Notes from Talks of Mrs. Corinne True Based on Her Recent Conversations with the Guardian

She said:

Haifa is becoming very modern. There is no depression there in fact there is a boom. There are two forces at work there. The English political situation and the Zionist movement, which are the causes for this activity. The Irak Petroleum Co. has laid great pipes to Haifa, erected great storage tanks on the beach and run pipe lines out into the bay, where the tank steamers may be filled.

That a very fine modern hotel is to be built at Haifa, like the beautiful King David Hotel in Jerusalem - indeed they claim it is to be even more beautiful. So that the round the world tourist will stop there instead of going to Jerusalem. That Haifa is the geographical center, the center of population as well as the spiritual center of the world. That Haifa is like the hub of a great wheel, the spokes radiating in all directions. railroad lines are being surveyed from Haifa to China, from Haifa to the Heart of India, and discussions are underway for a line from Egypt all the way down to British South Africa.

That the House of Justice will meet at Haifa. that just as Jerusalem was the point of prayer for the Christians, and Mecca for the Mohammedans, so Mt. Carmel will be the Kibla, or point of prayer, for the whole world.

That now as the great world empires are disintegrating a great spiritual Empire is being erected.

That from time immemorial Acca and Mt. Carmel have been spoken of as the center of the Kingdom, where the throne of God would be manifest, the fulfillment of all the Christian prophecies.

That in response to the request of the disciples of Jesus for a prayer He left them one that dealt no so much with their transient and local needs as with the consumation of the Christian era in the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the distant future.

That just as Haifa is to be the spiritual center of the world, so Chicago, and the area around the Baha'i House of Worship is to be the spiritual center of the North American continent.

That there is a chain of Baha'i Spiritual Assemblies now extending West from Haifa through Constantinople and southern Europe almost to Paris.

That the ground for the third Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in the world has been purchased in Teheran, Persia, and that the Guardian has told them to choose a design speedily or else use the Bourgeois design.

That Shoghi Effendi desires us to use the term Universal House of Worship rather than the Baha'i Temple.

That he urges the American believers to do all in their power to help the N.S.A. to finish the Clerestory Contract. Then they can take a rest and concentrate their activities on teaching. but not to take to long a rest. that how desirable it would be, how splendid, if the entire exterior decoration could be finished by 1944, the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Cause.

That Baha'u'llah wrote of the kinds of peace: the Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace. He mentioned this in His Tablet to Queen Victoria but it has been translated incorrectly. (Zia Bagdadi has now made a more correct translation)

The Lesser Peace is but a prelude to the Most Great Peace. The former will be brought about by the rulers and statesmen of the world who will establish the unity of mankind, stabilize currency, etc. This, however, cannot come until the dross has been burned out of the gold of humanity by the world wide catastrophe - a catastrophe which will include the whole of mankind. Shoghi Effendi said that Baha'u'llah refers to this in the Persian Hidden Words #63.

That just as the American States though called "The United States" did not really become united until the fires of the Civil War welded them into one, so the world will not become united until the fires of a great war will have melted and welded the entire human race. That there is no solution or the economic problem until the Lesser Peace has been established.

That after the Lesser Peace is established then the world will be prepared for the Most Great Peace of Baha'u'llah, which means the actual establishment of the Laws of God in the world. The Kitab el Akdas, (The Most Great Law) which are the Laws of the Kingdom of God, will then become the basis of human society. But before either peace can be established the world must pass thru the great ordeal.

That the Guardian wishes Baha'i teachers to go to other countries and stay there until the Cause becomes established. He spoke particularly of Marian Jack's splendid work in the Balkans.

That the plan of Baha'u'llah is not "Utopian" but intensely practical. By the Laws of Baha'u'llah the new Spiritual Empire will be built.

That America is in great danger. That just as at the beginning of the last war England felt that the English Channel was sufficient protection, and later discovered it "to be dried up" (as Shoghi Effendi phrased it) bombs falling on London. So America feels that the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans are their protection, but in the next war those too will prove of no protection, in the face of the new munition of destruction.

