April 26. On this date in 1939, Shoghi Effendi cabled North American Bahá'ís, listing Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, and calling them "religiously intolerant, socially backward, climatically inhospitable."

April 26. On this date in 1939, Shoghi Effendi cabled North American Bahá'ís, listing Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, and calling them "religiously intolerant, socially backward, climatically inhospitable."

51-Penetration of Latin America
Message to 1939 Convention
26 APRIL 1939
BRILLIANT CONCLUSION SECOND YEAR SEVEN YEAR PLAN EVOKES UNIVERSAL ADMIRATION BAHA'I WORLD DEEPENS SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS MITIGATES HARDSHIPS INCREASINGLY HARASSED COMMUNITIES. CLOSING PHASE TEMPLE ORNAMENTATION ALREADY ENTERED. INITIAL STAGE OF INTERCONTINENTAL TEACHING CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFULLY TERMINATED. FIRM ANCHORAGE INSTITUTIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER PERMANENTLY ESTABLISHED EVERY STATE PROVINCE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT. MEXICO LYING FOREFRONT SOUTHWARD MARCHING ARMY RECENTLY ENLISTED. PEDRO ESPINOSA'S AUSPICIOUS ATTENDANCE CONVENTION WELCOME EVIDENCE. SETTLEMENT CENTRAL AMERICAN REPUBLICS NEXT STEP PROGRESSIVE, SYSTEMATIC PENETRATION LATIN AMERICA. UPSURGE OF BAHA'U'LLAH'S IMPELLING SPIRIT CANNOT WILL NOT BE STEMMED IMPEDED. METHODICAL ADVANCE ALONG LINE TRACED PEN ABDU'L-BAHA IRRESISTIBLE. GUATEMALA HONDURAS SALVADOR NICARAGUA COSTA RICA PANAMA CUBA DOMINICA HAITI IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVES. THOUGH POLITICALLY UNSETTLED RELIGIOUSLY INTOLERANT SOCIALLY BACKWARD CLIMATICALLY INHOSPITABLE THESE UNEXPLORED TERRITORIES HOLD FORTH INESTIMABLE PRIZES AUDACIOUS ADVENTURES PATH OF BAHA'I SERVICE. DEARLY BELOVED MARTHA'S UNRIVALED EXPERIENCE INDOMITABLE FAITH INDEFATIGABLE LABORS WILL SOON REINFORCE POWERS RELEASED CONTEMPLATED CAMPAIGN. TASK ADMITTEDLY LABORIOUS HOUR LADEN WITH FATE PRIVILEGE INCOMPARABLE PRECIOUS DIVINELY PROMISED AID UNFAILING REWARD PREDESTINED IMMEASURABLE. APPEAL ALL BELIEVERS, WHITE NEGRO ALIKE ARISE ASSUME RIGHTFUL RESPONSIBILITIES. URGE PROLONGATION SESSIONS CONVENTION ENABLE DELEGATES EXERCISE INALIENABLE RIGHT DELIBERATE FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS DESIGNED AID INCOMING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTELY PROSECUTE MOMENTOUS ENTERPRISE. FERVOR PRAYERS INTENSIFIED.