Chapter IV hereof, and they were shown to be snares and delusions

which have been used as artifices and devices to promote his fraudu- lent Rosicrucian racket.
and analysis of the many inconsistencies and contradictions in his claims of authority. The reader and investigator, especially the official investigator, will find it very interesting to carefully compare and analyze his various claims. When this is done they fall to pieces and prove upon their face that they are all false—mere devices and artifices of fraud. For example, in statements set forth in quotations (7), (13), (16), (25), (43), (48), (49), (63), (70), (78) and (92) he claimed authority to establish the order in America. However, in quotation (89) it was to re-establish the Order in America; in quotation (70) to re-establish it throughout the world and in (74) to revive it throughout the world. In (39) his spurious R. C. Order had no predecessors, in (68) it was in no way connected with an alleged American Founda- tion in 1694; but in (67) and (69) it was a continuation of said alleged Foundation, and in (82) he was presented with documents from said alleged Foundation. Other details of his claims may be treated in the same manner. They do not stand the test of reason and of fair and competent investigation.
9 See quotations (86), (87), (88), (90) and (91). Also his statement quoted in ‘Chapter III, pp. 136-137.
841
AN ANSWER- TO LEWIS WHITE) GC) BOCKe
To aid the investigation and to help the reader gain a quick com- prehension of the great variety of conflicting false claims he has made concerning said councils, we briefly index his references thereto in his statements quoted in this chapter, the figures in the paren- theses indicating the number of the quoted statement referred to, as follows:
The first one referred to is “The Supreme Council of the World” (2). Then his fabrication is afhliated with “International Bodies of Rosicrucians throughout the World’ (8)—how many such “‘in- ternational bodies” there were or may be he does not reveal, but we suspect there were not many if any. He received his “necessary papers” from the “Supreme Council of France’ (10)—well, not exactly, perhaps, from the “Jurisdiction of Aquitania’ (58)—but neither statement was true, because it was “‘by agreement with the
Supreme Council in France and Egypt’ (16).
The Supreme Council of America desired that the American Order (AMORC) be properly “sponsored” by the highest living authority abroad (38), so the “Supreme Council and Grand Lodge AMORC of France, on behalf of the Supreme Council of AMORC of the World,” executed the “paper of sponsorship’’—so he says (35). But the “paper of sponsorship” was not so good. Rosicru- cian Grand Lodges are not so authorized. Hence to improve his papers, he held a “High Lateran Council” (High Roman Catholic Council) of the “Council R. C. of the World,’ which made his the largest and most important independent jurisdiction in the world and gave him almost half of the votes on the “Council of the’ World” (40). Said Council, so he says, issued to him Pronunzia- mento No. 987,601, which he said constituted the necessary “char- ter or patent” for the “‘official existence” of his fabrication in Amer- ica (42), and his alleged rights and privileges to establish it were approved by the “Supreme Pontiff of the Order” in Egypt and transmitted through the “Supreme GRAND Council in France” (43). However, in 1919 he received an alleged communication from the “Supreme Authorities’ purporting to have been written at ‘The Third Vault” (54), which he said proved his close connection with the “Secret Cuter” (55). Whether the ‘“World Council” or the ‘Secret Chief” is supreme, we will never know, but it is not impor- tant—probably neither existed.
But in 1926 his American Supreme Council of AMORC became 842
Parse CLAIMS OF RFC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
“So large and of such an international nature’ that it became “‘the SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE WorRLD” (70), because Harve Spen- mer Lewis, F: R. C., Ph.D., “Imperator-Rex of the AMORC throughout the world” had established a few branches of his fab- rication in other countries, either in fact or as a subterfuge with confederate secretaries to answer inquiries and to establish a post office address.’ This is as near as he ever came to establishing an “International Council’ for his spurious R. C. Order and fraternal racket.
“Supreme High Council of the Universe’
In 1909 he was initiated into the “International Organization”’ under the auspices of the French Jurisdiction (78) and appointed Legate to establish a separate jurisdiction in America.” But “in the summer of 1909, after consultation with the Supreme Master of the French Jurisdiction,” he ‘“‘was placed under the direction of the European Supreme Council,” which agreed to his plans and “‘au- thorized the French jurisdiction to sponsor them” (80). Also, in 1909, he met members of the “International Council of the Rosi- crucian bodies of various European nations” (82).
Increasing activities resulted in an “International Convention of Rosicrucians HELD IN EUROPE” (not in Egypt),°* issuing a procla- mation “establishing North America as a complete jurisdiction of the international organization,” and it was no longer necessary for him to “operate as a branch* of the French body” (84) ; but all of North America operated under one “charter’’® granted by the “Jn- ternational Council” (85), although said Council is only an “Inter-
1See quotation (71), where he speaks of himself as “Imperator of AMORC in America and other jurisdictions’.
2 This conflicts with his statements regarding “sponsorship” and being a branch of the French jurisdiction. See quotation (84).
3 This flatly contradicts his statement in quotation (40), where he says this alleged action took place at a High Roman Catholic Council of the Council R. C. of the World held in Memphis, Egypt.
His acknowledgment here that he operated for some time as a “branch of the French body” cannot be reconciled with his statement in quotation (11), nor with his ‘statement in quotation (61) that his American Lodges are mot branches of lodges of any European organization or secret movement.
5 He possesses no such charter issued by an International Rosicrucian Council that can be shown to be authentic.
843
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (?) BOOK ‘“‘D”
national Advisory Council’ (46) and, therefore, possessed no charter-granting power.
Now, according to his statement in 1921, his alleged “World Council of the Rosicrucian Order’ became all “puffed up” and was known as ‘““THE SUPREME HicH COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSE”’ controlling ‘“‘all the ancient and modern Secret Rites’ which it con- ferred upon his fabrication, so that it was the only organization in the wor!d “having the approval” of the “Supreme High Council of all ancient and modern Secret Rites.’”®
And then in 1931 he declared that only the genu:ne Rosicrucian organizations throughout the world operate under his spurious “Universal or International Supreme Council,” maintaining a sec- retary at its “headquarters in Europe near the location of the origi- nal European Foundation” (87), although his fake ‘International Council Pansophia,” established in Berlin in 1930, failed and was abandoned by him, as we learned in Part Three of Chapter IV, supra. But in The Light of Egypt (December, 1928), on page 17, he declared that: ‘““The Imperators of the various jurisdictions con- stitute a Supreme Council of advisors to the White Lodge which is the Superior body of the entire Order in the World.”
In 1932 to 1934 he averred that “the true Rosicrucian organi- zation for every jurisdiction in the world is represented at all Inter- national Rosicrucian Congresses held in Europe (88). Yet we have seen in Chapter IV, supra, that all his so-called Rosicrucian Con- gresses were not Rosicrucian Congresses at all, but subterfuges which he attempted to establish with mutilated and deleted docu- ments published in his White (?) Book D.
Finally, being without Rosicrucian authority and having no so- called International Councils, Conventions or Congresses, in 1934 he held a congress of clandestinism in Brussels, created the Fuposi as a fraudulent device, appointed Marc Lanval, the international sex engineer, as International Secretary thereof, who certified to the Rosicrucian authenticity of his spurious R. C. Racket, and now he is relying upon that certificate to prove the authenticity
thereof.( 91).
Astounding as it is, it is his own story of the source of his au-
6 See his statement quoted in Chapter III, pp. 136-137. Also note the alleged honors and titles which this “High Council” conferred upon him, shown in his state- ment quoted in pages 135-136, supra.
844
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.&C. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
thority. The manner in which he acquired it and his alleged proof of the authenticity of his alleged Rosicrucian Order is very per- suasive proof—indeed, positive proof that it is a fraudulent R. C. _ Order—a notorious fraternal swindle.
The Establishment of the Fabrication
For the same reason, let us index, contrast and analyze his vari- ous statements as to how he established his fabrication. It was established in February, 1915 (10), but the Supreme Council did not constitute itself a Council and elect the officers until April 1, 1915. The constitution was adopted later; the Council and officers were not initiated until May 13, 1915 (33), and the “Grand Mas- ter General” did not receive his “‘Master’s Jewel’ until July of the same year (34).
Although he was supposed to be an initiate Rosicrucian Master— if we may believe the contradictory and impossible story of his initiation—nevertheless, he could not understand his alleged in- structions, and he made his first great mistake (25). He started before he was ready—his “Black Book” and self-prepared “‘Illu- minated Charter”’ were too crude, and nobody would sign them.
