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Memo to the Trustees of Urantia Foundation
regarding lack of work on translations

Robert Burton
May 1969


 

TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE Urantia FOUNDATION

May 18, 1969

You Trustees claim a monopoly on everything relating to the making of foreign translations of the Urantia Papers.

In accepting an exclusive right to serve the public in a given field, an organization also assumes the obligation and duty to diligently, adequately, and with reasonable promptness, render such service to the public.

You accepted the responsibilities as Trustees of the Urantia Foundation under your Declaration of Trust in January 1950.

Since that time you have done an excellent job of printing and publishing the Urantia [Book]. With the first edition in its original English, you distributed 10,000 copies around the world, thus forever protecting the purity of the original text of the Urantia Papers. You thus fulfilled the real purpose and intent of your Trusteeship.

Since accepting your trusteeship and thus agreeing to promote the dissemination of the teachings of the Urantia Book, what have you done to initiate or encourage the making of translations in other languages?

Since 1950, why have you not obtained estimates of the costs of making various translations under your supervision?

Why, in 19 years, have you not solicited funds for such translations and supplied, to members of the Urantia Brotherhood, approximate estimates of the costs for making various translations?

During those 19 years while you failed to do your duties as Trustees relating to amking of translations, why have you persistently discouraged and failed to co-operate with others who wished to make or obtain translations?

Why in that time have you not delegated the priviledge of making or obtaining worthy translations?

Why did you not send me the 1967 Financial Report of the Foundation promptly whtn the 1968 financial statement was delayed?

After repeated requests for estimates of the costs of various translations under your supervision without response from you I obtained some estimates from Berlitz Translating Service and wrote out my Plea for Translations to give before the Culver City urantia meeting. After that I received one estimate from you for a Spanish translation, too late to give to the Culver City group.

Why all this apathy, inertia, reluctance to co-operate in worthy efforts to disseminate and share the teachings of the Urantia Revelation?

Respectfully submitted, with best regards to you personally,

Very truly yours for progress now.

Robert Burton