The Cabletow

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Part of The Cabletow

Title: The Cabletow
Creator: Freemasons. Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands.
Description: Official organ of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines.
Published monthly by the Cabletow, Inc. in the interest of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines.
Issue Date: Volume XXXVIII (No. 6) December 1962
Publisher: Cabletow, Inc.
Year: 1962
Language: English
Subject: Freemasons. -- Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands -- Periodicals.; Freemasonry -- Philippines -- Periodicals.; Freemasons -- Philippines -- Periodicals.
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Place of publication: Manila
extracted text: Vol. XXXVIII No. 6 GRAND LODGE OF Free And Accepted Masons Of The Philippines GOLDEN JUBILEE MW NOHEA O.A. PECK, GM (Jaoan). Ambassador Stevenson and our Grand Master 157 Executive Secretary Marino being escorted to the Grand East by the Grand Marshal. Ambassador Stevenson arrives in the Philamlife Auditorium to deliver his address during the second day of the Jubilee. 158 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 MW CENON S. CERVANTES. PGM (PHILS.) MW GEORGE FITCH. PGM (CHINA) RT. WOR. CHARLES MOSEBROOK, SGW (PHILS.) MW ESTEBAN MUNARRIZ. PGM-GRAND SEC. (PHILS) RT. WOR. SERAFIN TEVES. JGW (PHILS.) RT. WOR. PEDRO GIMENEZ. DGM (PHILS.) MW WERNER P. SCHETELIG. PGM (PHILS.) 159 160 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 Upper left: RT. WOR. DAVID S. HILL. District Deputy Grand Lodge of Scotland, addressing the delegates of the Blue For The Far East of the Lodges in the Auditorium. Lower left: HON. WILLIAM E. STEVENSON delivering the keynote address doting the second day ol the Special Communication. Below: Grand Master table while Mrs. Stevenson Quasha and Ambassador Stevenson is exchanging views with Rt. Wor. Pedro Gimenez. Luncheon 161 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 Upper left: Grand Master Quasha talking to a group ol Brethren during one of the noon breaks. Lower left: '‘Bill" Quasha and Mist Wor. Osias having a good laugh with a group of brethren. Below: MW Camilo Osias signing authographs for brethren from subordinate bdges. 163 ^Tand * H. Eugene Stafford ...................................................... 1913 * Newton C. Comfort ...................................................... 1913 * George R. Harvey ............................................................ 1915 William H. Taylor ........................................................ 1916 & 1917 * Manuel L. Quezon .......................................................... 1918 * Milton H. Springer ........................................................ 1919 * Rafael Palma .................................................................. 1920 * Edwin E. Elser ................................................................ 1921 Quintin Paredes .............................................................. 1922 Frederic H. Stevens ...................................................... 1923 * Wenceslao Trinidad ...................................................... 1924 * Christian W. Rosenstock ........................................... 1925 Francisco Delgado .......................................................... 1926 ♦Joseph Henry Schmidt ................................................ 1927 * Teodoro M. Kalaw .......................................................... 1928 Seldon W. O’Brien ........................................................ 1931 Antonio Gonzalez .......................................................... 1932 Stanton Youngberg ........ _.............................................. 1933 * Manuel Camus ...............?*.............................................. 1934 ♦Samuel R. Hawthorne ................................................ 1935 Conrado Benitez ............................................................ 1936 ♦Joseph H. Alley .......... 1937 * Jose Abad Santos ............................................................ 1938 * Clark James .................................................................... 1939 * Jose de los Reyes ............................. 1940 * John McFie ...................................................................... 1941 Michael Goldenberg ...................................................... 1945 & 1946 Emilio P. Virata ........................................................ 1947 Albert J. Brazee, Jr........................................................ 1948 Esteban Munarriz .......................................................... 1949 Clifford C. Bennet ........................................................ 1950 Cenon S. Cervantes .................................................... 1951 * Sidney M. Austin ........................................................ 1952 Mauro Baradi .................................................................. 1953 Werner P. Schetelig ........................................... 1954 Camilo Osias .................................................................... 1955 Clinton F. Carlson ........................................................ 1956 Vicente Orosa .............................................................. 1957 Howard R. Hick .............................................................. 1958 Macario M. Ofilada ........................................................ 1959 Luther B. Bewley .......................................................... 1960 Juan S. Alano ................................................................ 1961 William H. Quasha ........................................................ 1962 * Deceased 164 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 This issue of The Cabletow is devoted to commemorating our Golden Jubilee Communication. The consensus is that it was an outstanding success. I attribute this reaction to the support which we have received from Grand Lodges abroad, from the Past Grand Masters of our own Grand Lodge, from our Grand Lodge Officers and from our own Lodges. Very few of our Lodges were not represented in the Communication, and there is no doubt that had the Communi cation been held two weeks earlier and on a Friday and Satur day that our attendance would have been doubled. As it was, almost 500 brethren from our own jurisdiction were present. This is remarkable, considering the fact that business and professional men alike found the time of the Communication most inconvenient. Still we had made our decision to hold the Communication on the exact anniversary of the founding of our Grand Lodge, and while we regret that many brethren could not be present, our evaluation of the results achieved are that had we selected any other date, the sentimental ap preciation of the Communication would not have been the same. We are particularly grateful' to M. W. Ira W. Coburn, Grand Master of California, our Mother Grand Lodge, who came to the Philippines especially to be in attendance. While he was here, he made a sentimental journey to Batangas where he has served during the liberation; to R. W. David S. Hill, the personal representative of the Grand Master Mason of Scotland, who is also the District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of the Far East, Scottish Constitution: to M. W. George W. Chen, the Grand Master of China, one of our two Daughter Grand Lodges and the members of his party, M. W. George Fitch, P. G. M., and Wor. Bro. Ernest Eldridge; to M. W. Nohea 0. A. Peck, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge 165 of Japan, our other Daughter Grand Lodge; and to Bro. Ray mond Hamilton, representative of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Iowa. Other highlights of the Communication were the speech of His Excellency, the President of the Philippines, Diosdado Macapagal, who was unfortunately confined to bed with influenza, and who sent Executive Secretary Salvador Marino, who was introduced by M. W. Camilo Osias, P.G.M., as the “the Little President;” the speech of the American Ambassa dor to the Philippines, Hon. William E. Stevenson; and the speeches of our Past Grand Masters: M. W. Francisco A. Delgado, M. W. Conrado Benitez, M. W. Michael Goldenberg, M. W. Cenon S. Cervantes, M. W. Werner P. Schetelig, M. W. Camilo Osias and M. W. Vicente Y. Orosa. We were pleasantly surprised by the gifts which were presented to us by M. W. George W. Chen, a silver incense burner and a scroll in Chinese characters; by M. W. Nohea 0. A. Peck, two ivory columns for use at our Grand Lodge Communications, and a leather-bound copy of their Consti tution; by R. W. David S. Hill, a copy of the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Scotland; and by Lincoln Lodge a hand some plaque. In addition, we had previously received after our last Annual Communication, from our Lodges in Japan, a beautiful framed apron on purple velvet embroidered in gold, in commemoration of our Fiftieth Anniversary. M. W. Ira W. Coburn had sent a personal gift of a rosewood fruit bowl to your Grand Master, but unfortunately, it did not arrive in time to be released from Customs. The celebration of the occasion was definitely enhanced by the lovely surroundings where it was held, the auditorium and banquet hall of the Philamlife Building at the corner of United Nations Avenue and Florida Street. The beauty of this building and its appointments served as a further inspi ration to us to pursue our plan to erect a new Grand Lodge building which will be provided with a lovely and ample auditorium. Resolutions of thanks and gratitude were duly and una nimously passed and have been dispatched to the following or ganizations and persons: Mr. Earl Carrol, President, Philip 166 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 pine American Insurance Companies: Bro. Florencio Tamesis, Philippine Wallboard Corporation (Lawanit) ; Don Toribio Teodoro, Ang Tibay; Don Albino Z. SyCip, China BankingCorporation; Mr. Roberto Villanueva, Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Co., Inc.; Mr. Eugene Manefee, President, Caltex (Philippines) Inc.; M. W. Michael Goldenberg; R. W. Serafin Teves; Mr. Joaquin Preysler. San Miguel Brewery; Common wealth Foods, Inc.; Standard Brands of the Philippines. Inc.: and McCullough Printing Co. We are now engaged in the preparation of the record of the proceedings and expect to have it ready for publication by the end of February. In the meantime we will publish in this and subsequent issues of The Cabletow the various speeches that were delivered at the Golden Jubilee Communi cation. I hope that all the brethren who were unable, because of circumstances beyond, what I know was, their control, to attend the communication, will read each of these speeches carefully, for although they missed the great experience of hearing them, and of fraternizing with the brethren, they will certainly find that their Masonic education will be improved bv reading and taking to heart the numerous lessons which they contain. I hope that the brethren feel the same way as I do: that it is clear that the Communication