Preliminary Meetings—Organization Committee
‘The preliminary meeting was held February 8, 1915’’—it was not established in February, 1915—-and nine men and women (just ordinary men and women) were present and were made a commit- tee to organize a Supreme Council (27). That was the way it was in 1916, but in 1917 “one of the first acts of the present Imperator was to call a meeting of hundreds of representative men and women, occult students, physicians, clergymen, scientists, lawyers and authors,’ who took the oath and proceeded with the organi- zation (31)—a rather large organization committee! But on March 3rd about eighty attended the second preliminary organiza- tion meeting; several Freemasons and a number of professors and scientific men and women attended, and about fifty took the oath and signed the “Official Black Book” (28). These continued with the organization of the fabrication. However, after all, it was nine men and women who constituted the foundation or organiza- tion committee to establish “‘the Order,” but they were not ordi-
845
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (?) BOOK ‘‘D”
nary men and women—they had spent their lives in occult research, and one was an official messenger from India (49). Yes, it was nine men and women who were the organization committee, but they were not occult researchers; they were representatives of the various schools of advanced thought in New York (63), and the’ representative of ‘“‘the Order’ from India was not present this time.
Now, no matter what kind of men and women they may have been, nine were not enough to form a committee to organize a fab- rication or spurious R. C. Order. Therefore, he selected forty-eight men and women from many branches of activities covered by the AMORC plan. These constituted the organization committee to call a mass meeting and start the ball rolling in a big way. They did. A few weeks later over three hundred well-known occultists, metaphysicians, scientists and students of Rosicrucian work were present. From these a committee of sixty were appointed to verify and go forward with the “plan” (72).
Again the story changes and contradicts itself. As told in 1928, “Dr. Lewis returned from Europe and began at once his official activities.” Early in the fall of 1909 he conferred with foreign initiates who were familiar with the “rules and regulations of the foreign jurisdictions and acquainted with the Supreme Officers abroad.” It was a big job, so “‘twelve men and women had been placed on the foundation committee”’ before the end of 1909—just | to give it a good start (79); but “throughout the years 1909 to 1915 many official Council meetings were held’ in his home and the homes of others, yet he had no Council; and in 1915 the first official public manifesto was issued announcing the birth of “the Order,” and immediately thereafter the first supreme council was selected from among hundreds of men and women who had been carefully selected during the seven preceding years (83). No, no—it was not nine, twelve or forty-eight men and women who formed the foundation or organization committee, but, according to his latest and greatly revised version, 1934, as published in the last edition of the official ‘“‘Rosicrucian Manual,” AMORC, when he returned to America in 1909, after having been introduced to the “right au- thorities’’ who inducted him into the “‘mysteries and methods” of carrying out his life mission, he held many “secret sessions” with men and women who had been initiated into “‘the Order” in France
846
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.»>kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
and India and other lands who formed the first foundation com- mittee for the “re-establishment” of the Rosicrucian Order (89 )— and that is the way it happened. Well, maybe, and then perhaps not. But one thing is certain, namely: so many different, constantly changing and contradictory versions of the same story are sus- picious Insignia of Fraud.
Such Mistakes Are Proof of This Fraud
In the Rosy Cross there are three Councils, which are the only regular councils known in the authentic Order. They are the Councils of Nine, Seven and Three. The Supreme Council of Nine is international; of whom it is composed and the manner in which it functions has not been divulged. The Councils of Seven and Three are local and are attached to and a part of the Supreme ‘Grand Lodge of each grand jurisdiction. Lewis, not being a Rosi- crucian and wholly uninformed as to the internal structure and inner workings of the Fraternity of the Rosicrucians, has made many mistakes in the fabrication and operation of his fraudulent R. C. Order. These mistakes alone are strong evidence tending to prove that his so-called Rosicrucian organization is a fraudulent scheme.
We have seen that at no time have any of his mythical or fab- ricated international councils been like or in any manner correspond to the authentic international councils of the genuine Order. As ‘we have seen and shall presently show, his American ‘Supreme Council” has never corresponded to or been like the genuine Coun- cils of the authentic Supreme Grand Lodges in local grand juris- dictions. From time to time the spurious “Supreme Council” of his fraudulent scheme has been composed of varying numbers. It is now a “Supreme Council of Five’ —A SUPREME COUNCIL OF HIS FrFAMILY—composed of himself, his wife, his son, his son’s wife and another appointed by them.’ The “Supreme Council of Five” or the “Supreme Family Council” is unknown and unheard of in
7 See Chapter VI where his “Supreme Family Council” is discussed.
847
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (2) BOOK} G]
the authentic organization.
Self-Constituted “Supreme Council” Issues Its Own “Illuminated Charter’
For the reasons indicated, let us also index, contrast and analyze his various and varying statements concerning the formation of his ‘Supreme Council,” which issued and joined h:m in the issuance of an “illuminated” counterfeit charter (11) under which he began the operations of a nefarious fraternal business enterprise.
According to his first version, on April 1, 1915, “about thirty of the most active workers met” and “with due form constituted them- selves the Supreme Council, signed an illuminated charter, declar- ing the authoritative, proper and legal establishment of AMORC in America,” but only “twenty-five Councilors, after weeks of de- liberation, investigation and sincere appreciation of its import, arose as a body and rejoicingly signed the American Charter,”® which was a proud and sacred moment to Mr. Lewis (30). This “illuminated charter” is copied in full in quotation (32). It is, beyond all question, the most singular charter and the most unique artifice of fraud or trap for the gullible in existence. Then, after constituting themselves the “Council”? and issuing the aforesaid “charter,” they were afterwards “initiated” into their self-consti- tuted order (33). Now, the “about thirty” of the most active workers later became “thirty men and women selected from over a hundred” who met, elected temporary chairman and “finally or- ganized themselves into the First Supreme Council of the Order in America’ (63). Then the most marvelous thing happened. This remarkable ‘council,’ which resolved itself into existence, became
8The “illuminated charter”; “Black Book”, the “necessary first papers” had been specially prepared by Mr. Lewis in 1913. See quotation (25) and compare this statement with his statement in quotation (73), where he says the “charter” was drawn up and signed by the charter members. See also quotation (31), where he says the “charter was formed and adopted on April 1”, 1915.
°In this Chapter we have examined his self-executed counterfeit charter, his “paper of sponsorship” and his spurious Pronunciamento No. 987,601 alleged to have been authorized by the Supreme R. C. Council of the World, which he claimed was a “Charter or Patent” for his spurious R. C. Order. In Chapter IV we examined all of his so-called important Rosicrucian documents, some of which he said were Rosicrucian charters. We have found all of his alleged charters to be spurious— and used as devices to promote and perpetuate his fraudulent Rosicrucian Order.
848
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
the ‘Supreme Council of the World” (70). But, according to his statement in October, 1917, his fabrication “was founded here in America by twenty-two men and women of New York, assembled on April 1, 1915,” this being the date and meeting when the “First Supreme Council of the Order in America” was formed. Said council must have consisted of twenty-two men and women.’ And then the story changes again, and so changes the “Council.” It was on April 1, 1915,° that fifty-two of a committee of sixty held a spe- cial meeting, and the ‘committee was duly organized as the Su- preme Council of AMORC.” Then they elected officers and then, after they were fully organized as a “‘Rosicrucian Order,” they found that they possessed no Rosicrucian warrant, patent or char- ter, so, therefore, ‘‘a charter [ ?] for the organization of AMORC in its present form was drawn up and signed by the Committee of Charter members present” (73), which was fifty-two, not twenty- five, as first stated in quotation (30). In the beginning about thirty constituted the council, and twenty-five councilors signed the “‘illu- minated charter’; then twenty-two founded the order on April 1, 1915; then sixty constituted themselves the council, and fifty-two charter members signed the charter of AMORC in its present form; but still later the number became uncertain and indefinite, and “in 1915 the first official public manifesto was issued in this country announcing the birth of the new cycle of the Order, and immediately thereafter the first Supreme Council of the Order was selected from among hundreds” of selected men and women (83). Because of the indefinite number of ‘“‘councilors”’ and the expansive nature of this “council,” it was no difficult matter for it to become the “Supreme Council of the World,” as we have seen. However,
1See his statement in American Rosae Crucis, October 1917, p. 195, quoted in Volume I, p. 212.
