The universal complaint of us Greeks, is that the American public--especially the American press--does us the injustice of believing and making public certain things that are untrue.

The Greek businessmen are aware of this social pressure more than any other group. They are made aware of it by the antagonism of their American business associates. We are beginning to believe that the Americans, from the journalists down to the lowliest citizen, have no respect for our race.

How can we help feeling this way in the face of what is going on? The American papers print derisive articles such as "When Greek Meets Greek," or they distort Greek news. We see whole towns, such as Roanoke, West Virginia, or Council 2Bluffs, Iowa, descend as a body upon Greek stores and demolish them and then drive out the Greek inhabitants. Naturally, these acts cause us much grief and hurt our reputation.

At many times the question arises in our minds, as to why the American people have such a strong dislike for our race. They travel many miles to visit museums where they admire reproductions of great Greek art and sculpture; they fill their libraries with the written words of our great philosophers, scientists, and scholars; they give Greek names to their fraternal and honorary societies; they read books filled with Greek words, and they fashion their public buildings after the immortal style of the Parthenon. Why then, since we are the descendents of the wonderful Greeks of the "Golden Age of Pericles," do the American people look upon us as an inferior race?

Today we are going to endeavor to analyze this attitude and determine its cause and cure.

3

The American people are not to be blamed for their low opinion; it is entirely justified! We do not mean that they are justified in a comprehensive way, but that they have mistakenly judged the entire Greek race by a small group of pseudo-Greeks. They have judged us by the low actions of these few pseudo-Greeks who, by masquerading as representative Greeks, inflict shame upon the entire race.

We shall begin with religion. When the Russians decided to build a Church they applied for a permit under the name "Greek Orthodox Church." Naturally, any person familiar with our classical language who attends this church out of curiosity, will find that the Greek language is not used. He will, therefore, be justified if he says that the modern Greeks are not Greeks at all; but are a heterogeneous mixture of the Slavic races.

Then a man calling himself Papadopoulos comes to Chicago; he was born in Asia and is a Mohammedan subject. He forms a propagandistic Church in Chicago, and 4he, also, uses the name "Greek Church"; despite the fact that he has never put his foot upon Greek soil and has no connection with the Greeks of Chicago at all.

These two examples of pseudo-Greeks in the religious world bring us to yet another example of what is ruining the Greek reputation. Many times Slavs, Turks, Syrians, or natives of other Balkan states, will say that they are Greeks; especially when they are apprehended by the police. That is why we often see in the papers pictures of criminals who are listed as Greeks, but who are actually of some other nationality.

The next question that confronts us is: How can we remedy these evils?

If the Greeks were to unite to form a strong co-operative organization which would "separate the wheat from the chaff," a strong step would be taken toward the cure for these conditions.

5

Since the Greek name and honor is used by these fakers to cover their own nakedness, it is necessary that we unite as one family to expose and drive out these despoilers of our honor.

Down with the pseudo-Greeks!

The Saloniki will not cease to war against these enemies of our race. We shall fight until the American people are aware of the duplicity that has been the cause for their low opinion of our standards and morals. These enemies are going to be shown up for what they are, if the Saloniki has to devote every column of every issue printed in the future.

Help us to expose these Turks and Slavs. Denounce them and dare them to prove their nationality - which is not Greek, whatever else it may be.