held in Decem ber is certainly more comfortable than one held in the middle of summer. As this message is being prepared at the end of our calendar year, I take this opportunity to wish all of you, my brethren, howsoever situated and whitersoever dispersed, a Happy and Prosperous New Year, and may God bless you and keep you. WILLIAM H. QUASHA Grand Master 167 Editorial LIGHT IN THE EAST Since the first Freemason entered the Spanish dominated Land of the Morning bringing witn him tne mysteries of Ma sonry safely lodged in tne repository of his faithful breast, Freemasonry has struggled against odds for survival. At tentive ears have received the sounds from the instructive tongues of Brothers who travelled the rough and rugged road and through whose tireless efforts and sacrifices Free masonry, withstanding the obstacles of oppression and persecution, still stands with humble dignity, a monument to the achievement of these men, these Masons. During the Spanish times, Masonry was restricted. Only those who dared to speak the truth and practice the Masonic way of life in spite of the penalties invoked upon them, filled its folds. Masonry was practiced secretly and only when favorable opportunity permitted. Occasionally, some of the more enthusiastic Brethren would allow their personal courage to overcome their discretion and the Fra ternity suffered the combined fury-of church and state. Thus it was not until the American influence set aside Spanish despotism that Freemasonry formally entered the Philippines to stay and to grow as it has in all free nations throughout the world. There were a number of Spanish speaking Lodges operating underground since 1856, but it was in 1898, after the Spanish persecution ended, when Freema sonry come out in the open and joined hands with the newly formed American Lodges to lay the foundation of Philippine Freemasonry. It was not long until Freemasonry matured and the Brethren felt the need for free and independent Masonic action. In the true tradition of the Fraternity, On Decem ber 18th, 1912, the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands was established with Brother H. Eugene Stafford its first elected Most Worshipful Grand Master. 168 Progress was slow but steady in the years that followed. A nation dominated by church and state for so many centuries could not throw off instantly the shackles of customs and traditions which bound it. The transition required pa tience and understanding. These qualities our Filipino Brothers possess in abundance and by nature their inherent perseverance kept them ever moving forward in search of truth until the shadow of ignorance engulfed the Philippines and drove Freemasonry underground again in 1941. For nearly four years Freemasonry stood still, but did not die, although many of the Brethren passed on to the Ce lestial Lodge above and there before the Great White Throne received those welcome words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” With the passing of the clouds of war came the independ ence and freedom of the Philippines. With the lifting of the shadow of ignorance came the restoration of Freemasonry. Patience, understanding, and perseverance again gave life and meaning to Freemasonry in the Philippines. Once a forbidden society oppressed and persecuted, it became a res pected fraternity charged with a moral responsibility to build better men and better citizens by making better Masons. On December 20, 1962, the Grand Lodge of the Philip pines celebrated its Golden Anniversary commemorating fifty years of Masonic service to the Philippines and fifty years of Masonic fraternity to its members. Among the many special efforts of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines this Masonic Year, are its programs for public service and education. Through the efforts of the Most Worshipful Grand Master, free books from sister Grand Lodges in the United States have been brought free of charge to the Philippines by the United States Navy through Operations Handclasp, and will be dis tributed by our local Lodges to public schools in need. Thus it hopes to serve the Philippines by making better citizens through education. It has been an uphill struggle, these past fifty years. It will be for the next fifty years to come, and perhap.s for the many years that will follow. But the foundation of (Continued on inside buck cover.) LIGHT IN THE PAST 169 c&he first fifty years IN RETROSPECT November IS. 1962 Most Worshipful Grand Master Philippine Masonic Grand Lodge, I'. & A. M. Manila. Philippines. Dear Sir and M. W. Brother: Since you request an article for the Special Gohlen Jubilee and that it be confined to two printed pages, what is herewith submitted is for the record: To understand just how our Grand Lodge came into being, it will be neces sary to study the background of conditions in the Islands. General Wood was in charge of the military, Quezon was the leader of the Philippines, and I was looked up to as the leader of the business community. We each had our "grapevines” and, if I .do say it myself, it worked perfectly. Noth ing ever took place in the Islands at that time without one of (he three of us knowing all about it within 24 hours. General Wood and I met every Saturday morning at his home in Military Plaza to bring matters up to date. To show how closely we worked, the U.S. Government wanted a listening post in Vladivostok, so I opened an export-import firm, which firm was two ai'my lieutenants, anti we ran that business until the U.S. Government got all the information they needed, then we dosed out the firm. No two men were doser in their relationship than Quezon and myself, nor could any two nun be more loud ol each other. The American Goscrnment. which at that time was running the Islands, lek he was raising too much hell in his province and wanted to get him out of the countrv. They felt I was the only person who could persuade him to go. and 1 knev. it was so. I arranged and planned his first trip out of the Islands. He was the acknowledged head ol the Philippine Masons and I held the same posi tion with respect to the American Lodges. Our Masonic situation was intolerable. We called a meeting as brother Masons in Perla del Oriente Lodge one night but the next night we could not visit in their lodges, nor they in ours. Quezon and I had many, manv talks about this, but it did not get across to him what I was Hying to do until, when on the above trip in Washington, D.C., he tried to visit a Ma sonic Lodge and was told he was not a regular Mason and could not be admitted. 170 On his return home, lie and 1 decided wlial must be done. Al that lime, thanks io the help ol my friend Billy Filmer who was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Galifornia, we had formed the Grand Lodge of the Phil ippines. So, in order to clear tip tile situation, I was persuaded bv my dear friend Newton C. Gomfort (one of the most learned and most lovable of any Mason 1 have ever known) I accepted the Grandmastership of the Grand Lodge. Thanks to Billy I'ilmer and my acquaintance witli the (hand Lodge Bodies in the States, our new body received speedy recognition. In the meantime, the Filipinos had tried to form a (hand Lodge but were getting nowhere; so Quezon and I decided we had to make plans to unite the Filipino and American bodies. Ibis idea was fought bitterly by some Americans and, on the other hand, by some Filipinos. We formed a Gommiltec of Quezon, Kalaw and Tommy Earnshaw. Myself. Comlort and Charley Cohn, all Past Masters of Corregidor Lodge. I finally wore down the recalcitrants among the American Masons, but Quezon was having trouble with his Filipino brethren, so he advised me he could not find the “nigger in the woodpile” who was blocking his entrance. He said, “I can’t locate him”. "Do you think you can with your grapevine”? And I said 1 wotdd try and 1 succeeded. Quezon handled the matter in his usual and effective manner, but the American disgruntled Masons took their spile out on me while 1 was in the States on sick-leave, by dropping me from the line in Far East Commandcry when it tame time to elect me as Eminent Commandei. l he plan was that Quezon would be the first Grand Master of the United (hand Lodge. No inducements had been made to the Filipinos to persuade them to unite, and the election started off with all the American lodges voting for Quezon, hut when the Filipino brethren realized we had really turned over the governing power in the Grand Lodge, they voted every one lor me as lhe lirst (hand Master. Judge Harvey was sitting next to me in the Grand East, and I turned to him anil said. “Judge, what can J do?”, anil he replied, "what can you do but accept". When 1 asked Quezon later what had happened, he said, "Well, the Filipinos wanted sou. so that was it. but 1 will lake it next vear, and from then on so long as either you or 1 are still alive we will have a Gentlemans Agreement lor this arrangement to continue." When Quezon later became ill. 1 sei tired a home in whiili he iou!d lite and we would gel together every Sunday morning, either at my home or his, to lomp.u? notes of what was going on in the Islands: and my ihildren still recall how tliev used to watch Quezon and mvsell thru lhe glass French iloois which separate lhe hall Irom the lie ing-ioom. Fraternally sours. WILLIAM H. TAYLOR. Dean of Past (hand Masters IN RETROSPECT 17.1 Pioneers of our Grand Lodge By MWB FREDERIC H. STEVENS Past Grand Master, 1!>23 My dictionary slates that the word "pioneer” is defined “to pre pare or open ttp for others: lake the lead in doing.” 