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Stuttgart-Oberturkheim,
Kirchsteige 11
January 11, 1951 (Be/G)
Dear Brother Denslow:
Our Grand Master, Brother Theodor Voegl, is at present in a
sanatorium. Orally and from a distance he has asked me to send you a
telegram, which you meanwhile have probably received, but which I should
like briefly to confirm again.
(Here follows the telegram)
Brother Vogel requests me further to inform you by airmail of the
relationships and the previous history of the situation, in view of the fact
that he is himself handicapped at the moment. Without doubt he will later
send you still further particulars to supplement my interim report.
At the present time we in Germany are extremely anxious to see
the bonds of friendship between our two nations cemented as closely as
possible.
We Freemasons particularly are fighting toward this goal, although
we often run into very bitter condennation because of this. One of these
grounds for condennation, which turns all of our honorable efforts to mockery
and hurts us in an infinite degree, is the (at least partially) unjust
sentences of the U.S.Military Courts during the years 1945 and 1946. Above
all is the fact that, for example, dozens of men have been confined for four
years or more in the death cells of Landsberg prison, and have suffered a
thousandfold already the death sentences, which, perhaps they deserved.
From the standpoint of humanity and of divine justice this situation is
unbearable.
We German Freemasons are constantly being chided for the fact,
that we should not under any circumstances suffer such inhumanity in
silence, that we, on the contrary, would in any case have to life our voices
in opposition, that we should turn to our Brethren, who, like ourselves,
have obligated themselves in the service of humanity. Furthermore, it is
well know, that, above all, the President of the United States, H.S Truman,
is not only a member of the Masonic fraternity, but that he is actually a
(Past) Grand Master, and that he occupies a position where he is responsible
for making decisions as to the commands of humanity.
In this situation we have regarded it as necessary and proper to
lift our voices, also to keep you informed, since you are a good and highly
valued friend of German Freemasonry; yes, even more, to ask for your
assistance. We know that among the condemned there must be many who may
have rightfully received the sentences of 1945. We know, too, that probably
all of them, during the period of the Third Reich were our enemies; that,
through them, many of our Brethren probably lost their freddom and their
lives. Nevertheless, and in spite of all that, our consciences compel us
to do as the Holy Book says: "Love your enemies****
Brother Vogel requests me to ask your fraternal understanding,
your assistance, and your friendship. To this request I add my own petition.
Fraternally and sincerely,
/s/ Henry Bernhard, Grand Orator and Member of
the Grand Lodge Committee on Business Affairs,
United Grand Lodge of German Freemasons.
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"ocrText": "(Translation)\nStuttgart-Oberturkheim,\nKirchsteige 11\nJanuary 11, 1951 (Be/G)\nDear Brother Denslow:\nOur Grand Master, Brother Theodor Voegl, is at present in a\nsanatorium. Orally and from a distance he has asked me to send you a\ntelegram, which you meanwhile have probably received, but which I should\nlike briefly to confirm again.\n(Here follows the telegram)\nBrother Vogel requests me further to inform you by airmail of the\nrelationships and the previous history of the situation, in view of the fact\nthat he is himself handicapped at the moment. Without doubt he will later\nsend you still further particulars to supplement my interim report.\nAt the present time we in Germany are extremely anxious to see\nthe bonds of friendship between our two nations cemented as closely as\npossible.\nWe Freemasons particularly are fighting toward this goal, although\nwe often run into very bitter condennation because of this. One of these\ngrounds for condennation, which turns all of our honorable efforts to mockery\nand hurts us in an infinite degree, is the (at least partially) unjust\nsentences of the U.S.Military Courts during the years 1945 and 1946. Above\nall is the fact that, for example, dozens of men have been confined for four\nyears or more in the death cells of Landsberg prison, and have suffered a\nthousandfold already the death sentences, which, perhaps they deserved.\nFrom the standpoint of humanity and of divine justice this situation is\nunbearable.\nWe German Freemasons are constantly being chided for the fact,\nthat we should not under any circumstances suffer such inhumanity in\nsilence, that we, on the contrary, would in any case have to life our voices\nin opposition, that we should turn to our Brethren, who, like ourselves,\nhave obligated themselves in the service of humanity. Furthermore, it is\nwell know, that, above all, the President of the United States, H.S Truman,\nis not only a member of the Masonic fraternity, but that he is actually a\n(Past) Grand Master, and that he occupies a position where he is responsible\nfor making decisions as to the commands of humanity.\nIn this situation we have regarded it as necessary and proper to\nlift our voices, also to keep you informed, since you are a good and highly\nvalued friend of German Freemasonry; yes, even more, to ask for your\nassistance. We know that among the condemned there must be many who may\nhave rightfully received the sentences of 1945. We know, too, that probably\nall of them, during the period of the Third Reich were our enemies; that,\nthrough them, many of our Brethren probably lost their freddom and their\nlives. Nevertheless, and in spite of all that, our consciences compel us\nto do as the Holy Book says: \"Love your enemies****\nBrother Vogel requests me to ask your fraternal understanding,\nyour assistance, and your friendship. To this request I add my own petition.\nFraternally and sincerely,\n/s/ Henry Bernhard, Grand Orator and Member of\nthe Grand Lodge Committee on Business Affairs,\nUnited Grand Lodge of German Freemasons."
}