Besant, Annie; Leadbeater, C.W.; Van Ness Harwood, Eleazer; Thomas, Margaret A. - Original Typed Carbon of "Immorality in the Theosophical Society" - Section 2 of "Theosophy or Neotheosophy". Together with Materials for the Promotion of Annie Besant's "Transcontinental Lecture Tour" of 1926. [from the Estate of James B. Pond, the Tour Manager of Annie Besant].

[New York: The Pond Bureau, 1925]. 1925]. - An original carbon copy of the manuscript for Margaret A. Thomas' "Immorality in the Theosophical Society" boldly typed on twenty 11 inch high by 8-1/2 inch wide sheets of onion skin paper. At the head of the first sheet is penciled "from Margaret Thomas / 1700 15th St / Washington D.C.". The manuscript was folded and enclosed in a James B. Pond mailing envelope with notes in ink "Mr. Pond" and "from Harwood". Pond has hurriedly penciled "Bssant" [sic].

[Together with]: A one-page mimeo sheet outlining Annie Besant's "Transcontinental Lecture Route - 1926", giving the dates, from September 2 to November 20, 1926, the cities, the lecture halls and the hotels which will serve as the tour headquarters. The edges of that page are soiled with minor corner creases.

A copy of a letter to "Mr. Van Ness Harwood, President Harwood, Incorporated" from a Miss Gail Wilson. "Fulfilling Mr. Rogers' promise to you, I am sending herewith brief biographical notes which I sincerely trust contain the information you will need in connection with publicity for Dr. Annie Besant's coming visit to America." Eleazer Van Ness Harwood was a newspaper reporter for the New York World and he served as a publicist for people such as Marie Curie and Annie Besant. L.W. Rogers was the President of the Theosophical Society of America from 1920-1931. There are rust stains from a paper clip at the top of Gail Wilson's letter.

11 typed pages containing "Condensed Biographical Notes September, 1925", together with "Supplementary Notes" sent to Harwood by Miss Wilson. There are indentations and stains from a paper clip to the tops of several of these pages.

4-pages of mechanically reproduced extracts, pages 148-150, from "The Golden Book of the Theosophical Society 1875-1925". These pages recount "Difficulties in U.S.A. 1906". The top edges of these pages are darkened with a paper clip stain at the top of the last page.

A folding "Preliminary Announcement of Attractions 1926-1927" flyer mentioning Besant. "She will be accompanied by J. Krishnamurti; hailed as the new Messiah. He, however, will not lecture."

A 56-page booklet announcing the attractions to be presented by The Pond Bureau 1926-1927. There is a photo of Annie Besant with the note "Available September to November. All Dates Booked". Bound in printed red wraps, the covers of this 7-1/8 inch high by 5 inch wide booklet are slightly soiled with a vertical crease near the inner edge.

As Van Ness Harwood was an investigative reporter with New York World, a pioneering newspaper in "yellow" journalism, we have come to the conclusion that Margaret Thomas had sent the manuscript to him for his interest and that he passed it along to Pond as part of his promotional package.

There are a few corrections to typos penned throughout the manuscript.

Tightly folded for mailing, the typed carbon manuscript was once stapled twice along the left edge with minor staple holes to all but the first page which was roughly removed resulting in a longer vertical tear along the left edge, not affecting the text. The carbon manuscript is in otherwise bright condition.

"At periodic intervals from the first revelation of trouble in 1906 right up to the present day, there have been certain dark periods in the life of the Theosophical Society connected with the moral character of Mr. C.W. Leadbeater and later with that of some of his protégés in the society and especially the Liberal Catholic Church. They pertain to his sex teachings to boys – there are other sinister inferences. He stands self convicted of onanism teaching practices that are universally condemned. Nor can he take refuge in the statement that he has learned them from his “occult” sources.. Just as the 1906 trouble arose out of incidents in preceding years so did the 1912 which resulted in Mr. Jiddu Narayaniah's suit to recover possession of his two sons, J. Krishnamurti (whose portrait in the latter half of 1925 appeared in newspapers in practically every country of the world as “The Coming Christ”) and J. Nityananda. He desired to set aside the guardianship of Mrs. Besant which placed them in propinquity to Mr. Leadbeater and had recourse to law in the hope of achieving his object..Yet once more in the third cycle of trouble that began in 1921 and has continued practically without remission to the present day, the conflict was the outcome of hidden actions, with sinister appearances, happening again and again in the preceding years until their cumulative effect could not be ignored. As in 1906, so in 1912 and again in 1921.. In view of the great influence which Mrs. Besant exercises over many minds it is necessary to say plainly that she cannot be dissociated from these scandals. She cannot be ignorant of the character of men like Leadbeater and Wedgwood. Very good .

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