Star of the West/Volume 5/Issue 17/Text

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[Page 257]

"O thou world of humanity! Awake!"

TODAY, if the soul—who is attracted with the Love of God and burning with the flame of enthusiasm—shall unloose his tongue and deliver his speech in the utmost state of attraction, it will undoubtedly produce the most wonderful effect upon the hearts. With a resonant voice, he must cry out:

O people! O people! The Sun of Reality has dawned
from the horizon of the world, casting Effulgence upon the East and the West . . . .
O thou world of humanity! Awake! Awake!

O thou negligent of the Kingdom of God! Revive!
Revive!
O thou prisoner of nature! Liberate thyself! Liberate
thyself!
O thou afflicted with antiquated dogmas! Get clear of
superannuated imaginations! Free thyself of this inertia!
O thou deprived of heavenly bestowals! Acquire a share!
Acquire a share!
O thou heedless of the Divine World! Be informed!

Be informed!

Cry at the top of your voices similar utterances in those meetings before the concourse of humanity. The effect of your words will be conditioned upon the degree of your attraction and exultation. Then you will observe what an effect this will have.

—ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.

—Extract from Tablet in which the Panama-Pacific International Exposition is mentioned.

[Page 258]

PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION CONGRESSES AND CONVENTIONS SAN FRANCISCO 1915

INTERNATIONAL BAHAI CONGRESS

A UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT HAVING FOR ITS PURPOSE THE BESTOWAL OF ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL UNITY UPON THE WORLD OF HUMANITY

Members of Peace Organizations, Educational Institutions and all other lovers of International Peace are cordially invited to attend the Sessions of the International Bahai Congress, to be held each evening, at 8 o'clock, April 19th to 25th (inclusive) in the Auditorium at the Civic Center—Grove and Larkin Streets.

Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this that he loves his kind.—Baha'o'llah.

UNIVERSAL PEACE TAUGHT BY BAHA'O'LLAH MORE THAN SIXTY YEARS AGO

The cause of Universal Peace was instituted in Persia in 1851 by Baha'o'llah, the founder of the Bahai movement.

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Baha'o'llah commanded the people to establish Universal Peace, and summoned all the nations to the "divine banquet" of International Arbitration so that questions of national honor, property, boundaries, and of all vital interests between nations might be decided by an arbitral court of justice to which all nations would pledge their allegiance.

INTERNATIONAL POLICE

Baha'o'llah also declared the necessity for International Police, that all the countries might be freed from the need of arms and the diabolical inventions for the destruction of the human race. Thus there would be need for only a few soldiers in order to assure the safety of the state, to punish offenders, and to prevent civil sedition.

Abdul Baha, the present leader of the movement, during his travels in Europe and America in 1910-1913 constantly called the people to the consideration of Universal Peace. Today his words will be recalled by thousands who heard him speak, for he predicted the present war, and declared Universal Peace to be the most vital problem of the twentieth century.

PEACE THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM OF THE AGE

"Why should this great and important cause of Universal Peace, which is, verily, like the sun among the lights of civilization, the cause of honor, freedom, happiness and prosperity of all mankind, be considered as an ideal impossible of realization. What cause could be greater than this?"

The Bahai Movement provides the spiritual dynamic which will insure the permanency of Universal Peace.

BAHAI CONGRESS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
505 ROSENTHAL BUILDING
165 POST STREET
SAN FRANCISCO

Reproduction of leaflet issued by the International Bahai Congress

[Page 259]

STAR OF THE WEST

"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."—BAHA'O'LLAH.

Vol. V Sultan 1, 70 (January 19, 1915) No. 17

--PHOTO--

Abdul-Baha, on the main drive, Leland Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, California, following his address on "International Peace," Tuesday morning, October 8, 1912.

ADDRESS BY ABDUL-BAHA AT SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Assembly Hall, Hotel Sacramento, October 26, 1912, 9:30 a. m.

