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"Thou has written regarding the tests and trials to be manifested in the countries of America. Know this, that hardship and misfortune shall increased day by day, and the people will be distressed. The doors of joy and happiness shall be closed upon all sides: terrible wars shall happen. Disappointment and the frustration of hopes shall surround the people from every direction, until they are obliged to turn to God. Then the lights of great happiness will enlighten the horizons, so that the cry of 'Ya Baha' il Abha!' may arise on every side. This will happen" - 'Abdu'l-Baha (in 1904).

Dear Baha'i friends:

The foregoing quotation has been selected at this time not to reflect discouragement or increase despair, but rather that, by pondering its significance, we may all attain a new standard of service and order our lives according to spiritual wisdom.

What happens is most needed at present among us all is a true balance and sense of proportion - the conscious correcting of our human instincts and views by reference to the supreme power guiding the affairs of the world. Otherwise it will continue to be difficult to maintain our Baha'i association upon a level far higher than that existing in other movements and groups, and occasional human misunderstandings and irritations will continue to obscure the noble nature of our institutions, divide our spiritual forces, and separate our souls.

Resume Here

through the inward and outward perils of human life. Therefore we are in need- of realizations that force themseives upon the mind from knowledge nf the text of revelation, for the truly iniormenl mind can subdue the petty irritations of the heart of clay, and spiritual knowledge can lay down highmads in the darkened junge of personal impulse and instinct. For years the friends of Baha have been aware of those teachings which disclose the mysterious character of this era and the irresistihle necessities controlling the present age. The world’s future has long been um-oiled before our eyes in the words of the Manfiestation and His Interpreter and Exemplar. Undoubtedly the effect of this fore-knowledge has heen tn refine the character and deepen the consciousness of many believers. and enable them to Order their affairs according to a reality unknown to unbeliever.=. whose motives are but re-actions from other limited human beings, and whose conception of the trend of events is but the fleeting image reflected from passion and desire. But now the time has come for us all to give full cnnsideration to these teachings. The Sun of Truth mounts to that zenith whence its rays shall take complete in every activity of man. Reconciling. as we can, the justice and the mercy of God; conscious of the simultaneous expression of reward and rnunishment throughout the world; avoiding on the one hand the paralysis of panic, rm the other hand the indifference of those Still sunl-: in the stupor of dream; knowing that the end of this valley.-' of pain is the victory of divine lov-e—-let us endeavor henceforth to found our mutual associations 1111011 :1 deeper realization of the tion of this Cause to ourselves and to the world. May we not tlmouglutlessl}-'. impatiently or rccklessly weaken any more these institutions of unity and cooperation which one day soon must stand as might}; bulwarks against the desperate forces of anarchy, lights of merciful guidance in :1 darkened night, islands of mutual safety amid the To feel that the institutions are indeed divinely ordained but their human representatives are unworthy may be entirely natural, but this is a conditional and deferred oyalty which woefully tends to prolong the present era of transition, and deflect that power of divine mation promised to any and all who arise to serve the Faith. Until we learn to behold the limited human being in terms of the noble institution. instead of the institution in terms of the limited being, the Cause must needs suffer that grievous weakening which consists in the rise of other movements throughout society willing and able to perform those tasks and fulfill those responsibilities the Bahefis were first given the privilege to promote. Surely our exact- fore-knowledge of the coming years is sufiicient to overcome the inertia of personal like and dislike. trust or suspicion, inherent in the present nature of mankind. HavEng such a standard, we should be able more and more to merge our lives together in a oneness never produced by nature but descended from God. Realizing that each and every human being must pay the full price of sorrow and grief. let us attain to a mercifulness. a patience. a steadfast devotion which in itself can cure the soulsickness of which we are tempted to complain. The Baha’is are deprived of any excuse that we were neither forewarned nor forearmed. In Baha'i unity, under the conditions to take place throughout the worlcl, is alone fulfilment for any individual life. Spirltually first, then mentally and afterward materially, the life of man today depends entirely upon cooperation with his fellows according

BAHAJI NEWS LETTER .\’.-XTIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY’ of the Baha'is of the United States and Canada to the given us frorn the kingdom of Love. Side by side with the quotation printed above, 10': us read anpassage from the Mastlzr which is its perfect correlation: "Therefore Ivt us hold to these heaveznly agencies whith God has provided. so that through the love of God this sou} bond may be established. this heart attachment realized, and the ight of the reality of unity be reflected from you tnrcmghout the universe. If we do not hold fast to these divine agencies and means, no result will be possible." When one has pondered these two passages long and reverently, and come thereby to a new understanding of how firmly the Baha"i5 must be conjoined on the spiritual plane, may continue his meditation until the realization is born that spiritual oneness requires complete unity of association on all planes. Here is the secret not merely of mental clearness and poise; not merely of freedom from the many insanities and obses era should order all the details of our lives from diiferent motives and for different aims than WE! find expressed in an unbelieving world. WC attend the spiritual meetings, we turn toward the Sun of Truth. '5.