2On February 8, 1931, he held a celebration in commemoration of the sixteenth anniversary of the first Supreme Council meeting. In his address on that occasion he said: “For many years the Supreme Council, formed in 1909, had been active in preparing and arranging the future work of the organization, acting as an advisory body and co-operating with me in arranging the translations and the establishment of the fundamental principles, but it was not until February 8, 1915, that this Supreme Council was called together for the purpose of actually executing some definite work and becoming active as an executive council rather than as an advisory one.” (Rosicrucian Forum, Number 5, page 142. The italics are ours.) Thus it appears that his statements are as uncertain as to when his “Supreme Council” was formed as they are contradictory as to how many formed it and the purpose for which it was formed.
849
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE? G@)), BOOK es
in his latest version (1934) we are informed that after “seven years of preparation” for the “re-establishment” of the Rosicru- cian Order he issued a manifesto. That his “first official Manifesto was warmly greeted by a gathering of over three hundred promi- nent students of the ancient Rosicrucian teachings who examined the official papers, seals and warrants possessed by Imperator Lewis,’ and that these three hundred or more ‘“‘formed the first American Council of the Order.’ The “illuminated charter’ that was ‘‘destined to be a famous document in American history’’* was abandoned and forgotten, and the fabrication was operated under a “‘paper of sponsorship” sent by the “Grand Council of the Ordre Rose Croix of France’ (89). Well, it was a wonderful, a mar- velous, an unexcelled Council, and how it grew and waxed strong! No wonder it finally expanded itself into the “Supreme High Coun- cil of the Universe,’’* and granted so many honors, titles and privi- leges to Mr. Lewis, who created it in his imagination and used it as an Artifice of Fraud.
A Few.of the Tricks of His Trade
In the February issue of the American Rosae Crucis he pub- lished a ‘““ROSAECRUCIAN Map oF THE Wor Lp, 1300 B.C.” (shown in our Reproduction No. 70), beneath which he printed a descrip- tion, as follows:
(102) “The map shown above represents the countries of the world with signs, symbols and planetary characters allotted to them by the Rosaecrucians in Egypt many centuries before Christ. It is interesting to note that the Eagle with the arrows of Sagittarius (which rules the continent) is allotted to North America along with the Pyramid and other symbols, which were adopted so many years later at Washington by those who were unaware of these things being previously ascribed by the Rosaecrucians. “The map is made from drawings found on the walls in Rosaecrucian Tem- ples and the Pyramid Cheops.” (American Rosae Crucis, Febru- ary 1916, p. 8. The italics are ours.)
It was his purpose that this statement should be read with and as being a part of his general propaganda, namely, that he was in
° See his statement in quotation (30). 4See Chapter III, pp. 335 to 337, supra.
850
Preps CLAIMS: OF RoRC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
possession of all the ‘“‘ancient”” documents of the Rosicrucians and that he could impart their wonderful teachings. Clearly it was his intention to leave the impression on the mind of his readers that his fabrication was decreed centuries before to be established in America, as he has often so represented. his map, alleged and falsely represented to have been copied from original maps on the “walls in Rosaecrucian Temples,’ was intended to sustain his false propaganda and to establish the fact—which was not a fact—that -he was in possession of secret and unusual Rosicrucian documents.
Now, the map in question is a part of a book entitled New Light from the Great Pyramid, by Albert Ross Parsons, published by the Metaphysical Publishing Company, New York, 1893. The con- tents of the book are described by the author on the title page, as follows:
“ * * * "THE ASTRONOMICO-GEOGRAPHICAL SYSTEM OF THE ANCIENTS RECOVERED AND APPLIED TO THE ELUCIDATION OF HIS- TORY, CEREMONY, SYMBOLISM, AND RELIGION, WITH AN EXPOSITION OF THE EVOLUTION FROM THE PREHISTORIC, OBJECTIVE, SCIENTIFIC RELIGION OF ADAM KaDMON, THE MacrocosM, OF THE HISTORIC, SUBJECTIVE, SPIRITUAL RELIGION, OF CHRIST JESUS, THE Micro- eos *)
The map was prepared by the author and copyrighted by him in 1893 as being explanatory of the contents of his book and was attached thereto in such a way that it could be unfolded, and the entire map would be before the reader for the purpose of refer- ence. Of this map the author says on page 11 of the preface:
“The map accompanying this work is arranged so that the reader may keep it continually before his eyes for the purpose of reference, as he is led through the examination of a network of coincidences, which if accidental would prove that chance is as artistically method- ical in its operations as law itself.”
Mr. Lewis deliberately lifted this map from Mr. Parsons’ said book—which in no manner deals with the Rosy Cross or Rosicru- cian matters or temples—reproduced and published it as a ‘“‘Rosi- crucian Map of the World” which had been in existence since the year 1300 B.C. It is miserable misrepresentation—it is a crafty Artifice of Fraud—a cunning Trick of his Trade of Fraternal Racketeering.
851
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (7) BOOK ie Making Gold—Another Trick
In 1916, as a publicity stunt for advertising purposes, with a newspaper reporter present, “Dr.’’ Lewis, “Ph.D.,” the learned scientist,’ “transmuted” a “chunk of zinc” into a “lump of pure gold.” He reported this remarkable “trick or stunt’ in his then official organ, as follows:
(103 “A DremonstraTION oF ALCHEMy—Report of a Special Supreme Grand Convocation Thursday night, June 22, 1916, there was given to the Officers and Councilors of the Supreme Grand Lodge in the Temple in New York, a demonstration of the ancient art—science—of transmutation.
“Tt was the first time such a convocation was held in America— and it may be several years before a similar demonstration will be given again.
“Each Grand Master General is permitted to give, during his lifetime and term of office, one demonstration of the ancient process whereby the transmutation of metal is accomplished.®
“Believing that the time was ripe for such a demonstration before the members who have been studying the laws which underlie all transmutation, our Imperator and Grand Master General made preparations for this most interesting manifestation of those funda- mental laws [!] so thoroughly covered by the lectures of the First, Second, Third and Fourth Degrees of our Order. * * *7
“On the night of the demonstration all were on hand promptly at 8 o’clock. In order to meet the demand for one outside and disinterested witness, a representative of the New York World’s editorial department was invited. Because of his presence a cere- mony was arranged which did not include any of the secret rituals
° See quotations (15) and (92).
®The false claim that he is a Rosicrucian Master makes this statement repre- hensible and doubly false. No Rosicrucian Master would ever do a “stunt” such as here described. Many of the books of the Rosicrucians and the Alchemists refer to the Art of Transmuting the baser metals into gold—but it is not to be understood literally. The expression is a symbolical figure of speech which refers to the spir- itual process of transmuting the lower and baser nature of man into his higher Spiritual Nature. The Rosicrucians teach the Art of Spiritual Transmutation, but no real Rosicrucian would ever be guilty of such a “stunt” as this one pulled off and described by this pseudo-Rosicrucian and fraternal racketeer. As to the true meaning of Transmutation as taught by the Rosicrucians, see Alchemy and the Alchemists (1907), Philosophical Publishing Company, Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
7 His description of,the preparations for the trick being covered in other parts of the article are omitted.
852
Pe esoPwMCR AIMS OF (Rh. C. AUTHORITY ‘REVIEWED
OMwork. ==: *8
“After an opening prayer an address was given by the Grand Master General as follows:
“We are assembled in Holy Convocation tonight in this Temple to demonstrate for the first time in this country the actual realiza- tion of the dreams of our founders.® For a hundred years or more the Elder Brothers of our Order in Egypt worked at their crucibles and wrestled with the problems of alchemy in an attempt to apply the fundamental laws of our philosophy and science. At last they succeeded, and transmutation on the material plane, according to the laws of the triangle on the material plane, was demonstrated. And it has never been demonstrated outside of our Order. * * * *1
“Since the members of this Fourth Degree are the most ad- vanced of our own hundreds of Rosaecrucians in America® today, I have felt the call to take advantage of the privileges accorded to me as your Imperator and Supreme Grand Master to make this dem- onstration of the laws of transmutation; and after due consideration of its national import and its immediate effect upon the minds® of those who esteem this Order and its work so reverently, I grant unto you one and all the privilege of witnessing for the first time the sacred, holy and secret process and method of transmutation. [of the gold of the gullible and unwary into the “Royal Revenues” of his fraternal racket. |
““NMTay the Light so shine through this demonstration tonight that thousands of yearning souls in every part of this glorious coun- try may, indirectly, see the Light and find it a beacon by which they may be guided to our fields of endeavor.’ [He hoped to reach the whole country with this silly publicity stunt. ]
“Then the fifteen members holding packages as per instructions on their cards were requested to place them on the table beside the
8 The description of the decoration of the temple is omitted.
2 The founders of the August Fraternity never dreamed that anyone would ever have the audacity to demonstrate such trickery in the name of the Rosy Cross.
