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STAR OF THE WEST
PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR
In the Interest of the BAHAI MOVEMENT
By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
Publishers: Albert R. Windust—Gertrude Buikema—Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi
Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the postoffice at Chicago, Ill., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
TERMS: $3.00 per year; 20 cents per copy.
Two copies to same name and address, $5.00 per year.
Make Money Orders Payable to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
To personal checks please add sufficient to cover the bank exchange.
Address all communications to BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P. O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.
WORDS OF ABDUL-BAHA
"Great importance must be given to the development of the Star of the West. The circle of its discussion must be widened; in its columns must be published the essential problems pertaining to the Bahai life in all its phases. Its contents must be so universal that even the strangers may subscribe to it. Articles must be published, dealing with the universal principles of the Cause, the writers proving that this Cause takes a vital interest in all the social and religious movements of the age and is conducive to the progress of the world and its inhabitants. In short, the Star of the West must promote the aspirations and the ideals that will gather little by little around these general Tablets, bringing into the light of day all the historical, religious and racial knowledge which will be of the utmost value to the Bahai teachers all over the world."
| Vol. 13 | CONTENTS | No. 4 |
| PAGE | |
POEM—STAR OF THE WEST—By Willard P. Hatch | 66 |
The Bahai Congress for Teaching and the Fourteenth Annual Convention—By Louis G. Gregory | 67 |
Song of the Holy Mariner—Revealed by BAHA 'ULLAH | 75 |
Report of the Bahai Library Committee | 78 |
"Unto this I Call You"—Words of Abdul-Baha | 79 |
Change of Management of the STAR OF THE WEST | 80 |
Important Letters from Shoghi and Bahaeyeh Khanum, the Greatest Holy Leaf | |
PERSIAN SECTION—Fac-simile of newspaper at Haifa | 96, 95 |
| Compiled by Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi. |
- Shine on, O brilliant STAR, Shine on!
- Shine on, Shine on!
- In the darkness of the night
- Be a light!
- From the rolling ocean of despair
- Let us look,
- Where God has set a sign from out
- Creation's book!
- Shine on!
- Shine on! Shine on!
- O'er the pure ones where they walk, through the world,
- Shine on.
- To their clean hearts aflame
- From the altar of The Name
- Gem the night
- With thy light—
- Shine on!
- Shine on, O brilliant STAR, Shine on
- Thy ray of love will seem
- Reflecting God's own beam
- From out His late Epiphany
- Shine on!
- Shine on, Shine on!
- A ship is setting forth
- To the land of a race that is forming,
- Thy light upon the Way,
- Could ever seem to say:
- "Crest the Waves,
- Brave the storming,
- In the troubles of the world man is born,"
- Shine on!
- Shine on, Shine on, Shine on!
- O'er the gardens of the world, shine on.
- "The seed is in the fruit
- The fruit is on the tree"
- The gardener is the One of Blessed Mystery.
- Shine on!
Even as Joaquin Miller in his beautiful poem to Columbus, "Sail On and On and On," depicted the unthwarthable determination of the great explorer to find a new material world, so has the STAR OF THE WEST displayed upon its pages the unquenchable eternal light of those mighty mariners of the Spirit—the Blessed Perfection, BAHA 'ULLAH and the Center of the Covenant, Abdul-Baha—from whose fluent pens the beauty of the Ancient Ones has been refreshed and renewed. How they have made Jesus, the Son, as if again living on the earth; how they have set aside the black clouds of prejudice that kept us from appreciation of the wonderful prophethood of Mohammed; how Moses has arisen and talked to us—all through the power of these Brilliant Lights. Truly have they made human brotherhood understandable, by pointing out that God is One and His Creation one!
So Shine on, O STAR—thy pages are sacred with Eternal writings—whose brilliant jewels are treasured in the hearts of men!
"We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened; that diversity of religion shall cease and differences of race be annulled. So it shall be. These fruitless strifes; these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the 'Most Great Peace' shall come."
| VOL. 13 | AZAMAT 1, 78 (May 17, 1922) | NO. 4 |
Fourteenth Annual Convention
BY LOUIS G. GREGORY
THE FEAST OF RIZWAN.THE delegates, alternates and visiting friends, hundreds in number, met in the banquet hall of the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago, Saturday evening, April 22nd, in celebration of the Feast of El-Rizwan. The signs of Paradise marked this historic occasion and the wonderful joy of kindred and strangers was an evident sign. Following an hour spent in social communion and getting acquainted, the friends were seated around many tables and the musical voice of Mr. Albert R. Vail was heard, reading with attractive heart the heavenly words:
"O my God! Make Thy Beauty to be my food, and let Thy Presence be my drink: Let my trust be in Thy Will and my deeds according to Thy Command: Let my service be acceptable to Thee and my action a praise to Thee: Let my help come only from Thee and ordain my home to be Thy Mansion, boundless and holy. Thou art the Precious, the Ever-present, the Loving.
"Glad Tidings! Glad Tidings! That the banquet of the Lord is spread in the assemblages of the friends!
"Glad Tidings! Glad Tidings! That the period of bloodshed and carnage hath passed away and the century of Universal Peace and the gathering together of the nations of the earth hath dawned upon us!
"The cup of giving, overflowing with the Wine of Fulfillment, is passing around!"
Mr. Edwin Klein played a piano solo, and responded to an encore.
Mr. Albert R. Windust, presiding, said: "Chicago is happy to welcome you all, delegates, alternates, guests and visiting friends, and especially those who have just returned from the pilgrimage to Haifa." He concluded his brief but cordial remarks by reading from the Revealed Word:
"O ye friends of the Blessed Beauty! Today is the day of attraction and enkindlement! This day is the day of unity and nobility. This century is the century of the reaching of the Cause of God and summoning the people to the Kingdom of God! This call is the call of ecstacy and bliss!" etc. (See Divine Plan, page 78.)
Mr. Mountfort Mills, of New York, was the first of the returned pilgrims to speak. He said in part, referring to himself and Mr. Wilhelm: "Our visit was at the summons of Shoghi Effendi. At Haifa we met Bahais from Persia, India, Burma, Egypt, Italy, England and France. Janabi Fazel was on his way there and it was the depth of our disappointment that, owing to the delay caused by his long journey, we did not meet him. On arrival the impression that came strongly over me was that God is in His Heaven and all is well with the world. Outwardly during our journey we turned toward Acca and Haifa, but inwardly to the Spirit of Abdul-Baha. Hyppolyte Dreyfus-Barney met us at the station and made us welcome. We met Shoghi Effendi, dressed entirely in black, a touching figure. Think of what he stands for today! All the complex problems of the great statesmen of the world are as child's play in comparison with the great problems of this youth, before whom are the problems of the entire world. He is a youth of twenty-six, left by the will of the Master as the Guardian of the Cause. No one can form any conception of his difficulties, which are overwhelming.
"We received his joyous, hearty hand grasp and our meeting was short. A bouquet was sent to our room in the form of a young tree filled with nectarines or tangerines. It was brought by Mr. Fugeta. We awoke without any sense of sadness. That feeling was entirely gone. The Master is not gone. His Spirit is present with greater intensity and power, freed from bodily limitations. We can take it into our own hearts and reflect it in greater degrees. In the center of this radiation stands this youth, Shoghi Effendi. The Spirit streams forth from this young man. He is indeed young in face, form and manner, yet his heart is the center of the world today. The character and spirit divine scintillate from him today. He alone can today save the world and make true civilization. So humble, meek, selfless is he that it is touching to see him. His letters are a marvel. It is the great wisdom of God in granting us the countenance of this great central point of guidance to meet difficult problems. These problems, much like ours, come to him from all parts of the world. They are met and solved by him in the most informal way. Again it came to us with great force that the powers of the Universal House of Justice, when organized, would be limitless. Its sole purpose would be to solve all human problems.
"The great principles laid down by BAHA 'ULLAH and Abdul-Baha now have their foundation in the external world of God's Kingdom on earth. This foundation is being laid, sure and certain, by Shoghi Effendi in Haifa today. Yet it is all futile unless throughout the world each one will make this foundation safe in his own heart and life. The House of Justice and the Hands of the Cause are given that his hands may be upheld and the Cause of God may be selflessly established. He wishes us to sense the largeness of these great things, avoid sectarianism and work for the deepening of the Cause of God before its expansion. Largeness of heart and spirit is his wish and will. As the will of Abdul-Baha says, 'Universality is of God and limitations are of the earth.'
"The spirit is here. But going there was an immense bounty. As we move higher and higher up the mountains things of the lower reaches disappear. Our privilege is mighty and beyond description! Each is doing a work no one else in the world can do to build upon the earth the Kingdom of God."
Zeenat Khanum chanted.
Mr. Roy C. Wilhelm, of New York, was the next speaker. "It is interesting," said he, "as one crosses the boundaries of different countries, to witness the workings of what we may, if permitted to coin a word, call the 'boundaries
mind.' The Syrian thinks the greatest problems and difficulties are those of his country. The Egyptian raises the same complaint about his own land. The Italian laments the difficulties following the war. The Swiss stresses the economic trials of his land. The German feels that some misfortunes have befallen him. France thinks the Frenchman, has great troubles indeed; while the Englishman is plaintive on account of the labor troubles and lack of employment.
