The New Language For Freemasons.

The only article is la and is without gender . One of the most efficient means of shortening the vocabulary and decreasing the tax on the memory , is by the use of the prefixes and suffixes . This is a common English custom , but in Esperanto consistency has been kept instead of the haphazard methods we use . We say artist ; printer ;

and bootmaker ; but Esperanto uses ariisio ; presislo , from presi to print ; bolislo , from bolo shoe . Another form by which economy is used is in the prefix mal . We say good and evil , the new language uses bona , good ; nialboua , not good . Friend is amigo , enemy is malamigo ; strong is forta ,

weak is inalforla , etc . Collective nouns are denoted by the suffix ar . Thee is arbo , forest is arbaro ; car vagona ; train would therefore be vagonaro . The diminutive is signified by the suffix el ;

cigaro , cigarclo ; libro , book , librelo , booklet or pamphlet ; ridi to laugh , ride . lo to smile . There are about thirty of these prefixes and suffixes and very * often two or more can be used together . The suffix in , denotes the feminine , as in most languages but ours , and we have / 'Vf / o , brother ; fratino , sister ; knabo ,

boy ; knabino , girl . Again , ec shows the abstract quality' ; amilio , friend ; amikcco , friendship ; viro , man ; vireco , manliness ; virino , woman ; virineeo , womanliness ; patro , father ; patrino , mother ; patiiueco , motherhood . So one word is made to supply the place of half a dozen in English , with

only the addition of a syllable . One writer in speaking of Esperanto , says that he took up the study to amuse himself one Sunday afternoon , and to his suprise he found that in one hour he could read with

comparative ease , and before he retired that night , had written a long letter in the language to a friend . The Bulletin of the International Office for Masonic Intercourse devotes some space to the subject of Esperanto , and says in part : ' ' Freemasonry , which takes an interest in all that helps to bring men close together , and in lowering

the barriers which separate them , cannot remain indifferent in respect to Esperanto . The Dutch Esperantist Society has a Mason at its head , Bro . Dreves Uitterdijk at Hilversum ( Holland ) . In the United States , Bro . George F . Moore , publisher at Washington , devotes his attention to the question

of Esperanto . " The Tyler-Keystone thinks that Esperanto is rapidly gaining the attention of Masons all over the world . For Masonic intercourse such a language is invaluable both for travellers

in foreign countries , who wish to meet their brothers but are handicapped by their ignorance of the language , and for purposes of correspondence . If all general secretaries could use this new language it is safe to presume that international correspondence would be vastly increased , to the mutual benefit of all who participated and who read the reports .

Our contemporary also favours the establishment of an international Masonic Magazine , a feature that would be , without doubt , an immediate outcome of a general understanding of the language . What is known it asks of the work that is being done in France , Germany , Italy or Spain ?

And yet in these and other countries work is being carried on under Masonic auspices , that could we know of it , might prove an inspiration to every American lodge . And all cf this for a few hours' work of absorbing interest .

The Queensland Question.

The Queensland Question .

r T ^ UE publication of the Report of the Grand Registrar of I the Grand Lodge of England on the action of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales in recognising the so-called Grand Lodge of Queensland has brought forth the following rejoinder from M . W . Bro . Remington , P . G .

Master of the former body : — " At the request of the Grand Master of New South Wales ( M . W . Bro . Sir Harry Rawson ) , I have read carefully a pamphlet of eleven pages of printed matter , dated 14 th May , 1906 , and signed John Strachan , Grand Registrar .

Before commenting as briefly as possible upon the various paragraphs , I may point out that the interview alluded to in the first few lines of the pamphlet was solely between out-Past Grand Master ( then visiting Sydney ) and myself ( then Grand Master ) , and not any ' Officers or some of them . '

I also think it necessary to record that the ' unofficial correspondence' referred to on page 10 of V . W . Bro . Strachan's pamphlet , had nothing to do with the present matter , but dealt solely with another of years ago , in which also he had been a vigorous opponent of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales .

1 . The Grand Registrar ' s interpretation of my views as to the regularity of a Grand Lodge , is unfair to say the least of it . In my address in Brisbane , on the 29 th October , 1904 , I indicated them clearly thus : — ' We had to he assured that a reasonable proportion of the Lodges already existing in Queensland had joined in tlie

establishment of a Grand Lodge . How many this should be is one : if the arguable points which the circumstances of each case must decide . We should hardly have been disposed to act upon the late Dr . Mackey ' s well-known dictum that ' three Lodges are sufficient , ' unless indeed they were the only ones existing in the Territory ; but , on the other

hand , we decline to agree with the assertion that there must be an absolute majority of the existing Lodges in agreement to establish a Grand Lodge : and , still less , with the contention that there must be a majority of those holding under each Constitution . The former condition would , probably , and the latter almost certainly , prevent the establishment of any more new Grand Lodges anywhere . '

The Grand Lodge of New South Wales ( 1877 to 1888 ) , which Brother Strachan evidently considers was " Irregular , " and of which by the way I never was a member and am not a partisan , was established by thirteen Lodges out of fortyfive existing at the time , and was recognised as " Regular "

by nearly all the Grand Lodges of the world , with three notable exceptions . England and Scotland naturally supported their District Grand Lodges , in the words of the late Brother Shadwell-Clerke , ' so long as they- continued to desire it . ' Ireland had a special grievance against some of

her old lodges , about defective returns . This I had the pleasure of removing in 1889-90 , receiving then the thanks of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , and their Grand Representative ' s Jewel . Scotland , Canada and Nova Scotia are other instances of Grand Lodges formed by minorities .

2 . The Grand Lodge of New South Wales postponed recognition of Queensland until the Board of General Purposes recommended it after full enquiry , of which a report was published in our Proceedings for September , 1904 . The facts of lite case , about which Brother Strachan has apparently dark suspicions , are contained in that Report ,

and in the one published by Grand Lodge of the visit paid to Brisbane in October , 1904 . 3 . The Grand Registrar 'thinks' the refusal of Ireland to recognise Queensland was known here before the visit to Brisbane . It certainly was not , nor for more than a month

afterwards . As to the suspension of some Brethren of the English Constitution , for something preceding the formation of the Grand Lodge of Queensland , I learned the particulars quite recently . So far as understood at the time , their offence was joining in forming it .

4 . The Board of General Purposes , having already dealt with the Grand Lodge of Scotland ' s reply to my previous memorandum , nothing can be gained by again traversing it . except in so far as it is now referred to under 3 , and further under 5 and 6 . 5 and 6 . My first intimation that the Brother specially mentioned was accused of anything , except joining in forming