Dear Baha'i Friends:

Your message of the seventh of March is just at hand, and I wish to hasten to thank you for it on behalf of our beloved Guardian, and to renew his grat.i.tude and appreciation for the a.s.surances of devoted love and loyalty which you had been moved to convey to him. He very deeply values your sentiments, indeed, and greatly admires the spirit of sacrifice and of whole-hearted consecration with which you are labouring for the promotion of the Faith. The success of your efforts will a.s.suredly depend upon the measure of unity within your group, and upon your firm resolve to uphold, in words as well as in deeds, those basic verities which the Teachings inculcate.

The Guardian's message to you is that you should constantly strive to mirror forth in your private lives, and also in your social relationships, the beauty, purity and regenerative power of the Message of Baha'u'llah.

The Baha'i youth of today should be an example to the youth of the world, and should therefore live up to the highest standards of conduct. Nothing short of such a close, united and concrete adherence to the ideals and teachings of the Faith by every young Baha'i man and woman can impress and attract to it the serious attention and consideration of the world outside.

It is Shoghi Effendi's hope therefore that your youth group will make a renewed and determined effort this year to put into daily practice the principles and teachings of the Cause, and thus demonstrate to the non-Baha'i youth of your country the tremendous power which the Baha'i Teachings have to shape, mould and reconstruct the lives of men.

He is praying to Baha'u'llah to bless and guide your endeavours to that end....

[From the Guardian:]

May the almighty power of Baha'u'llah bless you and keep you, shower his bestowals upon you, deepen your understanding of the fundamental verities and requirements of His Faith, and enable you to extend the range and reinforce the basis of your activities and achievements.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

LETTER OF 10 DECEMBER 1937

10 December 1937

Dear Frau Muhlschlegel,

The Guardian was deeply rejoiced to receive your very cordial message of the first ins., and is indeed happy to know that during the next few months you will be travelling regularly to Zurich, and that you intend in this way to communicate to him any news regarding the situation of the Cause in Germany. He truly welcomes your offer, and feels that it is a most urgent and valuable service you can render the Faith.

Mr. Greeven, as you may know, is in close touch with the authorities in Berlin, and has so far succeeded in inducing the government to give more sympathetic consideration to our case. The secretary of the Minister for Church affairs has promised him that the funds, books and archives will be returned, but that there can be no hope of having the government rescind the rulings entirely. The negotiations, as you see, have not been quite in vain. The friends should not feel unnecessarily agitated, but should have full confidence in the future which, we firmly believe, is gloriously bright. As in the past, the German Baha'i Community will eventually overcome and crush such forces of opposition, and will arise, out of the storm and stress of its present-day afflictions, stronger and purer and more determined to accomplish its allotted task in the establishment of the New World Order. a.s.sure the believers that they have no reason whatsoever to feel distressed. The Cause is G.o.d's and is therefore in safe hands.

Regarding the German translation of the "Dispensation of Baha'u'llah"; a copy of the German text of that pamphlet prepared by Miss Grossmann was forwarded to Haifa about two months ago through the care of Frau Brauns.

The Guardian wrote her in answer, that he would keep the ma.n.u.script until such time when the time and means for its publication would be found.

Now he wishes to know whether the translation mentioned in your letter is the same as the one sent by Frau Brauns, or is a new rendering made by Dr.

Muhlschlegel.

To you, to him, as well as to all your children he sends his loving thoughts and greetings....

P.S. At the Guardian's instruction I am mailing to your address a copy of the "Baha'i World" vol. III, as to is not certain whether you or any of the German friends has seen this latest issue of the Year book....

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-worker:

I wish to a.s.sure you and through you our dearly beloved German friends that the trials to which they are subjected are but a prelude to an age of unprecedented glory and activity in the service of the Cause of G.o.d. These clouds will dissipate and the splendour of the Faith will be shed with increasing radiance. Let the Cause grow silently and acquire greater depths in the hearts of the tested believers in that land, and the day will surely come when its potentialities will be manifested in a manner that would cause every beholder to marvel.

