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. November 15, 1928 Assemblies Must Endeavour to Inspire Confidence Although I had never meant that my enquiry from you as to the reasons of lack of progress of the Cause in India, should be asked from every individual Baha’i, yet I am sure, our Guardian will be interested to know the ideas and opinions of various sections of the friends both in India and Burma. The expression of our views in written form sometimes helps us to think better and deeper and often brings various matters into proper perspective, enabling us thereby to disregard what is extraneous and unimportant. The answers to the question put forth, would, I feel, be extremely valuable to the N.S.A. in India, and with the proper backing, respect and support of the entire friends, they should not lose a minute in an endeavour to remedy and inspire what ought not and what should be done, in an effort to spread the Cause. [From the Guardian:]