1 His statement that his members are taught, in the First, Second and Third Degrees, the laws by which a “piece of lead’ may be changed into a “lump of pure gold” taxes our credulity to the laughable point of the utter ridiculous. Therefore, it is omitted.
2This is typical of his exaggerated selling propaganda. In 1916 he had a mere handful of followers and there was not a Rosicrucian among them.
3 The real purpose of this tricky stunt is frankly but inadvertently stated. It was intended to have an effect on the minds of the gullible and credulous and to be used as “national” advertising or propaganda for the promotion of his scheme.
853
AN ANSWER FO LEWIS’ WHITE (7) BOCKe
crucible in full sight of the members. Directly beside the table sat the New York World’s representative keenly alive to the value of close observation,* and as skeptical as any skeptic we may meet from a newspaper. “The World has been investigating some of the other so-called Rosicrucian movements in this country, and from the correspondence it so gladly showed us, with the evidence of false statements, we are not surprised that this investigator was anxious to have all the further proof he could add to that which he already possessed regarding the genuineness of the claims made by our Order. For this reason—unlike those bodies he is trying to investigate—we gave him every possible opportunity to KNOW.°
“When the zinc was produced by one of our members—himself a mining engineer and expert on the subject of metals—it was at once turned back to the members to be so marked with initials and symbols as to make future identification positive.
“The New York World representative was one of the first to make his initials on the piece of zinc in an unmistakable manner. Then the zinc was tested by nitric acid to prove its nature. “The fumes from the acid on the zinc were plainly visible to all present. Then the piece of zinc was cut in half. The half piece—about half an inch square, containing the scratched initials and symbols, was carefully weighed on assayers’ scales. It weighed exactly 446 milli- grams.
“Then the zinc was handed to the Vestal Virgin, who took it with the tweezers and held the metal in full sight while the Grand Master General picked up a small china dish—such as is used as ‘butter dishes’ and which a member had placed on the table. In this dish we could plainly see the. Master drop some white powder sup- plied by one Sister present. Into this was dropped several petals from a fresh red rose brought by another Sister. “Then the Vestal Virgin placed the piece of zinc into the dish and over it was sprin- kled several other white powders supplied by some of the Brothers.
“The dish was held then over the colored flames and fumes of the crucible while the Master stirred the contents of the dish with
*The New York World reporter was “keenly alive,” as we shall see from his report of this ridiculous attempt to trick and fool the newspaper, the public, as well as his members who were present.
° A careful perusal of the files of the New York World for the year. 1916 does not reveal that it was making an investigation of Rosicrucian movements in America. This is false promotional propaganda. It is only another phase of his fraudulent artifice of having his Spurious R. C. Order investigated and found to be “genuine.” The report in the New York World as made by this reporter was rather adverse, as we shall see. The manner in which he has taken advantage of editors and misrep- resented various newspapers would make an interesting chapter.
854
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.»KC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
merely the tip of the forefinger of his right hand.
“The left hand of the Master held the dish over the flames and the fingers of the hand were certainly severely scorched, as could be seen after the allotted ‘sixteen minutes’ of stirring were up, but he showed no sense of pain then nor over two hours afterward and the following morning even the outward effects of the burn had dis- appeared.®
“During the process, which called for continued concentration and very active handling of dish, ingredients, etc., to a most tiring and exhaustive degree, the Master dropped into the dish the dif- ferent ingredients brought by the members. The World repre- sentative’ was most careful to note the outward appearance of each ingredient and surely none present missed a single phase of the process. Our nerves were tense, we hardly breathed and were pre- pared for almost anything. [Remarkable beyond measure! |
“It was the first time the Master had conducted the process and he and we all realized that if any member had failed to bring just the proper ingredient, or if anything else was wrong—a disaster might occur. [!] Emergency articles had been provided by some present—for it was not the failure of the demonstration which we hoped would not come at this time, but personal injury to the Mas- ter, whose whole body was so close to the crucible and whose hands and face were practically in the fumes. [It was the love of the faithful for a great Master—it is all so astounding! |
“After the last petal of the rose had been dropped into the dish [this did the trick], the Master announced that he had reached the end of the process as he knew it. It was a crucial moment. The Master straightened up his figure from the bent-over position he had maintained for sixteen minutes. “Those in the rear of the room rose from their seats and crowded to the front of the Temple, for- getting all Temple decorum in their eagerness to see the result of the process. [It was so wonderful and exciting! ]
“Then in a quiet, simple manner the Master lifted the metal from the dish, held it close to the altar light burning in a crystal lamp brought from a Rosaecrucian Temple in the Orient, and after a critical examination announced, in a dignified, almost reverent, tone: ‘It is gold!’S
6 He could handle fire without getting burned—indeed, it was a marvelous demon- stration of pseudo-mastership or the real mastering of the arts of deception.
7Later we shall see how well the representative understood the whole ridiculous procedure.
8 Yes, it was gold—“fool’s gold”, to fool and fleece the unwary. The remarkable process described seems to be so simple and very inexpensive. The wonder is that
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AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (#7) BOOKS we
“Those close by leaned forward to see the metal. There was an almost imperceptible motion of rushing toward the Master by the thirty-seven members present, when the Master passed the metal over to the Brother who had brought the original piece of zinc and said: ‘Brother, you and the gentleman from the World may weigh the metal and note the probable increase in weight.’
“Carefully was the metal weighed again by the same scales. Every adjustment possible showed that the piece of metal had in- creased in weight. ‘This was announced by those witnessing the weighing. “Then the World’s representative announced that the piece of metal contained and plainly showed his initials and other marks and others stated that their identification marks were also visible.
“The metal had a bright, yellow appearance, much like the light color of pure gold and not like the more copper yellow color of 14 or 18 karat gold.
“At the request of the Master the metal was immediately sub- jected to nitric acid tests as was the zinc—the same piece of metal— before the transmutation. This time there was no burning of the metal, no fumes, and the test was repeated several times.
“A stounded, yet knowing what really had occurred and the sim- plicity of it according to our teachings—[!]—most of us felt that we had witnessed one of the strangest, most sacred demonstrations and experiments yet given in our Temple. [Astounded at what— the simplicity of trickery? ]
“The Master fittingly closed the convocation and all retired to the Imperator’s Office, the Imperator carrying with him two pieces of metal—each originally forming one piece of zinc—now different in color, weight and nature. [!!!] The Secretary General remained in the Temple to destroy all the ingredients which remained unused
he did not make tons of it instead of two small pieces. However, later he says that the art of transmuting is a costly one and no financial gain could possibly come through any exercise of this knowledge. (Rosicrucian Digest, June 1931, p. 522.) In this article he writes on the subject of “Rosicrucianism—a Unique System”. We regret we cannot quote and review it. Investigators will find in it much interesting evidence and the usual contradiction and repudiation of his former statements. In an article in 1930 on “The Transmutation of Gold” he stated: “Every alchemist who has ever experimented with transmutation, as has the Imperator of our AMORC here in America, has freely admitted that the cost in time, chemicals, equipment, and labor involved in making even a few milligrams of gold zs so tremendous that the manu- facture of gold as a commercial process or commercial product is not only out of the question but a wery silly contemplation.” (Rosicrucian Digest, February 1930, p. 6. The italics are ours.) Hence, we have his admission in 1930 that his Gold Making
Hoax of 1916 was a “very silly contemplation”.
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
on the table beside the crucible.
“In the Imperator’s office, under the bright, white electric lights the two pieces of metal were compared. It is needless to state that most of the members conceded that one was gold—T{ !|—of a refined nature—while the other was zinc. A few were less positive that it was pure gold and their attitude is best expressed by the words of the World’s representative, who in writing the report for the news- papers said: ‘Whether pure gold was evolved or not I cannot say. I am not familiar enough with gold to make so bold a declaration. But of this much I am sure and will vouch for: a piece of tested and marked zinc was certainly transmuted into some other metal of a distinctly different nature, color and weight which successfully passed the acid test for gold. Furthermore, it looks like gold. Whereas the metal I marked and tested was at one time zinc, it is not zinc now, and the change was brought about before our eyes in fifteen to twenty minutes, in an honest, [!] sincere, [!!] and frank [!!!] manner.’ [See what the Reporter of the World really said in quotation to follow. |
“The two pieces of metal will remain for some time in the Imperator’s office, in a case, where they may be seen. Newspaper men, editors and several scientists have examined them and go their way greatly perplexed. No change in the appearance or size of the metals has occurred since the demonstration—and none is expected —except that one small corner piece of the gold has been cut off and sent to the Supreme Council of the Order in France along with an official report.”® (American Rosae Crucis, July 1916, pp. 17 to 20. The italics are ours.)