Dr. Ameen U. Fareed, interpreter; stenographic notes by Miss Bijou Straun

I HAVE just visited your capitol and its delightful gardens. No other capitol has such charming surroundings. It is most beautiful. Just as I have found your capitol to be so imposing and distinguished above others, I earnestly hope that especially the people of this delightful state of California will prove themselves to be the most distinguished altruists of the world. Indeed, this land of California seems to be blessed. It is abundantly fruitful. The climate is temperate. The sun is ever shining. The fruits are delicious and luscious. All the outward blessings are evident here, and the Californians are a noble people. Therefore I hope that they may make extraordinary progress and become renowned for their virtues.

The issue which is of paramount importance in the world today is international peace. The European continent is like unto an arsenal. It is a storehouse of explosives, ready for just a spark, and one spark could set aflame the whole of Europe, particulary at this time, when the Balkan question is before the world. Even now war is raging furiously; the blood of innocent people is being spilled; children are being captivated; women are being left without support; homes are being destroyed. Therefore the greatest necessity in the world today is international peace. The time is ripe for it. It is time for the abolition of warfare. It is time for the unification of nations and governments. It is time for love. It is time for the East and the West to become cemented together.

Because the Californians seem to be so peace-loving and possessed of such great worth and capacity, I hope that peace advocates among them may daily increase in number, until the whole population shall stand for peace. May the men of affairs in this democracy uphold the standard of peace. Thus may these altruistic thoughts radiate from this center toward all other regions of the earth, and may this glory exist forever for this country. May the first flag of international peace be upraised in this state. May the first illumination of reality shine gloriously on this soil. May this center

[Page 260]

Panama-Pacific International Exposition
Congresses and Conventions
San Francisco
1915

International Bahai Congress

The Bahai Movement
A universal movement having for its purpose
the bestowal of economic, social and
spiritual unity upon the world
of humanity

Public Sessions every Evening During the Week of
April 19th to 25th inclusive

at 8 o'clock

Auditorium at the Civic Center
Grove and Larkin Streets

Reproduction of page one official program
International Bahai Congress
April 19th to 25th, 1915, inclusive,
San Francisco

become distinguished in all degrees, for the virtues of humanity and possibilities of advancement are boundless. There is no end to them, and whatever be the degree to which humanity may attain there are always degrees beyond. There is no phenomenon in the contingent realm of which it can be said, "Beyond this state of being and perfection there is no other," or "This has achieved the superlative degree." No matter how perfect it may appear to be there is still a greater degree of attainment to be reached. Hence, no matter how much humanity may advance there are higher degrees to be attained, because virtues are unlimited. There is an end for everything save virtues, and although this country has achieved extraordinary progress I hope that its attainment may be even greater, for the divine bounties are unlimited.

There are some who believe that the divine bounties are subject to cessation. For example, they think that the revelation of God, the effulgence of God, and the bounties of God have ended. This is self-evidently a mistaken notion, for none of these is subject to termination. The reality of divinity is like unto the sun, and revelation is like unto the rays thereof. Hence, if we should assert that the bounties of God are not everlasting, then we are forced to believe that divinity can come to an end, whereas the reality of divinity comprehends all the virtues, and by reason of these bounties is perfect. Were it not possessed of all these perfections or virtues it could not be divinity. The sun is the sun because of its rays, light and heat. Could it be dispossessed of them it could not be the sun. Therefore, if we say that the divinity or sovereignty of God is accidental and subject to termination, we must perforce think that divinity itself is accidental, without foundation, and not essential.

God is the Creator. The word "creator" presupposes or connotes creation. God is the Provider. The word "provider" connotes recipients of provision. Another name for the Creator is the Resuscitator, which demands creatures to be resuscitated. If he be not the Provider, how could we conceive of creatures to receive His bounty? If He be not the Lord, how could we conceive of subjects? If He be not the Knower, how could we conceive of those known? Hence, if we should say that there was a time in past ages when God was not possessed of His creation, or that there was a beginning for the world, it would be a denial

