A short time ago, at Chicago, the comrades of the Serbian section of the Jugoslav Socialist Federation brought up the proposition of a merger of Radnicka Straza (Workers' Guard) and of Narodni Glas (People's Voice), into one newspaper, printed in Latin and cyrillic.

The opinion on the merger of both newspapers is divided. Members of the Croatian section, and one member of the Serbian section, think that it is easier to agitate for and propagate Socialism with two newspapers, one written in Latin, the other written in cyrillic. These members see in the merger a step backward. The Serbian members, except one, of the Serbian section point out that there will be no progress for our press if both papers are not merged in one.

It is necessary to point out the reasons for and against such a merger. For the merger was Comrade Frank Petrich, publicly in the Slovenian 2paper Proletarec. He is for the merger of the Serbian and Croatian sections as well as the newspapers, because the financial condition of both is weak. By a merger the number of subscriptions would increase and assure the edition of a new newspaper.

Comrade Spasoje Markovich made also a plea for a merger because, as he said, the Serbian and the Croatian are one people with two names; their language is one language with two kinds of alphabets. Comrade Markovich suggests to merge both papers into one under the name Radnik, printed with both alphabets.

To answer these reasons for a merger I must say that the financial standing of the newspapers is not so bad. As to using both alphabets in one paper I must say, In the Serbian section there are 150 members, but their newspaper has 800 subscribers.

There are 600 Croatian members and the newspaper has 1,800 subscribers.

Among those readers there surely are 50% who are not able to read cyrillic letters. But among the Serbian readers are a considerable number who do not, or will not, read the Latin alphabet. A paper printed in both alphabets would not count more subscribers than the Radnicka Straza has today.

But such a newspaper prevents the agitation for our cause among those who for whatever reason do not read both alphabets. The main purpose of our papers is to propagate Socialism, and then national unity and other things.

I. Masten.