The Great Gold-Making Hoax What the World Reporter Thought and Said
No thoughtful or sensible person could witness the ridiculous hoax of making gold out of zinc in sixteen minutes by so simple a process or read the foregoing account thereof as reported and published by Mr. Lewis and believe that it was other than a huge joke or a bold trick of an audacious and foolish charlatan who had unlimited, blind confidence in his ability to deceive. Certainly, it could deceive none except those who are gullible beyond redemption
9 The reader will recall that the sending of “reports’ as well as the sending of fake gold to the mythical “Supreme Council” of his fabrication in France was one of his favorite artifices, often used for promotional purposes in the early years of his activities.
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AN ANSWER: TO LEWIS’ WHITE (7) BOOK ts
or those who are credulous beyond all reason.
In his usual suave manner and cunning way he attempts to lead his readers to believe that the New York World reporter approved of his “‘wonderful’ demonstration or at least was so astounded that he would not question or deny the success of his transmutation of zinc into ‘“‘pure gold,” but he artfully misrepresented the atti- tude of the reporter. As a matter of fact, the World reporter ridi- culed the whole procedure with pointed and cutting irony.
In the New York World, June 28, 1916, said reporter, writing under a headline reading “Ir You Want Gotp, Try THE Rosy Cross Way,” said:
“Under the direction of Grand Master General and Imperator H. Spencer Lewis of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, a chunk of zinc was turned last night into pure gold, or—well, if it wasn t that, it was something else. * * * A World reporter is sure of some of the things used. There were a red rose and some cigar ashes and something that looks like saleratus and a piece of gauze and some distilled water. “These were stirred in a china dish held over a crucible. Into his dish Imperator Lewis placed a piece of zinc and stirred this mixture with his fingers. “There came out of the dish a piece of metal which more than half of the Supreme Council of America, Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, were willing to believe was gold.’
In the Metropolitan Section of the New York World on the fol- lowing Sunday, July 2, 1916, there appeared a most amusing and laughable cartoon under the title of ““VisIrING THE Mystic TEem- PLE WHERE IMPERATOR LEWIS PERFORMED AS AN ALCHEMIST.” In this article the World severely ridiculed and poked all manner of fun at his audacious trickery and, among other things, said, “Getting back to that yellow bit of metal that the Imperator said ‘he had transmuted, it can be said with authority that all suggestions that it might be sent to the laboratory of Columbia University for examination or assayed will be turned down.” Yet, notwithstanding this and many other sim-lar statements made by New York news- papers, in the October issue of The American Rosae Crucis, at
1 When we read this statement that more than half of his Supreme Council believed that he had changed a chunk of zinc into pure gold, we may be inclined to doubt his statement in quotation (29) that his said council was composed of the repre- sentative learned and thinking class of New York City.
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
page 19, he said: “Many newspapers in very many states have spoken editorially of the Order and its establishment in this coun- try. Inno case has such article ridiculed or even spoken otherwise than seriously and with praise and dignity of the Order.”
Here we have typical examples of other tricks and artifices which he employs to promote and perpetuate his fraternal swindle, as well as a striking example of the manner in which he has used and misused newspapers. The various artifices which he has employed and the many advantages which he has taken of editors of news- papers, magazines and standard reference works are far too numer- ous for us to properly review in this work.” However, they will prove to be an interesting study for official investigators. Mosc of them are found in his own acts and statements as recorded by him- self, and they are very persuasive proof of his fraudulent enterprise.
Hs Fabrication Is and Is Not Religious
There is as much uncertainty as to the nature of his fabrication as there is to the source of its alleged authority and the date and man- ner of its establishment. In his first propaganda booklet issued in 1915 he declared that it was not a “Religious movement,”® yet in his second propaganda booklet issued two years thereafter he de- clared that it 1s:
(104) “A Sacrep RELicious BRorHERHOop— The Rosicrucians
2JIn August 1917 he gave a demonstration of the alleged Rosicrucian teachings of his fabrication as taught in the 6th, 7th and higher degrees. He stated that each vertebra of the spine had its musical note and color. ‘That the laws and prin- ciples governing these matters constituted the secret teachings of his fabrication, not found in any other system or school of occultism, medicine or science. ‘Therefore, based upon “these wonderful laws” with a little Aocus pocus, he demonstrated (!) the application thereof in healing arts, with the cunning art of deception. Inasmuch as he claimed to be A Rosicrucian Master he demonstrated (!) that by simply placing his thumb on the proper vertebra, thereby producing the proper musical note and color, all manner of diseases were cured, the lame and the deformed were healed, sight was restored and the blind could see—as in the days of yore when Jesus, the Master of Men, walked on the waters and. the shores of the sea of Galilee. According to his report, he performed miracles such as had not been performed since the days of Christ and the Great Masters. See The American Rosae Crucis, September 1917, pp. 170 to 175. Such trickery and artifices as these, which he still uses for promotion and perpetuation of his fraternal racket, will prove to be an interesting field for the official investigator.
3 See “Official Publication Number Two AMORC’, p. 6.
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AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE (tt) BOOKS bs
were always devout worshipers of God. In God and God’s laws did the Master minds find all their inspiration. Ever present in their minds was the most demonstrable fact: God as the Supreme Archi- tect,t the Master Mathematician and the Source of all that is,- manifest in all things and through all things.
“This being so, it is easy to understand how and why the Rosi- crucian Brotherhood became a religious Order. In fact it is the premier religious order or sect after which many other religious orders have freely copied.” (Rosicrucian Initiation, 1917, p. 4. The italics are ours.)
On the title pages of his first official organ, The American Rosae Crucis, appears this statement: “A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Science, Philosophy and Religion. Official Organ of Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis.”” At'various times he has referred to it as a Religious Order and then emphatically declared that it is not. However, in more recent years in his propaganda booklets and nation-wide advertisements’ he has asserted that it is not RE- LIGIOUS in any way or in any meaning of the word. In his recent propaganda and advertisements he has given prominence to such statements as this: “Remember—The Rosicrucian Brotherhood (AMORC) is Nor a Religious organization.”’® It is true—very true—that his fabrication—the AMORC—is no? a religious or- ganization, but the Rosy Cross or the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, in whose holy name he carries on his fraternal racketeering, is a Sacred Religious Order. ‘Therefore, it is fraudulent to conduct a non-religious racket in the name of a Holy Religious Order.
4 This is Masonic phraseology. As we have noted, his spurious Order is a Masonic- Rosicrucian fabrication.
5 See a fac-simile of one of his recent advertisements—our Reproduction No. 22, Volume I, p. 379.
6 The Constitution of the United States guarantees to every person, cult and religious sect the right of freedom of worship according to the dictates of their own conscience. The government has placed a liberal construction on this provision of the constitution and has been very slow and reluctant to interfere with any matters or practices of so-called religious movements or cults, which policy of non-interference has permitted without official interference the promotion and carrying on of innu- merable dangerous practices and illegal rackets in the name and under the protec- tion of religion. But Mr. Lewis, although exploiting the highest ideals of mankind and trafhcking in brotherly love, has declared his racket to be entirely non-religious and has placed himself and his fraternal enterprise beyond the pale of the afore- said liberal official policy of non-interference with religious sects, cults and so-called movements. Of this let official investigators take due notice and proceed accordingly.
860
PaAboly CLAIMS OF RoC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
The Rosy Cross Is a Religious Order
The Mysteries have always been profoundly and fundamentally religious. They are and always have been the esoteric basis and fundamental foundation of all exoteric religious sects, cults and movements. The various secret orders, schools, priesthoods and fraternities throughout the ages and from time immemorial have been religious—profound religious organizations.
The genuine Mysteries and the Ancient Wisdom or Gnosis, as taught in the Secret Orders, Priesthoods and Schools of all ages and at different times, are and always have been essentially the same, irrespective of the different methods of presentation and the many different names of the authentic orders, priesthoods or schools of the White Brotherhood that have from age to age presented and preserved the same. |
In each age there have been Priesthoods and Secret Schools or Orders that have taught to the worthy the true Wisdom of the Ages according to the dispensation of the times. They have, ac- cording to their own methods best adapted to the conditions and necessities of their age, pointed the Way to spiritual development —the true Initiation and Immortalization of the Soul—and they have handed down this dncient Wisdom and the true doctrines of the Sons of Light to succeeding generations.