PRESIDENT

DR. FREDERICK W. D'EVELYN, Phelan Building, San Francisco

VICE-PRESIDENTS

MR. ALBERT DAWSON, Editor Christian Commonwealth, London MR. MOUNTFORT MILLS, 327 West End Ave., New York MR. ROY C. WILHELM, 104 Wall Street, New York MR. CHARLES MASON REMEY, 1527 New Hampshire Ave., Washington M. HIPPOLYTE DREFUS-BARNEY, 15 Rue Grenze, Paris HERR WILHELM HERRIGEL, 35 Holderlinster, Stuttgart MR. WILLIAM H. RANDALL, 114 State Street, Boston MR. GEORGE LESCH, 2540 West Monroe Ave., Chicago DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI, Mid-City Bank Building, Chicago MIRZA ALI AKBAR, Baku, Russia MR. WILLIAM S. MAXWELL, 716 Pine Ave., Montreal MIRZA JAMSHID KHODADAD HAKIM, 16 Forbes Street, Bombay MR. CHARLES H. GREENLEAF, 1016 Stock Exchange, Chicago MR. ALBERT H. HALL, New York Life Building, Minneapolis DR. GEORGE AUGUR, 32 Nichome, Fujinicho, Tokyo

SECRETARY

MR. WILLIAM C. RALSTON, 165 Post Street, Room 505, San Francisco

Reproduction of page four official program

[Page 261]

of creation and the Creator. Or, if we should declare that a time may come when there will be a cessation of divine bounties we should virtually deny the existence of Divinity. It is as though man should conceive of a king without country, army, treasury and all that constitutes sovereignty or kingdom. Is it possible to conceive of such a sovereign? A king must be possessed of a dominion, of an army, and of all that appertains to sovereignty in order that his sovereignty may be a reality. Even so is it with the reality of divinity, which

Addresses

Monday Evening, April 19th

Chairman, DR. FREDERICK W. D'EVELYN, San Francisco

Introduction: The Bahai Congress and its Purpose

The Origin and Fundamental Principles of the Bahai Movement

MR. HOOPER HARRIS, New York

Tuesday Evening, April 20th

Chairman, MR. MOUNTFORT MILLS, New York

Material and Spiritual Evolution of Mankind MR. HOWARD MACNUTT, New York

Wednesday Evening, April 21st

Chairman, MR. EDWARD B. KINNEY, New York

The Unbiased Investigation of Truth

The Ultimate Conformity of Science and Religion

MR. HOOPER HARRIS, New York

The Underlying Unity of all Faiths

MR. HOWARD C. IVES, New York

Thursday Evening, April 22nd

Chairman, MR. HARLAN F. OBER, Dublin, New Hampshire

The Oneness of the Cycles of the Manifestations

MR. WILLIAM H. HOAR, Fanwood, New Jersey

The Elimination of Prejudice as an Essential Factor in Human Progress

MR. JOSEPH H. HANNEN, Washington, D. C.

Friday Evening, April 23rd

Chairman, MR. ALBERT WINDUST, Chicago

The Bahai Movement in Relation to Economic and Social Problems

MR. ALFRED LUNT, Boston

The Establishment of Bahai Institutions for Humanitarian Service

MR. ALBERT H. HALL, Minneapolis

Saturday Evening, April 24th

Chairman, MR. EDWIN T. COOPER, San Francisco

Equality of Men and Women
Universal Education
Universal Language

MR. HARLAN F. OBER, Dublin, New Hampshire

The Mysterious Forces of Civilization

MR. ALBERT R. WINDUST, Chicago

Sunday Evening, April 25th

Chairman, MR. WILLIAM C. RALSTON, San Francisco

Universal Peace.

MIRZA ALI KULI KHAN, Washington, D. C.

Reproduction of pages two and three official program International Bahai Congress

comprehends all virtues. The sovereignty thereof is everlasting, and the creation thereof is without beginning and without end.

Among the bounties of God is revelation. Hence revelation is progressive and continuous. It never ceases. It is necessary that the reality of divinity, with all its perfections and attributes, should become resplendent in the human world. The reality of divinity is like an endless ocean. Revelation is akin to the rain. Can you imagine the cessation of rain? Ever on the face of the earth, somewhere, rain is pouring down.

In short, the world of existence is progressive. It is subject to development and growth.

