xt National Assembly
meeting may be fully guided in its deliberations on the various issues
confronting it at present, and also to assure you, as well as your
co-workers in that body, of his prayers for the success of your efforts in
this connection.

Now, as regards the number of delegates at the annual convention of the
German friends, the Guardian fully approves of the practice which your
N.S.A. has thus far adopted and enforced, namely to have 19 delegates
instead of 95. This, of course, is the only solution possible for the
present, in view of the limited number of the declared believers in
Germany.

As to the practice of nomination in Baha'i elections, this the Guardian
firmly believes to be in fundamental disaccord with the spirit which
should animate and direct all elections held by the Baha'is, be they of a
local or national character and importance. It is, indeed, the absence of
such a practice that constitutes the distinguishing feature and the marked
superiority of the Baha'i electoral methods over those commonly associated
with political parties and factions. The practice of nomination being thus
contrary to the spirit of Baha'i Administration should be totally
discarded by all the friends. For otherwise the freedom of the Baha'i
elector in choosing the members of any Baha'i assembly will be seriously
endangered, leaving the way open for the domination of personalities. Not
only that; but the mere act of nomination--leads eventually to the
formation of parties--a thing which is totally alien to the spirit of the
Cause.

In addition to these serious dangers, the practice of nomination has the
great disadvantage of killing in the believer the spirit of initiative,
and of self-development. Baha'i electoral procedures and methods have,
indeed, for one of their essential purposes the development in every
believer of the spirit of responsibility. By emphasizing the necessity of
maintaining his fully freedom in the elections, they make it incumbent
upon him to become an active and well-informed member of the Baha'i
community in which he lives. To be able to make a wise choice at the
election time, it is necessary for him to be in close and continued
contact with all local activities, be they teaching, administrative or
otherwise, and to fully and whole-heartedly participate in the affairs of
the local as well as national committees and assemblies in his country. It
is only in this way that a believer can develo