Your true brother, Shoghi

LETTER OF 2 FEBRUARY 1938

2 February 1938

Dear Frau Muhlschlegel,

The Guardian was pleased to receive your letter of the 26th January last, and to hear again from you about the conditions of the Cause in Germany.

He feels exceedingly sorry that the authorities have not so far lived up to their promise of returning the books, funds and archives that were confiscated, but still hopes that through the vigilant care, and the sustained and wise efforts of Mr. Greeven some definite results will be eventually obtained. The friends need not lose courage, but have full confidence in the future which, we are all certain, is immeasurably bright.

Now regarding the ma.n.u.script of the German "Baha'u'llah and the New Era"; the Guardian has learned with satisfaction that the printing of the text has been completed, and he feels that in view of the present restrictions in Germany it would not be advisable to proceed with the binding there. He would advise that the unbound copies be sent over, through the safest means possible, to the Spiritual a.s.sembly of Vienna that they may complete the binding of as many copies as they can arrange for the distribution of the book.

Not only it would be too risky, and even dangerous, to publish anything at present in Germany, but it would const.i.tute an act of disloyalty to the government on the part of the German believers, as you no doubt well know that in such purely administrative matters the friends are under the strict obligation of obeying the authorities.

As regards the ma.n.u.script of the "Dispensation of Baha'u'llah", the Guardian is sending you under separate cover the copy which was presented to him sometime ago by Frau Martha Brauns, with the hope that the friends may be able to arrange for its publication outside Germany.

In closing kindly convey his loving thanks to dear Frau Vautier and to Mr.

Leo Bernhard for the kind words they have appended to your letter. He will remember you all in his prayers at the Holy Shrines, that you may be ever a.s.sisted and guided in your efforts for the service of Baha'u'llah....

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-worker:

The services you are rendering in these days of stress and turmoil are highly appreciated and deserve the highest praise. Kindly a.s.sure again the dear German believers of my constant prayers for them. The critical stage through which the Faith is pa.s.sing in their beloved land is but one stage in its evolution, a step that will carry them farther on the glorious path they have chosen to tread. Perseverance is the virtue they mostly need at present. An All-mighty Providence is watching over them. Never must they feel disheartened. I am deeply grateful and feel truly proud of the spirit they manifest.

Shoghi

LETTER OF 31 MARCH 1938

31 March 1938

Dear Dr. Muhlschlegel,

Your letter of the 20th ins. sent from Zurich has duly reached our beloved Guardian, and he was indeed pleased to hear from you, and was deeply touched by the messages which you and Mrs. Muhlschlegel, Mrs. Vautier and Mr. Gollmer have so kindly sent him on the occasion of your visit to Zurich. Please a.s.sure them of his keenest appreciation of the sentiments they have expressed, and of his prayers for their protection and guidance in these difficult and indeed distressing times.

The Guardian is thankful for the report which you and Mr. Gollmer have given him regarding the situation of the Cause in Germany. He truly deplores the existing state of affairs, but still hopes that conditions may improve sooner or later. With the annexation of Austria, however, there is little chance of the authorities rescinding their rulings at present regarding the prohibition of the Cause, but there is every reason to believe that the a.s.sembly in Vienna will too be dissolved in the next few months.

Now regarding the publication of the German edition of the Esslemont book; now that the new regime in Austria makes it quite impossible for the friends there to complete the printing of the book and arrange for its sale, the Guardian suggests that the best course to take would be for you to approach the American N.S.A. and to ask them to purchase the whole order. Owing to the expansion of the teaching work in South America, where, as you know, there are many large German communities, particularly in Argentina, there would be a great demand for this book, and the Publishing Committee of the N.S.A. might arrange to sell many copies there, and distribute some, for sale, among various other Baha'i centers in Europe and in the East.

The Guardian would further advise that you also approach the British N.S.A. who may find it possible to a.s.sist you in this matter....