-Vhen we go forth to teach, we enter the realm of the e:-zecutive power of the H01}; Spirit. we participate in consultation, we entrust ourselves to the divine. Wlicn we cmitribute to a Baha'i Fund, we build upon that Cullectix-‘e Center which alone will endure the and changes of the Day of God. Here and there already are evidences that the consciousness of oneness is permeating the life of Assemblies and groups, producing a faithfulness to the law of consultation which can heal every sickness and moot ovory nood, bringing forth leavos and buds of that Civilization implicit in the clivine religion. is we hold fast to that law, so shall we forth the blessings promised man by his Creator from age to ag<3. The integrity Of a Spiritual Assembly consists in the fact that it represents the facilities for true consultation;-that ladder of 110136 in the darkness of human ignorance and greed, and wings of progress toward the illumined heavens of divine love. As anarchy increases upon the earth, foully hred from suspicion and fear, let us uphold the shining torch of consultation, being taught that whose distrusts man, distrusts God. Yours faithfully, in service to Shoghi THE I\'ATIOl\.'AL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY, By Horace Holley, Secretary. COMMUNICATIONS FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI Since the publication of the last News LETTER, the fnliowing cablegrams have been received by the National Spiritual Assemblyz September following :. ‘Recent repnrt from Teheran states criminals unpunished. ofiicials indifferent. Your powerful. eminently suitahle appeal to Shah shared with Eastern A.=.-senuhlies. will rejoice and con» opnressed heart.-1. Affectionatelj.-', Sh-oghi.’ (Signed), September 25th—-"Guardian wires shotlld Rournanian Queen visit Slates, friends. refrain communicating with her unless Nzltimml sanction. Excusc restrain. (Signed) (Note. meaning of the last phrase is not quite clear, and thc message seems to have been slightly confused in transmission.) October 16th--“Baghdad A HEROIC BAHA’I SOUL PASSES TO THE ETERNAL KINGDOM On October 10th, 1926, Miss Elizabeth H. Stewart departed this life after achieving a service which shall forever illumine the records of the Baha'i Cause. A suitable memorial of her life work, prepared by Dr. Moody, Miss Stewart's C0-worker in Tihrzm, will _appear in the Bahzfi Magazine, Star of the NE’ est, and this memorial will enable us all to realize and gratefully appreciate both the extent of Miss Stewart's sacrifice and her unique contributinn to ‘that luminous Baha’i ideal, the commingling of East and West. That frail body for many arduous years served as a bridge across the dark chasm of religious, racial and national prejudice. She made herself the sign of that love which shall exist between Orient and Oceident when the Divine Faith is firmly established in the hearts of men. The spiritual conneetion Miss Stewart made in these days of supreme difficulty and sacrifice is an eternal connection: we can but dimly guess what heavenly powers came into active operation as the result of her life work. After Miss Stewart's return to .='-‘imerica. in January, 1925. she received the true Baha'i hospitality of the Revells in Philadelphia. It was at their home that her soul found its longed-for release from the physical agony of many years. An impressive funeral. service, arranged by Miss Stewart’s sister, was held in PhiladeIphia on Octuber 14th, where a few words of heart-felt appreciation were uttered by a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly following the reading of the Christian burial service. The Spiritual of Philadelphia will hold a memorial service forty days after the ascension. The profound grief of the Persian believers at news of this bereavement. mingling with that of the American friends. brings a oneness of spirit more powerful than all material differences which the world has raised between the pliysieal bodies. QUEEN RUMANIA MANIFESTS INTEREST IN BAHA’I TEACHINGS Slaortly after the National rum 111 San Franclsco. the An1er1can Inends were highly gratlfied to come upon a deeply felt, revererltly expressed reference to the Cause in the rlaily papers over the signature of the Rumanian Queen. Since then, two

1 Exchange: Binding Sheet #51 F; 33, News GUARANTEED FACSIMILE - per 1). D, Barstow; Baha'i Periodica. mure articles of the same nature have been published in the series of: sy11dirated articles, under the general title L'o-unsel," one dated Septemimr and one tieptezrlber 28. it is probable that the combined circu atiuu of all the newspapfirs carrying this series amounts to more than ten million. This exceedingl}; dramatic rnem of the Baha'i teachings surely has a great significance, and is the nlcusure ut confirmation which follows the cun.~".ecrated services of Miss 3-lartha Root. The Guardian's cablegram 011 the sulljcct of Queen Marie appears above. 111:: frie11ds will appreciate his longing that no action on our part shall in any degree lessen the willor capacity to express publicly her great interest in the teachings an imeresr which her personal charactar and gifts, as well as her position, enables her to exert with farreaching influence. The National Spiritual Assenibly in October sen: a special letter to the .