for the car- rying on and the perpetuation of his fraternal swindle, but he con- tinues the same false propaganda in the lectures which he mails out weekly to his members at $2.00 per month, so as to keep them de- ceived and to use them to secure ‘additional supporting members for his nefarious enterprise and to make them defenders of his fra- ternal racketeering. |
In a series of mimeographed lectures entitled ““Master Mono- graph” on the cover, and ‘“Temple Monograph” in the heading of each lecture, we find him discussing the Rosicrucian authority and authenticity of his fabrication and defending the manner in which he has operated it, as follows:
(95) “Beloved Members, Greetings!
“The next important point that I want to take up im detail is in
816
Paro CwAlVvis, OF Ki>
regard to the activities of the present, outer, visible organization and your relationship to it, and why it carries on its work in the way it does.
“Keeping in mind that there are practically two branches of the Rosicrucian organization, the real invisible fraternity and the outer visible brotherhood, and keeping in mind that the invisible one is the real controller and director of the visible one, you will see at once that there are many complications and problems to be solved in attempting to maintain a nation-wide visible brotherhood along material lines.
“Now this brings me to the one important point that I think each one of you should have clearly fixed in your mind before you proceed much further. “This point deals with the origin and authen- ticity of the present AMORC. I am not going to take time and space to tell you good members about the documents and charters, legal papers and papers of authority which are in our possession, proving [!] the genuineness of the AMORC. If we didn’t have any single piece of paper of this kind we would still be able to prove that the AMORC is the genuine Rosicrucian Order. It appears that in several court inquiries instituted by us we have had our documents and papers, charters and other incontestable proofs ready for examination, and at our various National conventions at Head- quarters hundreds of delegates have examined these things, and many committees voluntarily organized to examine our documents of authority have looked at them and have returned a report stating that the AMORC possesses incontestable proof of its official origin and genuineness. But aside from these papers, there are several factors which prove that the AMORC is the outer, visible organiza- tion of the inner, invisible one.” (Temple Monograph, Eleventh
Grade, No. 29, p. 1. The italics are ours.)
Incontestable Proof (!) of Genuineness
Since the reader is now familiar with the many strange, unique, inconsistent and contradictory false representations that he has made and the worthless ‘“‘proof’’ that he has offered to show the “origin” and “authenticity of the present AMORC,” comment on
4In a recent court proceeding he testified that the Lewis family is the “Order” that is the real inner invisible fraternity and the paying members constitute the “Brotherhood’—the outer visible Brotherhood, who supply the “Royal Revenues” for the Lewis Hierarchy of Fraternal Racketeering. See Chapter VI, where these mat- ters will be discussed at length.
817
AN - ANSWER TO LEWIS) WHITE =) BOOK De
the foregoing statement may be useful only in emphasizing that which is so obvious, to wit: That his ‘‘Incontestable Proof of Genu- ineness” is an artifice and a device of fraud; that his proof, when carefully examined, compared and analyzed, proves that his AMORC is a fraudulent scheme and that it is a BOLDLY OPERATED FRATERNAL SWINDLE IN OPEN DEFIANCE OF THE LAW OF THE LAND.
In Chapter IV we examined his “important documents” and “charters,” and in this chapter we have examined other “papers, charters, jewels, seals, insignia and keys of authority,” together with his false representations concerning the same. We have weighed them in the balances and found them wanting—found them to be snares and delusions—Artifices and Devices of Fraud.
Note carefully his tricky statement: “It appears that in several court inquiries instituted by us we have had our documents and papers, charters and other incontestable proofs ready for exami- nation.’ This is a typical subterfuge and artifice continually used in the promotion of his fraudulent scheme. The statement and every inference it is intended to carry are false. It was willfully made to deceive. He has consistently refused to submit his claims and documentary proof thereof to competent and impartial inves- tigation.®
The only court proceedings which he has instituted in which the question of his authority and the genuineness of his fabrication were considered was the case of AMORC vs. George L. Smith, which we considered in Chapter I, supra, which cost him fifteen thousand dollars to SUPPRESS THE TRUTH. He did not produce or offer to produce any documents or charters proving his Rosicrucian au- thority or authenticity. No court has ever examined his so-called “charters” and “proof” of authority and authenticity. He dare not submit it to a real test. The reason is apparent—it will not stand such a test. In said case, when asked for his credentials, he said, “We have papers of recognition, Charters, Certificates of foreign jurisdictions, especially from the Sovereign Sanctuary of the Order in Switzerland”’;° that he had a Ph.D. from India and Belgium;
5 See Book Three, Volume I, pp. 131 to 171 inclusive.
6 This refers to his “Important Rosicrucian Document No. 4” which we examined in Part One of Chapter IV and found to be a certificate of honorary membership in a Masonic Order and not-a Rosicrucian charter.
818
FALSE CLAIMS. OF Repo. Aw RHORTEY REVIEWED
that he had been given a special reception and honorary member- ship in the French organization and made a Legate thereof. That he was special Legate of several organizations and had been recog- nized through honorary membership in Europe and down in Egypt. This was the extent of his “proof” of Rosicrucian authority and authenticity’ when he had an opportunity to produce the proof.
Throughout this volume we have been exposing the manner and detestable methods by which he has deceived his ‘‘voluntary com- mittees,” and the reader is able to appraise the value of the re- ports of such committees on the “‘incontestable proof” of the ‘‘ofh- cial origin and genuineness” of his fraudulent scheme and fraternal swindle.
Continuing with his “Temple Monograph,” let us consider his “proof” aside from his “‘papers” that the AMORC—the Brother- hood to which the members belong—is the outer visible organiza- tion of the inner, invisible Order—which is the Lewis Hierarchy. His Monograph of misrepresentations continues as follows:
Hts “Other Proof”
(96) “In the first place, the Rosicrucian organization has been known to thousands of persons for many, many years. Away back in 1902 and 1903 and thereafter, I was thoroughly familiar with the fact that the Rosicrucians had once existed and that they had wonderful teachings, and that their teachings had been carefully preserved somewhere. I wasn’t the only person in New York City who knew those facts, and at the great public library in New York there were many books at that time which referred to the Rosicru- cians and their history and great work, and occasionally there was a magazine article referring to them. I remember very well that I was in contact with hundreds of men and women who were inves- tigating psychic laws and studying New Thought principles,’ who
7 His testimony is quoted on pages 408 and 409, supra. It will be interesting to turn back and re-read it in this connection. Weigh it and compare it with his tricky statement about having his proof “ready for examination”. Certainly, it is just a subterfuge!