"Abdul-Baha says: 'God created the world; man worked out the boundaries.' No one in the world today, except the Bahai who has the universal, selfless mind, can see without prejudice. He has no interest save the happiness of all.
"When one reaches Haifa and meets Shoghi and sees the workings of his mind and heart, his wonderful spirit and grasp of things, it is truly marvelous. Our world boundaries must fade!
"Rouhi Effendi, brought up with Shoghi Effendi, says of him: 'Shoghi is wonderful. He retired at 3 a. m. and arose at six. Once he worked forty-eight hours without food or drink. His effort is to overcome differences between races and nations. There is the greatest responsibility on each one in laying out one's own actions. First of all must we straighten ourselves out. This is true of nations as well as individuals. Thus we can be effective in guiding others."
The speaker reported that Hyppolyte Dreyfus-Barney, who has passed a year and a half teaching in China, has expressed high praise of the Chinese civilization and good morals.
Mrs. Florian Krug, of New York, was the last speaker: "This is a supreme moment, when the heart is so full of love that words cannot express. I was a guest at the home of Abdul-Baha at the hour of his ascension. He so veiled the knowledge of his passing that we did not know it until the very hour. Abdul-Baha toward the end looked so very tired, but Rouhi said he was well. He sometimes walked in his own garden and gave to the Krugs his own room. There was a sweetness about him beyond expression. His power of love was overwhelming. To Mirza Hadi, the father of Shoghi Effendi, he gave instructions to have Shoghi Effendi return from a journey in time for the funeral. This afterward explained why Mirza Hadi, who felt the responsibility of keeping the secret, appeared so dejected. Delegations in their trappings of gold and blue were continually calling upon Abdul-Baha. He was teaching and joking with them. But one day he told the gardener at the Holy Shrine of the Bab that he felt very tired. He bestowed great love upon the Greatest Holy Leaf and upon Khosro, who in childhood and youth has served the Cause of God in the holy household. At the time of the ascension the house was full of guests for the wedding of Khosro.
"At the time of the ascension, Dr. Krug, hastily summoned to the bedside, said: 'Pray! beloved Master has ascended!' Agonized women surrounded the body. The earthly temple was as beautiful as ever except that those luminous eyes were dark. He had ascended to the Realms of Light. Who, that ever loved him, would want him to return? The Greatest Holy Leaf did not think of her own grief, but comforted others. The shock was terrible. Yet through it all was the deep consciousness that there is no such thing as death. Now we must take up our responsibilities. We must be selfless channels so that his glorified spirit can use us."
Mrs. Krug, in conclusion, gave a graphic and powerful description of the funeral of Abdul-Baha, the officials and dignitaries that took part in honoring him, the eloquent eulogies that were delivered by the representatives of various religions and the mass of weeping and moaning humanity, to the number
of ten thousand, who followed his body, borne aloft by loving hands to its resting place in the Sacred Shrine on Mount Carmel.
"All are bereft of the merciful melody and divine call!"
The chairman said: "All of us in spirit were among that throng of ten thousand."
Singing of the benediction closed the meeting.
TEMPLE GROUNDS.
On Sunday morning hundreds of the friends found their way to the village of Wilmette, viewing with interest and pleasure the progress of the construction of the Mashreq 'Ul-Azkar.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
The afternoon meeting was again at the Auditorium Hotel. Mr. Mountfort Mills, who presided, spoke of Palestine in the days of reconstruction. He said: "During my stay of a month in Palestine there were certain high spots, outstanding, that could be readily seen. The British government, now dominant in that land through a mandate, has a very difficult and complex situation to direct. This is owing to the various religious sects and their intense zeal in their various beliefs. We of the western world think ourselves tolerant in religious matters. Perhaps our tolerance is only indifference. The people of the Orient take their religion very seriously.
"There is the Zionist movement and a well-defined supported by the Allies, to colonize seventy thousand Jews in Palestine. On the other hand, considerable friction arises on account of feelings of intense opposition among the Arabs. Among the English there appears a strong conviction that the Jews are the most progressive element in Palestine, through their knowledge of commerce and reforms and their acquaintance with minerals, oils and other undeveloped resources.
"But the foundation of difficulties in the adjustment of affairs is religious prejudice, and this is particularly strong against the old orthodox type of Jews. In Palestine today are the Jew, Christian and Mohammedan. These successive civilizations, in the opinion of the ruling powers, cannot be normally operated side by side, but must be regulated by outside forces, superimposed.
The Bahai Movement is now coming powerfully to the aid of those who would bring harmony, in that its solution is not temporary, but permanent and final. Its central point is Haifa in Phœnecia, on the slopes of Mount Carmel. It does not appear as a new religion, challenging competition, but as a new light and a quickening of the spiritual consciousness of the world. It affords a marvelous solution of world problems, coming at a time when men are wandering in the wilderness for lack of a panacea. It began with the revelation of The Beyan in Persia, swept through exile and prison to Bagdad, Constantinople and Acca. It is now known in all parts of the world and what it teaches is seen in its practical results.
"On one occasion during my recent stay in Palestine a tea was given by Shoghi Effendi in honor of the Governor of Palestine and other friends, including a few from the West. The company included Mohammedans, among whom were Mullahs, Jews from the East and West and several Christians. Outwardly alien, all were united in thought, spirit and action. Afterward there was another meeting with the governor, and therein was a cross section of all races and religions. This was due solely to the influence of the Bahai spirit which is back of the teachings to make them real. This spirit has already changed conditions among races, nations and individuals, making them dependent upon one another and mutually helpful." Mrs. Scheffler and Mr. Windust sang a duet.
Mr. William H. Randall, of Boston, spoke on the Investigation of Reality,
universal truth that shall make all men free. He said: "Mr. Lloyd George, the statesman who opened the Genoa Conference, was quoted as saying, 'God is in His Heaven; man is in his earth. If they could only get together!'
"The reflection of the image of God in humanity is Heaven. This means the passing of nationalism and materialism and the establishment of reality. It is
--PHOTO--
Some of the Delegates and Friends attending the Fourteenth Annual Convention of Bahai Temple Unity assembled on the Mashreq 'Ul-Azkar grounds, Chicago
not the purpose of God that man should remain with self. The outer man must conform his way to the inner light and guidance. Reality is the knowledge of God. Truth never conflicts with truth. Following forms and imitations makes men able to talk like angels, yet they live like men. But, following reality makes words and actions agree. Thus both are angelic.
"The greatest phenomenon in the material world is the rising of the sun, which makes all things visible. So the ideal Sun of Truth today shines so as to change the ideas of men, for it reveals the ideals of the Kingdom. The attitude of truth is the universal vision. That of bigotry is 'We have the light and all else is darkness.'"
Here he related a story of the American tour of Jenabi Fazel. After one of his interesting and wise addresses a lady came forward and asked, if he lived in America what church would he join? That ideal sage answered, "The one that Christ belonged to."
"There she said, addressing her companion, "I told you he was an Episcopalian!"
The speaker dwelt upon the absurdity of color prejudice, showing that it helped neither ourselves nor the other fellow. The organs of the body have a variety of color, yet they are united in action. So must all the peoples of the earth be of one mind. And this will be when they have one religion, which is the seed planted by God. It is now more difficult to lose one's soul, for the light universally shines. In reality the Bahai and Christian are one. It is the same tree and branch of the Lord. But
Note—We would be unjust to the reader were we to allow this excellent account of the Congress to be published without mentioning the splendid address delivered by the writer, Mr. Louis G. Gregory, who, through his modesty, does not mention himself as a speaker.—The Editors.
this is a new epoch and cycle, another springtime of God. It brings to us a knowledge of the oneness of God and humanity and removes conflict between religion and science. All truth, as light, shines out from the great central sun of reality which reveals perfect standards of life. In the great waterfall of Niagara, because all drops move in the same direction, they make a vast combination of forces. Now that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, we should all be drawn together in its establishment. How wonderful! How powerful!
CHILDREN'S MEETING.
On Sunday evening the Bahai children of Chicago and its environs, under the direction of Mrs. Grace Foster, their teacher, entertained the assembled friends with a varied program. This included music, recitations of the Holy Utterances, the universal principles of the Cause, life stories of the Bab, BAHA 'ULLAH and Abdul-Baha, and important dates in the Bahai calendar. The message was delivered with especial purity and intelligence. The audience was much pleased with the numbers on the program and much praise belongs to these children of the Kingdom. But the first prize should go to their teacher.
MEETING FOR TEACHING.
A special meeting to stimulate the work of teaching and seed-sowing was planned for Sunday evening. An unexpectedly large audience appeared so that those who expected to deliver special messages to the friends found themselves confronted by many inquirers who were attracted by the spiritual fragrance of the convention.
Mrs. Ella G. Cooper, of San Francisco, presided and read from the prayers and Holy Verses.