1'hat is the sense I am using the word in this article. It is a well-deserved tribute — this Golden Jubilee — of the Grand Lodge, I'. & ,-L M. of the Philippines, to honor those pioneering Freema sons who assembled on that historic day, December 19, 1912, and opened in due form a new Grand Lodge. A Grand Lodge that is recognized by every regular Grand Lodge in the world. Recognized not only in a diplomatic sense but acknowledged as one of the most progressive. The Freemasons of the Philip pines today are enjoying the results of the labors, lhe wisdom, and the well-planned concepts of those far sighted Freemasons of fifty years ago. All honor to those pioneering Freemasons who labored so well that we who come after might enjoy the fruits of their labors. Only a handful of those Pioneers remain with us but those surviving will never forget that when the Grand Lodge convened and heard the prophetic words of their (hand Orator, who in a stirring address entitled: “Masonry’s Part in the Philippine Temple” said: ‘AVe are also privileged to work in a fatgreater and grander temple — in onedesigned for lhe enormous uplift of entire peoples — how splendidly operative does our speculative Ma sonry become if we but choose to make it so ... . Future genera tions, not only of Filipinos but of civilized mankind, will contemplate the works being installed this day, in admiration and commenda tion .....................And when the Phil ippine Temple shall have been completed it shall shine forth not only to the glory of Him to whom it is dedicated, but as a work >o be imitated and rebuilded by Masons as often and as universally as the Temple of lhe wise King Solomon.” Ask the thousands of Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, and Chamorros to whom this new (hand Lodge granted the priceless boon of iiieir becoming members in our beloved age-old fraternity, how well this prophecy has come to fruition? The history of our (hand Lodge records that..seven lodges were established in China — prior to the communist debacle — and fourteen lodges in Japan. Both of these countries now' have Grand Lodges of their own. Lodges were also established in Guam and Okinawa. Outstanding was the action of our Grand Lodge, during those active and productive fifty years, of fusing the (han Oiiente de Espana and other foreign Grand Lodges in the Philippines. The fusion brought into our order those great Freemasons Rafael Pal ma, Teodoro M. Kalaw, and mt.nv others who added luster to the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. We, who come after, must never lower the prestige, and the htgh172 standing which these Pioneers built into our beloved iraternity. We, who now dwell in this "Philippine Temple” erected by the Pioneers must ever remember that "others will dwell in this fraternal build ing after we ate gone.” Il is lilting on this day to honor these Pioneers, who built so well. The Republic of the Philippines observes a National Heroes Das. I'he Masons of the Philippines could well observe December 19th ol each year as a Pioneers Day to renew ihat exalting influence which the lives of those far-sighted and dedi cated Pioneers inspire. The inspi ration these men left us is priceless. Summon them back each year from that shadowy region of our Celes tial Lodge and let them in fancy mind sit jn our Lodges with us and by their lose of the fraternity handed down to us from long ago guide us to be better Freemasons, better citizens, and better neighbors. Wonderful brothers of old, our Pioneers, let them through their really precious things of I.ilc. more lasting and mote substantial than mans of lhe objects of ambition.... i> the friendship of those we meet at the Masonic altars.” Our Pioneers of Freemasonry taught us the real meaning of St. Paul’s address at Mars Hill: "God bath made of one blood all nations of men." A COMPLETE FACILITIES AND EFFICIENT SERVICE— III {tycuitetcd Tel. 2-69-93 Trade and Commerce Building, Manila PIONEERS OF OUR CRAN’D LODGE 173 CONFUSION IN THE TEMPLE By WWB STANTON YOUNGBERG 1‘ast Grand Manter, During my term as Grand Master - January, 193,3 to January, 1931 — the matter of the chartering of Lodges in China by our Grand Lodge which had caused concern among other Grand Bodies main taining Lodges in that country, finally was brought to a point at which our Grand Lodge, as the only Sovereign Grand Lodge in East Asia, could not avoid asserting its prero gatives and dignity as a Grand Lodge. After the union of Filipino and American Masons in 1917 our Grand Lodge was busy constituting iTew and flourishing Lodges within lhe Philippine territorial limits, the only exception being the chartering of Charleston Lodge No. 11 in Guam. Later it developed that Masonic brethren in China had been observ ing the good will and zeal that ob tained among all the elements of our Grand Lodge. Without any solicitation on our part, twenty-seven brethren belong ing to various Grand Jurisdictions having Lodges in China, petitioned our Grand Lodge to open a Lodge in China, to be known as Amity Lodge. These petitioners had pre viously applied to the Grand Mas ter of Massachussets, who had denied their request. After careful inqui ry, Grand Master Vicente Carmona granted a dispensation October 28, 1930. The Masonic qualifications of these brethren were so fine and the work performed by them of such a high standard that Grand Lodge granted a Charter to Amity Lodge No. 106, at the Annual Communi cation of 1931. The Lodge was constituted bv Most Wor. Bro. George R. Harvey on May 25, 1931. A petition for a dispensation to form a Lodge in Nanking, China, signed by twenty Master Masons in good standing was received by Grand Master William W. Larkin on Sep 11, 1931. With his usual caulioi Grand Master Larkin instructor Wor. Bro. Edwin W. Lawson, ot District Inspector in China, to ntak a careful survey of the situation anc then to submit his findings and re commendations. About this time cablegrams were received from th Grand Lodges of Massachusset Ireland, England and Scotland re questing us to delay action regarc ing additional Lodges in China ut til we should receive important lc tors then on the way. In due tim a letter was received from the Grand Master of Massachussets, who also represented the Grand Masters of England and Ireland, suggesting that in view of ‘ the changing and disturbing conditions as exist in China today” they believed ‘‘that the interests of all would be best con served should each unit that you create prove their skill and abilitv in functioning . . . before addi tional Lodges are chartered. Grand Master Larkin suspended action on the above petition of our Nanking brethren, out of deference 174 to the Grand Masters concerned, but al the same time made it clear, however, that he was not convinced of the soundness of lhe grounds upon which the objection was based and that his action should not in any way be considered binding upon our (hand Lodge or his successor in the Grand Masters Chair. There the matter rested until Sep tember 1932, when (hand Master Antonio Gonzalez. made an official visitation to Amity Lodge No. 106, in Shanghai. On a visit to Nan king he made a careful survey of the Masonic situation there and at a hearing granted to several brethren informed than "that any new pe tition they might present would be carefully considered from every an gle." In December 1932, a petition signed by sixteen Master Masons was received by the Grand Master. In the meantime, in March, 1932, a letter was received from the Grand Master of Massachussets proposing the establishment of an Advisory Council on Masonic Matters in Northern China between the (hand Lodges of England, Scotland, Ire land, Massachussets, and the Philip pine Islands, (hand Master Gon zalez replied that he would submit lhe proposition to the Annual Com munication of the Grand Lodge for consideration. Later, a letter was received from the Grand Master of Massachussets under dale of Octo ber 28, 1932. enclosing a copy of a form of agreement providing lo; the formation of lhe Advisory Council, lhe letter further slated that the agreement was in the process of be ing signed be lhe Grand Lodges of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Mas sachussets and also informed us who the representative of Massachussets on lhe Council would be. The pro position, with opinion thereon, was presented in detail by Grand Master Gonzalez to the (hand Lodge, which voted unanimously not to adhere to the Advisory Council on Masonic Matters in Northern China. A dispensation was granted by (hand Master Gonzalez, lor the for mation of Nanking Lodge, U.D. By unanimous vote of Grand Lodge at its Annual Communication in Jan uary, 1933, a charter was granted to Nanking Lodge No. 108. It was constituted on February 4, 1933, by Rt. Wor. Bro. Samuel R. Hawthorne, our then Senior Grand Warden. On his return from China in March 1933, Brother Hawthorne, re ported to me that while in Canton, China, he had been interviewed by several enthusiastic Master Masons who were of the opinion that the organization of an international and cosmopolitan Lodge in that city un der our (hand Jurisdiction would fulfill a very useful purpose. In April, 1933, official duties took me to China and, during my stay there of several weeks, I was able to visit Canton on two different occasions ajid personally interview the breth ren who were petitioning for a dis pensation. Furtunately, I was en abled to meet and discuss the mallet of a new Lodge with several of the officers and members of Lodge Stat of Southern China No. 2013, E.C. The signers of the petition lor a dispensation were thirty-two Master Masons in good standing represent ing fourteen (hand Jurisdictions... lite Master designate was Brother ]. Hall Paxton, American Vice-Con sul at Canton, China. On May 15, CONFUSION IN THE TEMPLE 175 1933, 1 signed a dispensation lor a new Lodge to operate at Canton. China, to be known as Pearl River Lodge, U. D. On April 23, 1934, at the Annual Communications of Grand Lodge, by unanimous action, a Charter was granted to Pearl River Lodge No. 109, at Canton, China. Later that year it was con stituted by Grand Master Manuel Camus in person. On December 9, 1933, a commu nication was received from the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland informing us “tint at the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge held yesterday after noon, it was agreed that masonic re lations with your (hand Lodge be meantime suspended." Ibis confirmed the warning given us in a letter from him which, we received November 1, 1933, which was as follows: "I regret to have to advise you that owing to the action taken by your Grand Lodge with regard to the formation of new Lodges in China, and its refusal to cooperate with other Grand Lodges appear ing there, my (hand Committee have reluctantly decided to recom mend to Grand Lodge that Ma sonic relations with your Grand Lodge be suspended meantime.” In short order similar action were taken by the (hand Lodges of Eng land, Ireland, Massachussets, and Vienna. Later on similar action was taken by a scattering of other Grand Lodges; however, the great majority of Grand Lodges throughout the world did not take any action. Our Grand Lodge continued to grant Charters lo other well cpiali17G THE CABLE TOW l ied Brethren who desired to lot in Lodges under the leadership of our Grand Jurisdiction and went on about all our business in the usual manner. In 1938 upon lhe recommendation of (hand Master Joseph II. Aley, it was decided to permit the formation of a District (hand Lodge for China and the very able Very Wor. Bro. Hua Chen Mei, who since 1934 had been District Deputy Grand Master for China, was appointed District (hand Master. By his very able and skillful diplomacy an advisory coun cil for China was formed and harmony was restored. 'Lhe ten pro visions contained in the agreement were of a general nature and could offend no one. The two principal clauses provided that the Council could act only in an advisory capa city and possessed no coercive powers and that any Grand Jurisdiction might withdraw and be relieved of any obligations upon giving six months' notice to each subscribing (hand Jurisdiction. Thereupon peac'd and harmony prevailed in the short length of time that remained for the old tenor of life that then prevailed in the so-called "unchang ing” East. After the forces that were let lose on December 7, 1911, the social and political structure of lhe Far East would never again be the same. Time, as it has so often done in the past, plays Homeric jests with the fond plans and -aspirations of mere man. Today there is no free dom in the land of old Cathay, zk tiny remnant of its people have freedom on Formosa. There are no Masons or Masonic Lodges left in China; however lhe Grand Lodge of December. 