\merir:an Assemblies and groups suggesting that the believers in Cities visiied by Her Majesty express their appreciation of her spiritual services by sending her a suitable gift of flowers. Reports that this has been done have already come from ‘Nasluing-ton, D. C., and ‘Ne hope t0 make an interesting announcement on this subject in the next NEWs LETTER. THE WORLD UNITY CON FERENCES The friends have aiready been inIormed of the action of the National in appointing a c0n1n1ittee to arrange a series of Unity Conferences in difierent cities of the United States and Canada at regular intervals. This action was haser] upon the conviction that the present phase of the Cause in this country. considered in connection with the general trend of affairs throughout the world. demands at least one effort of a continuous character to upqold publiclj-' the ideal of world ideal inherent in the teachings—up0n EL basis capable of demonstrating the 11niver5a1ity of the Cause. The intention is to establish the Cause publicly in terms of this inherent ideal. raised far above the traditional conceptions of an_ eazclusive or dogmatic religiom movement, and thus bring to the varinus local Assemblies a greatly increased opportunity-' to extend their membership. The friends are urged not to regard the Uforld Unit]: Conferences as implying the least criticism of the 111'-:I.l1uLls used fur spreadi11g the Callac by any local or 111dividual, or as attesupting to create :1 model to be imitated tu me exclusion uf cxistixlg nlethods and unsetiugs. U11 the c011|:1'ary, the Conferences are to be considered as a distmctly new phase of the work, :1. special activity of the Assen10]_1,in direct cooperation with the local Assenwlies, and :1 ma11ifI:st proof that the are wil ing and able to work er'fer:tivel_y and wholeileartcdly with all int['n"1duals and movements imbued with the ideal of the unity of the world. It represents the effort of the Natiurlal to rise above the constant pressure of the details of administration and enter more actively the all in1purt:mt teaching field. Recent letaers from Haifa assure us that the confirms this method of .~tervi-re. The expezlees ilwolvecl do not fmm the resources of any activity mentioned in the budget of the Plan of Unified Action. Sure 3: the decisive hour has come when the Bahafis should no longer Je content to stand passive while other znovements are arising to serve the noble idea of unity with purity of motive and energy of execution. While we have discovered the reality of world unity through our faith in the Manif€5tation, a large portion of the people of public capacity will probably discover the Maniiestation' through their devotion to the cause of world unity. All teaching efforts are blessed-ail are necessar}-'. The most useful view is perhaps that which perceives the sequemze and .=.-uccession of steps in any comprehensive teaching effort, from the public meeting which concentrates upon world unity in the spirit but not the letter of the Religion of God, to those intimate contacts wherein the sublime are revealed “from heart to heart." The general condition is such that unless the believers prepare themselves for large undertakings of the character of the Yniry Conferences. the initiative and influence will pass to others. for the longing for unit}: has become a passion not at all to the Baha’is. what the Source and Foundation of world unity is, we can without fear or inhibiting suspicion "associate with penpie of all religions in joy and fragrrincrr.” The Cause itself is not limited or bound when individual or groups and coniniittees. participate in public demonstrations of world ullity or other spiritual ideal. In connection with this subject it rnight be well to point out that the delicate problem of contact and Ballzfis and cannot be 5-zmlved by any formal ruling, but is :1 111a.1lc1' uf inward and cunsciollslwss- A believer who is thuruughly illiurlllcd and rclianr upon the power of can associate with other movements and groups and thereby many a direct and indirect service to the Cause; but if we weaken in our faith, and look to any other movement for :1 sttstainitlg power, the result might be draw us gradually from the plane nf reality to that of lmmzm in1agi11uthan and limited fnrednunleel to fail. Two Conferences have been held since the publicazion of the last 53 LETTER: one in Philadelphia, her 24, 25 and Z6; and one in Buffalo, October 22, 23 and 24. While from the material stanclpoint neither Conference was in1p1‘essively successful. both have enlarged the range of influence for the local believers, and both brought ina-'a1u:1hle experience which can be used in arranging future meetings. Of their effect and sigllificance in the spit‘itual world. no one can speak. The program of Unity Conferences uow includes the following meetings Cleveland, Ohio, 27, 28 and 39. Boston, Mass._. December 10, 11 and I2. Ohio, January 15 and 16. Chicago, Ill._, January 21. 22 and 23. Washington, D. C., February 13, 19 and 20. New N. 75., February 25. 26 and 27. Rochester, N. Y.. March dates to be arranged. Springfield, Mass., March 25, 26 and 2?. Montreal, Quebec, during 1927' Convention. Toronto, Ont., Mich.. during cities are not selected. but are those where local Assemblies or groups have requested that Conferences be held. It is physically impossible for the committee to cooperate directly ‘with and groups in the far but it is hoped that such .*"sssen1hlies will themselves take the initialtive, and the committee will assist them in every possible way. There is :10 reastm why more than one Confershould not he held during any one month. The friends can address their correspondence on this subject to Mrs. Florence M 01-ton, secretary, 5 K-Vheeler .-\ven11e. Vi-'0rcester_, Mass. and Detroit,