8 The statement that he was in touch with so many people interested in psychic laws is no doubt greatly exaggerated. The nature of his investigations is revealed in his article set forth in part in “Exhibit No. 11” at page 27 of White Book D. A portion of his so-called Rosicrucian teachings are “New Thought” teachings; that is, new ideas of his own, entirely foreign to Rosicrucianism.
819
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS WHITES (eb OO kee
constantly heard the Rosicrucians mentioned. All of us believed that the Organization still existed somewhere, but we could not discover how to get in touch with it. Now it seems that there must be some reason why any one individual in America should be drawn toward the Rosicrucian organization and eventually announce that he was appointed to establish its activities once again on the Ameri- can continent. If anyone could do this sort of thing, like some of our enemies say, and if it was merely a matter of making up your mind that you would start a Rosicrucian organization of your own without any authority or help, or training from official sources, how is it that for years thousands of people in America were waiting and looking for the Rosicrucian Order, yet no one started it.” (Jd., pp. 1-2. The italics are ours.)
He did the very thing against which he argues. He simply made up his mind to start a Rosicrucian Order of his own without any authority, help or official training. The information he possessed, obtained from books in the New York Public Library, was entirely insufficient to enable him to correctly imitate and fabricate a Rosi- crucian Order. Therefore, he made many mistakes’ and a terrible mess of it, which necessitated many changes and revisions from time to time, as we have seen.
That he was searching vainly for the R. C. Order that he might “establish its activities once again on the American continent’ is highly falsified propaganda to avoid the facts well known to him at the time when he launched his fraudulent fabrication. He knew full well that the Rosicrucian Order as established by Dr. P. B. Randolph in 1858 existed and was functioning in America at all times mentioned.*
Following the above quoted statement he admits that there were Rosicrucian organizations in America by making reference first to the Max Heindel organization, founded in 1909, operated under the name of ‘“The Rosicrucian Fellowship,” but which never claimed to have Rosicrucian authority or that it was working under a Rosicrucian charter. Second, to the Randolph Foundation of the authentic Rosicrucian Order in America, which he says was only a publisher of books, claimed to be Rosicrucian, and had established no “lodges” such as he has established. He also says
®See quotations (24) and (25) for his admission of mistakes. Other of his glaring mistakes appear and have been indicated throughout the text of this work.
1 See quotation (9) and Volume I, pp. 209, e¢ seg.
820
PALSE CLAIMS OF Rook C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
that its headquarters are located in a farmhouse’ and for said rea- sons could not be the authentic order.
This, then, is the first phase of his other “‘proof”’ of the genuine- ness of his fabrication. As to the next phase of this wonderful and most convincing “‘proof’’, he argues:
It Is, Therefore, Genuine It Glitters, Therefore It Must Be Gold
(97) “How is it, then, that one individual like myself should suddenly come forward and announce that he is going to establish the true Rosicrucian Order and create lodges and maintain them, and carry on the work with a constant growth, and constant increase of power, without any interruption [!] and without any interfer- ence of any kind? Naturally, if there is a genuine organization of the Rosicrucians ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, visible or invisible, such an organization would not permit some individual to create a false organization here in America, and establish lodges and claim connection with the genuine organization. The genuine organiza- tion would see to it that his work failed, that he was stopped in his misleading activities and prevented from defrauding anyone. If there is no genuine invisible or visible organization anywhere in the world that can stop pretenders and wrongdoers from establishing lodges all over the country, then whoever would start one in Amer- ica would be the only and exclusive Rosicrucian organization in the world,® and would have a right to do as he pleased. ‘Therefore, either way you look at it, the fact that AMORC started and estab- lished real lodges and has done its utmost to spread the light, and has continued to grow for twenty years without any interferences, without any scandal, without being stopped in any of its activities, is sufficient proof [?] that it is either sponsored by the true, invis- ible organization, or there is no invisible or other organization of any kind except the AMORC here in America.
“But the genuineness of our work lies in the results we are pro- ducing. Good cannot come out of evil except as it evolves. You cannot take a fraudulent, scheming, evil plan and carry it on and
2See Chapter III, pp. 163 to 165. His “Exhibit No. 2”, p. 130, and our Exhibits A to M, pp. 195 to 206, supra.
3 This is the theory upon which he proceeded when he announced himself “Impera- tor-Rex” of the World as set forth in quotation (70). But it was a fallacious theory. He merely announced himself Imperator and King of his own fabrication and fraudu- lent creation.
821
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (7) BOOKE ia
yet have it produce good fruit. The whole history and entire records of AMORC in the United States since I established its first meetings in 1909 are absolutely clean and approved by every mem- ber who has been in the organization long enough to understand it. This is the important thing for each one of you to keep i in mind.” (Id., p. 2. The italics are ours. )
We have seen how one individual like Mr. Lewis did suddenly come forward and announce that he was going to establish and “re-establish” the true R. C. Order in America, and it should now be perfectly apparent and obvious to the reader how and why he established a spurious fabrication, which he willfully and fraudu- lently represents to be the authentic and genuine order.
The gist of his fallacious argument or subterfuge is that his spurious order has existed for several years without interference. Therefore, it is genuine. That, because it has existed for 20 years without being stopped by the genuine Rosicrucian organization,
therefore his fabrication is genuine and could not possibly be a fraud. It will be remembered that Thomson carried on his noto- rious Masonic Fraud for more than 20 years, notwithstanding that the Masonic Fraternity was well organized in every state in the United States. Besides there have been, from time to time, clan- destine, spurious, and fraudulent Rosicrucian organizations in other lands. Eventually they died of their own iniquities; in the meantime they claimed their victims. Authentic orders and fra- ternities cannot prevent—cannot stop—pretenders and racketeers from committing fraud in their names. This is exclusively a gov- ernmental function. ‘The genuine organization can expose and warn, but cunning pretenders and sophists succeed in peddling their fraudulent wares to the gullible and unwary by cunning artifices, fallacious arguments such as this one under consideration, and con-. tinue to claim and hoodwink their victims despite all warnings and exposures. For twenty years Thomson’s Masonic Fraud was exposed by a nation-wide organization of Masons and the public was duly warned, but Thomson was not stopped until the strong- arm of the United States Government stopped him.
