SOME SECRET INFLUENCES BEHIND THE EUROPEAN WAR

Clarence Henry Norman gave a lecture in 1916. The transcript was later published by Norman as a pamphlet for private circulation only, entitled Some Secret Influences Behind the European War. In the pamphlet Norman accuses the Grand Orient of France of engineering WW1.

The contents of the pamphlet are briefly covered in How the British Crown created the Balkan powderkeg by Joseph Brewda, in which Brewda writes:

In 1917, British author C.H. Norman reported that the Grand Orient Masons were behind the murder of the archduke, in his pamphlet "Some Secret Influences behind the War":

"Somewhere about the year 1906 I was invited to attend a meeting of Englishmen fot the purpose of discussing a proposal to form an English lodge of the Grand Orient...The lodge was 'to be engaged in propaganda on behalf of the Entente Cordiale'...with this apparently innocent object I found myself in sympathy. But, nevertheless, I decided to discover whether it was all its benevolent program pretended. "To my astonishment I found tile Grand Orient was about to embark upon a vast political scheme in alliance with the Russian Okhrana, which could only be brought to fruition by a terrible European war."

Norman reported that the Grand Orient included many leading Frenchmen, notably "M. Poincare, Combes, Delcasse, Briand, Viviani, Millerande." He further reported that the London agent of the Grand Orient was involved in planning the murder of the archduke.

I shall now give further details of the contents of the pamphlet.

Norman begins by giving 4 possible reasons for Great Britain fighting WW1:
1. The Treaty of London 1839 to defend Belgium;
2. Naval and military agreements between the Triple Entente;
3. capitalists of each empire fought for resources and trade markets (this is the Stop the War Coalition's view);
4. to stop social revolutions against the ruling class in each empire by having the working classes fight each other.

The incredible power of the Grand Orient of France is then revealed, from engineering revolutions in Portugal to deciding who to prosecute or otherwise for breaking the law.

Norman then writes:

However, it is necessary to retrace one's steps a moment to somewhere about the year 1906, when I was invited to attend a meeting of Englishmen for the purpose of discussing a proposal to form an English lodge of the Grand Orient in London. The personnel of that meeting need not be further described than by stating that it consisted largely of men who have developed into Jingo Labour-Socialists, and have formed an organisation called the British Workers' National League for the purpose of opposing the anti-war Independent Labour Party. It is a remarkable fact that the Socialists in Belgium, France, Italy, Serbia, Portugal and Russia who refused to support the war policy of their Governments were those who would not associate themselves with the Grand Orient.

...The principles on which the Lodge was to be formed were similar to those of the parent body. It was to be rationalistic and republican; it was also to be engaged in propaganda of behalf of the Entente Cordiale, which was then being cemented through the efforts of Edward VII (who was a Freemason), M. Loubet, Sir Edward Grey and M. Delcasse.

The section quoted above about a 'vast political scheme' is then retold, before this:

...The steps in this beneficent plot to establish the "liberties of Europe" and "the rights of man" on a sound basis were these. Great Britain was to be entangled into an understanding with Russia and France, which would commit the honour of Britain without defining her obligations, and without imposing any reciprocal burdens upon Russia and France. When this was done war was to be provoked by some device familiar to conspirators of a disreputable character.

Norman then discusses the Russian Okhrana, Jesuits and military spending on both sides before describing this very telling event:

Yet a series of unconnected episodes do present a strong circumstantial case against the Grand Orient and the Russian Okhrana in this regard. On the morning of Sunday, 29th June 1914, I was met in The Strand by Mr. X, the London agent of the Grand Orient, at about twelve o'clock, and was asked if any news had reached the tape machine of the National Liberal Club (where Mr. X knew I was a resident) from Sarajevo in Bosnia. I replied that I had not noticed anything special, at which my questioner looked extremely chagrined. I enquired whether anything special had been expected, to which he replied that perhaps the attempt had been postponed. But the censorship in Vienna had held up the news which was received in London in the afternoon via Constantinople, Athens and Paris. The judicial inquiry also established that the event was timed for nine o'clock, but that one was a failure; yet the news, allowing for the difference between London and Sarajevo time, might have arrived in London about eleven o'clock.

So from this episode Norman is suggesting that the London agent of the Grand Orient of France knew that a special event was to have occured in Sarajevo on the 28th June 1914.

But why doesn't Norman name Mr. X?

Norman then discusses what sounds like the assassination of Hartwig (throat cut while death certificate says heart attack), Lloyd-George being blackmailed into supporting the war, an agreement that Russia would get control of Constantinople and the Dardanelles, and the British commandeering two military naval vessels that Turkey had paid for (the Turks didn't get the ships or their money!).

If you can get to read a copy I would recommend it.