BAHA’I NEWS LETTER 192? NATIONAL BAHA’I CONVENTION The invitation of the Montreal Spiritual extended by them fur three years, and Lwice graciously in favor of Green Acre and San Francisco, has been gratefully accepted by the and the friends are iniormed that the Nineteenth Annual Convention and Congress will be held in that city during Ridvan. exact. date and other details will be announced an a time. Meanwhile we should not overlook two significant facts: first, that the forthcoming Cmlvention will the first held in Qaszada; and second, that with the fulfilment of the Baha'i number, nineteen, a. new spiritual cycle will unfold in the ltiszory of the Cause in .-america. NEW PUBLICATIONS The Publishing Committee announces the following: a second printing of Hidden Words in an edition of 5000 copies which makes it possible henceforth to sell the paper covered edition for 20 cents per copy and the leather hound edition for 85 cents; a new compilation of the of ’Abclu’l-Baha entitled “The Spirit of WORLD and consisting of a. 24-page, paper covered booklet of convenient size to sell for 10 cents a. copy; and Volume One of the Baha"i Year Book, to sell at $1.00. A few hundred copies still remain of the reprint of leper written to the Shah of Persia. This sells at 10 cents each. The Publishing Committee also announces a. new teaching folder, “What is the Baha’i Movement P” {written by Dr. Esslemont) to sell at $1.00 per hundred. The same folder, in Hebrew, sells for 26 each. THE BAHA’I MAGAZINE The September, 1926, issue was eclited so as to develop the theme of education from the Baha’i standpoint, and the result is that this number of the Star will long endure as a. notable expression of the Baha'i teachings and views on this all important topic. The contents include “Practical and Spiritual Education for the New Civilization." by Albert R. Vail; “The Unfolding Spirit.” bjr Rosa V. \Vinterburn; "The New Gospel of ‘World’ by Dale 5. Cole: “The New Education." by Keith Ransom-Kehler; "The Universal Esperanto Congress at Edinburgh." by Martha L. Root; “The Inner Spiritual Life," by Lilian Rea; “Changing Attitudes,” by Grace Robarts Oher; “The Essentials of :1 Present-Day Ed11cation." by Howard L. Carpenter; and appropriate quotations frum the Baha'i writings in addition to editorials which convey-' clear insight into the principles of the The October, 1936, number is sin1~ ilarly constructed around the subject of the universal auxiliary language. its contents are: "The Relation bezween the Baha'i Movenlent and Espera:1t0,"' by James F. Morton ; "Why 1 am an J:;sperantist,” by Martha L. Root; "The Universal Auxiliary Language," by Elizabeth Herrick; ‘'International 1$r0acica.sting,” by Robert S. Woolf ; "Esperanto in japan,” by Agnes B. Alexander; “The Path to Trun," by Corinne True, and edi~ dealing with the subject of language in its relation to civilization. Recent consultation between the editors, business manager, and the Na.tional Spiritual Asseinbly have brought abnut :1 clearer grasp Of the Problems and opportunities of the Baha’i Magazine, with the result that an enlargement of policy is now being planned. The exact situation is that the total numblir of subscribers now, as previously, falls short even of the number nf declared believers in America. The difierence between cost and income as estimated last 3-‘ear compelled the National Assembly to include an item of $400 per month in the budget of the Unified Plan in order to meet the of the magazine. Aside from the financial aspect of the matter, important though this is, we are confronted by the fact that up to the present time, the magazine of the American Baha’is is exerting comparatively no influence upon the general public, even though vast numbers of people are displaying their interest otlierwise in the principles and ideals contained in their purest fnrm in the teaclfings. Examining closely the various factors concerned, We see that originally the Star of the West was founded as a Baha."i News Letter, or organ of information about the teachings and activities of the Cause for the believers themselves. This function is now fulfilled by the present NEWS LETTER, and the relation between the two publications has been clearly defined by the Guardian. who recentl}-' expressed the emphatic hope that the magazine would occupy itself with the important task of reaching and influencing the general public. The Guardian's statement concerning the NEws LETTER may be referred to in his letter dated April 10. 1925. :1 reprint of which was at the time sent to ail the friends. It is obvious that if the magazine is to fulfil its own unique mission. the Star nnt in any way overlap the oi the NEWS LETTER, nor confine its appeal to the comparatively small number of confirmed believers who already exist. On the contrary, the suopportunity of the Star is tu translate the Baha'i spirit and t::achings into the language and thought capable of attracting and impressing the largest number of awakened souls and seeking hearts. The seed of our faith must become the fruitful tree of universal outlook, humanitarian zeal, whole hearted recognition of that which is truly spiritual or productive of permanent good in others’ thoughts and ac'tivities—in brief, the spokesman of all movements and persons imbued witi those principles and ideals which are the outward, visible manifestation of the New Day. The National Assembly are therefore at present endcavoring to assist the editors of the Baha'i Magazine to adapt the magazine to -this new policy, the successful realization of which will a pub1'1catio11 of truly unique public influence and at the same time one of extreme helpfulness to ourselves. The task is tremendously difand time is required in order to the transition; but with the believers in on this and all other matters, the foundation exists for bringing about that universal acceptance of the Faith which is our common end and aim. One point must be made clear at this time: that the title “Star of the West" was not given the magazine by ’Abdu'1-Baha, and nothing exists to indicate that the Master endowed that title with special sacredness for all time. A detailed statement concerning the new plans of the magazine will be made at an early date. ‘Will the friends meanwhile appreciate the fact that nnne of the present difficulties of the magazine deriye at all from the work of the editors or business manager, which is entirely admirable and performed in spite of many serious obstacles. A great service can be rendered the magazine through a. prompt pzlyment of overdue subscriptions on the part of the friends. LESSONS IN PERSIAN 'We are happy to inform the Amerifriends that our brother Manucller has worked out methods of giving instruction in the reading and writing of the Persian language by correspondence. This is in acordance-with the wishes of Shoghi Effendi. It is hoped that many Assenlbly classes will he-formed. For information, address Manucher Khan. Baha’i Library, 116 ‘West 49th St.. New York.