Mr. Hooper Harris, of New York, told some of the requirements of the teacher, as emphasized by Abdul-Baha, earnestness, sincerity and complete surrender on the part of the teacher. Mirza Abul Fazl had also emphasized the necessity of follow-up work. His injunction was, "Do not leave the people until they enter the Kingdom of God." Mr. Harris also related some of his experiences in India and elsewhere, showing that the real preparation was dependence upon God and His guidance to overcome difficulties. There being many schools of religion and philosophy, one can meet their various viewpoints, whether simple or complex, who has a thorough knowledge of such Bahai books as The Ighan, the Seven Valleys and Some Answered Questions. He urged constructive and harmonious methods which would confirm and broaden the reality of each faith, as the point of contact and key to success.
Mrs. May Maxwell, of Montreal, Canada, spoke on the new springtime of the oneness of humanity. She took as the foundation of her address the well-known words: "The Sun of Truth is
the Word of God, upon which depends
the training of the people of the country of thought," etc.
"When these wonderful words were revealed in Persia the Light of God was under thick veils. The Báb, BAHA 'ULLAH and Abdul-Baha came in succession and the progress of the Cause shows the diffusion of the divine consciousness in the realm of humanity. In the early days of the knowledge of the Cause in the West, people had small capacity for Truth. This lack of capacity was a cause of grief to Abdul-Baha. The message was given in a simple, direct way. People used to be told about Abdul-Baha, the one who had sacrificed all for them. The wonderful light of infinite ideals in BAHA 'ULLAH poured down upon all the people. The early pilgrims could not carry that light, but were as open channels. The early period was one of difficulty and confusion.
"But now the great principles have been evolved which are the consciousness of the world. It is hard to find anyone on earth today not conscious of
the spread of these principles. Now there is a new page in the book of the Divine Cause. Abdul-Baha has ascended, the Divine Heart broken over the griefs of the world. But he has left behind exquisite Tablets, calling upon us to arise, illumine and quicken the world. Sing songs of love, life and light! Encircle the globe! Teach the Cause!
"When Abdul-Baha ascended, he left the door open that we may follow him. We can find him now in each other. 'The reality of the Cause has not yet appeared in America,' said Abdul-Baha. 'When I come a second time, my coming will be very different!'
"We are invited to become his temples; not as units, but in our unity, we become his people. One drop of his love will make us forget the self, forget the whole world! How many people are aware that they are one with their fellow man?
"'O children of men! Do you know why we have created you all from one clay? That no one should glory over his fellow men.' 'In the union of hearts there am I,' said Abdul-Baha. When we love any soul more than self we have attained to a degree of unity. Truly, 'The darkness of this gloomy night shall pass away!'"
MONDAY EVENING.
Mrs. A. S. Parsons, presiding, read: "O people, the doors of the Kingdom are opened. The Sun of Truth is shining upon the world. The fountains of life are flowing. The day springs of Mercy have appeared. The greatest and most glorious Light is now manifest to illumine the hearts of men. . . ."
Mr. Harlan F. Ober, of Boston, said: "We are gathered here in the spirit of the investigation of Truth. All are sharers in this effort and search. All differences thus disappear as though the whole world were under one tent. We are emerging from a chrysalis. A new language and capacity are necessary. In the past we have thought in terms of contrast and conflict. This attitude is an inheritance from deviation and imitations. But those abreast of truth keep in motion, acquiring a new spirit and a new consciousness. One religionist, thinking his own faith the only one that contained truth, has accused others of being imitators and forgers. Yet it is the same light of truth that shines in all. Even as when a wireless telegraph sends code messages, they are received everywhere by instruments of the same vibration, so uniformity of teachings in various religions are a sign of divine oneness.
"All the great teachers and all religions have been universal. Their aim has been to lead men away from the limited; Each of the peoples of the earth must become conscious of reality. This is the age of the annihilation of dogma and of the diffusion of liberal thoughts. The world's differences are being plowed up in order to get results in new seed-sowing. Judaism, renewed, will have universal love for Christian and Christian for Jew. So will the Mohammedan, his religion now all broken up and divided, struggle for spiritual freedom. A new spirit sways them all, and a new urge toward the Spirit of Truth. People of every clime, race and creed find themselves in the utmost love and attraction. In the cities poverty will give way to real affluence. Crime will be a thing of the past. These are fruits on the tree of perfect unity. Poets, philosophers and seers have caught this vision in the past. But whereas in the past one here and one there saw these things foreshadowed, now there are millions of hearts in which these things are expressed.
"Carmel, the Mountain of God, is budding forth with a new civilization. It is the plowing up of the new spiritual earth and new shoots appear. A great and universal consciousness will transform the earth. When Abdul-Baha was freed, a spiritual fire swept over Turkey.
It forced into coöperation Jews, Christians and Moslems. Then, after a few years, the old antagonism revived. But ere long another great wave of spiritual consciousness will come, affecting the whole world."
Flora Bohmann Ernst sang a solo.
Miss Martha Root, of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, responded to the subject: "Apostles of the New Day and Their World Journeys." "Abdul-Baha says it is the fragrance of the rose which draws people to the garden. So it is the severance from self which attracts people to the Divine Paradise. People are now advancing so far in the path that we are soon to realize the millenium.
"Kurrat-ul-Aine was the first martyr to the cause of women's freedom. She was well educated and trained in spiritual ideals and went forth as a teacher. She visited the Shah of Persia and took, as the gift of a king to him, the principles of the new faith. She advocated the removal of all prejudices.
"Mirza Haydar Ali, the revered Bahai teacher, went to Egypt to urge the Khedive to take a stand for universal peace. With Seyed Assad 'Ullah he was forced to spend eleven years in prison. BAHA 'ULLAH, during the years of his cruel imprisonment, revealed a Tablet to him in which were found these eloquent words: 'I have heard thy cries and am conscious of thy tears. Remember in all times and in all places that God is faithful and do not doubt this. Be patient, even though great calamities come upon thee. Fear not! Be firm in the path of the Lord, as a mountain unmoved, unchanging in thy steadfastness. God has made afflictions as a morning shower to His green pastures and as a wick for His lamp, whereby earth and heaven are illumined.' When a very old man, this heroic character started out to journey from the Holy Land to Persia without even the equipment of a donkey. Through faith, ways and means were provided for his journey. He returned and was until the end of his life called the Angel of the believers. Seyed Assad 'Ullah, his companion in prison, after his tour of America with Abdul-Baha, went to the most dangerous part of Southern Russia to teach. With such heroic lives soon the problems of the world will be solved.
"Miss Agnes Alexander learned the beauty of the Bahai teachings. She was a resident of the Hawaiian Islands. Then she went to Japan and lighted the torch of guidance, bringing illumination to many souls. More recently her efforts have been extended to Korea, opening that country to the Heavenly teachings."
A very touching tribute was also paid by Miss Root to the venerable teacher, Dr. H. S. Harper, who for many years has served the Cause night and day. When others are asleep, his prayers ascend in the night for all the world. Dr. Harper made a brief but feeling response.
In conclusion, Miss Root referred to the instructions of Abdul-Baha for the opening of China to the Cause. His words refer to the virtues and capacity of the Chinese people and the qualifications of the Bahai teachers who must go to them. She exhorted all to know what God wills and to carry His message. If you arise, in whatever enterprise you engage, the might of God will assist.
TUESDAY EVENING.
The chairman was Mrs. Keith Ransom Kehler, of Chicago. She road with spiritual attraction a prayer of BAHA 'ULLAH. Mrs. Kehler, it is understood, has become a flame of Guidance among her large and influential circle of friends. She spoke of the Bahai teachings on the economic situation and how reciprocity between the elements was needed. One family under just rule
(Continued on page 89)
(Note the following instructions given by Shoghi Effendi: "Where the asterisks (***) are placed the following chorus or burden of the song is every time repeated: 'Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!' After the last three verses of the song the chorus is as follows: 'Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!'")
O Holy Mariner!
Bid thine ark of eternity appear before the Celestial Concourse, ***
Launch it upon the ancient sea, in His Name, the Most Wondrous, ***
And let the angelic spirits enter, in the Name of God, the Most High. ***
Unmoor it, then, that it may sail upon the ocean of glory, ***
Haply the dwellers therein may attain the retreats of nearness in the ever-lasting realm.***
Having reached the sacred strand, the shore of the crimson seas, ***
Bid them issue forth and attain this ethereal invisible station, ***
A station wherein the Lord hath in the Flame of His Bounty appeared within the deathless tree; ***
Wherein the embodiments of His Cause cleansed themselves of self and passion; ***
Around which the Glory of Moses doth circle with the everlasting hosts; ***
Wherein the Hand of God was drawn forth from His bosom of Grandeur;***
Wherein the ark of the Cause remaineth motionless even though to its dwellers be declared all divine attributes. ***
O Mariner!