Defends His Fraud Says It Produces Good Fruits
For the past twenty years we have been warning the public that
822
FALSE CLAIMS OF REC." AUTHORITY REVIEWED
the AMORC is not the real Rosicrucian Order, that it has noth- ing to do with the authentic Fraternity and Brotherhood and have been exposing it as a delusion and a fraud. During the same time many members who had been in his racket long enough to under- stand it and its officers, from Alfred H. Saunders, editor of his oficial organ in 1916, down to A. Leon Batchelor, Grand Treas- -urer in 1935, have been exposing and denouncing his so-called fra- ternal project as a swindle and a family racket.
Conscious of the fact that it is a spurious Rosicrucian Order; realizing that he has no right to carry on his fraternal racket in the name of this holy Order; knowing full well that he has no real Rosicrucian authority; that he cannot produce a Rosicrucian char- ter or a scintilla of real proof of the genuineness of his fabrication, he resorts to the artifices of a sophist and argues that it has existed for twenty years, that it has grown in numbers and that no one has stopped him. Therefore, he says it must be the real thing.
He flaunts before his beguiled members and his prospective vic- tims the monstrosity which he has fabricated and produced in the holy name of the Rose Cross and the sacred Brotherhood of the Rosicrucians and says: This is good, it has produced the results— but, really, WHAT KIND OF RESULTS? This exposé is an answer to this question.
He points with pride to the “‘great’” headquarters he has built in California, consisting of thirteen gaudy, conspicuous buildings in Egyptian style—which is “the institution behind the advertise-
ment.”* Of this financial—worldly—success achieved by question- able and detestable methods, he says: This is very good. See, it has produced very fine results, but VERY FINE RESULTS FOR WHOM —THE DELUDED PAYING MEMBERS OR THE LEWIS FAMILY? We shall answer this question in Chapter VI.
And then, finally, he resorts to the last and final sophisticated argument, beguiling subterfuge and blinding artifice of fraudulent promotion—which upon its face is a Badge of Fraud—and says: “You cannot take a fraudulent, scheming, evil plan and carry it on and yet have it produce good fruit.’’ But what is the proof which
#In his promotional] literature and on his letterheads he has a picture of his
headquarters which he advertises as the “Institution behind the advertisement.’ He
has also issued propaganda booklets with pictures of the institution which fraud has built.
823
AN-ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (r) BOOK as
he offers to show that the fraudulent fruit is good? Here it is: He says that ‘‘the whole history and the entire record of AMORC in the United States since I established its first meetings in 1909 are absolutely clean and approved by every member who has been in the organization long enough to understand it.’ Remarkable proof! If the statement were true, it would not prove the genuine- ness thereof. But the statement is not true. He did not hold its first meetings in 1909,° and every member and officer who has really understood the true nature of his fabrication and who has not been eating the fraudulent fruits with the Lewis Hierarchy has de- nounced it as a delusion and a fraud. Moreover, its records are not clean. Its entire record, as disclosed and exposed herein, shows it to be a fraudulent scheme of fraternal exploitation in the name of brotherly love to provide the livelihood and financial support of the Lewis families and their assistants and cohorts.
The Secret of the Success of Fraud
That Built “The Institution Behind the Advertisement’
Although such direct, high-pressure, bombastic far-flung adver- tising is contrary to the fundamental precepts of Rosicrucianism and is within itself sufficient evidence to prove that his so-called Rosicrucian business-like enterprise is spurious—a delusion and a fraud—yet, nevertheless, it is the secret of his success. Therefore, in his lecture to his members, as he has often explained to the pub- lic, we find him defending and explaining the necessity for bombas- tic and widespread advertising, as follows:
(98) “I know that some of our very conservative and dignified members have occasionally criticized some of our advertising. They think that our propaganda is becoming a little too bombastic. They say that when we first started our advertising our literature was more conservative and not so widespread. Now all of this is true. In the early days we put only small advertisements in one or two maga- zines,® and I think our records show that we received more answers
° See quotation (27) where he says the preliminary meetings were held on Febru- ary 8, 1915, and quotation (25) where he says that the attempted meeting on Decem- ber 15, 1913, was a “great mistake.” Of course, he has since made contradictory statements. But the contradiction of his own statements makes them unworthy of belief.
® As early as 1916 we find him defending the secret of his success. Then as now
824
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-KC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
from those two or three small advertisements than we receive today from the 150 advertisements that we put in 150 different magazines and newspapers each month. But there is this great difference. Today we find each and every magazine crowded with advertisements of lec- tures, teachers, and schools offering their courses of study in a very bombastic and circus advertising style. Each one of these organiza- tions and teachers and leaders makes more noise than a circus band, and if we, too, put our same old small advertisements in our magazines today, with all of the noise of advertising around us, we would be absolutely lost and no one would see the advertisement. So long as the outer organization of AMORC has to carry on the outer worldly activities and be a physical, material organization, it has got to operate like any physical, material business, so to speak. Any dry goods store or shoe store, candy store, or hardware store in any place in America today that advertises only in a small way while its competitors advertise in a big way is sure to soon pass out of exist- ence. In the march of progress, every successful and growing organization or business proposition must keep pace with its com-
his conservative and thoughtful members condemned his methods of plausible mis- representation and ballyhoo advertising. In an article in The American Rosae Crucis, October 1916, pp. 19 to 21, he lauds and justifies the methods of P. T. Bar- num, who was seeking to fleece the “sucker born every minute.’ Following in the footsteps of the “Great Barnum,” we find him justifying his own methods of appeal- ing to men through their desires and love of profound mystery, and other bombastic and ballyhoo methods. In the Rosicrucian Forum, June 1930, Issue Number Five, p. 147, under the heading of “A Foolish Procedure,” we find him discussing the depression and how it has affected “our business” and justifying his methods of advertising. As a matter of fact by wide advertising, appealing to men and women in financial distress and with the suggestion of how they could better their condi- tions he greatly increased his income and some of the depression years were his best years.
In the Mystic Triangle, May 1928, pp. 248 to 250, in “An Address by the Im- perator to some Brothers” on “Wrong Business Methods” he advised very emphati- cally against unconscious and exaggerated misrepresentations, supporting doubtful claims and encouraging risky impulses and against suppressing investigations and taking advantage of situations. He tells “some brothers” that Rosicrucianism teaches the highest ethics in business and advises them to eliminate all questionable methods from their daily lives and business affairs. Compare this with his article on Fraud and Hypocrisy in the Rosicrucian Digest, November 1932, pp. 364 to 368, referred to and quoted from in the text. See quotations (99) and (100).
In the Rosicrucian Digest, September 1933, under the title of ““The New Rosicru- cian Cycle,” he again explains and attempts to justify the business methods of his fraternal racket. We regret that we do not have the space to reproduce these articles in full, since they contain a very different set of business ideals for the Lewis Hierarchy and those which he advises for the good paying brothers who support the hierarchy.
