The sweet perfume of victory is in the air, and we must hasten to achieve it while there is yet time. Vital goals, particularly on the homefronts of Taiwan and Japan, remain to be won, and everywhere the roots of the faith of the believers must sink deeper and deeper into the firm earth of the Teachings lest tempests and trials as yet unforeseen shake or uproot the tender plants so lovingly raised in the islands of this great Ocean and the land surrounding it. As you and the friends in the sister Conference in Reykjavik bring this series of eight Oceanic and Continental Conferences to a triumphant close, our prayers for the success of your deliberations ascend at the Holy Threshold. May God grant you the resources, the strength, and the determination to attain your highest hopes and enable you to open a new and glorious chapter in the evolution of His Faith in the North Pacific area. With loving Bahá’í greetings, The Universal House of Justice Afterword The first printing of this book was done in 1974. As it contained new material, that is, Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and letters of the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, many of which had never been published, and because its theme was Japan, it proved to be a successful addition to the Bahá’í literature throughout the Bahá’í world. It was translated into Japanese and has been one of the standard books in that language. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Japan regularly has requests for the English edition although it has been out of print since the late 1970s. When the compiler considered a second edition she decided to refer back to the original material for possible changes, to add new material, and also add more details such as the names of translators (when available), thereby hoping to increase the historical value. Very little of the original has been eliminated. All of the Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Miss Alexander and to Bahá’ís in Japan have been included. Only some of the Tablets written to Japanese, who, at the time, were living in the United States have been included. It was difficult to choose which of Shoghi Effendi’s letters to Miss Aexander should be included. The Guardian had requested that she write to him often so their correspondence was extensive. She actually received many more letters than are printed here. Most of Shoghi Effendi’s letters (which, of course, also means those written on his behalf) to the early Bahá’ís of Japan and to the institutions of the Faith in Japan are printed here. It was felt that certain communications from the Universal House of Justice would add to this important subject, hence the expansion to later years. FOOTNOTES 1 Mr. McNutt, Mr. Wilhelm and Mr. Randall were staunch and devoted American Bahá’ís who tried to help the Faith in Japan as it was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish. 2 Mr. Struven was designated as Herald of the Kingdom by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.