Teach them that are within the ark that which we have taught thee behind the mystic veil, ***
Perchance they may not tarry in the sacred snow-white spot, ***
But may soar upon the wings of the spirit unto that station which the Lord hath exalted above all mention in the worlds below, ***
May wing through space even as the favored birds in the realm of eternal reunion; ***
May know the mysteries hidden in the seas of light. ***
They passed the grades of worldly limitations and reached that of the divine unity, the center of heavenly guidance. ***
They have desired to ascend unto that state which the Lord hath ordained to be above their stations. ***
Whereupon the burning meteor cast them out from them that abide in the Kingdom of His Presence, ***
And they heard the Voice of Grandeur raised from behind the unseen pavilion upon the Height of Glory: ***
"O guardian angels! Return them to their abode in the world below, ***
"Inasmuch as they have purposed to rise to that sphere which the wings of the celestial dove have never attained; ***
"Whereon the ship of fancy standeth still which the minds of them that comprehend cannot grasp." ***
Whereupon the maid of heaven looked out from her exalted chamber, ***
And with her brow signed to the Celestial Concourse, ***
Flooding with the light of her countenance the heaven and the earth, ***
And all beings were shaken in their mortal graves. ***
She then raised the call which no ear through all eternity hath ever heard,***
And thus proclaimed: "By the Lord! He whose heart hath not the fragrance of the love of the exalted and glorious Arabian Youth, ***
"Can in no wise ascend unto the glory of the highest heaven." ***
Thereupon she summoned unto herself one maiden from her handmaidens,***
And commanded her: "Descend into space from the mansions of eternity,***
"And turn thou unto that which they have concealed in the inmost of their hearts. ***
"Shouldst thou inhale the perfume of the robe from the Youth that hath been hidden within the tabernacle of light by reason of that which the hands of the wicked have wrought, ***
"Raise a cry within thyself, that all the inmates of the chambers of Paradise, that are the embodiments of the eternal wealth, may understand and hearken;***
"That they may all come down from their everlasting chambers and tremble, ***
"And kiss their hands and feet for having soared to the heights of faithfulness; ***
"Perchance they may find from their robes the fragrance of the beloved One."
Thereupon the countenance of the favored damsel beamed above the celestial chambers even as the light that shineth from the face of the Youth above his mortal temple. ***
She then descended with such an adorning as to illumine the heavens and all that is therein. ***
She bestirred herself and perfumed all things in the land of holiness and grandeur. ***
When she reached that plane she rose to her full height in the midmost of creation, ***
And sought to inhale their fragrance at a time that knoweth neither beginning nor end. ***
She found not in them that which she did desire, and this verily is but one of His wondrous tales. ***
She then cried aloud, wailed and repaired to her own station within her most lofty mansion, ***
And then gave utterance to one mystic word, whispered privily by her honied tongue, ***
And raised the call amidst the Celestial Concourse and the immortal maids of heaven: ***
"By the Lord! I found not from these idle claimants the breeze of Faithfulness. ***
"By the Lord! The Youth hath remained lone and forlorn in the land of exile in the hands of the ungodly." ***
She then uttered within herself such a cry that the Celestial Concourse did shriek and tremble, ***
And she fell upon the dust and gave up the spirit. It seemeth she was called and hearkened unto Him that summoned her unto the Realm on High. ***
Glorified be He that created her out of the essence of love in the midmost heart of His exalted paradise!—
Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!
Thereupon the maids of heaven hastened forth from their chambers, upon whose countenances the eye of no dweller in the highest paradise had ever gazed.
They all gathered around her, and lo! they found her body fallen upon the dust; ***
And as they beheld her state and comprehended a word of the tales of the Youth, they bared their heads, rent their garments asunder, beat upon their faces, forgot their joy, shed tears and smote with their hands upon their cheeks, and this is verily one of the mysterious grievous afflictions—
Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!
AT the eighth Annual Convention of Bahais held in Chicago in 1916, a Bahai Publicity Committee was formed, the object of which was to further the knowledge of the Bahai Revelation through the diffusion of the written teachings as approved by the Center of the Covenant, Abdul-Baha.
Prior to this time attempts had been made by various Bahais to place our literature in libraries here and there throughout the country, particularly in public libraries in those cities in which there were centers of Bahai teaching. At the earnest solicitation of one of the friends concerned in this library movement, the Bahai Publicity Committee interested itself in the work, and the result was that the Bahai Library Committee was formed.
Since its organization this Committee has sent out circular letters to over twenty-five hundred public libraries throughout this country, enclosing printed lists of Bahai publications on standard catalogue cards for filing, asking the librarians to apply to the Committee for the desired Bahai literature to place on their shelves, and, if they already had any of our books, requesting them kindly to let us know which volumes they possessed.
Responses from over four hundred and thirty Public Libraries in America have been received. This includes many university, town, and institutional libraries, and in turn our Committee has already been able to place in all, up to date, 4,929 volumes in these institutions, while in the future we hope to add more to this number of books already sent out. With the exception of 200 copies of The
*Report received from the Committee, January 25, 1922.—The Editors.
Brilliant Proof, by Mirza Abul Fazl, recently purchased by this Library Fund, all these books have been donated to us for this purpose, the only expense of the Committee being that of handling and placing, and in some cases of binding the books. Our most recent gift was one hundred copies of the latest edition of Divine Philosophy, made by Mr. Wm. H. Randall. These books in paper covers were bound by us in substantial board covers, at the expense of the Library Fund, and now are shelved in libraries throughout this country.
The Secretary of our committee keeps a very careful record index of all books which we place, as well as those reported to us, which are placed by others in public libraries. Furthermore she is in correspondence with librarians all over the country, from whom we are constantly receiving appreciative testimonials. The work is being systematically done, and we have every hope that many good results will follow.
The Bahai Library Committee transacts all of its business directly with libraries. Books are not sent to libraries through friends, but only direct to those libraries from which written application for Bahai Books are received, addressed to the Bahai Library Committee. In this service the Library Committee needs the help and co-operation of the friends in all parts of the country. We request that the Bahais in each Assembly help us in our work, first by interesting their local public libraries in having our literature upon their shelves and second, by referring inquirers to those libraries for Bahai reading matter and third, by asking the librarians of their public libraries to apply to the Library Committee for such books as we are able to send out. We send out with all books Library
of Congress catalog cards for the same, thus minimizing the effort, and standardizing the work of cataloging the books, which is not a small service rendered to those libraries who receive our gifts. You are asked to request librarians to apply directly to the committee for books.
All communications should be addressed to
| Charles Mason Remey, Chairman. | Bahai Library Committee, |
| Elizabeth G. Hopper, Secretary. | P. O. Box 1319, Washington, D. C. |
Note: We will be happy to receive as donations copies of any of the standard and approved books of the Cause and in turn we will place these gifts in libraries.
Words of Abdul-Baha to the American friends, on the Steamship Celtic just
before sailing from New York City, December 5th, 1912.THIS is my last interview with you and now I am on this ship to sail away. This is my last exhortation which I am going to give unto you. My last exhortation to you is this: I have repeatedly spoken to you and I have invited you to the unity of the world of humanity. I have told you that all mankind are servants of the same God; that God is the Creator of all. He is the Provider of all. He is the Life-giver of all. He is affectionate to all. Before God all are as servants of one God and God is compassionate toward all. Therefore we must act in the utmost kindness and affection towards all the nations of the world. We must set aside all fanaticism and religious prejudices. We must forget all national prejudices. . . .
As to you: your must be made lofty. Exert yourselves with your heart and soul so that perchance through your efforts the light of Universal Peace may shine and the darkness of estrangement and enmity may be dispelled from amongst men so that all men may become as one family and be kind unto one another; that the East may assist the West; that the West may aid the East, for all are the denizens of the one planet and all are peoples of the one nativity and all are the flocks of the one Shepherd. . . . . You are informed concerning the mysteries of God. Your eyes are illumined. Your ears are made hearing. You must therefore look toward each other and then toward all mankind with the utmost love and kindness for you have no excuse to bring before God if you do not live in this way for you are informed of that which constitutes the good pleasure of God. You have heard His commandments. You have harkened unto His words of advice. You must, therefore, be kind to all men. You must even be kind to your enemies as to your friends. You must even consider your evil-wishers as your well-wishers. You must consider as agreeable those who are not agreeable to you so that, perchance, this darkness of conflict may disappear from amongst men and the light of the Divine may shine forth; so that the Orient may be illumined, that the Occident may be filled with fragrance, nay, the East and the West may embrace each other in love and deal with one another in the utmost affection. . . . Unto this I call you.
O thou STAR OF THE WEST!
Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, are long, thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto the waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become worldwide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness, firmness, firmness!
Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Dec. 24, 1910.
O ye apostles of BAHA 'ULLAH—May my life be a ransom to you!
. . . . Similarly, the Magazine, the STAR OF THE WEST, must be edited in the utmost regularity, but its contents must be the promulgator of the Cause of God—so that both in the East and West, they may become informed with the most important events.
Revealed April, 1916—translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, April, 1919.
