Ask the Scholar
Page 2 of 3
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
C
o
P
THE GRAND LODGE OF NORTH CAROLINA
y
A.F. & A.M.
P.O. Box 7374
Asheville, North Carolina
July 25, 1951
Mr. Frank S. Land
201 East Armour Boulevard
Kansas City, Missouri
My dear Brother Land:
The President will be subjected to a veritable avalanche of criticism when and
if the proposed deal is concluded with Dictator Franco of Spain. Whether such
criticism is warranted or not, millions of people, Protestants who are violently
bitter over the treatment of Protestants and Masons in Spain under the Franco
regime, will ignore the advantages from a military standpoint of the proposed
deal with Franco, and engage in a nationwide attack on the President and his
administration. This storm is quite obviously brewing.
It occurs to me to suggest to you, whom I know to be very close to the President,
to use your influence with him to use this occasion to induce Franco to ease up on
the Protestants and Masons of his country and grant to them complete religious
freedom and freedom of action from the restrictions that are now imposed upon
them. I am sure that you are familiar with the brutal and unconscionable treat-
ment that has been accorded members of the Masonic Fraternity and of the
Protestant religion in Spain since Franco came into power. Every Mason that his
policy could get their hands on and who was unable to escape from the country
has either been murdered or is now incarcerated as a political prisoner.
A few members of the Supreme Council of Spain escaped to Mexico where they
are now in exile, and if there is a Mason left in Spain, it is only because he has
been able to conceal the fact that he was ever a member of the fraternity.
It is quite obvious that Franco is desperately anxious to get into the good graces
of the Western powers with the prospect of ultimately becoming a member of the
Atlantic Pact and a beneficiary of the bounty of the United States of America,
and I believe that Franco would be willing to make very broad concessions
affecting the protestants and Masons for the sake of accomplishing his objective,
and I believe also that if the administration would require such concessions in
the proposed international transaction, such action would go a long way toward
satisfying the Protestants and Masons of this country and render them much less
violent and active in their denunciations over the deal,
My first thought was to write to the President direct about this matter, but
realizing that he would in all probability never see my letter, It occured to me
to make the suggestion to you, for I believe that if anyone in the country can get
this idea across to the President, you can do so.
Page data
- Page
- 2
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- c9007fdd3b9d6162
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 294550122
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "294550122",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/294550122",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Memorandum from President Harry S. Truman to Secretary of State Dean Acheson, with Attachment",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/294550122",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750377/750377-11-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750377/750377-11-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750377/750377-11-001.tif",
"imageCount": 3,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "294550122",
"label": "Memorandum from President Harry S. Truman to Secretary of State Dean Acheson, with Attachment",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/294550122"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "294550122",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/294550122",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Memorandum from President Harry S. Truman to Secretary of State Dean Acheson, with Attachment",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/294550122",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750377/750377-11-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750377/750377-11-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750377/750377-11-001.tif",
"imageCount": 3,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/294550122",
"naId": 294550122,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"logicalDate": "1951-01-01",
"year": 1951
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 2,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750377/750377-11-002.tif",
"mediaId": "c9007fdd3b9d6162",
"ocrText": "C\no\nP\nTHE GRAND LODGE OF NORTH CAROLINA\ny\nA.F. & A.M.\nP.O. Box 7374\nAsheville, North Carolina\nJuly 25, 1951\nMr. Frank S. Land\n201 East Armour Boulevard\nKansas City, Missouri\nMy dear Brother Land:\nThe President will be subjected to a veritable avalanche of criticism when and\nif the proposed deal is concluded with Dictator Franco of Spain. Whether such\ncriticism is warranted or not, millions of people, Protestants who are violently\nbitter over the treatment of Protestants and Masons in Spain under the Franco\nregime, will ignore the advantages from a military standpoint of the proposed\ndeal with Franco, and engage in a nationwide attack on the President and his\nadministration. This storm is quite obviously brewing.\nIt occurs to me to suggest to you, whom I know to be very close to the President,\nto use your influence with him to use this occasion to induce Franco to ease up on\nthe Protestants and Masons of his country and grant to them complete religious\nfreedom and freedom of action from the restrictions that are now imposed upon\nthem. I am sure that you are familiar with the brutal and unconscionable treat-\nment that has been accorded members of the Masonic Fraternity and of the\nProtestant religion in Spain since Franco came into power. Every Mason that his\npolicy could get their hands on and who was unable to escape from the country\nhas either been murdered or is now incarcerated as a political prisoner.\nA few members of the Supreme Council of Spain escaped to Mexico where they\nare now in exile, and if there is a Mason left in Spain, it is only because he has\nbeen able to conceal the fact that he was ever a member of the fraternity.\nIt is quite obvious that Franco is desperately anxious to get into the good graces\nof the Western powers with the prospect of ultimately becoming a member of the\nAtlantic Pact and a beneficiary of the bounty of the United States of America,\nand I believe that Franco would be willing to make very broad concessions\naffecting the protestants and Masons for the sake of accomplishing his objective,\nand I believe also that if the administration would require such concessions in\nthe proposed international transaction, such action would go a long way toward\nsatisfying the Protestants and Masons of this country and render them much less\nviolent and active in their denunciations over the deal,\nMy first thought was to write to the President direct about this matter, but\nrealizing that he would in all probability never see my letter, It occured to me\nto make the suggestion to you, for I believe that if anyone in the country can get\nthis idea across to the President, you can do so."
}