1962 Free and Accepted Masons of lhe Republic of China lives and pros pers in Formosa. Aller a long, long night, freedom will return to ihc Chinese people and the Gland Lodge will return to its old home. When that day arrives the (hand Lodge of China will be the supreme Masonic Body in their country. And that, alter all, is as it should and must be! STANTON YOUNGBERG Grand Master, 1933-1931. A A A I lIE COMMON MAN Over the last two or three gen erations we have put the "common man” on a high pedestal and made something more than a demigod of him. He has become the arbiter ol the world’s destiny, the one creature whose voice is indeed the voice of God, and whose liats must be re garded with the prolbundest respect. True, no one in his proper senses tail deny that this ubiquitous per son has countless items to his ever lasting credit on life’s great ledger — acts of individual heroism, out standing generosity, supreme selfsacrifice and lose that shines like the stars throughout all written his tory and will no doubt never cease to do so. But we cannot ignore, and only at our peril may we foiget, that the “common man” is the same miregenerale self-made stinker who populates our prisons to capacity, ■dels almshouses to our tax burden, murders his betters on every auto mobile highway, elects the ignora mus and the half-wit to make our laws or even stays away altogether from the polls, permits or encour ages racketeers to rob us, connives with demagogues and subversives to enslave or destroy us, strews our countryside with billboards and oth er unsightly Irtish, and perpetrates the wars from which all of us, the good and the bad alike, must suffer, lie is also the “yes man” who is afrtiid or ashamed to be on the los ing side in any argument no mat ter how right that side may be. All of this should lead to lhe inelucta ble conclusion that much of our veneration and regard may htivc been regrettably misplaced. What should be unmistakably clear to every Mason is that in whatever direction our social and political salvation may in the future lie, it can be attained only by means of increasing the proportion of dis tinctly uncommon men with sufficient wisdom and native integrity to iden tify and sweep away the innumerable fatuities and frustrations that plague us at every turn. At the risk of be ing thought misanthropic, we might do well to stand back a few paces, consider coldly the common m in as he reveals himself to us in his acts and utterances, and withhold deifi cation until he merits it. .V. .S’. Neese I know ol no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to lake it from them, but to inform heir discretion by education. Thomas lefferson 177 Masons as Builders By MWB CAMILO OSIAS 1‘ast Grand Master, Jf)55 Ihc dictionary definition ol the word “mason” is “a builder or work er in stone, brick, or the like;” and "masonry” is "the occupation of a builder in stone, brick, etc.” A "Ma son”, capital M, is a member of Ma sonry, the society or fraternity of Freemasons. We now distinguish Operative Masonry and Speculative Masonry but both masons and Ma sons are architects or builders. The former deal chiefly with material things, the latter mainly with intel lectual, moral, and spiritual matters. Freemasons are builders. They build sound bodies making them fit abodes of sound minds and worthy temples of lhe spirit. They build intellects and spirits necessary to pro gressive leadership. They build com munities and nations rooted in free dom and righteousness. z\nd they help build a new world of free men with a universal outlook recognizing the Great Architect of the Universe and where "man to man, the world o'er shall brothers be.” Freemasonry has an ancient and honorable history. It is older than any living religion. Its record is a checkered one not at all smooth, its devotees having suffered travail, persecution, and martyrdom. But it survived all odds for it is wedded to an undying cause, it is propelled by the spirit of liberty, and it is dedi cated to the building of the indes tructible temple of humanity. Speculative Masonry evolved from Operative Masonry retaining much of the language, legends, and rituals of the letter and using its tools as symbols of rich import to lile. The •Square. lor example, is a symbol "lor evening the inequalities of hu man character" and the Compass “to draw a Circ le of goodwill around all mankind." lhe language of Masonry is ele gant and sublime. It makes articu late noble aspirations and profound concepts. Many do not realize how much they owe Freemasonry for phrases and words that have entered into their daily speech: "Master", "warden”, "tvler”, "meet on the lev el”, “act on the square”, “square deal”, "Grand Architect of the Uni verse”, and "Master Builder”, to phrases, sentences, ideas, ideals, and principles have helped and will ever help build character. From shore to shore, from con tinent to continent, over hills and mountains, across plains and seas to mention but a few. Masonic words, the institution of Freemasonry moved forward through the centu ries until today it encircles the en tire globe. Freemasonry is built upon. Com munities and nations that have been true and loyal to freedom and to truth have been and will be built upon foundations that it has laid. And Freemasons in the future will be builders as they have been fot ages. They will minister to the high est and best of the human race, and a new humanity shall arise endowed with the greatness and beauty and goodness that free minds and free 178 spirits always exalt above eaithly possessions, even life itself. Masons embrace lhe fraternity “ol their own free will anti accord.” They assume obligations and respon sibilities voluntaiily without coer cion from any source. They do good with no regard for credit or thought of reward. “Small wonder,'’ wrote a (band Lodge officer industrious and learn ed, "that such an order has won to its fellowship men of the first order of intellect, men of thought and ac tion in many lands, and every walk and work of life: soldiers like Welington, Blucher, and Garibaldi; phil osophers like Krause, Fichte, and John Locke: patriots like Washing ton and Mazzini: writers like Wal ler Scott, Voltaire, Steele, Lessing, Tolstoi: poets like Goethe, Burns. Byron, Kipling, Pike; musicians like Haydn and Mozart — whose opera, The Magic Flute, has a Masonic: motif: masters of drama like Forrest and Edwin Booth: editors such as Bowles, Prentice, Childs, Grady; ministers of many communions, from Bishop Potter to Robert Coll yer; statesmen, philanthropists, edu cators, jurists, men of science — Ma sons many, whose names shine like stars in the great world’s crown of intellectual and spiritual glory...” To this list ol distinguished men of diverse types could be added Fil ipino patriots, anil martyrs, scholars and thinkers, men of heroic molt! in the lield of war and in the lealm of peace. We shall mention .1 lew limiting ourselves to some of those who have preceded us to the Celes tial Lodge above: Rizal, Tavera, del Pilar, Ponce, Lopez-Jacna, the Luna Brothers, Mabini, Bonifacio. Aglipay, Palma, Camus, T. Kalaw, Jose Abad Santos, and others. It may be added that our national flag, with three colors red, white, and blue, and lhe white triangle containing the sun with eight rays and three stars, is of Masonic motif. genesis, and significance. The (band Lodge of the Philip pines celebrates this year, 1962, its Golden Jubilee and it will have many more anniversaries each grand er than this. It must be remem bered that Masonic lodges have ex isted in these Islands for over a cen tury. I bis is a timely opportunity for Masons of this jurisdiction to build a greater and more serviceable Masonic fraternity upholding always lhe Fatherhood of (bid and the Brotherhood of man. When I was elevated by my bro thers to lhe exalted scat in lhe East as (band Master, my inaugural ad dress dealt with lhe subject: “More Masonry among Masons, more men in Masonrv.” We must increase in number and grow in quality. Quan tity is important but quality is sup remely important. Masons are builders and we must ceaselessly labor to build, for Ma sonry is a building process. This is our resolve, this is our mission, this is lhe cpiesi that makes Masons one whiihersoever clispered. One in lhe freedom of lhe 1 ruth. One in the joy of paths untrod. One in the soul's perennial Youth One in lhe larger thought ol God. A A A MASONS AS BUILDERS 179 Join the AGRICULTURAL & INDUSTRIAL TOURS To: HONG KONG & EIGHT CITIES IN JAPAN Next Trip: May 26 to June 17, 1963. Twenty-three days of exhilarating travel and valuable observation. The group will be in Japan at the time of the Grand Master’s Visitation to our four Lodges there. The Price: Only Pl,900.00. The price includes travel documents, clearances, taxes and tourist class on American President Lines, first class bus and train and good normal class hotels in Japan. The price is the lowest because rebates and discounts are virtual ly shared by tour members. The tours are personally led by WIJ N. B. Melocoton ind his Associates who have macie trips of this nature in the past. Special arrangements can be made for tout members to stay longer in a place for more intensive observation, study, and training. If such a plan is being contemplated, those concerned will please give us suffi cient notice so that the best places can be arranged. ♦ These tours are especially arranged for merchants, farmers, in dustrialists, technicians, engineers, and others who willl profit immensely from the observation of farms, factories, department stores, and other places of interest in more advanced countries. If you are thinking of improving your farm or factory; if you are interested in more efficient management of your enterprises; if you want to make business contacts in Hong Kong and Japan; a tour like this would do your business a lot of good. ♦ If you are retiring and thinking of investing your funds in a new venture; or, if you have the cash to start an enterprise of your own, an observation trip of this kind would be a solid pre paration. ♦ If you are thinking of giving a gift (graduation, wedding, birth day, etc.) to a son or daughter, relative, a loyal and capable employee, one trip such as this would do you and your reci pient much good. For further information, call or write: MELOCOTON & ASSOCIATES U. P. Village, Quezon City Tel. 7-98-39 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 What of the Future? By MWB SELDON W. O’BRIEN Past Giand Master, 102!) Most Worshipful Wiliam II. Quasha, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, Plaridel Masonic Temple, 1440 San Marcelino, Manila. Dear (hand Master: l'or half a century now. through all the important changes, and, at times, adverse conditions of that period, the Grand Lodge has so carefully and successlully adminis tered Masonic affairs in the Far East that we can proudly proclaim that it now enjoys the whole-hearted respect and loyalty of its brethren, and rightly merits ami really occu pies a