Words of Abdul-Baha to Mrs. Ella Goodall Cooper, when she visited Abdul-Baha in 1920 and in bidding him good-bye asked him if he had a message for Gertrude Buikema and Albert Windust: "Convey my greetings and love and say unto them, 'Praise be to God, you are assisted in the service of God. Do not look now at the small influence of the STAR OF THE WEST. A day will come when this will be the greatest paper in the world. It will be spread in the East and in the West.'"
| Chas. Mason Remey, Chairman | |
| Dr. Wm. F. Slater | Albert Vail |
| Carl Scheffler | Martha Root |
| Editorial Staff: Albert R. Windust—Gertrude Buikema—Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi | |
| Honorary Member: Mirza Ahmad Sohrab | |
| VOL. 13 | AZAMAT 1, 78 (May 17, 1922) | NO. 4 |
In accordance with the will of Shoghi Effendi in the letter to the Bahais of America (See page 87), the STAR OF THE WEST must now be recognized as one of the large activities of the Bahai Cause, and by the action of the Convention of 1922, passes from under the jurisdiction of the friends whose names appear above to the direction of a Special Board elected by the National Spiritual Assembly (formerly called the Executive Board of Bahai Temple Unity) and constituted as a Committee thereof, responsible to it and over which the National Body shall exercise constant and general supervision. The members of this Special Board are: Mountfort Mills, Roy C. Wilhelm, William H. Randall, Albert Vail and Edna True.
This issue (No. 4, Vol. 13) of the STAR OF THE WEST is the last published by the undersigned!* The next issue will be edited, published and distributed by the new Board, who have chosen Mr. and Mrs. Albert Vail to carry on the work.
We hope the friends will, with renewed energy, arise to assist the new management and make the STAR OF THE WEST what it is destined to be. (See words of Abdul-Baha at the top of this page.) We wish to thank all the friends for the many expressions received of appreciation, and for their co-operation and assistance throughout the past twelve years.
Albert R. Windust, Gertrude Buikema.
*We assume that the editor of the Persian section, Dr. Bagdadi, will continue his work on the STAR OF THE WEST, because no word has reached us from the Committee indicating any change in the management of this department.
Photograph of the original letter written by Shoghi Effendi and translation of some, sent to the STAR OF THE WEST by his honor Mirza Hadi Shirazi, the noble father of Shoghi Effendi, through Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi. This photograph and the following original letter (from the Greatest Holy Leaf) reached this country after the same recently sent out by the National Spirtual Assembly to the Assemblies throughout America:
This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity—the ascension of His Holiness Abdul-Baha to the Abha Kingdom—has been so stricken with grief and pain and so entangled in the troubles (created) by the enemies of the
--PHOTO--
Fac-simile of Letter from Shoghi Effendi, written by his own hand, and Envelope (above) addressed to the STAR OF THE WEST
Cause of God, that I consider my presence here, at such a time and in such an atmosphere, is not in accordance with the fulfillment of my important and sacred duties.
For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time the affairs of the Cause, both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf—may my soul be a sacrifice to her—
until, by the Grace of God, having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly the work of service, I shall attain to my utmost spiritual and aspiration.
| The servant of His Threshold, | (April, 1922) | (Signed) SHOGHI. |
Letter from the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahaeyeh Khawwm, sent to the Editors of the STAR OF THE WEST:
He Is God!
To the servants of the Blessed Beauty and the dear friends of His Holiness Abdul-Baha!
Although the hearts of the people of Bahá are intensely burning on account of the great calamity (of the ascension of Abdul-Baha), and the sobbing and sighing of the friends have reached the ears of the Supreme Concourse and the Hosts of Holiness in the Abha (Most Glorious) Paradise, yet, because this day is the day of service and this hour is the hour of diffusing the fragrances, the friends of God must, like a bright flame, arise in service to the Cause of God and surpass one another (in service). They should be like penetrating meteors, expelling every disloyal covenant-breaker, in order that in the Preserved Tablet of God, they may be recorded with the group who has fulfilled the Covenant and Testament of God.
His Holiness, the Guardian of the Cause of God, the Primal Branch, the joy of the people of Baha—Shoghi Effendi—because of this great calamity, most painful event, infinite sorrow and the severity of the effect upon himself—has desired to travel for several days, that he may regain his health and have rest. Then he will return to the Holy Threshold, arise in service to the Cause of God and perform his duties.
According to a letter written by his own hand, which is enclosed, he has appointed this prisoner to supervise and manage the affairs of the Cause, through consultation with the Holy Family, during his absence. Therefore, this perishable one, temporarily, has organized
--PHOTO--
Fac-simile of Letter from Bahaeyeh Khanum, the Greatest Holy Leaf
an assembly to act according to the advice of the souls who were appointed and nominated by him—His Holiness Shoghi Effendi.
I am hopeful, that during the period of his absence, the friends of God and the maid-servants of the Merciful may show forth great efforts in the progress of the Cause of God, and the Cause of God may spread rapidly.
Verily, He is Compassionate and Merciful to His Servants.
(Signature and seal) BAHAEYEH.
(Month of Shaban, 1340—April 1922. Translated by Dr. Zia M. Bagdadi, Chicago, May, 1922.)
Letter from Shoghi to the Bahais of America and sent to all the Assemblies a few days before the recent Convention:
Dear fellow-workers in the Cause of BAHA 'ULLAH:
It is with words of regret and disappointment that I desire to open this letter because of my inability, in view of my manifold and pressing duties, to respond individually and in writing to the many messages of love and sympathy and of hope that you have so affectionately sent me since our Beloved's passing from this world. I am sure I am voicing the sentiments of the bereaved ladies of the household when I say that however desirous we may be to correspond separately with every one of you, the grave responsibilities and manifold duties now devolved upon us make it regrettably impossible to express in written messages to every friend what we constantly feel in our hearts, and pray for when visiting his sacred Shrine.
At this grave and momentous period through which the Cause of God, in conformity with the Divine Wisdom is passing, it is the sacred duty of every one of us to endeavor to realize the full significance of this hour of transition, and then to make a supreme resolve to arise steadfastly for the fulfillment of our sacred obligations.
Great as is the love and paternal care which our beloved Master is extending to us from on High, and unique as is the Spirit that animates today his servants in the world, yet a great deal will depend upon the character and efforts of his loved ones on whom now rests the responsibility of carrying on his work after him. How great is the need at this moment when the promised outpourings of His grace are ready to be extended to every soul, for us all to form a broad vision of the mission of the Cause to mankind, and to do all in our power to spread it throughout the world! The eyes of the world, now that sublime personality of the Master has been removed from this visible plane, are turned with eager anticipation to us who are named after His name, and on whom rests primarily the responsibility to keep burning the torch that He has lit in this world. How keenly I feel at this challenging hour in the history of the Cause the need for a firm and definite determination to subordinate all our personal likings, our local interests, to the interests and requirements of the Cause of God! Now is the time to set aside, nay, to forget altogether, minor considerations regarding our internal relationships, and to present a solid united front to the world, animated by no other desire but to serve and propagate His Cause.
It is my firm conviction which I now express with all sincerity and candour, that the dignity and unity of the Cause urgently demands—particularly throughout
the American Continent—that the friends should in their words and conduct emphasize and give absolute prominence to the constructive dynamic principles of BAHA 'ULLAH, rather than attach undue importance to His negative Teachings. With hearts cleansed from the least trace of suspicion and filled with hope and faith in what the spirit of love can achieve, we must one and all endeavor at this moment to forget past impressions, and with absolute goodwill and genuine coöperation unite in deepening and diffusing the spirit of love and service that the Cause has thus far so remarkably shown to the world. To this attitude of good will, of forbearance and genuine kindness to all, must be added, however, constant but unprovocative vigilance, lest unrestricted association with the peoples of the world should enable the very few who have been definitely pronounced by the Master as injurious to the body of the Cause, to make a breach in the Movement. Not until, however, an unmistakable evidence should appear, manifestly revealing the evil motives of a certain individual or group of individuals, is it advisable to make the matter public; for an untimely declaration that shall give rise to open differences among the friends is far more detrimental than forbearing still further with those who are suspected of evil intentions. As the Master so fully and consistently did throughout His lifetime, we must all make a supreme to pour out a genuine spirit of kindness and hopeful love to peoples of various creeds and classes, and must abstain from all provocative language that may impede the effect of what true and continued kindness can produce.
Does not Abdul-Baha wish us, as he looks down upon us with loving expectation from his glorious Station, to obliterate as much as possible all traces of censure, of conflicting discussions, of cooling remarks, of petty unnecessary observations that impede the onward march of the Cause, that damp the zeal of the firm believer and detract from the sublimity of the Bahai Cause in the eyes of the inquirer? In order, however, to insure fair and quick and vigorous action whenever such an evil activity is revealed and has been carefully ascertained, the best and only means would appear to be, for the careful observer, once he is assured of such an evil action, and has grown hopeless of the attitude of kindness and forbearance, to report it quietly to the Spiritual Assembly representative of the friends in that locality and submit the case to their earnest and full consideration. Should the majority of the members of that Assembly be conscientiously convinced of the case—and this being a national issue affecting the body of the friends in America—it should, only through the intermediary of that Assembly, be cautiously communicated to that greater body representing all the Assemblies in America, which will in its turn obtain all the available data from the local Assembly in question, study carefully the situation and reserve for itself the ultimate decision. It may, if it decides so, refer it to the Holy Land for further consideration and consultation.