825
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE?( 7) BOO Kes ome
petitors. [he seeker must have his attention attracted and that is what we are trying to do with our propaganda.” (Jd., p. 3. The italics are ours. )
Yes, “The seeker must have his attention attracted” and the gul- lible and unwary victims must be reached by widespread and far- flung, capricious, alluring and bewitching advertisements. To this end misleading advertisements are continuously inserted in 150 or more magazines and newspapers, and tons of false propaganda are sent through the mails to every city, village and hamlet throughout the land. Such advertising—such as no Rosicrucian would use—is the secret of his success. With misleading advertisements and false propaganda flooding the country, he has built “The Institution Back of the Advertisement,” which is the Lewis Hierarchy of Fra- ternal Fraud, traficking in weakness as well as the higher aspira- tions of mankind and exploiting brotherly love.
In his official organ, The Rosicrucian Digest, November, 1932, pages 364 to 368, he says in an article entitled:
Hypocrisy and Fraud By the Imperator
At a time when careful and more discriminating publishers were censoring or refusing to publish his advertisements, he said:
(99) “They will censor the advertisements of those who are clamoring to get into their pages in order to publicize their business and they will tell them that there is not a single word of mis- representation, or an implied thought of misrepresentation, or an illustration that is not wholly truthful, or a possibility of misunder- standing through the reading of the advertisements, and that these things must be eliminated or changed before the advertisement can appear in their publication. “These editors will censorially appear so pious and so honest and straight-laced that you would think anything of a hypocritical and fraudulent nature could never live in their consciousness. Yet, if we examine closely into the departments and business methods of these magazines and newspapers, we will see that they are wilfully and deliberately misrepresenting many facts and taking advantage of phrases with double meanings and words with ambiguous interpretations in order to deceive the public or fool their readers.” (Rosicrucian Digest, November 1932, p.' 364.)
826
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.ookC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
In this article he alleges that hypocrisy and fraud invade our churches and school system and practically exist in every business gmene tand: Then he says:
(100) “I am not trying to say that this [hypocrisy and fraud ] is limited to a few of the activities in our present day life, nor to all. There are honest organizations and honest individuals who have carefully and at great expense eliminated every possibility of hypocrisy and deception from their business and daily lives. 4 great many of these firms and individuals are doing very little business because of their great honesty. The point I wish to make is that we have become so used to hypocrisy that we would feel lost without it.
“Tf we turned to our newspapers and magazines and never saw the words biggest, greatest, finest, longest, most endurable, cheapest, healthiest, etc., we would wonder what had happened to the vocabu- lary of the English language. We like exaggerations and gross misrepresentations. We were always fond of the bombastic adver- tisements of the circus men. Everything must be ‘the greatest show on earth’. Every exhibit must be ‘the only one in captivity’.” (Jd., p. 367. The italics are ours.)
In closing the article he seems to think that the rising genera- tion of young people is less hypocritical and less fraudulent and will save the day with frankness and honesty. The closing para- graph of his article reads: “Hypocrisy and fraud have had their day, and the dawn of tomorrow is filled with truthfulness and hon- esty.” Perhaps so—let us hope so—but not yet, for the ‘‘Impera- tor’ and his Hierarchy of Fraternal Racketeering. He still con- tinues his misleading nation-wide advertising campaign and still floods the country with tons of false propaganda literature to pro- mote and perpetuate a fraudulent Rosicrucian organization now operated as a family racket.
In the statement just reviewed we have the defense of the ne- cessity for bombastic advertising in the name of the Rosicrucians, who do not so advertise and proselyte, to promote and to perpetu- ate a fraudulent Rosicrucian organization in which the inconsistent promoter thereof declares that “hypocrisy and fraud have had their day,” but continues to fraudulently promote his family enter- prise with misleading, bombastic, far-flung advertising and with tons of false promotional literature mailed out daily in his nation- wide campaign of fraternal racketeering.
827
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS® WHITE (2) (BOOK a
The Invisible Organization Its Methods and Deluded Workers
Let us return to the Temple Monograph for further instruc- tions. Continuing in his lecture to the members of “‘the invisible organization,” who are workers in the “outer organization, as well as in the inner organization,’ and defenders of the hierarchy and its methods, he says:
(101) “The invisible organization of which you are now a member does not need any advertising or any propaganda because it will always derive its members from the selected ones in the outer organization.’ But this outer organization has no place to draw its members from except from the mass of seeking minds, most of which do not know exactly what it is that is being sought. Seventy-five percent of the persons who write to us for copies of the “Wisdom of the Sages” or our literature, after reading our advertisement, frankly state that they are seeking for something in life, but they cannot name it or describe it. They hope that the Rosicrucian literature will help them to discover what it is they want. Each month out of from eight to ten thousand copies of the “Wisdom of the Sages” that we mail to inquirers five or six or seven hundred of them become members. ‘The rest of them say that they either cannot afford to become members or they do not know whether the Rosicrucian work is what they want or not. Think of it! Ten Thousand people every month reading adver- tisements and hoping to find the thing they are looking for, but not sure of what it is they want, and out of the ten thousand, six or seven hundred hope to find it in the Rosicrucian Organization. If we did not advertise in such a way as to attract the attention of these ten thousand persons, we would not get five or six hundred new members each month. If we do not get this many new mem- bers, we cannot grow,;°® we cannot expect in one lifetime to reach
7In this way Lewis hoodwinks and pulls the wool over the eyes of his members. The invisible or inner organization of “the Order” is the Lewis family, as we shall see in Chapter VI. Therefore, none of his members or victims can ever become members of the “inner organization” or the hierarchy.
8 Here is a frank statement which shows the basis of his sales psychology, the methods of his operation and how he takes advantage of the gullible.
® This confirms the statement of his former Grand Treasurer (see Volume I, p. 404) that the turnover in the membership of the AMORC is about 400 per month. That is to say 400 victims each month discover their mistake and drop out. There- fore, he is correct. Unless he can get five or six hundred new victims each month,
828
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.»kKC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
enough people to carry on the work.
“You will remember that the same criticism was made of the work done by Jesus.t_ Some of his enemies accused Him of going among publicans and sinners and seeking for followers there instead of holding Himself exclusively for the cultured and the refined persons. We have got to reach all types of minds in order to find the few who are looking for us. After all, it isn’t our advertising or our literature that constitutes what we are doing, but the work that we are doing for our members after they join the organization. That is the great work and that is the principal thing to take into consideration.