GUARANTEED FACSIMILE - D. D. Ba:-stow; Baha'i Periodical Exchange BAHA’I NEWS LETTER LETTER FROM SHCIGHI EFFENDI To the befowd of the Lord and the Irarzdnraids of the rlfercifrd out the H-"e.rt. Dearly-beloved brothers and sisters in In the course of the few munths that have elapsed SIHCE my last c:0mmu11icatiun to you rcgznjcling the appalling circumstzmces that have culminated Tn the martyrdom of our Persian brethren in jahrum, events of the highest importance to the future welfare of our beloved Cause have transpired, and with startling suddenness conferred abiding solace upon those who still have to fans the pains and terrors of unmitigated and shameless tyranny. You have, most of you, I presume, reacl with thrilling joy in one of the recent issue of the Star of the West that illuminating account given by our heloved sister, Miss Martha Root, wherein she tells with her characteristie directness and modesty the story of her moving interview with Her Majesty Queen 5-Iarie of Roumania and of the cordial and response which "let gentle yet persuasive presentation of the principles of the Faith has evoked in the heart of that hon— 01-ecl Queen. One of the visible and potent which this historic interview proved capable of aclfieving was the remarkable appeal in the form of an open letter which Her Majesty freely and sp0nta11e0usly caused to be published the world at large testifying in a language of exquisite beauty to the power and suhlimity of the Message of It was indeed a never-t0-be-forgotten occasion when. on the eve of the day commemorating the passing of a handful of us, rowing servants, had gatlmrecl round His beloved Shrine supplicating relief and deliverance for the down-trodden in Persia. to receive in the midst of the silence of that distressing hour the glad-tiding of this notable triumph which the unbending energy and indomitable spirit of our beloved Martha has achieved for our sacred Cause. With bowed heads and grateful hearts we recognize in this glowing tribute which Royalty has thus paid to the Cause of an epochmaking pronouncemen-t destined to herald those stirring events which, as has prophesied. shall in the fulness of time signalize the triumph of C0d’s holy Faith. For who can doubt but that the deeds of those valiant pioneers of the Faith, unexampled though they have been in the ahunrlrlnce of their number and unex cclled in their sublime heroism, are but a faint glimnler of what, according to the Divine Promise, its steadfast followers are destined to perform? Those heroic exploits that have immurtulized the names of its primitive adhcrents will continue to adorn and illumirlate the pages of its bloodstained history; yet we cannot forget tlmt the period of its full fruition with all its promise of world felicity and undreamt-of-achievements is yet to be realized, its golden age yet to unfold. Indeed, how chastening to our pride, how challenging to our enthusiasm, if we but pause for a moment amidst the world's many distractions and ponder in our hearts the vastness, the compelling urgency, the ineifable glory of what still remains unachieved. But let us all remember, in this connection, that prior to every conceivable measure destined -to raise 1118 ficiency of our administrative activities, more vital than any scheme which the most resourceful amongst us can devise, far above the most elaborate structure which the concerted of organized Assemblies can hope to raise, is -the realization down in the in nermost heart of every true believer of the regenerating power, the pren1e necessity, the unfailing of the Message he hears. I assure you, dear friends, that nothing short of such an immovable conviction could have in clays past enabled our beloved Cause to weather the blackest storms in its history. Naught else can today vitalize the ma11if0ld activities in which unnumbered disciples of the Faith are engaged; naught else can provide that driving force and sustaining power that are both so essential to the success of vast and enduring achievements. It is this spirit that zlbove all else we should sedulously guard, and strive with all our might to fortify and exemplify in all our undertakings. Moved by an irresistible impulse, I have addressed to Her Majesty in the name of the Bahzfis of both the East and the a written expression of our joyous admiration and gratitude fur the queenly tribute which Her .