This clearly places heavy responsibilities on the local as well as the national Assemblies, which in the course of time will evolve, with the Master's power and guidance, into the local and national Houses of Justice. Hence the vital necessity of having a local Spiritual Assembly in every locality where the number of adult declared believers exceed nine, and of making provisions for the indirect election of a Body that shall adequately represent the interest of all the friends and Assemblies throughout the American Continent.
A perusal of some of the words of BAHA 'ULLAH and Abdul-Baha on the duties and functions of the Spiritual Assemblies in every land (later to be
designated as the local Houses of Justice), emphatically reveals the sacredness of their nature, the wide scope of their activity, and the grave responsibility which rests upon them.
Addressing the members of the Spiritual Assembly in Chicago, the Master reveals the following: "Whenever ye enter the council-chamber, recite this prayer with a heart throbbing with the love of God and a tongue purified from all but His remembrance, that the All-Powerful may graciously aid you to achieve supreme victory: 'O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all beside Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this spiritual assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God! Make us the signs of Thy Divine Guidance, the Standards of Thy exalted Faith amongst men, servants to Thy mighty Covenant, O Thou our Lord Most High! Manifestations of Thy Divine Unity in Thine Abhà Kingdom, and resplendent Stars shining upon all regions. Lord! Aid us to become seas surging with the billows of Thy wondrous Grace, streams flowing from Thy all-glorious Heights, goodly fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees waving through the breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard. O God! Make our souls dependent upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity, our hearts cheered with the outpourings of Thy Grace, that we may unite even as the waves of one sea and become merged together as the rays of Thine effulgent Light; that our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality, manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate.'"
In the Most Holy Book is revealed: "The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Bahà, and should it exceed this number it does not matter. It behooveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive."
Furthermore, Abdul-Baha reveals the following: "It is incumbent upon everyone not to take any step without consulting the Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soul its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act independently and after his own judgment, will follow his own desire, and do harm to the Cause."
"The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them." "In this day, assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsel together
in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should anyone oppose, he must on no account feel hurt, for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must prevail."
Enumerating the obligations incumbent upon the members of consulting councils, the Beloved reveals the following: "The first condition is absolute love. Persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to discord, wrangling and estrangement. They must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to naught. The second condition: They must when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on High and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honored members must with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the honored members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being enforced. In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement prevail the result shall be darkness upon darkness. . . . . . If this be so regarded, that assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One. Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Holy Word. Should they endeavor to fulfill these conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them, and that assembly shall become the center of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit."
So great is the importance and so supreme is the authority of these assemblies that once Abdul-Baha after having himself and in his own handwriting corrected the translation made into Arabic of The Ishràqàt (The Effulgences) by Sheikh Faraj, a Kurdish friend from Cairo, directed him in a Tablet to submit the above-named translation to the Spiritual Assembly of Cairo, that he might seek from them before publication their approval and consent. These are His very words in that Tablet: "His honor, Sheikh Faraju'llah has here rendered into Arabic with greatest care the Ishràqàt and yet I have told him that he must submit his version to the Spiritual Assembly of Egypt, and I have
conditioned its publication upon the approval of the above-named Assembly. This is so that things may be arranged in an orderly manner, for should it not be so any one may translate a certain Tablet and print and circulate it on his own account. Even a non-believer might undertake such work, and thus cause confusion and disorder. If it be conditioned however upon the approval of the Spiritual Assembly, a translation prepared, printed and circulated by a non-believer will have no recognition whatever."
This is indeed a clear indication of the Master's express desire that nothing whatever should be given to the public by any individual among the friends, unless fully considered and approved by the Spiritual Assembly in his locality; and if this (as is undoubtedly the case) is a matter that pertains to the general interests of the Cause in that land, then it is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assembly to submit it to the consideration and approval of the National Body representing all the various local assemblies. Not only with regard to publication, but all matters without any exception whatsoever, regarding the interests of the Cause in that locality, individually or collectively, should be referred exclusively to the Spiritual Assembly in that locality, which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of national interest, in which case it shall be referred to the National Body. With this National Body also will rest the decision whether a given question is of local or national interest. (By national affairs is not meant matters that are political in their character, for the friends of God the world over are strictly forbidden to meddle with political affairs in any way whatever, but rather things that the spiritual activities of the body of the friends in that land.)
Full harmony, however, as well as coöperation among the various local assemblies and the members themselves, and particularly between each assembly and the National Body, is of the utmost importance, for upon it depends the unity of the Cause of God, the solidarity of the friends, the full, speedy and efficient working of the spiritual activities of His loved ones.
Large issues in such spiritual activities that affect the Cause in general in that land—such as the management of the STAR OF THE WEST and any periodical which the National Body may decide to be a Bahai organ, the matter of publication, of reprinting Bahai literature and its distribution among the various assemblies, the means whereby the teaching campaign may be stimulated and maintained, the work of the Mashreq 'Ul-Azkar, the racial question in relation to the Cause, the matter of receiving Orientals and association with them, the care and maintenance of the precious film exhibiting a phase of the Master's sojourn in the United States of America as well as the original matrix and the records of His voice, and various other national spiritual activities—far from being under the exclusive jurisdiction of any local assembly or group of friends, must each be minutely and fully directed by a special board, elected by the National Body, constituted as a committee thereof, responsible to it and upon which the National Body shall exercise constant and general supervision.
The time is indeed ripe for the manifold activities, wherein the servants and hand-maids of BAHA 'ULLAH are so devoutly and earnestly engaged, to be harmonized and conducted with unity, coöperation and efficiency, that the effect of such a combined and systematized eifort, through which an All-Powerful Spirit is steadily pouring, may transcend every other achievement of the past, however glorious it has been, and may stand, now that to the eyes of the outside
world the glorious person of the Master is no more, a convincing testimony of the potency of His ever-living Spirit.
Your brother and co-worker in His Cause,
(Signed) SHOGHI.
May I also express my heartfelt desire that the friends of God in every land regard me in no other light but that of a true brother, united with them in our common servitude to the Master Sacred Threshold, and refer to me in their letters and verbal addresses always as Shoghi Effendi, for I desire to be known by no other name save the one our Beloved Master was wont to utter, a name which of all other designations is the most conducive to my Spiritual growth and advancement.
Letter from Lady Blomfield:
Care of the Persian Colony, Häifa. Rizwan, 1922
To the Editors of the STAR OF THE WEST:
Dear Editors: Bahaeyeh Khanum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, asks me to enclose this letter from the family of Abdul-Baha, for insertion, so that, through your columns, their heartfelt thanks, for the comforting sympathy shown to them in their terrible bereavement, may reach all the friends,
With sincerest Bahäi greeting and appreciation of your devoted service,
Sitarih Blomfield.
From the family of Sir Abdul-Baha Abbas, K. B. S.:
Our very dear friends in America, through the Editors of the STAR OF THE WEST:
We thank you most sincerely for your kind letters of sympathy, and we appreciate your loving Messages, which are as comforting balm to our wounded hearts.
It would be our wish to answer each letter individually, but the shock of our bereavement was so sudden, and the work to which we were compelled to attend, was so overwhelming, that time failed us. Now, we wish you to realize that your words of steadfast faith and love were our greatest solace throughout the days of our grief, for we felt that you would each and all faithfully and loyally strive to carry on the work for which the life of our Beloved Master was spent.
We are more than thankful to God that He has not left us without a leader, but that Shoghi Effendi is appointed to guide the administration of the Cause.
We hope that the friends of God, the beloved and the hand-maidens of the Merciful, will pray for us, that we may be enabled to help Shoghi Effendi in every way in our power to accomplish the Mission entrusted to him.
Sincerely your fellow-workers in the Service of Truth.
BAHAEYEH KHANUM,
and the Family of Abdul-Baha.
(Häifa, Mount Carmel, Palestine. Feast of the Rizwan, 1922.)
Fourteenth Annual Convention
(Continued from page 74)and regulation will be in the utmost comfort. But those just rules should be enlarged to include the world. In all ages and times there have been certain heroic souls endowed with a vigor and power to find their way out of difficulties. As an example of these, she mentioned Kurrat-ul-Aine, who, upon meeting the Shah, rushed forward and told him that the day of unity had appeared.
Mr. Alfred E. Lunt, of Boston, spoke of the Universal Religion of the future. He said: "This religion is the garment which God, with infinite love, has woven for his children. Humanity may be likened to sheep wandering from the fold. So long have they wandered that many are still deaf to the Voice of the True Shepherd. Humanity is stretched upon the bed of affliction. Although it rejects the remedy, yet the Heavenly Power is such that the Divine Physician prescribes a remedy for the complete cure of the patient. He came that the heavenly power in the heart of humanity might be awakened. But He does not come for worship or fame. There is today the Presence of God, and we must accept in His appearance the fulfillment of His past promises. We must accept His garment, take His remedy, respond to His call. Humanity, which has been struggling along with its dual nature, must find something before it can be seated upon its throne. This elevation is possible through the inspiration and teachings of God's Holy Manifestations. So the true universal religion is the acceptance by humanity of the Spirit which is from everlasting to everlasting. To fall down and worship is secondary. The primary and vital thing is to know the power and glory and to recognize the brotherhood of man. May His Holy Spirit awaken in all of us the desire to do His Will.