Consider how great has been the progress in this radiant century. Civilization has developed. Nations have developed. Industrialism and jurisprudence have developed. Sciences, inventions and discoveries have developed. All of these show that the world of existence is continuously progressing and developing, and therefore assuredly the virtues characterizing the maturity of man must likewise develop and grow.

The greatest bestowal of God to man is the capacity to attain human virtues. Hence the

teachings of religion must be reformed and developed, because past teachings are not suitable for the present time. For example, the sciences of bygone ages will not do for the present, because sciences have undergone reform. The industrialism of the past will not insure present efficiency, because industrialism has advanced. The laws of the past must be reformed, because they are not applicable to this time. All material conditions pertaining to the world of humanity have undergone reform and have achieved development, and the institutes of the past are not to be compared with them. The laws and institutes of former governments cannot be current today, for legislation

[Page 262]

must be in conformity with the needs and requirements of the body politic at this time.

This has been the case also with the religious teachings that so long were given in the temples and churches, because they were not based upon the fundamental principles of the religions of God. In other words, the foundation of the divine religions had become obscured and certain non-essentials had crept in; that is, the kernel of religion had apparently disappeared and only the shells remained. Consequently it was necessary that the fundamental basis of all religious teaching should be restored, that the sun of reality which had set should rise once again, that the springtime which had refreshed the arena of life in ages gone by should appear once more, that the rain which had ceased should descend again, that the breezes which had become stilled should blow once more.

Therefore His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH appeared from the horizon of the Orient and reestablished the essential foundation of the religious teachings of the world. The worn-out traditional beliefs current among men were removed. He caused fellowship and love to exist once again among the representatives of various religions and denominations. Among the various contending religions he caused love to obtain. He created a remarkable state of amity among hostile sects. He upheld the banner of the oneness of the world of humanity. He laid the foundation for international peace. He caused the hearts to be cemented together. He conferred new life upon the peoples of the East.

Among the hostile religious sects of the Orient, those who have followed the teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH associate with one another in amity and good iellowship. No one says, "I am a Frenchman," "I am a German," "I am an Englishman," "I am a Turk," or "I am a Persian." No one says, "I am a Mussulman," "I am still hidebound and fettered with the traditional beliefs of dogmatic Christianity," "I am still a follower of Talmudic superstitions," or "I am a Zoroastrian and hence an opposer of all other religions." On the contrary, all have been rescued from religious, racial, political and patriotic prejudice, and are now associating with one another in amity and love, to the extent that if a man were to attend one of their representative gatherings he would be unable to find any distinction between the Christian and the Mohammedan, the Jew and the Zoroastrian, the Persian and the Turk, or the Arab and the European. There is no distinction of that character, for the meetings are based upon the fundamentals of religion, and therefore good fellowship has already been established.

In brief, the time of ferocity has passed away. The centuries of sectarianism have

--PHOTO-- Abdul-Baha leaving the First Unitarian Church, San Francisco, after addressing the congregation, Sunday morning, October 6, 1912

ended. The periods of inadvertence have gone by. The mediaeval ages of ignorance have ceased to exist.

Verily the century of radiance has dawned. Minds are advancing. Perceptions are becoming keen. Conceptions of human possibilities are becoming universal. Susceptibilities are developing. The discovery of realities is progressing. Hence it is necessary that we should cast aside all the prejudices of ignorance and superannuated traditional beliefs of past ages, and hoist aloft the banner of international peace. Let us co-operate with one another in love, and through reciprocity enjoy eternal happiness and peace.

[Page 263]

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE BAHAI MOVEMENT

BY THORNTON CHASE

IN the month of June, 1894, a gentleman in Chicago desired to study Sanskrit, in order to further pursue his search into ancient religious teachings. While seeking an instructor he met a Syrian who had come to Chicago from Egypt a short time before, and who told him of the Bahai Movement.

As the statements of the life and teachings of BAHA'O'LLAH, and his son, Abbas Effendi, the "Greatest Branch," otherwise known as Abdul-Baha, accorded with the declarations of numerous sacred prophecies, and with the age-long expectations of mankind, it was deemed of value to investigate those claims as far as possible.

