People among us, to a large extent in our"Pilsen"or"California" communities of Chicago are good Bohemians, but just as soon as they find themselves beyond the boundaries of the Bohemian community, they immediately avoid to the utmost the showing of any sign of their Bohemianism, by not speaking a single word in Bohemian. They speak such broken English that it is laughable or tearful, and they speak it with unconcern just so that no one can recognize the speaker as a Bohemian.

Whoever thinks that by such tactics he gains the respect and esteem of reasoning Americans is very much in error. Americans are proud of their origin. They take pride in their country, and despise all those who do not have as much self-respect and as much pride in their own nativity as they have. When Bohemians will speak their language in public, on the street cars, in theatres, and in the hotels and restaurants of the business district of the city, that is speak pure Bohemian, soft and lovely, such as our language is when coming from the mouth of an educated person, then they will gain much more respect from Americans and other immigrant groups, than they do when ready to speak broken English.

The English language is a necessity here and every one of us should learn it as thoroughly as possible, but, at the same time, in any intercourse of Bohemian with Bohemian, and especially when among other, the Bohemian language only should be used.