Mrs. Carl Scheffler sang a solo.
The power of the life of Abdul-Baha was the theme of Miss Juliet Thompson, of New York, who read several beautiful selections from the writings of Abdul-Baha:
"Love is the mystery of divine revelation. Love is the breath of the Holy Spirit in the human spirit. Love is the light of the Kingdom."
Miss Thompson said: "During the visit of Abdul-Baha to Jersey City some children were jeering and laughing. Abdul-Baha said: 'The people are asleep. You must be awake. See how heedless they are! How submerged in darkness! You must be a sea of light!' In the ascent of Enoch, after he had passed, the people asked: 'Why is it he dwelt among us and we knew him not? Why is it we saw not the splendor wherewith the Lord had clothed him?'
"If we could only know in our hearts what this mighty mystery of love is, our vision would be clear. A little colored child of six years, whom she took to see Abdul-Baha, was blessed by him. Later this child asked: 'Is the Master who blessed me tonight the same who holds the moon and the stars in His hand and makes the sun shine?'
"If we cry out with the love of God, that love will flow to us. Without that love the Bahai Cause will never be established."
Mr. Albert R. Vail, with an eloquence born of the Spirit, rippling like the merry music of a sparkling fountain, taught "pure and sanctified living as the way to spread the Divine Cause."
"The Holy Divine Manifestations," said he, "are artists. The masterpieces are in the hearts. Love, justice, peace, sacrifice, humanity, etc., are their attributes. There is a vast difference between a philosopher and a prophet. Words and theories are not effective
unless they take hold. It is necessary to respond to the subtle and divine guidance which we call love. One deed is more effective than a thousand books. There were many poets in Greece who spoke with the tongues of angels, but they could not move the hearts to sacrifice. But the perfect man says; 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Follow me!' Know that all Bibles reveal the same truth. Bring religion and science into harmony. Destroy prejudices. Because BAHA 'ULLAH and Abdul-Baha lived among the people lives of sacrifice, their message penetrates the heart of the world. How beautiful to suffer a little hardship in the Kingdom of God. BAHA 'ULLAH was once bastinadoed, receiving a hundred blows on the soles of the feet. Seeing his brother condemned to a like punishment, he requested of his tormentor that the hundred blows intended for his brother should be added to his own punishment. And this request was granted. Abdul-Baha served an enemy for twenty-four years, until by patience, forbearance, service and the love power he won his foe. He was joyous in prison. When we see one who lives the life, we are amazingly quickened to do likewise. The Prophet of God is a mirror in which the Light of the Eternal Sun is shining. He is a Temple in which God is abiding. If we would follow him in unity, our attitude would change from independent tolerance. But the real unity comes through melting the bars of separation by the fires of Divine Love. This love is the joy and wonder of the world."
The chairman read: "O son of man! My calamity is my Providence. In appearance it is fire and vengeance; in reality it is Light and Mercy. Therefore approach it, that thou mayest become an Eternal Light and an Immortal Spirit. This is My command; know thou it."
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Mr. Charles Mason Remey, of Washington, D. C., was chairman.
Mrs. Florian Krug, of New York, addressed the congress on the ascension of Abdul-Baha and his world-wide influence. She said in part:
"As the days of the Convention have been so full of spontaneity, I have often thought of the words of Abdul-Baha: 'The body is the word. The spirit is its meaning. The word passes. The meaning remains.' 'A Bahai is one who has all the human perfections in full activity.'
"I hope the time is at hand when we shall all become Bahais. I spent many blessed days with Abdul-Baha. One of his sayings was: 'The whole world may rest upon soft pillows, but mine must be a hard one. He constantly proved his glorious station by his deeds. He rarely ever spoke of himself, but nearly always of BAHA 'ULLAH. His pure, selfless life attracted millions of souls. By living the life, one can illumine a city. It is hard to think of the Holy Manifestations as we think of other men. They possess spiritual and superhuman qualities and do a work that never dies.
"About teaching, Abdul-Baha, said: 'Give the message with love and joy to those we meet and leave the souls to God.' 'Religion,' he said, 'is an attitude toward God which reflects itself in our attitude toward men.'"
The chairman said: "Mrs. Krug has brought us into closer contact with the spirit of oneness. Those who have met those Oriental friends have an incentive to cheer each other and become as one."
Mr. A. R. Windust sang a solo.
Dr. Zia. M. Bagdadi delivered an address the subject of which was "Untried Paths to Universal Peace."
He said: "It is a pleasure, indeed, to be with those who know what universal peace means to the world. For one thousand years the Oriental countries were in a state of decline, culminating
in the greatest ignorance and the degradation of the last century, when war and distress were everywhere found. The horizon became illumined by the appearance of the Bab. He broke down the decayed theology, receiving as his reward imprisonment and martyrdom. Then BAHA 'ULLAH, the Beauty and Splendor of God, appeared with irresistible power. Years of imprisonment and banishment became the cause of his glory. The Persian and Turkish kings, with all their pomp and power, feared BAHA 'ULLAH, who used only the sword of love, pure science and self-sacrifice. If one becomes a truth-seeker with a pure purpose, the light of universal peace will be established in the heart. Investigate and know for yourself and thereby raise the banner of the oneness of humanity. All phases of truth are but as the different chapters of one book."
The doctor made a strong plea for the equality of men and women, giving the teachings of Abdul-Baha, encouraging women in the acquirement of sciences and useful arts, and relating a humorous story about the suffragettes, whose fierce spirit was subdued by the wisdom and love of Abdul-Baha. He also dwelt upon the oneness of religion, including the teachings of all the Prophets, and urged the necessity of overcoming racial prejudice in America and so avert the dangers that through internal dissensions may lead to the destruction of the land. There can be no peace where there is hatred and prejudice. Different colored roses add to the beauty of the garden, and different colored men should not hate each other. The world moves forward to the time when there will be one race, one people, one nation for the whole earth.
Miss Alpha Bratton, accompanied by Miss Williams, sang a solo and received an enthusiastic encore.
Mrs. Corinne True spoke briefly on the Bahai Temple and the underlying unity of the religions of God. The coming of the Kingdom is the spiritual springtime. The great Temple is the symbol of the oneness and singleness of God. It is the time of revealing and unfolding and the Sun of Truth is now shining in its splendor. It is the Kingdom of the Father, prepared from the foundation of the world. Abdul-Baha wants the American friends to do great deeds in the establishment of the Kingdom. The Light of Reality spreads. In all parts of the world we meet people who know the Glory. The universal love invites all mankind to come. But it is not only to build a beautiful building, but one in which the story of glorious lives of sacrifice is also to be preserved.
The Mashreq 'Ul-Azkar stands for the Kingdom of the Father and in it are to be gathered all the children of men.
By the chairman: "The new consciousness and spirit of love and unity include all humanity. Humanity has advanced from the time when there was one indiscriminate horde expressing individualism. Then the family became the unit, later the tribe and then the nation. Now there is still more transition, in which even the national consciousness is being absorbed into a world consciousness. A great contemporary writer, Mr. Wells, finds that the only solvent of existing problems of the world is a religious movement which will draw all mankind together."
IMPRESSIONS OF THE CONVENTION.
The convention of 1912 is brought vividly to mind as we think of that of 1922. On the former occasion, a decade ago, the greatest of all Bounties was the personal presence in Chicago of His Holiness, Abdul-Baha, Center of the Divine Covenant. Friends and strangers gathered from afar and near to meet this world-renowned personage. Throngs everywhere drank in his divine
wisdom and the joy which his holy presence ever inspired made a vibrant thrill of love and peace which moved every breast. All sought his good pleasure.
And now for the first time, after the lapse of months since the greatest separation, a convention was to be held after the ascension of "the Light of the Love of God, the Flame of Divine Guidance and the Banner of the Most Great Peace," His Holiness Abdul-Baha. It was difficult to imagine in advance what it would be like. Perhaps those who had no preconceived notions were most fortunate, as for them there were no surprises. But to those hearts that were still oppressed by the grief of separation, there was to come, in their collective unity and understanding, the spirit of the Glad Tidings of nineteen centuries ago so powerfully renewed: "He is risen!"
The nearness, guidance and confirmation of Abdul-Baha are as tender, powerful and effective for all purposes as when he was present to direct in person.
In the convention radiance and spiritual attraction seemed to center around the pilgrims recently returned from Haifa. There were eleven of these present: Messrs. Mills, Remey, Wilhelm, Mesdames Krug, True, Nourse, Misses Culver and Katherine True, Mr. and Mrs. John Bosch. These souls brought to the friends a spirit of peace, joy, assurance, submission, severance, sacrifice and heavenly illumination. One of them, Mrs. Nourse, presented a gift from the Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi, to the convention. It was a bunch of violets and truly a symbol of the Divine Fragrance radiating from the brilliant youth who now carries on his shoulders the burden of the world. Nothing can be stronger than the love whioh flowed to him, as vivid accounts of his own love, patience, meekness, faith, severance, wisdom, service, devotion and self-sacrifice were borne to the friends. Nothing can be stronger, except his own mighty love, which so wonderfully mirrors forth the love of Abdul-Baha. "Wisdom is ever justified of her children."