That America has a great mission to bring the nations unto Peace.

That the tremendous progress in the field of discovery and invention in the recent past (most of which is now used for destructive purposes) will be as nothing compared to the progress in these field after the Lesser Peace is established.

That the prophecies in the old testament about each man sitting under his own vine and fig tree, and other prophecies of the blessedness of that day, cannot be fulfilled until the dross is burned is burned out of humanity and the Lesser Peace is established.

That the believers will experience terrible difficulties unless they perfect their unity and establish the Administration firmly. That the Administration is our only protection in the coming difficulties.

That the Church of England will ere long be arrayed against us -- the Greek Church on account of Queen Marie of Roumania -- and worst of all of them the Roman Church. That another type of enemy with which we shall have to deal is the type who comes into the Cause desiring leadership, and that when they find that leadership is impossible in the face of the Administration, then they will turn on us and join the violators.

That we must build the Administration and not revolve around individuals but around Local Spiritual Assemblies. Shoghi Effendi wants the believers as much as they can to keep the nine Baha'i Holy Days as the Guardian himself does.

That the House of Justice is a Divine Institution, built on Justice, not mercy. The individual must show mercy, but the House of Justice only Justice.

The Guardian is intensely interested in the Summer Schools and wants the friends wherever possible to attend them. He seemed to feel that these summer study periods are very important. he said that the study of Islam should be included in the program. That one could not have a clear understanding of the Baha'i without an understanding of the background, which is of course Islam. That we should strive to find good translation, by authoritative Islamic writers, or the Koran as well as translations by American authorities. He suggested the London University and the London Oriental Society.

He wants the friends to concentrate on teaching after the present emergency of the clerestory has been met. He spoke of it as an emergency.

Edna said that the Guardian was very happy and assured, instead of the extreme seriousness of his attitude during her visit about four years ago that there was a deep tranquillity and joyousness and assurance that the Cause of God was growing as it should grow and that all would develop as Baha'u'llah had commanded. He was very happy and seemed in excellent health.

That there would be good arising from the the present situation in Persia. That whereas heretofore the government had ignored the Baha'is as such, that on account of the communications to them relative to the closing of the Baha'i school and other things that the government has tacitly acknowledged them as a body. That the present difficulties will pass.

That we must study the fundamental Laws of Baha'u'llah and live up to them. That Abdu'l-Baha when coming to the western world had given us then just the principles as that was all the western world was prepared for at that time when we must study and live up to the Laws (keeping Holy Days, the non use of alcohol, opium etc.) That we must be very courageous and prepared for the persecutions which would come to the American believers. (not physical but mental -- attacks from the churches, etc.)

That Germany will be the spiritual center of Europe. That the German believers will be and are beset by great difficulties but will show great courage and steadfastness. Italy, Spain, and France are the main problems now.

That Baha'is must be not only very loving toward each other but must associate with each other.

That the principle of the Oneness of mankind will uproot many existing institutions. That the plan of Baha'u'llah is not Utopian but a New World Order.

That we must study the Ighan even memorizing portions of it.

That we must have absolute freedom in consultation...must rely on the Administration. That the International House of Justice will meet in Haifa. that there are the National Spiritual Assemblies who have charters from their governments.

That Baha'u'llah laid down no economic Plan, but only Economic Principles. It left for the economists of the world to work them out.

That we must have courage as we are going to be called to stand up for our principles.

That the extreme spirit of commercialism manifest in Haifa at present, distressing though it may seem, is all working toward establishing the plan of Baha'u'llah.

Please understand that the foregoing are only my notes on Edna and her mother's notes, therefore not authoritative in any sense. Please do not make copies of them as they are not sufficiently accurate to be typed and passed around. In case any should be made please be sure that this qualifying not is placed at the bottom.

Mabel Rice-Fray Ives.