“Month after month for the past ten years between eight and twelve thousand copies of the ‘Light of Egypt’, which is now called the ‘Wisdom of the Sages’, have been mailed to people at their homes.” That means that hundreds of thousands of copies of the “Wisdom of the Sages’ are somewhere in the homes of persons who wanted it or at least have been read once or twice by many thou- sands of people, who will always remember what the name ‘Rosicru- cian’ means and what it stands for.* This is preparing the way for the future. It means that gradually more and more persons will know something about the Rosicrucians, and if this continues long enough in a few years we will find the Rosicrucians recognized by their name or by the symbol of their organization in every part of this North American continent.
“You are, therefore, workers in the outer organization as well as in the inner organization, and you should allow no one to criticize the methods that are being used by the outer organization, for it is like the Salvation Army and its band that goes out and plays on the street corners.‘ “he purpose of that band is not to represent the highest spiritual work of the Salvation Army but to go out with a simple, easily understood, human plea and present this plea among the multitudes where the seeker will easily find it, and then after
his organization cannot grow and his fraternal business will not pay. Hence the extensive and frenzied advertising and “hot-spot” propaganda.
1To compare his scheming methods to the work of Jesus is presumptuous, indeed, and a desecration of the name of a Great Master.
?This gives an idea of the tons of false promotional literature he has passed through the mails in the last ten or twelve years.
3 It is most regrettable and unfortunate that many thousands of people will and do associate the name Rosicrucian with the wholly false ideas of Rosicrucianism which his fraudulent propaganda has engendered and left in their minds.
4 Here he admits that his high-powered proselyting methods are similar to the Salvation Army with its band, but Rosicrucians do not proselyte.
829
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS” WHITE (7) BOOKS fe
having made this contact, bring him back into the fold and give him’ the spiritual truths that he wants. If we were to judge the Salvation Army only by what we see of it on the street corners or when we see their workers going in and out of drinking places or gambling places, we would say that the Salvation Army was nothing more than a circus band with a lot of persons begging for money. “That would be a horrible mistake and an absolute injustice..
“So please keep these things in mind and always be ready to defend the outer activities as being purely on a material basis, preparing the student for the higher spiritual things.2 We have to begin with all beginners in the same way, whether they are children just learning to walk and talk, or adults learning to walk on the right Path. With babies and little children we have to attract their attention with music and with noise, and with bright colors and things in which they can quickly find some interest, otherwise we cannot attract them at all. With the public we must deal in the same way regarding our work.” (Temple Monograph, Eleventh
Grade, No. 29, pp. 3 and 4. The italics are ours.)
Therefore, Let the Reader Judge
In the hundred and one quotations from the pen of Mr. Lewis which we have thus far set forth and reviewed in this chapter, as well as in those set forth in preceding chapters and in Volume I, the reader has the “‘Imperator’s”’ strangely crooked and terribly conflicting story as to the singular nature and fantastic sources of his alleged Rosicrucian authority; the strange manner of the fab- rication and the unique, uncertain and changing methods of the or- ganization of his spurious, fraudulent R. C. Order; his promo- tional methods, artifices and devices and his alleged reasons—or rather the necessity—for the use of bombastic advertising, exagger- ated propaganda and false promotional methods that are entirely foreign and contrary to all Rosicrucian ideals, precepts and land- marks. Therefore, the reader is in a position to judge, with the use of a little reason and ordinary common sense, from Mr. Lewis’ own statements, of the truth and validity of his claims.
Even though it is not necessary, we regret that space does not permit us to compare or arraign and set in contrast or in deadly
5 The reader by now should be very well advised as to the nature of the higher spiritual things taught in the Tenth and Eleventh Grades. See Volume I, pp. 286 to 325, and this Volume, pp. 574 to 576, supra.
830
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.&C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
parallels each and all of his conflicting contradictory and irrecon- cilable false representations, cunning artifices and fabled claims. Truly, they are jumbles in densely netted jungles entwined with poison ivy with impregnable undergrowth of cunning chicanery. When placed side by side, compared and analyzed, they become Badges of Fraud—indices—indexing the details of the boldest, wickedest and meanest swindle in the history of occult, mystical or fraternal fraud.
However, at the expense of space in a Volume already too volu- minous, with several important matters pressing for consideration and with the hope of not overtaxing the reader’s interest to follow through, we shall make a brief summation of the principal conflicts and contradictions in his often-repeated story of how he received his alleged Rosicrucian authority—how he fabricated and organ- ized his fraudulent Rosicrucian Order, Fraternity or Brotherhood ——and how he fabricated and organized his so-called American Council and his mythical Universal, World and International
ieee. Councils.
When “Dr.” Lewts Showed His Achillean Heel Fatal Weakness of His Faked Claims Appeared
The foundation of a Rosicrucian Order, as is true of any fra- ternal organization, is due and proper authority rightfully exer- cised. When the “Most Perfect Master Profundis” of fabrication related his fabled tale, in so many wholly irreconcilable versions, of how he became a “‘Rosicrucian Master” and secured his alleged authority to “establish” and then to “re-establish” his spurious R. C. Order in America—and then throughout the world—he showed his Achillean heel and revealed that the fatal defect of his fabrication was in its foundation—that it was not founded upon due and proper Rosicrucian authority rightfully exercised.
Remembering that the first of his varying, contradictory and ir- reconcilable versions of his story were told in 1915 and that stranger, more contradictory and many other impossible versions have been added from year to year to the present time, we shall briefly point out, contrast and analyze a few of his innumerable contradictions which within themselves and upon their face show that his statements are utterly false.
831
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS: WHITH (aj books
The figures in the parentheses in the text indicate the numbered quotation in this chapter of his statement where the matter re- ferred to and under discussion is to be found. Keep in mind, there- fore, that we are discussing Mr. Lewis’ statements and none other.
Seeking the Hidden R.C. Order
Faking a Rosicrucian Initiation
In August, 1909, he renewed his eighth annual application for the privilege to establish the R. C. Order in America (7). If this were true, then he was in touch with the Rosicrucian Fraternity and knew who its officers were in 1901 or prior thereto. In 1904 he was made a Fellow of the Franco Ecole R. C. and given the de- gree of Doctor of Psychology, and in 1905 he was made a “Digni- taire Supreme of the Rosaecrucian Order” and made a Doctor of Philosophy (15). If this were true and if there were such things as ‘“‘Dignitaires Supreme” of the Rosicrucian Order, then he was an important Rosicrucian, and “high up” in the Order in 1904 and 1905.
