Letter of 15 October 1953

Shoghi 15 October 1953 Dear &Baha'i Friends:

It is impossible for me to convey to you the great happiness of the Guardian over the results achieved since the auspicious opening of the Ten-Year Crusade.

The Guardian's final cable to the Conference in New Delhi shared with the friends the information that fifty of the virgin areas have been settled as of October 14th, and fifty-four more have been assigned to pioneers.

The Guardian is urging every National Spiritual Assembly to get out its pledged pioneers to the still unsettled virgin areas as fast as possible.

I attach hereto copy of a letter which has been sent to all pioneers, asking for their complete names, and if possible a permanent address. Will you please arrange for this information to be sent to me as additional pioneers go into the field? What the Guardian wants is the complete name of each pioneer with accurate spelling.

The Guardian sends you all his loving greetings, and assures you of his prayers for the success of your arduous labours.... +P207 26 November 1953 Dear &Baha'i Friend:

Your loving letter of November 9th reached me on my return from a short visit in Switzerland and France.

I did have the pleasure of meeting the Lehnes in Zurich, and was more than delighted to have this contact with two of the sincere and self-sacrificing German &Baha'is, who are now winning so many victories for the Faith.

I spoke to our beloved Guardian with regard to the Frisian Islands. He said that regardless of the fact that a number of the islands are Dutch and others German, that the administrative work in all the Frisian Islands should be under the German N.S.A., as assigned in the outline of the Ten-Year Crusade. The Guardian stated that he had likewise informed the American N.S.A. to this effect.

The beloved Guardian is very happy over the reports that are being received of the progress of the Ten-Year Crusade. All but one of the countries, outside of the iron curtain, have now been settled or assigned to pioneers. The total number of areas which have been settled under the Ten-Year Crusade, during this period of a little over 6 months since its launching, now totals 71. It is surely remarkable, and one of the great victories of the Faith.

The Guardian sends his loving greetings to you. He prays for your guidance and confirmation.... 14 February 1954 Dear &Baha'i Brother:

Your comprehensive letter of February 5th, replacing your letter of February 3rd; also your letter of February 7th, +P208 dealing with the question of site for the &Baha'i Temple in Frankfurt, has been received by the beloved Guardian, and he has asked me to acknowledge them on his behalf.

The Guardian was very much impressed with the clear and concise outline of the investigations which you have made, giving him the best possible opportunity to understand the situation fully.

The beloved Guardian feels that site "C", Steinbacher-Hohe, appears to be the most suitable for the &Baha'i Temple and future developments. He feels therefore that your Assembly should immediately arrange for the prompt purchase of some of the land.

While it would be desirable of course to buy an extensive piece of property, the finances of the German National Assembly, and the financial obligations all over the &Baha'i world, make it impossible to buy a large piece at this time; and therefore he feels you should purchase approximately 10,000 square meters, which it is his understanding would cost approximately $10,000. Should there be available more than the $8,000. in the bank to your Assembly, the Guardian would see no serious objection to purchasing a little additional land, so that the entire expense would not be over $12,000.

It is noted in your communication you state you have $8,000. in the bank in Zurich; but that pledges made at Stockholm bring the total amount up to about $12,000. At the Guardian's direction, I am endeavoring to correlate all contributions and funds, so we may know the total amount available.

In order to help clarify this matter, will you please send me a statement of the funds which are available in Zurich, and in Germany, if any, giving a list of the contributions which have been received. If there have been a number of +P209 small contributions, the Guardian does not require that information, but simply information as to how much money was contributed at Stockholm, for instance, how much has been received from large donors, how much from the friends in Germany itself, etc.

At the same time, I am writing out to other areas, to see if any money is being held for the account of your Assembly for the purchase of land, in any other areas.

The important thing now is to procure the land. The Guardian states it is not necessary for you to refer back to him any specific details regarding the land; inasmuch as it has now been decided to purchase land in Steinbacher-Hohe. He leaves it to your Assembly to pick out the best piece of land in the area for the Temple itself. Later on, when financial conditions in Germany, and in the Faith generally, are better, consideration can be given to additional land for Temple accessories, etc.

The Guardian states it is satisfactory to secure designs etc. from architects, both &Baha'i and &non-Baha'i, from Germany and also from other countries. In other words, you are free to handle this matter actively, submitting designs to the Guardian as they are received by you. The Guardian of course wishes the &Baha'i architects to have an opportunity to submit their views concerning this sacred edifice.

In connection with your question of how you should proceed, if it is suitable to ask for designs by architects outside of Germany; this of course is left for you to handle in your own way. Of course it is suitable for you to correspond with the Spiritual Assemblies in the countries involved, asking them to be of assistance in this important matter.

The Guardian is very hopeful that you may be able to conclude the purchase of the land, by the middle of April. It +P210 will be a great victory for the Faith, if it can be accomplished within the first year of the Ten-Year Crusade.

The Guardian assures you of his prayers in your behalf, that every obstacle may be removed from your path, and your actions be both guided and confirmed.... P.S. In your letter of February 3rd; the maps attached; and your letter of February 7th, you refer to Steinbacher Hohe as No. C. while in your letter of February 5th, you refer to it as No. B. So that all documents may have the same reference, I have changed your letter of February 5th, to show Steinbacher Hohe, as No. C.; and Forsthausstrasse as No. B. 3 April 1954 Dear &Baha'i Friends:

The beloved Guardian is very anxious to have full information concerning the pioneers in the virgin areas of the Ten-Year Crusade. In order to complete the records which I have been compiling for him, can you give me the following information:

Frisian Islands: Please let me have the address of Miss Gertrude Ankersmidt, in the Frisian Isles.... 17 April 1954 Dear &Baha'i Friends:

At the instruction of our beloved Guardian, I am forwarding you herewith his Convention Message. He wishes you to have it read aloud to the assembled delegates, and then published and circulated among the believers.... +P211 21 April 1954 Dear &Baha'i Friends:

I am forwarding you herewith a copy of the Guardian's Convention Message which was mailed you a short time ago. As there is a pilgrim leaving, he is taking the precaution of having this mailed in Europe.

I hope it reaches you in time for the Convention.... 30 April 1954

INFORM GERMAN ASSEMBLY 11400 SQUARE METERS SUFFICIENT TEMPLE SITE.