Other seekers for truth became attracted to the study of these matters, with the result that five accepted the teachings as true during the year 1894. In 1895 a number of earnest students became interested, classes were formed, and several became "believers," and in 1896, the followers of the Bahai Cause in Chicago were numbered by hundreds.

A class of Truth Seekers was begun in Kenosha, Wis., another in Milwaukee, and individuals from New York, Cincinnati, Washington, and other points, came in touch with the Movement in Chicago, and carried information of it to their friends at home, so that in 1898 many students in eastern cities were eagerly seeking knowledge of God through this channel.

On Nov. 4th, 1900, there arrived in New York, Mirza Assad'u'llah, a Persian teacher of authority from Acca, in Palestine, and Hadji Hassan Khorassani, a prominent merchant of Cairo, Egypt; with Mirza Hussein Rouhy, and Mirza Buzork, as interpreters. They remained in New York, meeting and teaching large numbers of people, until Nov. 26th, when they visited Johnstown, New York, for two days, and reached Chicago at 4 p. m., Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 29th, where they made their headquarters for a year and a half.

A little later came another Persian gentleman, Mirza Abul Fazl, a scholar and historian, famous in the Orient for his learning and sincerity, one who had given up a position of the highest honor in Persia, as president of the Royal College of Teheran, to embrace the Bahai Cause, which resulted in his imprisonment for three years in Persian dungeons. Two young Persians, Mirza Ali Kuli Khan and Mirza Ameen'u'llah also arrived to act as interpreters.

With these teachers came the first opportunity for a correct and intimate knowledge of the true Bahai teachings. The salient facts,—the mission of the Báb as the forerunner and proclaimer of the coming of "He Whom God Shall Manifest," his life, and early martyrdom; the appearance of BAHA'O'LLAH, the Manifestation, and Revealer of the Divine Word, the station and authority of Abbas Effendi, Abdul-Baha, as the Center of the Covenant, the Interpreter and the Establisher of the Sacred Law; these were known and believed; but, as yet, there had been but little translation of their writings, and but a small portion of their beautiful and comprehensive teachings of religion and life was known until they were disclosed by these visitors from the Center of the Cause. The young interpreters, assisted by Mr. Anton Haddad of Syria, busied themselves in translating the Bahai Writings from Persian and Arabic into English, and a wonderful treasury of wisdom and knowledge was opened, which has been the delight and satisfaction of thousands of hungry souls in America.

The instructions given by Mirza Assad'u'llah and Mirza Abdul Fazl were thoroughly sane and practical, and so insisted on righteousness, right living—as the essential of religion, rather than psychic and occult experiments, that many persons, who had conceived views imbued with imaginations and superstitions, fell away from the Cause—but those who remained discovered such spiritual light, guidance, richness, and power in the teachings, that they were deeply confirmed in their belief, and clung to it as the most valuable instruction possible for man to obtain.

The classes and assemblies which had diminished in number, again began to grow, and to spread the knowledge of the Bahai Cause; until at the present time its adherents in the United States are numbered by thousands—there are believers in many cities and towns, from the Atlantic to the Pacific—all earnest and sincere in their faith, and in their acceptance of this modern revelation of Divine

(Continued on Page 265)

[Page 264]

STAR OF THE WEST

PUBLISHED NINETEEN TIMES A YEAR

By the BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, 515 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill., U. S. A.

Entered as second-class matter April 9, 1911, at the post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of March 3, 1879.

Editorial Staff: ALBERT R. WINDUST — GERTRUDE BUIKEMA — DR. ZIA M. BAGDADI

Honorary Member: MIRZA AHMAD SOHRAB

Terms: $1.50 per year; 15 cents per copy.

Note—Until further notice, distribution in the Orient is through Agents.

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.

TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.

HE IS GOD!

O thou Star of the West!

Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere 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 world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness, firmness, firmness!

(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.

Vol. V

Sultan 1, 70 (January 19, 1915)

No. 17

TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA

To Doctor F. W. D'Evelyn, the beloved of God, Mrs. Helen S. Goodall, the maid-servant of God, Mrs. Ella C. Cooper, Mr. W. C. and Mrs. Georgia Ralston, San Francisco, California.

