free,
they have, for the most part, reached a more mature understanding than
their German brothers and sisters have up until the present time. He hopes
this whole episode will stimulate the German assemblies and believers to
really study the Baha'i administration.

He wrote the ... Assembly urging upon them the necessity of cooperating
with the National Assembly. He also pointed out to them that the attitude
of "all for one and one for all" was very incorrect. An assembly
constitutes within its area of jurisdiction the Trustees of the Faith. Its
members must at all times put the interests of the Faith above personality
and impartially go into any matter brought to its attention. Theoretically
it is always possible for a member of an assembly to be unworthy or
insincere. To take the attitude that any blame cast upon or any charge
made against an assembly member is a charge against the body itself is
very wrong. An assembly must protect the Faith and neither blindly accuse
nor blindly defend one of its members. The ... Assembly has taken the
attitude that the remarks referring to ... are an insult to the entire
Assembly; at the same time it accuses the National Body of being dominated
by one individual, an accusation which because of its own attitude could
equally well be aimed at itself! The Guardian feels that all this is only
evidence of the immaturity of the friends in relation to their
Administrative Order.

The Baha'is must learn to forget personalities and to overcome the
desire--so natural in people--to take sides and fight about it. They must
also learn to really make use of the great principle of consultation.
There is a time set aside at the 19 Day Feasts for the Community to
express its views and make suggestions to its Assembly; the Assembly and
the believers should look forward to this happy period of discussion, and
neither fear it nor suppress it. Likewise the Assembly members should
fully consult, and in their decisions put the interests of the Cause first
and not personalities, the will of the majority prevailing.

Over and over, in going through the correspondence he received from your
Assembly, he was struck by the fact that the friends acted so
unadministratively. Instead of taking up their accusations and problems
and unhappy feelings with their local Assembly, or the National Assembly,
they referred to individuals or individual members of the Assembly, or
they refused to meet with the Assembly. T