\-Tajesty has paid to the beauty and nobility of the Baha'i Teachings. I have, moreover, assured Her Ma.jest_v of the far-reaching effect which her superb testimony will inevitably produce, and of the welcome consolation it‘ has already brought to the silent su1"°erers in that distracted country. To rny message of appreciation and gratitude there has come lately a writ ten response. penned by Her Majest_v, profoundly touching, singularly omitspoken, and highly significant in the testimony it bears. From this queenly tribute to a Divine Ideal quote these pr:rnetra»ti:1g words 5 “Indeed :1 great light came to me with the Message of and It came as all great messages come at an hour of dire grief and inner conflict and distress, so the seed sank deeply. . . We pass an the Message from mouth to mouth and all those we give it to see 2. light suddenly lighting before them and much that was obscure and perplexing becomes simple, luminous and full of hope as never before. That my open letter was balm to these suffering for the Cause is indeed a great happiness t0 me, and I take it as a sign that God accepted my humble tribute. . . With bowed head I recognize that I too am but an instrument in greater Hands and rejoice in the knowledge. . . .” Dear friends, with feelings of profound emorion jwe recall glowing from the lips of our departed Master, and with throbbing hearts rejoice in the gradual realization of His most cherished desire. And as we call to mind the circumstances that have led to such a notable advance, we are filled with admiration for that unique and great-hearted apostle of our dearly-beloved Martha Root, who under trying circumstances and almost single-hand‘-J ed in her has so wonderfully paved the way for the universal recognition of the Cause of God. In her case we have verily witnessed in an unmistakable manner what the power of dauntless faith, when coupled with suhlimity of character, can achieve, what forces it can release, to wha-t heights it can rise. Let such remarkable revelations of the reality and eontinuity of the Divine Purpose, made manifest from time to time to us His feeble children, serve to fortify our faith in Him, to warm the chill which fleeting misf0r-tunes may leave behind, and fill us with that Celestial potency which alone can enable us to withstand the storm and stress that lives dedicated to His service must needs encounter. Your true brother, (Signed) SHOGHI. Haifa, Palestine, October 7th, 1926.

BAHA'I NEWS LETTER ln the light of Miss Jilizabczll sacrince, the Jjahafis 01; the united mates and are Lu cunsider afresh our unique opportunity to xzontribulc directly to tnose slgnincant and important i11tcrnazio11a.1 institutions, the Iarbiat School for Girls, and the Tarbiut 5-chuui tor Boys, in Tihran. in former years, these aczivities have been closer L0 the consciousness 01' the .~\merican friends than they appear U) be at the present time. condition is doubtless due to the di=sarrange111ents caused by the War, and also to the fact that the belicvers and more incline [0 participate only in Ihusc zies by the local 2111-;i .\'ationa1 .-Rssemblies. The Spiritual Assembly desires at this time to emphasize strongly and ardently the per— manent value of assisting in the development of the Tarbia: Schools, Lr'iiJuti011s to which will henceforth be handled as a special account within the Natiollal Baha'i Fund. It is not only in direct accordance with the and aims of Baha'i administration, but in fact highly desirable, for such local Assemblies and groups, and such individual believers throughout the United States and Canada, as have cuntributed to the Baha'i budget set in the Plan of Unified Action, :0 make special donations :0 the National to the account 01' biat School Tuition Fund or The Lillian F. Kappes Memorial Fund, if it lies within their zneans to do 50. All actions respecting the National Fund or 3.21)‘ special fund controlled by it are. of absolutely voluntary in nature. For the information of the friellds we are happy to quote the following statement made by Dr. Susan I. Moody on the of The Lillian F. pes Fund. “A short time hefore her death, having realized that :1 priw.-"ate residence was not at all fitted to the School {which had grown from the zhirty original pupils to more than three hundred), Miss Kappes Lerminecl tn build :1 modern building. and for this purpose raised among the Baha'i women in Tihran the sum 01' three hundred t0n1:111s (dollars). Soon after her death I found that it rested with me to carry out this noble enterprise. Hence The T-ilIi:m F. Kappes Mernorial Fund. "During the three following yezlrs. while} was still in Persia. the Fund subject of Tarbiar School Tuition Fund. the Tuition Fund first st:1rterl, the contributions per year ran as high as one thousaml clollzlrs. During the first seven months of 1926 I have received only $19.34. The Tarbia: Sclwols perhaps do not need as much financial assistance from this country as they did in the early (lays, but there is still :1. real need for such help. The Persia11 friemls who are working for the .<c3100ls count on help. and when it does not reach them. the}: may quite feel that the .5\n"1eric:l11 iricnds have forgotten about their neerls. "Wllcxl the fund for School tuilions was first started in this country, the plan was for individuals ur ussenllblics to to provide tuition for desigllated pupils- An attenlpt was made to establish a real acquaintance the donor and pupil correspondence. At present each sclluul in TiI1rz111, as well as the Baha'i School in Iiazx-"in, is supposed to have a certain number of scholarsl1ips. When is sent for the schools from this country it is given 01111 in proportion to the n1.1n'1her of each school carries. For illstzlnce, the schoul is supposed to have six scllolarships, and six children are enrolled in the school as ‘.