For several years prior to 1909 he corresponded with different representatives of foreign jurisdictions of the R. C. Order until an investigation could establish that he was worthy to carry out the “warrants” which he said he possessed—BUT WHICH DID NOT EXIST. Therefore, finally in 1909 he was directed to appear before certain high officials in France and returned from that country with “further authority” (92). Now, if these statements were true, he was in close touch with several different high Rosicrucian officials for several years prior to 1909. But, away back in 1902 and 1903 and thereafter, he knew that the Rosicrucian Order had once ex- isted, and he believed that it still existed somewhere, but he COULD NOT DISCOVER HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH IT (96). And in 1909, in the fictitious story of his journey to the East, he wrote to an “unknown Editor’ in Paris, still attempting to discover if the Rosi- crucian Order did still exist. He signed his letter with a “‘particu- lar mark.’’ However, he knew so little about Rosicrucianism and Rosicrucians that he did not know or appreciate its significance— but it got results. Therefore, in 1909 he went to France to “re- new his eighth annual application to establish the R. C. Order in America,’ but at the same time seeking to know a “Brother of the
832
Pore Cr Atvs OF RoRC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
Rosy Croix”—because he wanted to “KNOW IF THE OLD ORDER IS STILL IN EXISTENCE” (17). And because, until 1909, every means of communication with any officials of the Order in foreign lands HAD BEEN DENIED TO HIM (81).
Three times on different occasions he said he had been in close touch with high officials of the R. C. Order abroad for a number of years prior to 1909 and claimed to be a “Dignitaire Supreme”’ Gretne Rosaecrucian Order in 1905. Then, contrary thereto, three times at different intervals, he said that every means of com- munication with any officials of the Order had been denied to him until 1909 when he went to France frantically, blindly seeking the Rosicrucian Order to find out if it still existed.
Well, he found it, so he says, existing very secretly and hidden in France, although he knew that it existed in America in 1909 and had so existed for more than fifty years (9), as established by Dr. Randolph in 1858.°
And so, having found, after great difficulty, the very secret and overmuch-hidden R. C. Grand Lodge of France, which was so se- cret and so deeply hidden that it did not exist, he was initiated in said non-existent lodge in a single night between sunset and mid- night, crossed the threshold, was “illuminated” and given the name of “Profundis” (37). If the reader is a Rosicrucian, he will know that such an alleged Rosicrucian initiation is an absolute impossi- bility. Later Mr. Lewis learned that such an alleged initiation was an impossibility. Accordingly, in his revised “complete” history in 1930 he materially changed the story of his initiation, as above set forth in his “complete and authentic” history of 1916. In the revised and materially changed version he was initiated at a regu- lar meeting of the International Council at Toulouse and at sev- eral special sessions of the Order in other cities held in the months following (82). Now, believe it or not, that is his story of how he found the R. C. Order in Toulouse, France, and was initiated therein; and whereas he would have us believe that the most promi- nent people have been associated with his racket or have examined and approved his alleged Rosicrucian authority, it might be well for “Brother” Ripley or an official investigator to look into this strange and unusual story.
8 In this connection see Volume I, pp. 210 to 223, especially pp. 215 and 216.
833
AN ANSWER TO: LEWIS’ WHITE: (7) BOOKY De
The Impossibility of His Story Is Prima Facte ©
The reader and investigator, uninformed as to Rosicrucian af- fairs, will appreciate the reason why it was necessary for Mr. Lewis to tell such a strange, unbelievable and contradictory story of his “initiation” and ‘‘illumination”’ with an assumed initiate Master’s name such as ‘‘Profundis,’’ when it is known and understood that authority to institute Rosicrucian Grand Lodges in unoccupied ter- ritory is granted only and solely to initiate Rosicrucian Masters’ who know the Great Work and who are capable of guiding others along the way of initiation to Illumination and Mastership. There- fore, he told the changing crooked story of his alleged initiation as the basis for or as a prerequisite to another changing, crooked, con- tradictory story of how he acquired the alleged Rosicrucian author- | ity for his spurious R. C. Order, which we now consider.
In his first propaganda booklet issued in 1915 he announced that: ‘““With necessary papers and assistance from the Supreme Council
of France, the Order was established in America” (10). If he had been informed as to elementary essentials and the manner in which Rosicrucian authority is granted to establish a Grand Lodge in un- occupied territory, he would never have made that statement, which he has found necessary to often change, supplement and contradict, because it sets forth a Rosicrucian impossibility and is, therefore, absolutely false. The “necessary papers” for the establishment of a Grand Lodge in America was a charter. Only a Supreme Grand Master has the authority to grant charters. Such is the exclusive prerogative of Supreme Grand Masters. Councils of the Supreme Grand Lodge have nothing to do with the granting of charters. Moreover, all Supreme Grand Masters of the Rosicrucian Order abroad knew that America was occupied territory, that a Supreme Grand Lodge existed and was functioning in America, hence none. would and, of course, none did issue a charter to Mr. Lewis or au- thorize him to “establish the Order in America.”
Surely it is obvious from his said contradictory statements that he was not a Rosicrucian initiate or Master at any of the times when he alleges that he had received his pretended authority. The remainder of his statement (10) and other statements hereafter
“The reason for this is fully explained in Part Three of Chapter IV, pp. 359 to 363, supra.
834
oe OCLALVS OF Roe C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
referred to show that he had no Rosicrucian charter or authority at the time he launched his spurious Order, and the examination of his so-called “charters” in this volume and the exposure of the same as fraudulent devices show conclusively that at no time even to this day has he possessed a charter or any Rosicrucian authority for his spurious and fraudulent R. C. Order.
It must be obvious even to those who are uninformed on Rosi- crucian affairs that no Rosicrucian Order or any secret fraternal organization would authorize him to establish the Order and then at various times in devious ways unknown to him deliver final instructions, seals, jewels, secret papers and other foolish contriv- ances from different alleged Grand Lodge jurisdictions on three continents with which to establish another Supreme Grand Lodge in the occupied territory on a fourth continent. The repeated and | varied statements to that effect are ridiculous. No secret order ever followed such a nonsensical procedure in authorizing or estab- lishing lodges. Such statements are artifices involving the ‘“‘mys- terious” element to ensnare curious and gullible victims. They are prima facie snares, delusions and devices of fraud.