At each stage of the deliberations of the friends the divine wisdom of the selection of Shoghi Effendi for his eminent station was justified. Traditions, personal opinions and viewpoints were set aside. Deliberation revolved around the expressed wishes of the youthful Guardian of the Cause. In this attitude the friends unitedly proved their love, reverence and obedience to Abdul-Baha. Through the youthful Guardian of the Cause Abdul-Baha now speaks. His voice is the music of life, the order and harmony of the world.
Some of the brief and pointed messages sent by Shoghi Effendi to the Convention were:
"Give love to all the friends. The one thing of importance is teaching. The House Justice will look out for many things. Teaching is the all-important thing today."
"Our law must be real and come right from the heart. The friends must be watchful and mindful and refer troubles to the Spiritual Council Board."
"The friends must teach and must be united. If they will not be united, even Abdul-Baha cannot help them."
It became apparent to all that the time of the organization of the Divine Kingdom on earth has come and is in process, not according to human limitations, but in harmony with Supreme Wisdom. The dispatch of business was facilitated at every stage by the spirit of harmony which proved self-sacrifice.
Teaching, the Mashreq 'Ul-Azkar, Children's Education, the expansion of the STAR OF THE WEST, women's cause in the Orient, the linking together and concentration of all Bahai activities, the authority given each local spiritual assembly over the local affairs of the Cause, ignoring geographical considerations
in finding souls who are efficient in Bahai work, seeking the happiness of others in order to attain unity, ban on religious politics but seeking guidance instead, the responsibilities of the new National Spiritual Assembly and the election thereof, the taking up of the responsibilities of the Cause by the friends so much wished for by Abdul-Baha, the very successful publicity work of the press committee, the limitation on all Bahai publications save those approved by the National Spiritual Assembly, the large audiences at the meetings for teaching and the evident attraction of souls, the transition into a new day in the history of the Glorious Cause, and "firmness, severance, whole-heartedness" as the aim and purpose of each and all were among the realities which illumined this glorious Convention. The friends in council proceeded with a simplicity, courtesy, harmony and dignity worthy of the Cause which true salvation and the Most Great Peace to all the denizens of earth.
This Supplication, revealed by Abdul-Baha and now recited by His loved ones at His Shrine, was read at the beginning of every session of the Convention:
Whosoever reciteth this prayer with lowliness and fervor will bring gladness and joy to the heart of this servant: it will be even as meeting him face to face—
O God, my God! Lowly and tearful, I raise my suppliant hands to Thee and cover my face in the dust of that threshold of Thine, exalted above the knowledge of the leamed and the praise of all that glorify Thee. Graciously look upon Thy servant, humble and lowly at Thy door, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy and immerse him in the ocean of Thy eternal grace.
Lord! He is a poor and miserable servant of Thine enthralled and imploring Thee, captive in Thy hands, praying fervently to Thee, trusting in Thee, in tears before Thy face, calling to Thee and beseeching Thee, saying:
"O Lord! My God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee; illumine my brow with the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness and of prayer to Thy kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate and aid me to be detached from all the things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness, with its robe clothe me and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth trodden by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of glory in the highest!"
With this prayer doth Thy servant call Thee, at dawn-tide and in the night season. Fulfil his heart's desire. O Lord! illumine his heart, gladden his breast, kindle his light, that he may serve Thy Cause and Thy servants.
Thou art the Bestower, the Pitiful, the Most Bountiful, the Gracious, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Secretaries of Assemblies will please see their Assembly is correctly represented.
ASBURY PARK, N. J.
Bahai Study Class: Friday, 8 P. M., 701 Third Ave.
Juliet D. Sherman
AUGUSTA, GA.
Meetings: Montgomery Bldg.
Secretary: (Miss) Margaret Klebs, 604 West Avenue, North Augusta, S. C.
BEVERLY-SALEM, MASS.
Secretary: Grace P. Lunt, 12 Lowell Street, Beverly, Mass.
BOSTON, MASS.
Meetings:
Sundays, 7:45 P. M., Chauncy Hall, 585 Boylston St.
Tuesdays, 8 P. M., home of Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Oglesby, 68 Albion St., Somerville.
Wednesdays, 8 P. M., home of Mrs. Caroline Nelson, 149 Longwood Ave., Brookline.
Fridays, 8 P. M., home of Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Culver, 19 Willard St., Cambridge.
Secretary: Roushan Wilkinson, 35 Congress Street.
BISBEE, ARIZ.
Meetings at home of Secretary.
Secretary: Viola Duckett, P. O. Box 1384.
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
Meetings: Sundays, 3:30 P. M., 935 Eastern Parkway, and Thursday, 8:30 P. M., 52 Ft. Green Place.
Secretary: F. E. Osborne, 935 Eastern Parkway, Phone Decatur 9115.
BUFFALO, N. Y.
Headquarters: Thursdays, 8 P. M., Mrs. M. W. Tifft, 171 Chapin Parkway.
Secretary: (Miss) Maud M. Mickle, 98 Putnam St.
CHICAGO, ILL.
Meetings: Sundays, 3:30 P. M., Masonic Temple. Sts. John Hall.
Secretary: Carl Scheffler, 56 E. Congress St.
CLEVELAND, OHIO
P. O. Box 36, Station B
Secretary: Dr. Pauline Barton-Peeke, 720 Rose Building.
Secy. of H. of S.: Mrs. Dale S. Cole, 1309 West Boulevard.
DENVER, COLO.
Meetings: Sundays, 3 P. M., 1548 California Street. Friday evening, Study Class, 4141 Xavier Street.
Secretary: Mrs. Elizabeth C. Clark, 4141 Xavier Street.
DULUTH, MINN.
Meetings: Thursdays, 8 P. M., 605 E. 3rd St.
Secretary: Mrs. A. Berridge, General Delivery.
FRUITPORT, MICH.
Meetings: Thursday afternoons, home of Mrs. Julius Frazer; 19-day feasts at home of Mrs. King.
Secretary: (Mrs.) Julius Frazer.
GRAND HAVEN, MICH
Meetings: Wednesdays, 7:30 P. M.
Secretary: Mrs. Charles Richter, 626 Clinton Street.
ITHACA, N. Y.
Meetings: Friday, 8 P. M., 214 S. Albany St.
Secretary: (Mrs.) Pauline Crandall, 316 Hector St.
JOHNSTOWN, N. Y.
Secretary: Margaret La Grange, 519 North Market St.
KENOSHA, WIS.
Meetings: Sundays, 3 P. M., 259 Church St., Sunday School, 2 P. M.
Secretary: Walter Bohanan, R. 3, Box 135, Phone 326-R.
MILWAUKEE, WIS.
Meetings every 19 days.
Secretary: J. Duffield, 1159 Greenfield Ave.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
Meetings: Friday, 8:15 P. M., 14 E. Franklin Ave.
Secretary: Mrs. M. A. Fox, 14 E. Franklin Ave.
MONTREAL, CANADA
Meetings: Fridays, 8:30 P. M., 716 Pine Avenue, West.
Secretary: (Mrs.) Lizzie V. Cowles, 14 Tower Avenue.
NEW HAVEN, CONN.
Meetings: Thursday evening following Esperanto Class, 270 Lenox St.
Secretary: (Miss) Louise N. Thompson.
OMAHA, NEB.
All visiting Bahais will receive a cordial welcome.
Meetings twice a month.
Secretary: Samuel H. Ackerman, 3259 Farnam St.
PASADENA, CALIF.
Meetings: Sunday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:30, Vista del Arroyo Hotel.
Secretary: Mrs. Stuart W. French, Vista del Arroyo Hotel, Pasadena, Calif.
PEORIA, ILL.
Visiting friends and inquirers cordially welcomed.
Secretary: (Mrs.) Maye Harvey Gift, 1010 Glen Oak Ave.
RACINE WIS.
Meetings: Sundays, 11 A. M., Sunday School, 10:30 A. M.
Secretary: A. J. Nelson, 2013 Carmel Ave., Phone 3252.
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.
Meetings at home of Mrs. M. F. Berkey, 733 State St.
Secretary: Mrs. Flora M. Clark, P. O. Box 369.
SANTA PAULA, CALIF.
Bahai Literature and Circulating Library. Hearty welcome to all interested in "The Oneness of the World of Humanity."
Meetings: Fridays, 8 P. M., 514 Sixth Street.
Secretary: Mrs. A. Elizabeth Carpenter, P. O. Box 656.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
Meetings: Home of Mr. and Mrs. Jurgens, 420 W. Reynolds St.
Secretary: Mrs. Rieke Jurgens, 420 W. Reynolds St., Phone Main 3693.
ST. LOUIS. MO
Secretary: (Mrs.) Caroline M. Barbee. 5606A Delmar Blvd.
ST. JOHN. N. B.
Secretary: Jean E. Nixon, 182 Queen Street.
URBANA, ILL.
Meetings: Home of Mrs. E. B. Paine, 606 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Monday evenings.
Secretary: (Mrs.) Esther G. Harding, 704 W. Nevada St.
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