Wants City Bahá’í Center
Bahá Urges Followers to Take Lead in World Peace.
SPEAKS TO BIG AUDIENCE.
Bahá’ís Begin Convention: Delegates from Several Nations Attend.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, prophet of universal peace and one religion, was greeted by a big audience of men and women last night when he made his first appearance in public in Chicago at a meeting of Bahá’ís in the drill hall of the Masonic Temple. Every person in the hall, which was crowded to the point where it was difficult to keep the aisles open, rose when the Persian religious leader entered the room.
Bahá was robed in native Persian garments of tan color and a white turban. He does not speak English, so his address was translated, sentence by sentence.
Sees Dawn of World Peace.
The ages of darkness have passed away, the century of light has arrived.
“The ages of darkness have passed away,” he cried with a gesture, half to the interpreter, half to the audience. “The century of light has arrived. The difference between the nations and between the peoples of the earth is soon to disappear and the oneness of the human race is to be established.
Let this American democracy become glorious in a spiritual degree as it has in a material degree. Let this just government and this revered nation hoist the standard of oneness of all humanity. Let it become the most glorious and praiseworthy of all the world.”
Want Chicago Center of Cult.
The prophet is in Chicago to attend the Bahá’í convention, which began yesterday. He was not present at the opening session, but sent the following message:
“Men and women of Chicago, your city was the first in all America to open its arms to those things for which Bahá’ísm stands. It has long been the desire closest to my heart to see established here beside this beautiful sparkling blue lake the Mashrak-el-Azkar, Dawning Point of Prayer, the inspiration for a peace and brotherhood that is universal.”
All day yesterday the leader received local Bahá’ís at the Plaza hotel. Delegates from all over America and from several other nations are attending the convention. This morning at 11 o’clock the prophet will dedicate the site for the proposed Bahá’í temple in Wilmette.