Fraudulent Claims of Authority Revealed By His Changing, Crooked, Impossible Story
In 1915 he declared his organization complete and that the American Council and officers of the Grand Lodge had Supreme Power in all “Rosaecrucian” matters in the United States (11). However, from that day to the present time he has continued con- stantly and per sistently to collect many different kinds of strange devices, unique “‘papers,”’ spurious charters and “important” docu- ments to prove (!) the genuineness of his Rosicrucian authority and the authenticity of his fabrication.
In May, 1916, in his “Authentic and Complete” history he re- lates, following his alleged initiation, that when he left Toulouse “The Most Worshipful Grand Master’’® of France handed him “certain papers” appointing him “‘Legate”’ for America and a“few jewels” with which to establish the Order; that, as he made prog- ress, a representative from the Order in Egypt would hand him
8’'This is a Masonic, not a Rosicrucian designation of a Grand Master.
835
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (7) BOOK =a
“other papers and seals’”® to add to his “devices” until his working tools were completed; that the archivist of the French Order, with the “‘protection of the French Government,” would send him “other papers,’’* upon favorable report of its agents, who no doubt were keeping a close watch on him, and that the “Masters of the World” would gladly administer to his wants and requirements from time to time (23). That is his “historical” statement of the source of his authority and the strange and unique manner in which it is delivered to him. To anyone who knows anything about the au- thorization and institution of secret fraternal lodges, that statement is an absurd monstrosity.
In February, 1916, in one of his many self-written biographies of himself, he states that “by agreement of Supreme Council® of France and Egypt the permission” was given to him ‘“‘to establish the R. C. Order in America in the year 1915,” and™thats meee month of December, 1914, the Council in France delivered to him, through many sources and many persons, various articles, papers and jewels’ with which he says he established ‘‘the Order” in Amer- ica (16). These are his earlier and first statements of the source and nature of his alleged Rosicrucian authority. Kindly compare (23) and (16) with (10) and (11) as to details and keep these
earlier statements in mind for comparison with his later statements.
FA1s Story Changes and Grows Mightily
Although in 1915 his so-called R. C. Order was completely es- tablished with “necessary papers’ from the Supreme Council of France (10) and in April, 1916, it was “the only authoritative, sanctioned and legitimate Order of Rosaecrucianism in America,” with “papers signed abroad by the masters” (39), yet, as related by him in 1917, it was desired that the American Order be properly
° Regular lodges only use one seal, spurious lodges may require several seals.
1Remember that only ome paper—a charter—is necessary to institute a Lodge of any description—supreme or ordinary.
* In one way or another he has used the Masters of the World, both the real and imaginary mythical masters, as devices to promote his spurious and fraudulent RoC: Order.
* Does he mean that there was ome council for both France and Egypt? Probably
so. However, the Supreme Grand Lodge of each Rosicrucian jurisdiction has its own Councils of Three and Seven.
836
wesw Ais, OF Ror C: AUTHORITY REVIEWED
“sponsored” by the highest living authorities abroad, that is, by the “Supreme Council of the World,” and in October, 1915 he re- ceived a sealed “‘paper of sponsorship” or ‘“‘charter”’ purporting to Pomicomean ik. ©. odgeiin EPrance (35), (36) and (38)... And, although in September, 1916, he had declared that through a “High Materan’ (Roman Catholic) Council of the Supreme Council of the World held in Egypt in July, 1916, he possessed the necessary CHARTER or PATENT for the existence of his spurious Order in America (42), yet he subsequently maintained in December, 1926, that Rosicrucian Lodges in a new and foreign jurisdiction can be established or formed by “sponsorship” only (8). Notwithstand- ing that his fabrication could be established in America in “only one way,’ to wit, “by sponsorship,” yet in July, 1916—in his imagina- tion—he held a High Roman Catholic Council of the ‘Supreme Council of the World” of the R. C. in Egypt and issued to himself “Pronunziamento No. 987,601,” creating his jurisdiction the larg- est in the world and himself the most important Rosicrucian in the Universe (40). However, it would seem, after all, he was forced to confess that mere “sponsorship” was insufficient and that he really needed a Charter or Patent for the official existence of his spurious R. C. Order in America and its alleged Rosicrucian afhlia- tions through the world (42). Therefore, having received his al- leged “Charter or Patent,” that is, “Pronunziamento No. 987,- 601,’ he declared in December, 1916, that his fabrication was es- tablished in America in February, 1915, and that its “rights and privileges” to so establish itself were transmitted through the Or- der in Europe by the Supreme Council in France with the approval of the “Supreme Pontiff of the Order in Egypt’ (43), and, to be sure, E] Moria was the Supreme Executive of the AMORC with headquarters in Memphis, Egypt (44) ; but, then, he says that the Rosicrucian Order, Fraternity or Brotherhood throughout the world has no Supreme Ruler, Chief or Head (45) and that his spurious R. C. Order has no “international founders, leaders or discoverers” and that the chief executives of each branch in each land on an equal basis constitute the “international council,” which is an‘‘advisory council” (46). Being advisory, it has no power to issue charters or patents or to give to Lewis’ fabrication the largest jurisdiction in the world with twenty-one votes out of forty-eight on the council—this for another reason: all executives ‘‘are on an equal basis,” hence his fabrication could not have twenty-one votes
837
AN ANSWER TO LEWILS’ WHITE (?) BOOkKw a.
out of forty-eight on the council, as he claimed in 1916.
Although he told us in 1917 it was no surprise to America to learn in February, 1915, that he “was in possession of certain seals, jewels, papers, documents, rituals and teachings”’ bearing the “Ro- saecrucian” symbols and that through other messengers from “Egypt, India* and France” had come “powers and instructions” to “‘establish and maintain” the true AMORC in America (48) ; and, although the momentous news of the glad tidings spread from coast to coast like a blinding flash of lightning in the dark of night, and everybody who amounted to anything was spreading the “Light” to the hundreds of thousands of occult students in Amer- ica who were ready for the “great coming of this great school,” with its ‘‘ancient Rosaecrucian Jewel and Seal” (used by a Pharaoh of Egypt, 1500 B. C.), which swept the work onward until in 1917 his fabrication was a wonderful reality, spreading everywhere with the ‘“‘mighty forces’ and with the highest endorsements of the clergy of all creeds, educators, scientists and editors (49) yeu never- theless, with all of his ancient jewels, seals, insignia, wonderful devices from the Pharaoh of Egypt and far-off mysterious India the strange-looking paper of sponsorship from France with its five seals and nine signatures and “‘Pronunziamento No. 987,601”— the “‘charter” from Egypt—he had no Rosicrucian authority, and despite all of his mysterious mythical tales and cunning artifices very few people believed that his so-called R. C. Order was genu- ine or authentic. Therefore, it failed and he retired into silence.
