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USBN #273 November 1953 p1-2

Transmit (the) following joyful tidings National Spiritual Assemblies (of the) Bahá’í World. World spiritual crusade, mightiest agency yet conceived (for the) systematic execution (of) -Abdu’l-Bahá's Divine Plan, (has been) befittingly ushered in through successive, magnificent victories won (by) Bahá'u'lláh's crusaders (in) virgin territories (in) every continent (of the) globe.

Four months (have) elapsed since its glorious inauguration amidst climax (of) festivities commemorating (the) Centenary (of the) inception (of) His Mission, immortalized (by the) opening (of) no less (than) twenty-eight territories (and) islands, nine (in) Europe, eight (in) America, six (in) Africa, five (in) Asia, constituting (a) dispersal unprecedented (in) its rapidity (and) scope (during) eleven decades (of) Bahá'í history.

(The) number (of) pioneers (who) responded (to the) call (for) settlement (of) open (and) unopened territories (on the) planet passed (the) three hundred mark: over (a) hundred (and) fifty (from) America, over fifty (from) Europe, over forty (from) Africa, over forty (from) Asia. (The) number (of) prospective pioneers (to) virgin areas (is) over forty. All Western Hemisphere (and) African areas allocated (to the) United States National Assembly, as well as all European areas allocated (to the) various National Assemblies, (have been) assigned.

(The) Roll (of) Honor designed (to) perpetuate (the) memory (of the) exploits (of the) spiritual conquerors (is) already inscribed (with the) names (of the) following pioneers, together (with their) respective territories, amounting (to) almost (a) fourth (of the) number required (for the) attainment (of the) paramount objective (of the) opening phase (of the) ten year plan. Sohail Samandari, Italian Somaliland; Mary (and) Rex Collison, Dun- duzu Chisizwa, Ruanda-Urundi; Izza- tu’lláh Zahrai, Southern Rhodesia; Ghulamal Kurlawala, Daman; Gail (and) Jameson Bond. Franklin; Roshan Aftabi, Feroza Yaganagi, Goa; Rose Perkal. Jack Huffman, Kodiak Island; Mr. (and) Mrs. Arthur Crane, Key West; Saeed Nahvi, Shyan Behrarilal, Pondicherry: Udainarayan Singh, Sikkim; Fred Schechter, French Somaliland; Virginia Orbison, Balearic Islands; Mr. (and) Mrs. Amin Banání, Greece; ‘Abbás Vakil, Cyprus; Gertrude Eisenberg, Canary Islands; Dick Stanton. Keewatin; Mr. (and) Mrs. Jenabe Caldwell, Aleutian Islands; Edythe MacArthur, Queen Charlotte Islands; Hushmand Manu- chihri, Liechtenstein; Eskil Ljung- berg, Faroe Islands; Mildred Clark (and) Loyce Lawrence, Lofoten Islands; Salisa Kirmani. Shirin Nurani, Karikal; Zia’u’Mh Asgarzadeh, Evelyn Baxter, Channel Islands; Kay Weston. Magdalen Islands; Julius Edwards, Northern Territories Protectorate; Doris Richardson, Grand Manan Island; Charles Dunning, Orkney Islands; Nellie French, Monaco.

Countries (in which) Bahá'ís reside now aggregate over (one) hundred fifty. Over seventy (have been) added (in the) course (of the) nine years separating (the) first (and) second Jubilees.

(The) festivities (of the) Holy Year, so splendidly inaugurated, attaining (the) high water mark (on the) occasion (of the) Ninetieth Anniversary (of the) declaration (of the) Mission (of the) Founder (of the) Faith, (are) approaching (their) end. Appeal entire body (of) His followers (to) exert (a) concerted, superhuman effort (to) celebrate, through acceleration (of their) dispersal, (the) conclusion (of the) world-wide rejoicings, (and) pay worthy tribute (to) His memory, through as close (an) approach (to the) two hundred mark as possible (of the) total number (of) sovereign States, Dependencies, (and) Islands comprising (the) orbit (of) His irresistibly expanding Faith, achieving thereby a feat paralleling, (in the) eyes (of) posterity, (the) triumphant completion (of the) superstructure (of the) Sepulchre (of) its Co-Founder (at the) Bahá’í World Center (in the) Holy Land.

—Shoghi

Haifa, Israel September 20, 1953

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