On Christmas, 1907, appeared in Chicago the first number of Radnicka Straza. It is now five years since it began to enlighten the dark paths which lead from all sides to encircle the working classes, and since it called the Croatian workers of America to a fight for liberation.

Five years of life, what are they? Five years of man's life are hardly noticed. Five years in the life of a nation is like a drop in the ocean. But five years of life of the newspaper Radnicka Straza means much for the Croatian workingman in America.

We cannot look at that newspaper as on a five year old child which is weak and small. This newspaper represents the power of twenty or thirty hundreds of Croatian workingmen, grown up men, who feel and think like one, who profess the great principles of Socialism.

Thanks are due for establishing this newspaper to the Jugoslav Socialist Club in Allegheny, Pa., the only Socialist club in America at that time. During 1907 they did their best to make possible a Croatian Socialist paper.

In the spring of 1907 they wrote from Allegheny, Pa., to the Central Committee of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia and Slavonia, asking for moral help; also for the sending of an editor who would be able to work in a shop and at the same time edite a newspaper. The undersigned, evading the military service for king and fatherland, chose the service for Socialism and accepted the position.

It was decided, on October 13, 1907, at a meeting in Allegheny, Pa., to establish a Croatian Socialist newspaper.

Having in mind the progress of our Socialist cause, Chicago was chosen as the location of the newspaper. Chicago and vicinity will remain as it was, 3the heart of Socialism and proletarian revolution in America.

I came to Chicago with some fear because I did not know anybody there. But I met some comrades at Chicago with whom I was connected in Zagreb, Croatia, in our Socialist cause. It was only natural that they were enthusiastic to establish a Croatian Socialist paper in America.

At Christmas, 1907, times were bad. The industrial depression was in full swing. Thousands of Croatian workers were without work. Many tried to escape from the promised land, "Dollarica," (America).

Our enterprise, to start a Socialist paper at such a time, looked as daring as pernicious, not only to our supporters but also to our enemies. Both expected our first edition would be the last. Our enemies denounced us as anarchists. Those who were not three years in the country could be deported. The police were fed up with demonstrations of the unemployed and waited just for the occasion to get hold of the "revolutionaries."

But all the persecutions suffered by the Radnicka Straza did not wreck it; the Croatian workingman recognized that the paper was the only paper which was his paper, his faithful guard and leader in his struggle.

From a modest start in the midst of poverty and misery our Radnicka Straza was developed, a herald who called the Croatian workingman into the proletarian fight for his liberation. The start as well as the keeping up of this newspaper for five years exacted many sacrifices of poor proletarians, who suffered much, not minding so heavy a burden, expecting neither glory nor compensation.

Forward to work against capitalism, for Socialism!

M. Glumae-Jurisic

Former editor.