The Failure and Collapse of 1918
With the spectacular raid on his headquarters in June, 1918, and the police of New York City taking possession of his ‘“‘charter”’ —Pronunziamento No. 987,601—he wrote an official communica- tion from ‘“‘Factor Luminis” from the ‘Third Vault” or the inner-
* By 1917 far off mysterious India had come into the picture and taken its place beside the Roman Catholic’ Councils and Grand Pyramids of Egypt. In the original version of the mythical story, his fabrication was established “with the necessary papers” from the Supreme Council of France (10) and the American Council and Officers of the Grand Lodge working under their own self-made charter and consti- tution, modeled after the French, had or would have “Supreme Power in all Rosi- crucian matters in the United States” (11). However, in this revised version as an afterthought to make the “powers” much more potent, he has caused them to also flow from India and to come by “messengers.”
838
PADSE CLAIMS OF R.-kKC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
most sanctum of the hidden inner fraternity, effective at midnight, February 22, 1919, advising himself that his fabrication was not like the Rose Cross Order and that it should be remodeled in sev- eral particulars (54), but showing, of course, that a very definite channel of communication was open between himself and the Secret Chief of the Rosicrucian Fraternity (55), even though there was no chief of the Fraternity (45). The “official”? communication from the “Third Vault” came too late; the collapse was imminent and inevitable. It came and he retired into silence and reopened his “Temple of Alden’’® for business at 1225 Market Street, San Francisco, ‘‘on the green hill, twenty-four hours travel from the nearest railroad, far from a city’s noise and commercial activity.” In 1921 he issued his ‘“‘Pronunziamento No. 777,’ bombastically setting forth his old false claims of authority with many changes and contradictions as to details,® also the claim that his AMORC movement is the continuation of an alleged Rosicrucian movement founded near Philadelphia in 1694 by the German Pietists of East- ern Pennsylvania (67) ; but, after all, “‘the AMORC of today is not a descendant of the group that came to America in 1694” (68).
However, such claims were not convincing, and that type of propaganda did not pay. Therefore, he moved his headquarters to Florida and in 1926 repudiated the ‘“‘Pontiff Supreme, Perfect High Ancient Shekah,” the “Secret Chief” —Factor Luminis—and the French sponsors of his fabrication, usurped their functions and offices and declared himself to be the ‘“‘Imperator-Rex of the AMORC throughout the world” for the alleged purpose of ‘‘re- establishing’ the fraternity along the most modern lines” (70). But his usurpation existed in appearance only. In reality he had always been the ‘““Most Perfect Master Profundis,” the ‘Pontiff Supreme Perfect High Ancient Shekah,” the ‘Secret Chief— Factor Luminis’’—and the French sponsor of his fraudulent Rosi- crucian organization. His desire for worldly power and the appear- ance of exalted greatness caused him to forget his cunning artifices and to rashly declare the truth, namely, that he at all times, regard-
5 See his quoted statements, Chapter III, pp. 169 to 172, supra. 6 See quotations (57) to (66), both inclusive.
‘The manner in which he re-established his fabrication after his collapse in 1918 is shown by his promotional propaganda, herein quoted—especially in quotation (97), and by his recent publicity stunt—his junket to Egypt to be presently considered.
839
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (7))bOOkKe ws
less of how well it had been camouflaged, was the only authority, the only head and the exclusive creator of his fabrication. Hence, when he boldly and publicly declared himself to be the “Imperator- King” of his own fraternal racket, he “‘spilled the beans” for him- self, but revealed the truth to the public.
Impressed with the idea of being the King of his own fabrication throughout the world, he decided to be the next potentate of the authentic Fraternity to unveil the work to the present generations throughout the world and to be the successor of Father Christian Rosenkreutz (74). In January, 1927, he told the “tall story” of how in the troublesome year of 1918 he left his troubles behind (75) and journeyed from New York to the Pacific Coast and in a cave “brought to light the well-preserved body” of Christian Rosen- kreutz and secured some ‘“‘jewels and documents” (76), including an ancient cartouche seal of Amenhotep IV (77), which he had previously received in the Grand Lodge of France. (58). Then, “quietly” returning to New York, he held a great convention so quietly to celebrate the revelation that no one knew about it until he told about it in 1927 and issued a “private” Fama Fraternitatis, which no one has seen, but which is “one of the most important papers of the Fraternity throughout the civilized world today” (77). In this manner he became the successor (!) to Father Christian Rosenkreutz of the authentic Fraternity. Also in this manner, and with many other artifices and devices, has he promoted his fraudulent Rosicrucian organization. However, his more re- cent idea of being the successor of Christian Rosenkreutz of the authentic Fraternity, which originated in Germany in 1614, is hardly consistent with his earlier claims of “authority”? from his mythical French organization, which he says had its origin in 805 A. D. (58) Although the seeking of authority from the German foundation of the authentic Order is a confession that his former claims of authority (59) are spurious—as, in fact, they are—yet he persisted in his attempt to plausibly show his connection with the original German foundation of the real Rosicrucian Order, and he finally succeeded (?) by securing “‘authority” therefrom by “blood transfusion” (87). See also pages 353 to 363, supra. Strange as it seems, this is the changing, contradictory story of his source of spurious authority,® which in its final analysis resolves itself into
8 We regret that space does not permit us to make a complete detailed comparison
840
fe eobe CLUAIMS OF Rie C. AUTHORITY .REVIEWED
the ridiculous claim of “authority” by and through “blood trans- fusion,’ and the proof of the authenticity of his spurious fabrica- tion, by reason of his connections with various so-called Councils, in its final analysis resolves itself into a “certificate of authenticity” by the Fuposi—his most recent fraudulent device.
Fits Various So-Called Councils
We have seen that he has made many different and inconsistent claims as to the source of his authority and the way in which it was received. However, it seems that most of his singularly unique and unusual claims of Rosicrucian authority are based in some way and hark back to some action alleged to have been taken by some kind of a council or various different councils entirely foreign to and wholly unknown in the authentic Rosicrucian Order. He insists, as we have seen, that the authenticity of his fabrication is shown be- cause he is a member of certain international Rosicrucian Councils, because he has attended certain international conventions or con- gresses and because these alleged councils, conventions or con- gresses® have honored him and have recognized his fraternal swin- dle as being the only authentic Rosicrucian organization in America.
An exhaustive examination of his alleged Rosicrucian World and International Councils, Conventions and Congresses was made in