The Greek community of Chicago presents a very peculiar social problem. Despite the fact that we live in America, and strive to adjust ourselves to the customs and ideas of our adopted land, we still retain certain customs of our native land.

What is going to happen to the three thousand Greek girls of marriageable age? We do not allow them the freedom of the American girls because we desire to keep them pure and innocent so that they may marry fine men and settle down. Very few of them are prepared to have a career, or to take care of themselves financially. A career for them means but one thing--marriage.

At the same time, there are about three thousand young men, between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, who are unable to marry because of financial inability.

But--do not forget the men who have passed the first bloom of youth, and whose hair recedes at the temple. They, too, have been considered by worried parents. The answer has always been, "Do you think I would ever marry that old man?" However, these same choosy young ladies do not consider the young men eligible because they do not have bank accounts and big cars.

Simultaneously, the men make the situation worse by also being hard to please. One wants a girl to be tall, slender, and beautiful. Another says, she must speak Greek and French, play the piano, and, above all, must have a large dowry. And so the men get older, and the number of girls increase. You see we are a very proud race. Either we marry the best one and make the finest home--or nothing!

The American boy of twenty-two years, who earns twenty-five dollars a week, marries a girl who earns, perhaps, ten dollars. Both continue to work, and, at the same time, enjoy their youth together, instead of getting married when middle-aged. They do not have children until their economic situation betters 3itself. Then they have one or two children; and the problem is simple compared with the way it presents itself to the Greeks.

But us! Are we going to imitate the practices of these Americans? Oh, No! In the meantime, our men get their recreation, pleasure, companionship, and affection by all sorts of shady, backdoor means. And the girls....please be careful....the Greek girl must remain virtuous. Since no one of our social or clerical leaders has ever been able to suggest a remedy for this terrible social problem, I would like to make a suggestion.

Let us make one of our largest churches into a convent, and put all of the unwed Greek girls into it. Let them wear black robes and a heavy cross suspended from their necks. Let them be taught humility and saintliness; and there, closed away from the world, they will have ample time to practice these virtues--as they have tried to do when in the social group.