Prior to the seventeenth century there were several secret schools or orders teaching the Mysteries. However, during the early part of the seventeenth century—about the year 1614—-several of these schools or orders were merged or consolidated into one school, order or August Fraternity with the object and for the purpose of presenting the Mysteries and Ancient Wisdom according to Chris- tian dispensation. Thereafter they were known as the Rosicrucian Brotherhood or the Order of the Rosy Cross, and the Rose upon the Cross—called The Rosy Cross—was adopted as the symbol of the Fraternity. Therefore, the Rose Cross is not only a Religious Order—it is a Christian Order, teaching the Ancient Wisdom ac- cording to the Christian Dispensation and presenting the Myster- ies in accordance with Western Traditions and the requirements of our civilization. |
861
AN ANSWER TO-LEWIS> WHITE (@?) BOOK Da
The Rose Cross a Christian Order Of Christian Rosenkreutz—C. R. C.
In all ages the Masters and the highest Initiates—especially those outstanding Master-teachers who have interpreted the Mys- teries and ageless Wisdom according to the requirements of their age, who have brought to the world new dispensations upon which new exoteric religions have been founded—have been humble teach- ers of the ineffable realities, teaching by precept as well as with words the excelling superiority of spiritual values as compared with fleeting worldly affairs. The Buddha left a worldly kingdom with all its pleasures and seemingly great riches, thus retired from the haughty world to take his abode among the simple and lowly to teach the reality of true values. Jesus, the Christ, was born in a manger, and the song that the angels sang was ‘“‘Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men.” He taught not in gilded temples and ancient synagogues, but on the byways and highways where the lowly dwell and the race of men pass by. He sought not the unreality of worldly pleasures and refused a temporal kingdom. He offered not great riches that perish, but the enduring “Pearl of Great Price’’—that bringeth Peace beyond all understanding, which is the fruit of the spirit. He warned of the catastrophe of gaining the world and _ losing the soul and taught to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven within, that all things outside thereof might be added. The key- note of his philosophy was unpretentious meekness—not brazen boldness. The precepts of his life were service—the charity of love: to give and forget the giving, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to uplift the fallen and to heal the sick—not to make a gaudy display of silks and ermines or fine raiment. The Christian Order of the Rosy Cross teaches and inculcates his exoteric doc- trines and esoteric teachings. Jesus, the Great Initiate Master— the Master-teacher—was a prototype of what all Rosicrucian Mas- ters must be, and if they are not, they are not Rosicrucians. And, therefore, they are unworthy to be leaders of the Holy Order or brethren of the Sacred Brotherhood.
Junket Publicity Stunts The Antithesis of the Rosy Cross
Eight years ago (January, 1929) this pseudo-Rosicrucian and 862
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.»>KC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
so-called international Rosicrucian leader headed a ‘“‘Mystic”’ junket to “Mystic Lands of Egypt,” the Holy Land and Europe. A few days ago (February, 1937) he took a few of his followers on a junket to Europe and Egypt. The inducements offered to his fol- lowers to accompany him, no doubt, are numerous and varied. Some go under deception, others for the pleasure, uniqueness and notori- ety of the trip. However, as to Mr. Lewis, the prime thought and sole object is publicity for promotional purposes. Everything is prearranged for the accomplishment of that purpose. Like the parades which precede the circuses and minstrel shows, the trum- peter announced the coming, and the banners, the glamour and the glory of the stupendous parade tell of the arrival of “‘the greatest show on earth.” Stops are arranged at advantageous places, the “big showoff” is staged and well-prepared press-releases are freely handed out. And this—the extreme antithesis of an unpretentious, non-proselyting brotherhood, emulating the noble precept of the meek and lowly Nazarene Master—is done in the name of the Rosi- erucians and under their holy symbol of the Rosy Cross for the promotion of a wicked fraternal racket and a nefarious swindle.
On his recent junket and as a part of his latest glamorous pub- licity stunt, attended with much dazzling fanfare and deceptive pomp, he staged a great showoff at the Hotel Martinique in New York City, whose facade displayed the large sign ‘‘ROSICRUCIANS WELCOME,” with a charming young lady dressed in fine raiment, expensive furs, afternoon gowns, sport togs, gold lamé evening gowns, with all the glamorous and ostentatious appearance of so- ciety’s favorite queen, a Barnum main attraction or the headliner of a Texas Guinan’s night club, with a princess’ purse in her hand, drinking her first cocktails to attract the greatest amount of atten- _tion, while he, ‘“‘the jolly, talkative Rosicrucian Mogul,” proudly handed out publicity releases, the theme of which was “Will she find her Prince Charming?” Let us hope she will and that all his deluded followers will find whatever they seek, but most of all let us hope, for their best interests, that they will find the Light of Truth, while real Rosicrucians modestly continue their search for
the Holy Grail.
The Literary Digest collected these “marvelous” pseudo-Rosicru- cian publicity releases and on February 13, 1937, published a résumé of them under headlines as follows:
863
AN ANSWER TO LEW1S WHITE) (7) SO0kKe 2]
“THELMA’S Quest: Rosicrucian Cinderella Girl Star Pilgrim on Egyptian Junket
“Small and little known are a dozen or so non-sectarian and, in a broad sense, non-religious orders, which seldom arouse interest outside of their own tiny worlds.®
“More of a secret? brotherhood than a sect, they employ a sys- tem of mystical-metaphysical philosophy calculated to guide the development of the inner consciousness ;*° and often they leave the uninitiated to wonder whether they aren’t religions after all.°
“Oldest and best known of them is the Ancient, Mystical Order Rosae Crucis! (Rosicrucians), which numbers about 400,000 to 500,000 throughout the world.? lLodge-like, the membership in- cludes both men and women, is strongest in England, France and Germany, fairly strong in Soviet Russia and Fascist Italy. Around 50,000 dwell in the United States.
“JUNKET—Last week Rosicrucians all over the world watched with profound interest® a junket-like mission to Egypt led by the American Imperator of the Order, Dr. H. Spencer Lewis, fifty-six, short, rotund, bearded “Grand Old Man” of the mystic order on these shores. A little more than a fortnight ago, Doctor Lewis swung out from Rosicrucian Park, San Jose, California, national headquarters, amid the cheers of 300 families who live about the
6 How could they be unknown with nation-wide bombastic advertising, with tons of propaganda pamphlets circulated and with publicity stunts like this?
7 According to his earlier statements, his fabrication was not a secret order. See quotation (2). His literature abounds with similar statements.
8’ This publicity stunt is not consistent with the idea of developing the “inner consciousness,” or spirituality.
® This stunt most likely leaves the impression that these are pleasure seekers on a junket—not pilgrims visiting a holy shrine.
1 Of all the mystical fabrications, undoubtedly the AMORCv.is best known, and although it does not antedate the year 1915, it may be the oldest of all fraternal rackets in the United States.
if
2In the beginning it was the “most. powerful” secret organization “in the world” with “millions of members in every country on the globe.” See quotation (6). In an early propaganda booklet entitled: “Fiax’, on page 1, he says: “It is the most powerful secret organization in the world today with over 6,000,000 members in every country on the globe.” Despite all bombastic advertising and unique pub- licity stunts, it would seem that it has decreased terribly in the last 25 years. In the case of AMORC ws. Geo. L. Smith, as shown at page 518 of the Transcript, he testified that there were about 25,000 members all told in the United States. His membership is as flexible as his “authority” and changes with each statement that he makes. See pp. 119-120, supra.
° Do you recognize his usual propaganda? See his statement p. 486, supra.
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-kC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
colony. About 150 cohorts, many of them wealthy, accompanied him with much fanfare and pomp.*
“Star pilgrim was not the jolly, talkative Rosicrucian mogul [“Dr.” Lewis], but Thelma Johnson, twenty-two, shy, soft-spoken Rosicrucian Park ‘Hello’ girl, who has never been more than fifty miles from home. Picked for the trip by an employees’ club, Thelma was promptly dubbed ‘Cinderella of Santa Clara (San Jose) Valley,’ became an object of great pride and joy to fellow members travel- ing with her.’ 4
“Princess’ Purse—As the pilgrim train sped across the conti- nent to New York, Rosicrucians [!] poured out at stopovers to wish her godspeed, drop into her lap a princess’ purse of $12,000. In New York, ‘Cinderella’ Johnson put aside her expensive fur coat, gold lamé evening gowns, afternoon frocks and sport togs, DRANK HER FIRST COCKTAILS and posed at the switchboard of the Hotel Martinique, whose facade displayed the sign: ‘Rosicrucians W el- come! At her. side, Doctor Lewis proudly handed out publicity releases, the theme of which was: ‘Will she find her Prince Charming?’