position high on the roll of honor of the other Masonic (hand Lodges of the world. No doubt, fitting tribute will be paid to its many particular accomplishments during its Golden Jubilee, but I would like to mention here what I consider as one of its outstanding achievements of its 50 years of ser vice. From my intimate relation anti familiarity with its proceedings over a long period ol mote than 20 years, I would say that no other (hand Lodge in the world has ever been confronted with mote sensi tive and difficult problems for its solution than the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. Many of these per plexing problems, owing to the pe culiar existing conditions at the time, often caused heated concern among the brethren, secminglv de fying the wisdom of Solomon in their solution. To its great credit and honor, the Grand Lodge inva riably approached these problems with lhe utmost care, and after ma ture and careful consideration, was able to solve them wisely, and in the best of Masonic tradition, with justice and fairness, and, in the main, to the satisfacion of all con cerned, thus preserving at all times, the traditional peace, harmony and good will among its brethren. As 1 look back over the years, and think about these various matters, this stands out in my mind as a wonder ful achievement, and clearly demon strates lhe wisdom, influence and power of our Grand Lodge, when timely and properly directed, in all human relationships. Perhaps, lrom this thought, we may derive much inspiration and encouragement in our future ciforts. As we humbly reflect today upon our past achievements, would it not be timely now to ask, what of the future of Freemasonry in the Phil ippines? 'File greatest heritage of the Fili pino people, including, of course, the Masons, arc their liberties and freedoms under a free and indepen dent democracy of the Free World. With those great and beneficient forces to guide and protect them. Freemasonry and other enlightened institutions there have made lnaikcd progress. The Masons are quite proud of their achievements, and rightly so, and I know they ear nestly desire to see Freemasonry and all other free institutions continue 181 to live and thrive in lhe Philippines and elsewhere as an active and inlluential force in the lives ol the people. Possibly, some, who have not a true perspective of world con ditions, may ask, can there be any serious question about the luture of Masonry in such an atmosphere of freedom as exists in the Philip pines? I wish, with all my heart, I could truthfully say, No, there is no such danger. But, if we rightly judge present world-wide conditions, and properly weigh what has actual ly happened within and to other free nations of the world, as a criterion for the future, we must conclude that there is a grave present danger of the awful threat of communism to all free nations. As Presi dent Kennedy recently warned. “Peace and freedom do not live out most if not all of our liyt-s in uncertainty and challenge and pe ril.” Should this challenge prevail, and the Filipino people brought un der lhe domination and control of Communism, we well know, Irom experience in Cuba and other Com munist countries, what will certainly happen to Freemasonry there. Un der those distressful conditions, the people no longer will be free and independent and master of their destiny, with freedom and dignity, but mere helpless vassals of a cruel and merciless Communist State, and Freemasonrv. and everything for which it stands, will upon the hap pening of that fateful event, be out lawed and banned, its temples and other properties confiscated to the State, and every conceivable means used to obliterate its teac hings. This challenge, therefore, involves lhe matter of actual self-preservation for Freemasonry, and should be of grave concern to all Masons. The defense of the people in this perilous struggle would appear to be an urgent subject for the agenda of our Grand Lodge, if it is not al ready there, with clear designs of this world conspiracy and a true and accurate picture of its brutal tyran ny carefully outlined on our Trestle Board for all to see and understand before the stranglehold of commu nism becomes fixed and there is still time to overcome its dangerous men ace. The Masons, under lhe able direction of lhe Grand Lodge, would seem to be in a strategic position and well prepared to be leaders in this common cause and give effec tive service to the people, and they have sound reason in their own right and interest to aggressively and courageously accept full responsi bility in this mighty challenge to their liberty and freedom. If they, and their government, can win and hold the loyalty and united support of the Filipino people in this fight for freedom, we may rest secure in the belief that the actual design, the special techniques of secret infiltra tion, false indoctrination, suversion and terrorism, and the revolutionary movements of the Communist cons piracy lo subvert and bring lhe Phil ippines and its people under lhe control and domination of a Com munist regime, will never succeed, and lhe Philippines will remain a loyal and respected member of the family of Free Nations. Let us work, hope and pray for this result! In closing. Most Worshipful Grand Master, allow me to extend to vou, and through you, to all other Masons of the Philippines, my warm personal greetings, and all good wishes for a most successful ycat as the Leader of Philippine Masonry. 182 THE CABLE TOW December, 19G2 Jly oQaAt Qoodbye By Dr. JOSE P. R1ZAL Goodbye, beloved Fatherland, adored clime of the sun Pearl of the Orient sea, our lost sweet Paradise! To thee I gladly give this life, forlorn and woebegone, And were it brighter, fresher, more sublime or less undone, Thy good to gain, Fd none the less still make this sacrifice. In battlefields, deliriously and fiercly fighting hot To thee give others all without regret or doubt at all; It matters not the place, be’t cypress, laurel, lily plot, Or scaffold, open field, fierce fight, or bitter martyr’s lot, It’s all the same, when home or country sounds the call. 1 die just when I see the dawn fast breaking thru the sky To herald finally the day behind the gloomy night; If grain thou needst to tint thy nascent ray with brightest dye, Pour out my blood, let it be spilt in tune, low tide or high, And thus emblaze in gold a streak of thy awaking light. \Jy dreams when scarcely yet an adolescent boy, care-free, My dreams when now a youth already full of vim and game, Were those to look at thee some day, thou jewel of the Orient sea, 'Ihy dark eyes dry of tears, they brow serene, so high and free, Without a spot or winkle, nor a blight of fear or shame. Fond hope of this my life, for which my ardent pray’rs outpour, •‘All nail” cries loud to thee this soul about to take its flight! All hail! oh! how so pleasant ’tis to fall to give thee power, To die to give thee life, to die beneath thy starry bow’r. And sleep in thy enchanted sod the long, eternal night. It o ev ni3- lonely grave, perchance, some day thou seest grow A simple, humble flow’r amidst the thin and lowlv weeds, Close draw it to thy lips and kiss my soul — caress it so — Then shall I feel up my brow in the cold tomb below Ihy balm ol tenderness, the warmth which from thy breath procceeds. Allow the moon to shine o’er me with soft and tender light. Allow the dawn to send its glorious beam and fleeting shaft, Allow the wind to murmur, sigh its sad and restless plight, And it, by chance, a songbird on my humble cross alight, Allow the bird sing canticles of peace the breeze to waft. 183 Allow the burning sun evaporate the falling rams And let the heavens purify them with my bootless cry; Allow a friend to weep o’er my untimely death and pains And when at eventide some one for me a pray’r refrains. Pray too, oh! Fatherland, for this my rest to God on high. Pray thou for all of those who died in utter hopelessness. For all of those who suffered torments of unequalled pain. For our poor mothers all, who weep much o’er their bitterness. For orphans, widows and for tortured captives in distress, And for thyself that thou mayst finally redemption gain. And when the shroud of night engulfs the gray cemetery, And only those inert remains keep silent vigil there, Disturb thou not the peace, disturb thou not the mystery; But should thou hear some strains of soft guitar or psaltery, ’Tis I, dear country, singing unto thee then as it were. And when my grave to all is lost in dim forgetfulness, No cross nor stone is left to mark its lonely spot or place, Let is be plowed and let the spade turn o'er its emptiness; Aly ashes thus, before returning unto nothingness, As dust to dust thy carpet-floor shall form a part apace. It matters not by then that I should so forgotten be, For i shall sweep o'er all thy fields, thy vales, thy atmosphere. Because vibrant and a limpid note I shall then be. Aroma, colors, whispers, light, a song, a sigh for thee Repeating constantly the essence of my faith so dear. My id’lized Fatherland, grief of my griefs, tear of my tears, Belov’d Filipinas, hear thou my sad and last goodbye. Hereto I leave thee all, my parents old, lov’d ones, my dears. I go where none are slaves, nor killers cruel or tyrants fierce, Where faith kills not, and He who reigns is God Himself on High. Goodbye, dear parents, brothers mine, ye fragments of my soul. Ye childhood friends in this our lost, benighted home and nest, Give thanks for now I rest me from the tiresome day and call. Goodbye, sweet alien friend, joy of my joy, my all in all. Goodbye, beloved fellowmen. To die is but to rest. (English version by Ally, llorencio D. R. Ponce Past Master, Araiv Lodge No. 18, E & A. Al.) 184 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 Guides in Nation Building His Excellency DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL i'resiaent of the Philippines (Address on the Golden Jubilee oj the Grand Lodge of Free and Ac cepted Masons of the Philippines. December 19, 1962). Your invitation was extended to me on your behalf by one ol your Past (hand Masters, who impressed upon me the historic significance ol the Golden Jubilee ol the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of free and Accepted Masons ol the Phil ippines. 1 am mote than happy to have accepted lor your assemblage is composed of many friends and leaders in various lields of activity, and I am convinced that this is an excellent company of kindred spi rits in cpiest not only of what is good but of what is best lor the people of our country and ol the world. 