ed States of America, the base from which the manifold
operations of this holy expedition are conducted, the enterprise
associated with the completion of the first Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar of the
West, designed to consummate this historic undertaking in time for the
celebration of its Jubilee in the year 1953, must be strenuously pushed
forward. The prodigious efforts exerted for the erection of this noble
edifice--the holiest House of Worship ever to be reared by the followers of
Baha'u'llah--on which no less than one million four hundred thousand
dollars have thus far been expended, and which will necessitate the
expenditure of at least half a million more dollars, ere it is completed,
must not, for one moment, be relaxed. The necessary modifications of the
design chosen for its interior ornamentation should be adopted, the plans
and specifications prepared, the preliminary contracts for its execution
placed, and actual construction work started, if possible, ere the expiry
of the present year.

The utmost effort by the National Teaching Committee and its auxiliary
Regional Teaching Committees, aimed at raising the number of spiritual
assemblies in the North American continent to no less than one hundred and
seventy-five, ere the expiry of the current year, should be exerted. The
eighty cities newly opened to the Faith should, likewise, be reinforced.
The two hundred and eighteen groups already constituted should be
continually encouraged to evolve into assemblies, while the vast number of
localities, totalling over nine hundred, where isolated believers reside,
should, however tremendous the exertion required, be enabled to attain
group status, and be eventually converted into properly functioning
assemblies.

Collateral to this process of reinforcing the fabrics of the
Administrative Order and of widening its basis, a resolute attempt should
be made by the national elected representatives of the entire community,
aided by their Public Relations, Race Unity, Public Meetings, Visual
Education, College Speakers Bureau and Radio Committees, to reinforce the
measures already adopted for the proclamation, through the press and
radio, of the verities of the Faith to the masses, and for the
establishment of closer contact with the leaders of public thought, with
colleges and universities and with newspaper and magazine editors.
National advertising and publicity should be further developed, the
contact with seven hundred and