“With the prime object a search for wisdom, the Rosicrucian pilgrimage to Egypt takes place every five or six years,® includes stops with brother members at gay Mediterranean resorts before pulling up at the Heliopolis Hotel, in Cairo, Egypt.
“Chief point of interest in the land of the Pharaohs is the Great Pyramid of Cheops, which, they believe, contains the secrets of infinite wisdom.” (Literary Digest, February 13, 1937, p. 35. The italics and capitals are ours.)
The Genuine vs. the Spurious
Since the advent of this spurious Rosicrucian fabrication, the au- thentic Order in America has been forced more and more to come out into the open to point out to sincere and worthy seekers the Way to the True Temple of the Rosy Cross. Since then we have
4This, also, is typical of his general propaganda—many of his members are wealthy and of great worldly importance. In this connection recall the statement of William Riesener shown at pp. 110-111 supra; also, the statement of his ex-Grand Treasurer shown on p. 120 supra, which will show the high regard of his neighbors and why “300 families” cheered his departure, if they did.
5 And the most important factor in the publicity stunt.
8It has been eight years since the first and the last junket took place. These junkets cannot be considered as being an institution.
865
AN ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE) COOK Res
continued to point out, as we have throughout these volumes, in connection with the subject matter under consideration, the marked difference and the distinguishing features between the genuine and spurious Rosicrucian fabrications. Chief among these is that the genuine Order only makes itself known to the extent that sincere seekers should not be denied—that it does not solicit and urge any- one to come unto it, but that all must prove their worthiness and come seeking of their own free will and accord. That it is only the spurious and fraudulently promoted fabrications doing business in its name and under an alleged ‘“‘trademark”’ of its holy symbol that proselyte and solicit members with urgent, enticing propaganda and with widespread, bombastic advertisements. That the real Order is unostentatious, whereas the spurious organizations racketeering in its name go about their business of collecting the “Royal Reve- nues”’ of family hierarchies with much ballyhoo, with unique pub- licity stunts and with tricky faked demonstrations.
The Rose on the Cross of the Rosicrucians symbolizes, among other things, the Saviour—THE Curist. Insofar as it symbolizes Jesus, the Great Master of the Christian dispensation and Him upon the Cross pointing salvation to the world, it has been referred to as the Rose of Sharon on the rough and unpolished wooden Cross of the Poor, that is, poor in worldly goods, but rich in spirit in that they are seekers of the Holy Grail and The Pearl of Great Price. Thus we see the Rosy Cross—the symbol of the Rosicrucians—ain another of its aspects.
Surely, it must be apparent that essentially and foremost the Rosicrucian Order is a Secret School of Spiritual development, and that its symbol, the Rosy Cross, tells of the teachings and precepts of the Great Master-teacher—Jesus the Nazarene—who taught the rich man to sell his goods, to give to the poor and to follow his example in meekness, and who leads us not into temptation, but away from it. Therefore, it is a shame—a notorious scandal—for a charlatan—a fraternal racketeer—to lead a caravan of pleasure seekers, “many of them wealthy,” on a junket to the Mystic Land of the Ancient Priesthood as an advertising and publicity stunt to further promote a wicked swindle, with an innocent, charming young girl as the central figure, dressed in fine raiment and drink-
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FALSE CLAIMS OF R.»>KC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
ing her first cocktails.
By His Own Acts and Statements He Proves His Fabrication to Be a Fraud
In this chapter we have made a brief, supplemental review of a part of his many contradictory, false claims to Rosicrucian author- ity; we have directed attention to a few of his irreconcilable state- ments of how he organized his fabrication, and we have pointed out a few of his acts wholly inconsistent with true Rosicrucian Mas- tership. It is his story as told and acted by himself. Nowhere in this broad land can there be found ‘“‘twelve good men and true’’— a jury of his peers—who would believe his chang:ng, crooked, con- tradictory and impossible story when it is properly and fully pre- sented to them.
By his own deeds, out of his own mouth and with his recorded and published statements is his spurious R. C. Order and Rosicru- cian Brotherhood shown to be a delusion and a fraud.
There is other evidence—an abundance of other evidence, yet within his own propaganda literature and the record as made and recorded by himself there is to be found sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty that his Ma- sonically promoted, so-called Rosicrucian Order is a nefarious fra- ternal swindle.
Epiror’s Nore: We are aware that throughout this work and especially in this chapter we have violated the standard rules for the use of italics and capitals. However, there have been so many matters to which attention should be directed and so many com- parisons to be made, we trust, therefore, that the reader will join us in the belief that the violation of those rules of good composi- tion have been amply justified.
3. Mr. Lewis’ acts here described become reprehensible and almost unforgivable, when we consider that he knew the Aumility that is becoming unto a Rosicrucian, and how a Rosicrucian Master should live. See his statements in quotations (17) and (18), and in Chapter III, on pp. 168 to 172, supra, where he describes the dangers of his organization “falling into the quagmire of materialism’ and where he describes his fair “Temple of Alden” nestled close to nature where he could hold communion with God and act like a Rosicrucian Master, whom he fain would imitate.
867
FAC-SIMILE REPRODUCTION No: 64
This spurious “PAPER OF SPONSORSHIP” —Made in America, but purporting to have come from France—is Pronunziamento No. 987;432, with 9 signatures and 5 seals— none of which bear Rosicrucian symbols. However, the one in the lower left corner is a Masonic signature seal. It is a “strange-looking” device of fraud. See text and quotations (35), (36) and (38). Note the seal in lower right corner. This is the “Sign of the American Publication Committee’”—See Reproduction No. 68.
_
FAC-SIMILE REPRODUCTION No. 65
, JUNE 19, 1918.
ae ae EPO GRAND IMPERATOR GRIEVED AT ARREST
Prving Detectives Want to! Know About Those Gold
! who, when the financial affairs of the so- called order was somewhat strained, de- clares that she handed over a fundred dollar bill subsequently receiving one of the © per cent. gold bonds of the An- cient and Mystic Order of Rosae Crucis.
Miss Meeker explained yesterday that her contribution had been given with- out solicitation in October of 1916, that ghe received the bond with a receipt for the money paid. and that she had also received $6 interest. She admitted, how- ever, that after attending several meet- ings of the organization she felt com- pelled to withdraw as a member.
From his home !n Flushing last night Lewis told @ reporter for THE SUN that had his organization—the
Bonds and Things.
SPENT N : A time SPE MIveNIGHS. JEN NOCEL BRE Pel Cea cctrat Order! Rose Gru: E |pranch of the Rosae Crucis organiza- - Cult. Leader Asserts Purpose of} tion in France. “We neve never claimed : Suge -. mp_s.z/ 1 to hold any warrant, charter, patent or | Organization Had No T rat authority from any foreign country,” he
said over the telephone. Studies of the Occult,
The allegations against Lewis are that 2 ‘,, he has disposed of several thousand Tlalf a dozen detectives attached to dollars worth of bonds upon the repre- tie Iistrict Attorney's office were exam-jsentatiom that his organization was a fm-ts meaning sateen sashes. roves and!recognized branch of a worldwide insti- bee an tution devoted to studies of the occult. otier regalia—taken in the raid ef the © . Se apse tes one Ned Armerican/ Among the papers selzed in Lewis's r‘eadquayters of the so-called Are: ican faesk on Monday night is a piece of order of the Rosae Crucis. parchment headed “Pronunziamento R.+
While they were still going over the} Be R.C,_ No. Sain The document is ; Z _ alialadorned with a number of crude seals,’ DoPel ey cockawend coches parenteral’ 4 a4) Toulouse, France; September 20. of various kinds collected in the raid 1916, and signed by one Jean Jordain. that was described exclusively in Timm After the signature follow a series of Stn yesterday H. Spencer Lewls, LSS cS lial Bs ie Meaeitd of ee! docu- : ig j{mient address: o Le Secretaire-General, ball Veen) vatlously described) 880th ey. on Kilmalehto, appears! the announce. main works, the grand imperator, thérment that a separate jurisdiction of the most perfect master profundis and a Rosae Crucis order has been, estadlished lustrious brother of the illuminati o ee earoee Seri ghne UaunEeie pontif, ‘ F E west s Sry Tigh Ancient She El Moria Ra of the OAL was explaining to THE SUN Memphis and that the official seal is his arrest. detention and examina:|neing forwarded to the. Most Perfect tion taken altogether comprised one i
of Master Profundis H. Spencer Lewis at the greatest outrages ever perpetrate ?
ew unon a real and regular Rosae Cruvianh}
Grand Imperator Lewis was arrested, Hfionors for American Master. 91 Monday night in a spectacular ratd} tp the February, 1916) number of the on the headquarters of his: organizations 4 nerican Rosae Crucis, which is de- in the old JAly Lantry house at 36liscribed on the first page as a monthly West Twenty-third street. Two orinagazine devoted to science, philosophy tree dozen of his followers tried to Betjang religion, a picture of Lewis in his huil, but the Grand Imperator had {Ol»obes of office appears, and in reference to him is this statement:
epend the night in a cell.