-knuerican scholars.’ But when money is sent from this country the part of it that can be apportioned for Kazvin may be only enough to pay for one or two scl1ola1'sl1ips. Vi-"hen this is the C1156, the money for those tuitions must he made up from the earnings of the school from Persian paid tuitions, or by the {local} Spiritual Assembly. "It would seem to me that we ought to find some Way to make good on these scl1ola.rships, or else inform the Tihran Spiritual Assembly that we camlot carry out the plan, and that clue}: therefore shouid not any longer count on such a fund. "The funds which have come to me in the period of slightly less than two (luring which I have had charge of the work have come from four Assen1i1Iies—H0noiL1lu, Seattle, Portland and Denver, and from five individuals. “At the time Mrs. Louise Boyle turned over the tuition fund to me, she sent me the sum of $306.66 which she had on hand at that time. The money which has passed hand?up to the present time is as follows: Received from Mrs. Boyle, Oct., 1924. . .. $306.66 Further contributions. 19.?4............... 36.00 Contributions in 1925. . . 163.00 Contributions in 1926 to .5Lug1.15t5........-... 19-34 "Of this amount $400 has been sent to Persia, and the balance is at interest, in Dr. Moody's name. awaiting a more favorable fixchange rate before being sent over." The National is convinced that it would be ablmrrent to the American believers to these great 11ndertaI~:1'ngs to be further neglected. and that their complete aban-rionment is unthinl-table. Considered with respect to the permanent wicle influences of the Cause, this participation of American believers in the

GUARANTEED FACSIMILE - per D, D. Barstow; Baha'i Periodical Exchange: Binding Sheet 5'4. F/B, News devclopniczlt of inudcrn educational facilities in Persia may well be one of the axes around which turn the creative processes} of civilization in the new clay. Specifically, two aspects of the subject are evident—first, the fact that were can be no more effective way to extend the Cause in Persia itself than through the influence of teachers educated in Baha"i schools; and second, the fact that concrete evidences of the active cooperation of American Bal1a.’iS in these institutions of a non-sectarian and obviously helpful character would lend great weight to our to secure justice and protection for the Persian believers so grievously suffering at the hands of the fanatic mob. ‘We feel certain that the matter will receive consideration in the thoughts of the friends and the deliberations of the local Spiritual Assem blies. GREEN ACRE Following the actiorl of the annual meeting of Green Acre Fellowship in .-Xugust, which voted to the resolution pa.-seed by the same body in 1925 placing the control 01' Green Acre in the hands of the Baha'is of the United States and Canada tl1rnug11 their I\'ationa1 Spiritual Assembly, at cablegram uf greetillg was sent the Guardian by a committee of the meeting. The following reply was received from the Guardian on September 10: “Guardian wires ‘May newly confirmed union achieve its purpose by increasingly demonstrating universality of Baha’i Cause. Affectionately, Shoghi.’ (Signed) Bahiyyih.” The National Assembly desires to express the warmest appreciation for the great services rendered Green Acre during the past season hy Mrs. Emma Bliss, Miss Hartford. Professor Glenn Shook, Mr. George Spendlove, Mrs. ‘Elizabeth Greenleaf, Mrs. Siegfried Schopflocller, Mrs. Louise Boyle, Professor Stanwood Cobb, Mr. Howard MacI\'utt, Mr. L-"llbert R. Vail, Mr. Louis Gregory, Mrs. Foss Mrs. Carr. Mr. Edward Struven. Mrs. Powell. Miss _Tean Hendry and Miss Agnes O'Neill. The friends of Green Acre. and the believers throughout the world, will he overjoyed to know that through the generosity of a Baha'i who wishes to remain anon_vmm1s. the scope of the Green Acre School of ‘World Unity can be vastly extended next war. A committee of the Natirmal is at present rleveloping Mans‘-. and all information will he pub fished as soon as possible. BAHA'I NEWS LETTER In the financial statement for the quarter ending Sept. 30, 1926, shown on the following page, you will note that the total receipts in this period amountecl to $12,435.64, and that the e:~:penclitures amounted to $11,765.31. The amounts received as shown unmler the heading “Cash Receipts" are clivitletl into vttrious headings, because some of the friends have designated toward which activity they wished to -:0:1trilJutc. The moneys received for Greenacre, it will be noted have been ample to defray the of this activity. Because the Budget Plan makes no provision for Greeiiacre, and since the National Spiritual Assembly have nevertheiess had to assume entire responsibilit}-' for this activity, it has been most fortunate that some of the friemls 11:11.