CIB48ISS2 m 2° ra20 THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AMERICAN SECTION OF THE THE080PHICAL SOCIETY, PUBLICATION OFFICE, MOUNT MORRIS, ILLINOIS, PUBLISHED MONTHLY MRS. BETSY JEWETT, NATIONAL SECRETARY, 645 WRIGHTWOOD AVE.t CHICAGO. ILL. ENTERED AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER OCTOBER 28. 1020. AT THE POST OFFICE AT MOUNT MORRIS. ILLINOIS NDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3. 1870. ACCEPTANCE FOR MAILING AT SPECIAL RATE OF POSTAGE PROVIDED FOR IN SBC. 1103. ACT OF OCTOBER 3. 1017. UTHORIZED OCTOBER 28. 1020. COPYRIGHT. 1020, BY THE AMERICAN SECTION OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $1.00 A YEAR V*. CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE SENT PROMPTLY. WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST COPIES. Wtfl:TKRS OF UBLI3HBD ARTICLES ARB ALONE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPINIONS STATED THEREIN. > 7 * NEWS FROM ENGLAND London, October 12. nished and has an air of simjjfj^jfttefeity It is too early to make any comparisons that satisfies one’s sense of pnSjP^iv. etween the strength of the theosophical On the ground floor is a large recejjBon movement in England and in the United room and across the hall in the rear is the tates, but in later communications I office where all inquiries are answered. ope to do so. The national headquarters On the floor above is the office of the large, uilding is very similar to our own. I fine library, while one flight further up is lean, of course, our new location at 645 the General Secretary’s office, the publicity Vrightwood Avenue, Chicago. They have office, etc. A thing that at once strikes he advantage of looking directly on the little the American visitor as being different is ircular park of Bedford Square, while we are the large amount of volunteer work done little over a block from Lincoln Park, but here. We are accustomed to paying for e have the greater advantage of a de- nearly everything that is done at head­ iched building, with a private garden in quarters in the states. Here one gets the he rear— a thing almost unknown in this impression that it is just the reverse and art of London. The residences are built that many people are ready to give all or 1 solid blocks like our business houses, part of their time to working for Theoso­ 'hey rise three stories from the inner phy. It appears, moreover, to be very dge of the pavement— often just a straight efficient help. nooth wall from street to street, broken There is one great difference between nly by doors and windows. Except for this Section and the American Section that light variations in the painting of doors should never be forgotten when compari­ nd window cases one house is very much sons are made, and that is the compact­ ke another except for the number over ness of England and Wales. If we had the he door. No. 23 Bedford Square, the whole of our membership in the United National Headquarters, is tastefully fur­ States within the state of Illinois, and if Chicago were seventy miles nearer to ground England would be for those whose the center of the state than it is, we would chief occupation in life is to start a ro* have something like the territorial condi­ But they would not last long enough ir tions over here. Naturally there are a England to get fairly started. Respc: great many visitors to the headquarters for constituted authority and for all de­ in London and the lecturers who travel cisions legally made is an inborn trs- have very short journeys to make. of British character, and when a thing j Among the interesting letters that await­ once settled here by the appointed method ed me on my arrival here was one from that is the end of it. Mabel Collins expressing the hope that I Another clause in the English by-law; would come to her town, and saying that that will be of interest just now in Americs otherwise she would go to Liverpool when is No. 11, which provides that the Execu­ I am there. Something about the personal­ tive Committee of the National Council ity of the famous author of Light on the shall “ have power to request any member Path will, I know, be of the greatest of the National Society to resign whose interest to American members and unless continued membership in the National the unexpected happens the December Society shall, in its opinion, be for any number of The Messenger will contain it. reason undesirable and, in case of non- If some of our critical members, who are compliance with this request, shall have the never tired of asserting that our Board of power to suspend such member for as Trustees in the American Section have too long as it thinks fit.” much authority, were to pick up a copy of the by-laws of the English Section they Continuing, the by-law further provides would surely be shocked at the amount that the suspended member shall forfeit of power which the members have given to all rights and privileges during the period the National Council over here in this of suspension. He can appeal to the full centuries old democracy of Britain. This National Council, but not to the convention National Council corresponds to our Board and the decision of the council is final. of Trustees and is the supreme authority Naturally enough, people have respect for in the Section. The country is divided an organization which has a way to enforce into federations, corresponding exactly its decisions, and none at all where such to what we understand by the term. These power is lacking. federations elect members to the National Prominent Theosophists in London. Council, which is the governing body. London has the reputation of being a The National Council selects the Executive point where all the nations of the earth Committee from its members. Five mem­ are represented in population. It seems bers constitute a quorum. There is prac­ tically nothing which the National Coun­ that Theosophists from all quarters of the cil cannot do. Not only can it amend the globe also drift here. Ray and Max Wardall are here from the states. I m et by-laws at any time, but it may reverse a decision of the annual convention. In Bishop Wedgewood on the street and bumped into our old friend En^pr in the fact, it is a sort of supreme court to review anteroom of the lecture hall. The National the work of the Convention. One clause of the by-laws, No. 34, reads as follows: President of the South African Section is also in the city. On the platform at the All decisions of Convention shall be in abeyance until the next meeting of the National Council. At such meeting such opening lecture were Krishnamurti (Alcy­ council shall, as the governing body of the National 8ocietyt one) and his brother. Mr. Jinarajadasa consider such decisions and shall have full power and discre­ tion to confirm them with or without modification, (in which presided. Time has dealt gently with case they shall become binding on the Society) or to refer them him and he is apparently in the most back to the next convention for further consideration, or to ■ubmit them to general voting under Rule 35, or by a two- vigorous health. Mortimer Hall was not thirds majority of the whole council to disallow them altogether. only packed long before the advertised It will be seen that while in America hour but so many more people came than the Board of Trustees takes certain could get in that an overflow meeting was action and then asks the convention to held in the lower hall and an impromptu confirm it, in England the convention takes address was made by one of the London certain action and the National Council members. confirms it, or disallows it altogether. The audience? Well, very like an Aus­ Some difference! What splendid hunting tralian audience— the same alert attcn- tion and the same keen sense of humor. with the Theosophical Publishing House as a A very friendly audience, too, ready to nucleus, the Section-owned and managed give a speaker credit for every point book concern may begin its career. I m ade. Theosophy is getting a very much regret I do not see my way to adopt that better hearing over here than in America. course. We have been trying to work T h e war probably accounts for it, but out an international book-business scheme there is always danger of crediting too for the Theosophical Society, in which I much to the war. Many false impressions and my colleagues, like Mr. Jinarajadasa, prevail in the United States about what Major David Graham Pole, Mr. B. P. the' war has done in Europe and about the Wadia and others are interested. Under great changes it has wrought. that scheme we want to see that the prof­ Things are not changed greatly in a its of Theosophical book business in each dozen years except in a few things. The Section are utilized for the furtherance busses still throng the down-town streets of our work in that Section. Our plan is to as of old, handling the entire street traffic see that the central Theosophical Publish­ as well as our street cars do; but whereas ing House at Adyar, through its profits, the majority used to be drawn by horses, affords a suitable income to all future motor busses are now almost exclusively Presidents of the Theosophical Society, used.