He was glad to hear from you and he has read with deep satisfaction the
account of the good work of Syed Ilmi in Burma. Shoghi Effendi has always
wondered as to the reasons why despite so many years of effort and
activity, the Cause has not spread more rapidly either in India or Burma,
perhaps the latter can be more proud of its results. He would in fact
appreciate your own personal opinion, although God's ways are often hard
to understand. We have lately had a remarkable illustration in Turkey
where the Baha'is were an insignificant little group. Suddenly accused of
constituting a secret political society the members of the N.S.A. in
Constantinople and the S.A. in Smyrna were dragged to the police and kept
for one night pending the formation of the Board of Inquiry. The next day
the court sat and the president of the N.S.A. was cross-examined for eight
consecutive hours. The result was that they were all dismissed, with the
members of the Court deeply influenced and impressed by the teachings and
principles which the President boldly and eloquently described. They asked
for literature and many of them carried from that session much food for
thought. Furthermore every paper in Turkey filled its front pages with the
incident and a repetition of the teachings and good many a Turk heard of
the Cause in a way that Baha'is could never bring about.
[From the Guardian:]
I trust and pray that circumstances will be favourable and the means
provided for the holding of a Baha'i convention this year representative
of India and Burma. A closer touch and more frequent interchange of
thought among the Baha'i Centres in those lands are absolutely essential.
I am sending you a copy of the recently issued "Baha'i World", and wish
you to urge the National and Local Assemblies in India & Burma to order as
many copies as they possibly can from America for distribution among the
enlightened public as well as a means for the assistance and encouragement
of the Baha'i Publishing Committee in New York which is doing excellent
service at the present time.