1 am not inysell a Mason Inn 1 have come to know and admire a good many of them, living and dead. One of them was Cluel jus tice Jose Abad Santos, who was once elevated to the Grand Oriental Chair. He was as exemplary as a dedicated citizen and public ser vant. Like our great Ri/al, Jose Abad Santos laced his executioners and met death sereneh. Now we tevere his memory as a true patriot and martyr who knew how to live and die lor Ireedom and demociacy. My contacts with worthy members ol the Fraternity and my rather li mited leadings about this distin guished Order have brought me the information that Freemasonry stands for the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood ol Man. As a public servant J cannot but be impressed by the lad that the members of lhe Fraternity throughout its long history hate been apostles of Iree dom and supporters of legally-cons tituted government authority and loyal devotees of "a regime ol jus tice, liberty and democracy." lhe sovereign people of this na tion voted lor me as President of lhe Republic. On my inauguration 1 enunciated lhe turns and objectives of my administration, namely, 1. To solve lhe problem of graft and corruption: 2. To attain self-sullic iene v in food: J. To create conditions dial will provide more income lor our . people: 1. To establish piaclices thai will strengthen the moral fiber of the nation and invigorate free dom and democracy: 5. T o launc h a well-lot mutated socio-economic program. In mv first Stale of the Nation address to lhe Congress in joint session assembled. I announced my firm resolve- to carry out my consti tutional duty of serving lhe interests of the members of all groups of our people and doing justice to every 185 man not as President ol one party but as President of the entire Na tion. In that address I stated my awareness of the basic independence of the Executive and the Legisla tive departments of our Govern ment and also my awareness of lhe need for cooperation between them. Now as 1 stand before lhe re presentatives of dinerent Lodges convened to observe the fiftieth an niversary ol the Grand Lodge, I do not hesitate to appeal to you here present and, through you to the other officers and members, lor co operation in the common task of moral regeneration and of advanc ing socio-economic progress. We are all interested in the two pronged program of moral regene ration and economic development because they are indispensably. in lhe life of an individual and of the nation. We all have a stake in na tion-building. When 1 say ..ill I mean absolutely all without excep tion. From lhe days of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle there has been a constant concern in evolving a slate that would make possible the good life for all. That concern is yours and mine. It is our joint concern to adopt a good program and implement a program that will make it possible for the people to enjoy a measure of material pro sperity and spiritual fulfillment. It must be our firm resolve to build a better nation, one resting upon the solid foundations of eco nomic prosperity and righteousness. These material and ethical matters must be our constant polestars. There is an interdependence and interaction between the two. Aris totle himself, in his conception of happiness as the highest good, ad mitted that it was dependent, al least in part, upon external good. For the sake of emphasis, let me repeat that I keep in mind always in the administration of national affairs the two imperative needs: prosperity and righteousness. In meeting a difficult problem of Slate I ask myself two questions that are compelling and impelling in reaching a decision: (1) Is it moral? (2) Is it legal? These I think are two excellent guides in discharging ones responsibility in the task of nation building. Our inimitable mentor, Rizal, called our job "the titanic task or regeneration." We are operating under a government of laws, hence, we must fulfill the exactions of legality in our public act. We like wise believe that life has a mcral basis so we must make morality a yardstick in our individual conduct and in our public actuations. You and none better than you, the Masons, known to be steeped in iporal philosophy and high spi rituality, can readily understand the urgent need of moral regeneration and economic: development. You and I are allies in a great and challenging enterprise. I beseech you to share with me the duty and res ponsibility to make a success of the massive socio-economic program the effective implementation of which will bring widespread and perma nent benefits. Nation building is a long, diffi cult, and complex process. And it is of many facets; but those are in terrelated. That is why the admi nistration is committed to an integ rated socio-economic program. Immediately upon assuming of fice I addressed myself to the ur186 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 gent problem of achieving sell-suf ficiency in rice anti corn. A law has since been enacted creating lhe Rice and Corn Administration charged with the duty to attain this end. Il is heartening that in various prov inces there has been an increase in the production of rice and corn per hectare. We must likewise attend to the fishing industry anti we are waging a campaign against the use of dynamite and poison which luis been depleting our fish resources. We also must step up poultry-rais ing, piggery, and increase the animal population. A better nourished citi zenry means a healthier and troreefficient nation. We have not been unmindful of lhe gravity of unemployment and under-employment. It is with sente satisfaction that lhe Congress ap proved a law creating the Emergen cy Employment Administrate 1. It has made a good start and it de serves encouragement, not condem nation or obstruction. We must create job opportunities for a iabor force growing at the annual rate of some 300,000 and to attain our goal ol 11.6 million jobs in 1967. Covvernment and private sectors have to exert constructive efforts to ad vance toward full employment or a situation wherein there will be greatly reduced unemployment and underemployment. To a group of intelligent men such as we have in this auditorium, there is no need of going into de tails on the need of accelerating the development of economicallydepressed regions of our country, of increasing production and produc tivity, of expanding agricultural and industrial ventures. We have to augmedt the national income and increase lhe per capita income. We have to educate and harness our human potentialy. Our cultural and educational institutions must be reoriented; we have to make them agencies wherein productivity and creativencss loom large. All these and more are needed to make the dream of the framers of the Con stitution tome true, namely, to es tablish a sound and progressive eco nomic democracy. Fortunately for this and coming generations, God Almighty endowed our country with rich and varied natural resources. We are ordained by the supreme law of the land to conserve and develop the patrimony of the nation. With such natural riches better developed and econom ically exploited, this land now the home of about 30,000,000 can sus tain a population twice or three times that number of inhabitants. We must shift the mentality and interest and energy of our youth to practical activities, agricultural and industrial. We must guide and direct them to give greater atten tion to the soluion of scienific and economic problems. I.et us convince them that theirs is an epoch neces sitating applied knowledge, skill, science and technology. Besides being guided by what is legal and moral, by the policy of prosperity and of righteousness, it is well, too, that we be guided by the principles of nationalism and and internationalism in building an ever greater Nation. We need the application of those twin principles of modern life to combat poverty, disease and ignorance. We need GUIDES IN NATION BUILDING 187 sound nationalism and sane inter nationalism in economics and fin ance, in morals and culture. We have attained independent nationhood. This is a landmark in our history. Nationalism has been a ((instructive and powcrlul lorce in our national growth. It will con tinue to exert a great influence. It has been influential in lhe nation alization of the retail trade and it is one of the motivations of the enactment of the law for the rice and corn industries. In my Stale of the Nation Address on January 22, 1962. I unequivocally stated: "The Administration upholds na tionalism.” We fellow Rizal who said. "In spite of everything the Country first, first the Philippines." At lhe same time, I recognized the principle of internationalism in our economic development. Foteign investment is invited and, to quote from the same address, “We must be sincere in attracting foreign ca pital to invest in productive enter prises in our country...” 1 reiterat ed lhe operation ol these two prin ciples in an address belore lhe Chamber of Commerce of the Phil ippines on August 18, 1962, say ing: "Our program envisage-. do mestic investments amounting •.;> 89 per cent of the requirements and foreign investments amounting to 11 percent. Indeed, there is wide room for profitable foreign invest ments in the country and to all foreign investors, present and future, we guarantee against confiscation ol their investment, freedom to lepatriate profits as well as capital, and equal protection of the laws.” I doubt not that these pronounce ments find a responsive chord in the hearts of Masons because Free masonry has helped humanize na tionalism, making it a truly univer sal Fraternity. The various steps we have taken in foreign affairs, including lhe State Visits we made to Spain, Italy, the Holy See and Pakistan, and lhe cordial welcome which our government and people extended to foreign dignitaries of fiiendly states, are proofs positive of our fealty to nationalism and in ternationalism. Now I come to moral regenera tion as part and parcel of the policy <>f this Administration. This I know is near and dear to the heart of every Mason. You form a body of men avowedly dedicated to morality and spiritually of the highest order. Freemasonry has been defined is "an organized society of men symbolic ally applying the principles of ope rative masonry and architec lute to the science and art of character building." Masons, I understand, are taught to "meet on the level" and ' "part on the square." You teach and endeavor to practice brotherly love, relief and truth. Therefore you cannot be indiffer ent or passive in lhe relentless fight of this Administration against graft, corruption and other venalities. I took my oath of office on Rizal’s day of execution, December .