-‘e nude these special contributions. The amount shown includes (31-eezlacre Fellowship membership dues and earnings of the Greenacre Inn, which last amounted to S1,253.91. The value of Greenacre to the Cause, however, is so great as to amply justify the believers all Over the country supporting the National Spiritual Assembly in its maintenance. ‘Ne, therefore, would like to suggest that if it is at all possible, the friends in making their contribution to the Budget Plan give special consideration to this added responsibility of the National Assem-hl_v. It is not expected that the expenditures in the coming months will be anyvvherc near as great as those shown in this statement. for among the items are old bills incurred before the National Spiritual Assembly took over the responsihilit;-' of Greenacre. Under “Capital E:-cpenditures” you will note "Greerlncre Investment, Legacies Paid." This is to settle the obligatinns of the executor of the estate of Miss Sarah Farlncr, through whom the hull-: of the properties came into the possession of the Ballais, and which it was necessary to pay hcfore :1 clean" title to the property could be secured. The Treasurer has placed this under this heading, “Capital Ex October 1, 1926. ]Jcnr.1iturcs" bcczltlse this is like :1 payment on the land. Under the heading "Star of the it will be noted that $900.41 has been paid by your treasurer to maintain this magazine during these past three months. This is because at this time very few subscriptions are being paid. It, however, is a clear indication that the believers have not thoroughly awakened to the value of this Bahai magazine. It is the hope of our beloved Guardian that the Star of the 'West should become sel’E-supporting. It could easily be so if each believer would send in a paid subscription, and use this Magazine not only to read and enjoy, but as a means to spread the Cause. Under the heading “World Unity Conferetlce" you will see that we have expended for this activity $355.52. all of which was especially contributed by a few persons who have already contributed to the Budget Plan. These Conferences have been a great success. The next NEWS LETTER will tell about them. "With regard to the total amount received during these past three months, we would like to call attention to the fact that ten months have passed since the Budget Plan was placed before the believers in this country. Under its provision the receipts should be about $13,500 per month. Some of the Assemblies are making the sacrifice and have found themselves able to meet the Budget Plan. as have many individuals. Some also are paying a great deal more than their share. The Temple as it stands is a chalIenge to the believers in this country. The people near Chicago see in this uncompleted structure the failure of the Bahai Cause in this country. Let us not have it so, but let us each cansidcr whether nr not by some means or other we cannot make the sacrifice that will enable servants to Carry through to SIICCCE-S this Budget Plan which Guardian. Shut]-ghi Effendi has termed “:1 test“ of the helievers in this National Spiritual Assernbl§,=, By: CARL SCHE1-‘FLER. Treaxurer.

8 BAHA’I NEWS LETTER NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY of the Baha’is of the UNITED STATES AND CANADA Statement of Cash Receipts and Disbursement: for Period July 1, 1926 to September 30, 1926 Balances July 1, 1926 ‘Worcester Bank 8.: Trust Cu.. . . .$1,98.3.11 Northern Trust Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.30 CASH RECEIPTS For Temple 558.05 For Budget 1880.45 For Greenacre 3,815.28 For Carmel or Special 130.00 Interest 1.36 Cash 50.00 IJISBLTRSEMENTS Iniflrrrrationaf Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570.00 Tcvxrjrle Telephone . . . . . . . . . 27.65 Safety Deposit Boxes Caretaker Salary . . . 4-00.00 Cleaning Rugs . . . . . 33.50 Light 11.05 ‘Nater 17.65 Repairs to Temple. . $78.00 581.85 Teaching Teacher's Expense . . 1,009.60 Special Traveling . . . 14-D.UU 1,140.00 Greczzacre Manager Salary . . . . Labor Printing 39.23 Piano Expense . . . . . 65.00 ‘Water 121.50 Insurance . . . . . . . . . 801.68 Repairs to Building. . 681.77 Sundry 15.34 P11hlicit_v .. . . . . . ... 21.50 to Land 134.07 Taxes - . . . . . . . . . . . . 499.93 3,430.02 12,435.64 14,456.05 Worid Unity Conference Music Speakers Traveling . . . . . . . Publicity Arimxirristra-t'iz'e Expenses Secretary’s Salary .. Expense Traveling Treasurefs Omge Supplies Exchange News Letter Printing Legal Cash Excizange . . . . . . Capital Expenditures Plans for Temple .. Caretakefs House . . Studio Bu-ilding-Apw praisa1 Temple Saving Account Greenacre Investment“ Legacies Paid. . . . Advances To Ed. Struven for Greenacre Ilillli Add 50.00 132.00 52.62 121 D0 900.00 33.63 2.23 65.00 26.73 135.00 213.33 185.76 100.00 50.00 1,410.00 2,019.09 200.00 Amount due retiring treasurer for check No. 3.779 drawn on ‘Worcester Bank & Trust ('10., which had not been paid at the time of transferring balance in "the 'W0rcester Bank to the incoming treasurer for deposit in the Northern Trust Co. of Iliinois Report rendered by: 11,765.31 2,690.74 190.00 2,880.74 CARL Scn EFFLER, Treasurer.

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