But in 1909 otr Master journeyed to France and England to complete his preparation for the Rosaecrucian workh—
of Money Getting. i
hat 8
Gald Bonds Figure in Char«e. Lewis was arraigned yesterday in Jef-
ferson Market-Court before Magistrate ; lau on a short affidavit sworn to by | Detective-Lieutenant Joseph Russo, al- leging suspicion of larceny of money through the sale of* bonds of the ro- called American Order of the Rosae Crucis. lewis was later relegsed un- der $5,000 for examination to-morrow.
[ewis gave his name as Harvey &. lewis, although he is known among tie members of his cult as H. Spencer Lewis. The charge against him ‘s based on s'atements of Miss Flizabeth Meeker of 79 Fifth acenue, who ut one time was a member of Tewis’s organization, and
which always seemed to be his goal—- and he was given several honors and titles by the French R. c. order. By agreement with the supreme council ‘n France and Egypt the permission, long 6ought by scientists and earnest philo- sophical students. was given unto our @iaster to establish the R. ©. Order in America in tae year 1915."
When he was arraigned in court ves- terday Mark Ellison, counsel for Lewis, desiared that the Disirict Attomey had produced no proof to show that Lewis ever received a dollar in cash for the bonds ise fs alleged to have soll.
i
An account of the Imperator’s arrest in New York in 1918. Of the fact that he was arrested, there is no doubt—yet in 1933 he had a Superior Court of California find and record in its records.as a fact that he has never been arrested. Then he used the false finding as propaganda in his Booklet “Guilty.” If it is not a fraud upon the Court to do that—then, to say the least, it is a dangerous abuse of the Court and a flagrant misuse of the Court’s public records.
FAC-SIMILE REPRODUCTION No. 66
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BALSE CLAIMS OF R.-+— CG. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
FAC-SIMILE, REPRODUCTION No. 67
cAMERICAN OFFICERS
The following Officers of the Grand Lodge of America constitute the Foundation Board for the United States and Dependencies:
H. Spencer Lewis, F. R. C., Grand Master General, Address: New York City.
Thor Kiimalehto, K. R. C., Secretary General, Office ps R.C. Library, 80 Fifth Ave., N. Y. City
VR OAS & pis Jerro “orta;. ‘KORG.
Treasurer General,
Address: 1126 Union-Avenue, N. Y. City
MAY BANKS-STACEY, S, R.C., Matre. NICHOLAS STOR\M, K. R. C., Deputy Master General.

Miss ADALINE WHEELOCK, S. R. C.. Secretary, American Supreme Council, A. M. O. R.C.
cAll communications regarding membership, Initiations and dates of meetings, should be addressed to the Secretary General. Applications for State or Local Lodges, courses of reading or study, and official private correspondence should be addressed to the Grand Master General. All remittances should be made payable and addressed to the Treasurer General.
WM.P-M. SIMS, Prelate and Organizer-at-Large.
These were the first officers of his fabrication as shown on page 16 of his first propaganda booklet. Note that Mr. Lewis was then the “Grand Master General” and that the secretary and the treasurer also had Masonic titles of the Order of Memphis and Mizraim. Note, also, that he had an Organizer-at-large, such as Thomson used to promote his Masonic Fraud. Whether the “Foundation Board” and the “Foundation Committee” were one and the same, it would be hard to deter- mine. Now he is the Imperator; his son is the Grand Secretary and his family is the “Foundation Board.”
871
AN. ANSWER TO LEWIS’ WHITE.) BOOK ws
FAC-SIMILE REPRODUCTION No. 68
AEC Symbol S72
The sigus and seals shown below are the only true marks of the ORDER, 2nd Ors~ tinguish this society from all others:
General Symbol of Sign of the American
the Order tn the World Publication Committee The Great Seal of the finevican Supreme Counce ea g ee! AP , K Ve ited worn by the The ene Crucis ae peree The Seal of the Founder pegs boda ess (ei See Etna wi ; /\ AW All, The Seal ond Sign Lhe Sacred Insignia of the Secretary- Zen. Great Seal of of the GrandMaster Gen,
GrendHaster Generat. Copyrighted 1915, Infringements will be prosecuted.
This is page 5 of his first propaganda booklet. The Rosy Cross (The Rosae Crucis) is the only Rosicrucian symbol shown. The others are Masonic in their nature or devices of his own designing. See.text. Note that his spurious French “Paper of Sponsorship’—Reproduction No. 64—is sealed with the “Sign of the American Publication Committee.’ We made the “Seal” and the “sign” and placed them upon his “Paper of Sponsorship.” ~
872
FALSE CLAIMS OF R.-—KC. AUTHORITY REVIEWED
FAC-SIMILE REPRODUCTION No. 69
ie Anrient and Mustical Order
Roasae Crucis
IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ITS HISTORY, PURPOSES AND SYMBOLISM
By’ H. SPENCER LEWIS, F. R. C.
(12° ILLUMINATI, TOULOUSE, FRANCE)
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION NUMBER TWO
A. M. O. R. C.
Copyrighted 1915 and Issued by
THE PUBLICATION COMMITTEE, AMERICAN SUPREME COUNCIL
This is the Title page of his first propaganda booklet referred to in the text and from which Reproduction Nos. 67 and 68 were made. It purports to give his first history of his fabrication. Since then he has written two other ‘Complete and authentic” histories thereof. Note that he claims to be a Twelfth Degree Member of the Illuminati, Toulouse, France. He has since dropped that title and laid claims to many others. He has since contradicted and repudiated most of his statements made in this booklet which purports to set forth his true claims to Rosicrucian authority and authenticity.
873
FAC-SIMILE REPRODUCTION No. 70
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This is a miserable misrepresentation and an Artifice of Fraud. This copyrighted
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See text.
k which has naught to do with the Rosicrucian Order.
PAC-SIMILE, REPRODUCTION No. 71
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
ANCIENT AND MYSTICAL ORDER ROSAE CRUCIS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. TRADE-MARK FOR MONTHLY MAGAZINE AND CERTAIN NAMED PUBLICATIONS. A— ACT OF FEBRUARY 20, 1905.
145,313. Registered Aug. 2, 1921. Application filed October 28, 1920. Serial No. 138,912.
STATEMENT. c Yo all whom it may concern: tions, and charts, in Class 38, Prints and ~~
Be it knwn that the Ancient AND Mys- publications. vic\t Orver Rosas Crucis, an unincorpo- | The words “Cro Maat” appearing on the d rated body, having its headquarters located drawing are of Egyptian origin represent.) in the city and county of San Francisco, ing “the truth shall be” and are hereby dis- State of California, and doing business at claimed except in connection with the rest 1297 Market street, San Francisco, Califor- of the mark as shown. nia, have adopted and used the trade-mark The trade-mark has been continuously used shown in the accompanying drawing, for a in its business since April Ist, 1920. periodical publication published monthly — The trade-mark is applied to or impressed
and for printed, engraved, typewritten, and in a prominent position on the periodical. tr photographic copies of official, prescribed, ANCIENT AND MYSTICAL
and copyrighted lectures, dissertations, sci- ORDER ROSAE CRUCIS,
entific postulations, philosophical discourses, By H. SPENCER LEWIS,
and academic studies, diagrams, ‘illustra- Imperator.
DECLARATION. State of California, county of San Fran- United States (and between the United cisco, SS: States and foreign nations or Indian