‘JO, as ordained by the Constitution. The people elected me and my col league on a platform of construc tive reforms. On January 21, 1962, we took a bold step to lift controls. I did not wait for 1963 to remove controls because of my firm convic tion that it was an urgent measure to effect both economic and moral reform. As I observed on a previous THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 occasion "through tiecontrol, we dealt the monster ol corruption a mortal blow.” As you well know, my friends, this administration has waged a fight to institute moral 1 eforms. It has reduced corrupt practices and eliminated, to a large extent, the activities of ten per centers and inliucnif pcdcLcis. Will sour prat ers and public support, I am deter mined to light corruption relent lessly until it is crushed and we lhe Filipinos and others resident in this beloved land can once again raise our foreheads in integritv, dignitv and honor. (fentiemen and friends, I am re minded of the summation of lhe virtues of St. Paul when he said: “Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things arc h.mest, whatsoever things are of good re port il there lie any virtue, and there be any praise, think <>n these tilings." Together let us think seriously on these things and channel our ta lents to bring about a reign of right eousness sinc e "t ighteousness exalteth a nation." Thank you and mav (.oil Ides and guide' us all! A UNEL’S MACHINERY & SUPPLY You SAVE a lot When you call us up for your ei;uipntent ui<<ls Portable Electric Power Units — DIESEL & GASOLINE ENGINES. ELEC. MOTORS FLOOR POLISHERS, MAGNETOS. TV SETS. TRANSISTOR RADIOS, ELEC. FANS. WATER l’L'MPS, ENGINES FOR FISHING P.ANCAS Main Oif’ce A- Store: 717 Evangelista, Manila Machinery Work Shop: 63 South II. Diliman, Quezon City TEL. 3-33-23 TEL. 70-02-60 GUIDES IN NATION BUILDING SECURITY vs. INDEPENDENCE By MWB WILLIAM IL QUASHA Grand Master, Alter Franklin Delano Roosevelt became President of the United States in 1932, a model n concept of Stale social welfare was born. From then on politicians competed with cadi other in promising lhe people that the Slate would care for them and would grant them social secur ity. Fhe first big move in this di rection in the United States was the creation of unemployment insurance. This was soon followed by the estab lishment of old-age insurance. To gether they came to represent to the American people and are now known as “Social Security”. It is my purpose tonight to exam ine whether State social welfare, which is referred to as "Social Sec urity", actually provides social sec urity or whether in lad it is destroy ing independence' and consequently is deleterious to indie idual and group security. United Stales is not alone in grant ing carious doles to lhe public. Jn England, lor example, even medical care is provided Iree of charge to the people. Sweden outdoes both as some wag has put it, ‘ File Stale cares for you Irom the womb to the tomb". l he original concept of soc ial sec urity w;ts based on the theory: first, that such a Slate welfare program was economically sound and benefi cial to the body politic; and, second, that it was jusliltable Irom lhe point of view of humanity. lhe economic argument, in part, is its follows: (a) The great clanger in a dep ression is that it becomes wide spread and intense. (b) Unemployment becomes gen eral. (c) Buying power diminishes. (d) Production suffers from lack of continued demand. (e) Unemployment spreads caus ing lowered purchasing power by the public, resulting in further di minution in production and so on. (f) Unemployment insurance acts as a stop-gap against the break down of production and prevents the cycle from taking place or if it does persist, its intensity will not be great nor will its continuity be as sustained. The humanitarian argument holds, in part, that: (a) Everyone has a right to be free from want. (b) Private charity is too hap hazard and does not accomplish the job. (c) The State has a duty to see to it that the inequities of society are counterbalanced. In addition to these two main arguments, here is a corollary which slates that the State welfare pro gram enables families to stay togeth er and that consequently crime and juvenile delinquency are alleviated. Let us examine each of these ar guments. First, the economic as pect. “Social Security" today is supported by means of payroll tax190 es, the magnitude of which is hard lor the ordinary person to appre ciate. In lhe United States, the annual cost runs into billions of dollars. In 1963 an increase in payroll taxes is scheduled; the in crease alone will aggregate more than one and a half billion dollars. Every cent ol this money comes from production, either as laborers’ wages or from capital’s contribu tion. In other words, some la borers, from the sweat of their brows, are paying for other persons' wel fare. Were this money put into actual production, the total amount of wealth which would be produced would run many times over the actual money that is being taken out of production. 'l he result is that with the curtailment of production, there is diminution in the amount of wages which arc being earned in the country by all workers. lhe argument that “Social Sec urity” reduces the elicits of depres sions is without sound economic basis. When lhe government pours money into the economy on a give away basis, it is not adding to pro duction nor is it providing a spur or incentive to production. On the contrary, by withholding money Irom production, through the taxa tion of payrolls, it is penalizing and thus discouraging production, it is weakening the body of the economy internally, thus making it more vul nerable to depressions and it is softening the country thus making it less competitive in internaional trade, ft is clear that this is not lor the real welfare or lor the security ol the people but is rather to in crease the power ol the State over the people. We must remember that we Masons have jealously guard ed the freedom of the individual and that power, once acquired by the State, is very difficult to be rcwon by the people. As to the second department, lhe humanitarian concept. We Masons believe in Charity. We practice Charily. We are the largest private charitable and fraternal organiza tion in the world. We practice Charity on a voluntary basis. Voli tion is the antithesis of compulsion. Volition is freedom and compulsion is slavery. If the Stale socializes Charity, there is an unfortunate tendency for voluntary Charily to diminish or to cease altogether. The beauty of Charity is lhe spirit of giving. If people are compelled to contribute pan of their wages to the Slate, in many cases they no longer wish to give Charily voluntarily be cause they feel they have already made their contribution to the State and that ii is now up to the State to look after the less fortunate. The average man. when he sees a less fortunate person now- says: “Let lhe State look after him. After all, I am paying taxes”. The idea of letting the State be the great dispenser of Charily is detrimental to mankind. It is my opinion that unless the- trend is re versed, the time will come when the idea of Charity will lall into gen eral disuse. It is also true that it poverty is widesptcad, which could become the situation il our compe titive power is destroyed, the peo ple will not have adequate means to practice- Charily in a substantial way. lhe way to have a healthy society in which Charily, volunta rily practiced, is considered a virtue is to base a virile economy wherein SECURITY VS. INDEPENDENCE 191 real wages will be high, and where lhe handmaidens of ignorance and poverty can be eliminated. But il production is penalized by payroll taxes, we cannot expect the economy to be healthy and we cannot hope for humanitarian concepts to be higlily developed. Now let us turn to the corollary: “Social Security” results in better homes, less dime and diminished juvenile delinquency. Thirty years of experience indicates that this is an elusive goal. Statistics show that crime runs higher in countries where there is more Slate social wel fare than where there is less. Swe den is a good example. This coun try not only has an unduly high crime rale but it also has a very high incidence of suicides, yet it has more State-dispensed welfare gfanis i I'.an any other country. England and Scotland have highly developed Slate welfare programs. These two great countries have found that dime and juvenile delinquency have ■ 'ol diminished, but that on the contrary they have been increased since their welfare programs have been instituted. United States and Philippines have had similar exper ience. Crime and juvenile delin quency are directly related to po verty and ignorance. Solve lhe prob lem of poverty and banish ilitetacy, and give lhe peope freedom, dime and juvenile delinquency will surely diminish. Freedom-loving people should re cognize that lhe greatest attribute of society is lhe independence, the freedom and the liberty of the in dividual. We Masons cherish and have always cherished lhe dignity ol man. XVe realize that with the increase in the power of the Slate there is a corresponding decrease in the freedom of the individual. We are suspicious of the politicians' promise when he tells us that the: State will look after us if only we will elect him to power. We are suspicious of the growing ranks of men in and out of the government who are supported by the peoples' wages. We are suspicious of the fact that social security has become synonymous with the Slate-run wel fare society. I am of the opinion that private pension plans, mutual aid societies, insurance companies and private charities in a frcerentcrprise society are the true methods whereby social security can be ac complished. I ask all of my brethren not to be misled by high-sounding promises which cannot be supported by performance. It is my conclusion that “Social Security'’ in lhe concept of a State social welfare program is not only destructive of individual liberty and hence of independence, but it is even detrimental to the ordinary concept of security. Where lhe State be comes strong, the individual be comes weak. lie is weak because he has lost his freedom, and ul timately he is compelled to do what the State wants him to do. This is not true security, and people who continue to hold up their arms in the air crying to the State for securiy are actually asking to be put in shackles. We Masons are facing a challenge. We know that wherever Communism exists, Masonry has been outlawed. As far as we arc concerned. Com munism, Fascism and any other form of Totalitarianism must be loughi, and we must be alert to the propo sition that Totalitarianism can come 192 THE CABLE TOW December, 19C>2 upon us bv a gradual ptocsss ol elusion of tile individual's libeilv. There is only one answer, and that is: Independence. Indi pcai de ;i< e ol tile- i 11 e 1 i vie 111 a I. 1’ dipinos .ind Ain. 1 i< il ls u i le: ■ stand wli.it independence mean-. \\ e hael to light lot i'.: Inn sometmi.s we are apt to lliink dial becalm are no Icinget dominated bv a io:eigll power, that we ll.i'. e r.lcl< pc ’;e 1 ene e. Sue h is not the e ase. I i 1:.. state is a ll-powc 11 it I. it hat d!v iii.itleis whelhei tile State is nil) l>v a loieign or a doim si. t\ i ant. 1 h ' is Biother Jose lii/al s giv.u .v.n ning Io us. II we- Masons elo not lecogni/e this, who will iccogm.”. it? II we- elo not speak out against iviannv. who will speak agaimt H? II we elo not l.g’ll lot puolle edu cation. who will light loi n? II «f do not oppose tin ae epi.sit ion ol powei lie the Stale- oven th. i:i dividual. who will oppose- n? .