Upon them be BAHA'O'LLAH-EL-ABHA!

HE IS GOD!

O ye who are firm in the Covenant!

Your letter was received. Praise be to God, that with the utmost firmness you have arisen in the service of the Kingdom, so that you may organize a Congress for universal peace during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Summon the people to the Kingdom of God and promote the teachings of His Holiness BAHA'O'LLAH. Rest ye assured that the Divine Confirmations will be conducive to joy and fragrance and most great results will be the outcome of this service.

Rest ye confident in the assistance of God.

Upon ye be Baha-El-ABHA!

(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.

Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, April 21, 1914,
Bahai Nest, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Syria.

OUR PERSIAN SECTION this issue contains: (1) Abdul-Baha's visit to a Christmas performance; (2) Abdul-Baha's talk at the home of Lady Blomfield, London; (3) Abdul-Baha's visit to the Salvation Army barracks and his gifts to the poor; (4) talk by Abdul-Baha given at the Sea of Galilee (Lake of Tiberias); (5) talk given by him at Haifa, after his return from Tiberias; (6) Tablet to a Bahai at Bakou; (7) "The War of the World," by Mirza Abdul-Cassim G. Shirazi; (8) the earthquake in Italy; (9) gains and losses of the nations at war during the past six months; (9) translation from Arabic of article by Towfik Effendi Muffaredj; (10) news from Haifa by Mohammed Effendi, son of Hussein Agha.

[Page 265]

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE BAHAI MOVEMENT

[Continued from page 263]

Knowledge, and striving with their lives to carry out the Bahai teachings of love to God expressed in love to man.

There are assemblies of believers in Chicago and New York, in Boston and Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia, in Cleveland, Cincinatti, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Minneapolis, Spokane, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and in many towns of lesser fame; in all of which this wonderful, religious, ethical, moral, and practical teaching of the age, is received and loved as the great solvent of religious, social, and economic problems, and the joy and beauty of life.

WORDS OF ABDUL-BAHA TO THE BAHAIS REGARDING THEIR ATTENDANCE AT THE PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION IN SAN FRANCISCO.

From Tablet dated July 12, 1911

The future of California, whether in regard to its material affairs or its spiritual affairs, is very important. It is my hope that the people of California may become the sons and daughters of the Kingdom and be the means of promoting the religion of God.

Regarding the Exposition of 1915 which will be inaugurated in San Francisco, America, undoubtedly from now on the Bahais must arrange and prepare ways and means so that a great number of them may be present on that occasion.

From Tablet dated April 14, 1914

The believers of God from now on must think about going to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (in San Francisco). Everyone goes to the Exposition either for amusement or recreation, or in hope of obtaining commercial benefits. But you, who are the believers of God, enter the Exposition with the desire to summon the people to the divine Kingdom and hoping to receive the breaths of the Holy Spirit.

From Tablet dated March 12, 1913

As regards the second trip of Abdul-Baha to America, if the believers of God be enkindled and attracted to a superlative degree, perchance this object will again be obtained. Capacity and capability are the magnetic power.

Suggestions

A number of hotels centrally located are recommended. Prices are reasonable—from $1.00 per day and up. All rooms with baths. It is suggested that it will be best, for those who wish to secure accommodations at any of these hotels, to communicate immediately with the manager, Mr. D. Heywood, 526 Holbrook Building, 58 Sutter Street, San Francisco.

As the week's programme has been arranged to begin the 19th of April, it is hoped that all the friends will arrive before that date.

The San Francisco climate being variable, warm wraps are found to be useful in all seasons. For further information please address the Executive Committee of the International Bahai Congress, 505 Rosenthal Building, 165 Post Street, San Francisco.

[Page 266]

PROGRAM

INTERNATIONAL BAHAI CONGRESS

For the Week of April 19th to 25th, 1915

Monday Morning:

Meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Bahai Congress, the Bahai Temple Unity Executive Board, and the Congress speakers, at 9:45 o'clock.

Monday Afternoon:

Reception to the visiting Bahais at 3 o'clock.

Monday Evening: