In our last week's issue we published an editorial by Sandor Gondos about the crumbling frontier fortresses--the death struggle of the Hungarian-American press.

We do not believe that anyone could write more objectively or more thoroughly about this subject than Sandor Gondos, dean of Hungarian-American journalists.

What we wish to add to his summary--we admit in advance--will not solve the problem and will not stop the disintegration of our frontier fortresses, but it will shed light on this question from our point of view....

Before we can think of a solution, we must understand two or three basic principles....

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In the midst of the present depressing world economic crisis, the Hungarian-American newspapers have double their share of difficulties. There is no new generation, no new army of readers, and there won't be, because the number of immigrants coming from Hungary at the present time is insignificant. As for the American-born Hungarians--they don't want or need a Hungarian newspaper.

Many of the old settlers have given up reading Hungarian newspapers, preferring the American papers. Also many old-timers have died; others ceased to subscribe because they couldn't afford it. The foregoing is the story in a nutshell about the decrease of subscribers.

The loss of the advertisers came about in a similar, if not in exactly the same way. The important thing to the advertiser is the number of readers, and if circulation is on the decrease, the advertiser pays less for his ad or doesn't advertise at all.

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Whenever a Hungarian businessman dies or goes into bankruptcy, it means one less advertiser.

This, too, is a frequent occurrence nowadays.

The last frontier fortresses will eventually be the Hungarian churches and societies.

The leaders of these institutions must concern themselves with the affairs of the Hungarian newspapers, because if the Hungarian Press becomes extinct, it will be a deathblow to the churches and societies.....

As in the case of the world economic crisis, our situation, in a smaller way, was caused by overproduction.

There are certain cities in America where a number of Hungarians live, but 4which are not the proper places to publish Hungarian newspapers. Still, some enterprising editors and publishers who thought that Hungarians must have a newspaper and--what is more important--that such a newspaper would be an excellent source of income, started one.

This same thought induced others to start a new paper in a locality that already had one....

But not only were there too many Hungarian newspapers, but too much was given the readers for little money in an attempt to outdo other newspapers. In this way the publishers lost sight of their own future welfare and of the coming lean years.

These mistakes were made because few of the publishers had any business experience in publishing a newspaper in Magyar America.

There are a number of fine Hungarian journalists in America....but business 5acumen is lacking in most of them.

Nevertheless, the above quality is most important, because our most brilliant editorials won't see print if the printer is not paid and the postal charges are not taken care of.

In America, at the height of prosperity when work is plentiful, the sun shines and the dollars pour into the coffers of the most loosely-constructed business concerns. But when these lean years arrived--the economic crash that we have all been feeling for the past two years--then the theory of the survival of the fittest became a reality.

The extinction of some of the Hungarian newspapers is even more certain, because they have to contend not only with overproduction and a world economic crisis, but also a future without prospects.

A combination of newspapers is an honest solution to the problem.....

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The vital thing is to know the circumstances thoroughly, and in every instance each newspaper owner and publisher should solve his own little economic crisis so as not to make it more difficult for his colleagues whose fate is to remain in the business of writing and publishing Hungarian newspapers.....

The Hungarian institutions must co-operate strictly with the Hungarian newspapers in America. By Hungarian institutions we mean churches, societies, and organizations that are working for the Hungarians. We are talking about religious, economic, political, and cultural organizations without exception.

The years of all these Hungarian institutions are also numbered. And, if in an American city which has a large Hungarian population, a Hungarian newspaper becomes extinct, the social life there will become flat and the institutions will waste away.

Naturally we all know that our Hungarian institutions have also been very hard 7hit by the world economic crisis.....

We have here, for instance, the sad fate of our wandering theatrical troupes. How many churches do we have at present in America without a pastor? Or the reverse, how many pastors and teachers are performing their duties without salary? How many cultural societies have ceased to exist in the past year? How many members of sick benefit societies let their policies lapse? For all this we can blame unemployment or the diminished incomes.

Therefore, at the present time the Hungarian institutions cannot be taxed with any extra burdens.

But, sooner or later this economic depression will end and our strong organizations and newspapers with wider circulation will weather the unemployment situation too. And, when we have waded out of this economic chaos, a way must be found for a better mutual understanding....which will save the life of the printed Hungarian word and the future of our institutions in America.....

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Those whose deepest interests lie in the continuation of Hungarian social life and the Hungarian printed word will find a way to prolong the life of the Hungarian Press in America and at the same time the life of our institutions.

The Hungarian newspapers can't do this alone. At most, they can toll the bells as Sandor Gondos did, making his voice heard in the benumbed and frightened Hungarian-American colonies.

And when the rescuers arrive, greet them with brotherly understanding.... A new life and hope may be the harvest.