\h Bieilnen. laches and gentle men: this is not the' Iiist noi the’ last lime’ in histoiv when we’ will haw- to stand up loi our 1 ights. We’ must recogni/e that everv inn. we’ meet we ought to lededic ale iturselves to the- basic principles loi i.lndi we- stand, because unless we tio so. the lime will come’ when all we have Jell is the memoiv ol an institution and not the instiimion SIGN OF CORRECT LUBRICATION Makers and Marketers of Mobil Automotive Products Mobil Industrial Oils and Greases I wish you all a vety Merry Christ mas and a Happy New Year. A •SECURITY VS. INDEPENDENCE 193 KNOCK THE BARRIER DOWN By MWB CENON CERVANTES Past Grand Master, 1951 (Speech delivered Dec. 19, 1962, by M.IV. CENON S. CERVANTES, P.G.M. at the dinner held at the Phil-Am Life Auditorium in connec tion with the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines) M. W. Chand Master Quasha, distinguished brethren, ladies, brethren and friends: At the outset let me extend to each and everyone of you present this evening a most hearty welcome. To you brethren who have come ftom afar, sacrificing lime a'nd elfort, all we can say is this: "Thank you.” The other day while going through the comic strips, as is my wont, the hero, Phil. Corrigan, as Secret Agent X 9, had returned horn a successful mission as usual and was winging his way home. As he sat by the porthole of his plane admiring the beautiful pano rama below him, his thoughts sud denly veered to the great stride, atatained by science in air-travel. This was what he mused about: "But jet speed has drawn us all together into a light little package where we’ve got to lace each other s problems. If otdy we could knock down the test of the barriers, like we’ve done with distance and time...” How true indeed: But the last sentence was incomplete. He could have added: "What a wonderful place this world of ours would be to live in." Tonight we have met at this fes tive board to break bread with one another and to share the joy that is ours on this auspicious occasion namely, the celebration of the Gold en Jubilee of the Grand Lodge ol the Philippines. Coincidentally, it comes at the time of the year when the spirit of good will is in the air. December is a special season for all of us — vibrant with goodwill, open-heartedness and happiness. It is fortunate that our Golden Jubilee should be celebrated during tliis sea son because it reflects the deepest sentiments of Freemasonry. Despite this seeming gaiety, har bored within every thinking n-an’s heart is the fear of nuclear destruc tion. The years after World Wat II, far from being a period of peace, have been years of tension and un certainty. In this era of global tensions, the desperate and immediate solution resorted to by nations has been arm ament. Amassed by world powers are arsenals of destructive weapons which may trigger olf the annihila tion of millions and eventuate in the chaos of civilization. Still the mad race continues and the clamor for more billions for defense obsessesscs all nations. Some of the best intellects, the wealth of the world is centered on 194 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 destruction — on the manufacture of deathly weapons designed for mas sive retailiation. Also, manhood’s finest, not the feeble or the infirm, will be ranged to take the first shock of battle. Yet we hear of millions of people the world over suffering Irom disease and hunger plus com plaints about l;tck of funds for eclu< alion. Yet war has never been the ul timate solution for any world crisis. Justified as it has been to have halt ed momentarily madmen’s drearas of a world conquest, the hatred caused by war grows all the more virulent by its very subjugation by force. History records the rise and fall of tyrants, mighty and feared in their time with nothing bequeathed to mankind except a gory record of carnage and destruction. On the other hand, history too records the death of peacemakers, trampled in their lime, but who have conquered more minds and hearts for posterity. What then is the positive force lor reconciling nations? The an swer comes to us unmistakably clear the brotherhood of men. In man's brief sojourn on earth, he must find and Inc* by the great truths of life, if he must exist above the animal plane. Masonry is found ed upon these great truths — bro therhood, freedom and trust. These have1 been truths bequeathed to countless generations by Mason-, who have lived and died for their prin ciplesMasonry’s militant existence after centuries of ecclesiastical and poli tical persecution attests to the strong foundations undergirding our Fra ternity. Fifty years ago, today, a group of men imbued with the spirit of goodwill decided that a Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippine Islands should be established here with the blessing ol the (hand Lodge of California, re presented now by M. W. Coburn. They had the faith in the future of this country and knew that Freema sonry had taken a firm root here. They were of different colors, creeds and beliefs but were bound together as brothers by the teachings of Free masonry. Their dream has come to a successful fruition because through the Grand Lodge of the Philippines, there has since been established two other (hand Lodges — the Grand Lodge of China and the Grand Lodge of Japan, thus spreading farther the light of Freemasonry. Fhe War years demonstrated to the world at large the kind of stuff that the Masons in this country were macle of. Bro. Jose Abad San tos, a Past Grand Master of the (hand Lodge of the Philippines, was a shining example. On the al tar of martyrdom he gave his life rather than sacrifice the principles lor which he stood. Yet these scry brethren who were abused and tortured during the War years, believing in human goodness, saw lit to establish Masonic Lodges in japan. In 1951, while I was (.land Master I had occasion to visit the Lodges in japan. 1 knew that the Frater nity would flourish in that country and that sooner or later the crea tion of a (hand Lodge would ccme. I asked a number of Japanese bretliicn what they thought of it. The KNOCK THE BARRIER DO..N 195 majority opinion al the time was that it was not yet propitious. Yet a few years later that dream became a reality for now we have a regular Grand Lodge of Japan, with W. M. Bro. Nohea Peck, who is in our midst, as its Grand Master. Masonry understands man’s yearn ing for peace and has nurtured its attendant ideals despite persecution and terrorism. Its tenet, brother hood of men under the Fatherhood of God is smiple in exposition but difficult of achievement. All men regardless of race or creed can and must be united for a common goal — the upliftment of humanity. The earth has an abundance of resources that can be harnessed for peace. I.et men but open tiieir hearts in trust every day of the vear, not only during the Yuleticie sea son. and the world will be one of hope and faith. Masonry has earn estly sought to establish these ideals by word and deed. In the final analysis, only human goodness can avert another catastro phic war. What the world needs is not a balance of power but an in exhaustible fund of human good ness. For only human goodness can avert a war and only human good ness can insure a fruitful and last ing peace. Thus this occasion should not on ly be one of deep thanksgiving from the knowledge that men forever seek their higher selves but an occasion of humility springing from the thought that some of our brethren have, through the centuries, laid down their lives so that this vision may not perish. This then is the quintessence of this celebration. The gifts of the spirit will always prevail and as long as Freemasonry builds and trusts in things spiritual, it too shall prevail. Thus it is with dee]) humility that this generation reaffirms its faith in Masonry and its tenets. Within us, too, rests the certitude that future generations will nurture Masonry and it will continue as an uncon querable force lot humanity’s sake. A A A EDITORIAL. . . (C'nit lined from page 169) Freemasonry that was laid by the first Freemason who en tered this Land of the Morning has been carefully preserved throughout the intervening years and steadily and securely built upon. The building has been continuing and will con tinue. It is dedicated to all those Masons who have passed on their respective ways, leaving behind monuments of their achievement, not the least of which is the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in the Philippines. A monument to truth, a Light in the East. REW 196 THE CABLE TOW December, 1962 To Each His Own Socio-Economic Program............... Our Obsession: We believe that the development of a sound economy depends on the improvement of small farms and industries for increased production. They are the main stay and backbone of lasting progress. We are in the throes of a population explosion. People have to feed themselves. They cannot be decimated by wars and pes tilence. They must live and let live. Our Program: We help people increase production in farms and factories. That way they can sell and buy more. We help them establish new home or cottage industries. That they may do their share in the socio-economic program of President Macapagal, they should adopt a socio-economic program at the grassroot level for themselves and their families. Hence, our program to help them. We Offer: Assistance in farm and factory lay-out, planning, surveys, management, etc.; Consultations in obtaining tax exemptions for new machineries, sales, etc.; Facilities in procurement of locally-manufactured and imported ma chineries, etc. In case you are interested in what farm and industrial ma chines to get, what home industries to establish, please call or write — MEL AGRO-INDUSTRIAL CENTER, INC. U. P. Village, Quezon City Tel. 7-98-39 PEOPLE, PEOPLE LOVE "He was a queer sori of a duck, but he was the best friend I ever had,” said a man at a recent college reunion, referring to one of his for mer teachers. "For the life of me, I couldn’t tell you anything 1 learned ir his course, but he taught me more about myself than anybody else ever did. He opened tnv eves to what I had in me.” Emerson would have appreciated a teacher like that. He wrote, "What I need most is someone to make me do what I can.” Il must be a rewarding experience to be such a "someone" for some body — to be the catalyst which blings out the undiscovered best in another. The thing that brings out the best in most people is encour agement. If the idea appeals to you. you can provide this precious mc rale plasma for those around you. Words alone will not be enough; your at titude will be more eloquent. You must not only say encouraging tilings, sou must think encouraging things. You must expect them to amount to something! If you have the right kind of sluff in you, you can be somebody’s “best friend" — perhaps to a r.t.niber of somebodys. And earn a very special kind of gratitude! The Little Gazette ACTIVE PARTS Your profits increase with the effi ciency of your operations — with the aid of Caltex Organized Lubrication. This service is a cost-reducing tool, not an expense item. Gives you important savings on maintenance costs, eliminates unnecessary pur chases of parts. Check with your Caltex Lubricatioa Engineer. He will prepare a Caltex Lubrication Program to provide you with the right lubrication for each piece of equipment. For big cost-saving benefits of Caltex Organized Lubrication, write or call your nearest Caltex office. LUBRICATION IS A MAJOR FACTOR IN COST CONTROL CALTEX