There is hardly a country today in which Masonry is not subjected to unscrupulous attacks that threaten its very existence . Only unity and a clear-cut will to see this fight through can bring success to our cause . Today , masons of every country must close ranks , turn away from the details that might separate them , and think of what unites them .
Whether we desire it or not , we are now all companions in misfortune . The congress of the League in Brussels represents the ideal occasion to confirm and put into practice this common desire for collaboration and solidarity . [ ... ] Brothers of every country , whether you are members of the League or not , come one and all to Brussels so that our congress becomes a strong example of international masonic solidarity [ ... ].
The following expression was also found in this issue : “ External attacks oblige us to unite internally .” The League did not give up , but it had no illusions about its capacity to act .
Returning to the singular theme of the Brussels congress (“ The national and supra-national mission of Freemasonry ”), the circular sent on July 22 by the executive committee of the ULF to the national groups and to the members of the administrative council noted as follows :
The goal of this meeting is not to pass resolutions or to establish
Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society
60 projects that could not be implemented today . The planned discussion topic should show us the way and we hope for general debate in order to learn the opinions of our brothers [ ... ]. Help us better understand each other and strengthen our resolve in the fight for our ideal . Today , it is the duty of each and every one of us to fight for this idea .
There are no documents directly from this Brussels congress , or on the one held in Prague in 1936 , where the agenda was : “ Current tasks of Freemasonry .” But the machine of war had started ... and who could stop it ?
The Impossible Union ?
The next congress took place in
Paris on December 3 – 5 , 1937 .
The agenda once again expressed a desire : “ International masonic reconciliation .” The editorialist of La Heroldo ( no . 1 , 1937 ), after summarizing the situation and the lessons to be learned , wrote :
The attacks carried out by our enemies on all sides have awakened the need for union among masons . We have learned to understand that , alone , a phalanx is capable of victoriously resisting the reaction . We have realized the absurdity of becoming strangers to ourselves for differences in approach , most of which were more imagined than real . The chasm that separates Anglo- Saxon Masonry from the others