FREEMASONRY IN SWITZERLAND REJECTION OF BAN Nazism Alternative Adds to Catholic Dilemma

From Our Central European Correspondent By a majority of close on three hundred thousand votes, the Swiss electorate, which is exclusively male, decided to reject a sensational proposal to ban Freemasonry, the Oddlellows movement, and a society called the Union as subversive and dangerous organisations. Of the Catholic cantons, all rejected the proposal with the solitary exception of Fribourg which was the only canton to approve the proposal. Lucerne, which is a solidly Catholic canton, rejected it by a majority of more than two to one.
The proposal was sponsored by the National Front, an extreme Right organisation, and aroused intense feelings in many parts of Switzerland, although Catholics were from the outset divided on the clues FITS DE TELL, DEBOUT!
tion, torn by their dislike of Freemasonry and their equal hatred of Nazism.
Of one thing, however, there can be no doubt; Swiss Freemasonry is among the most powerful national groups of Freemasons in. Europe and is extremely influential in Switzerland, its strongholds being naturally the Protestant cantons. The Alpine Grand Lodge is known to have something very like a stranglehold upon the Protestant cantons of Vaud and Neuchatel and is the most powerful of the Lodges. It is often almost impossible to secure certain posts without being a Freemason in such cantons and there is no doubt that large numbers of Swiss Masons are bitterly antiCatholic.
Power and Weakness of Freemasons There is, too, despite vehement denials, no doubt that Swiss masonry takes its orders from an international body, takes an active part in political life, unlike British Masons (or so they say), and owing to the unhealthy secrecy of its orders which are jealously guarded from the outside world and indeed from all but a few of the higher grades of the brotherhood, must be viewed with great misgiving. Their influence has all too often been pernicious in the extreme.
On the other hand it is easy to exaggerate its dangers. Statistics show that since 1932 the numbers of Swiss Masons have steadily declined. In the Vaud, where Lausanne, the capital, is the Masons' great stronghold, the number of adherents of the Alpine totalled 874 at a recent census and in the cantons of Uri and Zug the numbers were respectively three and two. Nor are their numbers by any means large either in the various local or national organs of government.
Bad Tactics
The proposal was moreover framed with remarkable lack of skill.
Many, including numbers of Catholics, who are thoroughly aware of the danger of Freemasonry and its anti-Catholic attitude, were not prepared to approve a ban upon the Oddfellows and still less upon the Union. Most people, whether supporters or opponents of the main proposal, were in agreement that the Union is a purely charitable and philanthropic organisation that has done much to relieve poverty and suffering and that to ban the Union would be an act of grave injustice.
Commernism, till recently a real danger in some parts of Switzerland, has now been finally outlawed. But many consider that Nazism is an even greater danger to Switzerland, particularly in the districts borderMg upon Germany. (It is, however, noteworthy that a recent election in one of these cantons, which was generally thought to be Switzerland's Nazi stronghold, showed that the camouflaged Nazi candidate had but a ridiculously small number of supporters.) Many of those prominently associated with the National Front make no secret of their deep admiration for the Third Reich and all its ways.
Recent revelations in Basel and Zurich newspapers give good ground for believing that the movement to ban Swiss Masonry originates from Berlin and had been financed by Dr. Goebbels' agents.
And to any one who knows the Swiss there could be nothing that was more surely calculated to damn the proposal.
Attitude of Bishops Many Catholic representatives supported the government's recommendation to the nation to reject the proposal. The Swiss Hierarchy, however, while making it plain that they did not wish to concern themselves with what in their view was a purely political move, reminded Catholics once again that it is strictly forbidden to join the Freemasons; but no word was said as to the tactical wisdom of such a mow.