p. 6.- To most American people, the word Greek has a two-fold meaning. First: The genealogic meaning pertaining to the ancient Greek civilization known to the Greek scholars and academic students, and second to the specific meaning, having to do with the progress and development of the modern Greek and the Greek of America.

The genealogic meaning of the word, refers to the Greeks, to whom the world owes the beginning of the scientific investigation of human society and nature. It refers to the inhabitants of the small crooked hand like peninsula stretching into the Mediterranean Sea as Will Durand says very intelligently, the islands and colonies, later called the cradle of civilization.

It refers to the Greeks who first founded Democracy and whose freedom of intellect, which is a necessity for the development of speculative thought and scientific research, has found an extensive realization in society. It refers to the Greeks whose great contributions to modern civilization we enjoy today in the establishment of philosophic, scientific, artistic, economic, judiciary and intellectual traditions, to which the modern student of science, philosophy, psychology, and culture, reverts constantly for inspiration and guidance.

Last, but not least, it refers--to quote Professors Sheppard and Morris--in their wonderful work, "Outline of History"--"To the most brilliant people whose legacies left to civilization are so innumerable that it is almost an impossible task to gather them together into a comprehensive statement."

Every historian tells us that with the development of the Greek, the typically Eastern civilization automatically becomes definitely Western. Its genius was so manifold, virile profuse, human, intimate that later on, Romans, Germans and Anglo-Saxons found no difficulty in appropriating it and calling it their own. Its confident intellectual explorations through all the realisms of human curiosity are as fearless as a child wandering through rooms in a darkness it has never learned to fear. In fact, they seem to have been the only people in the past and perhaps in all time, who were perfectly at home in the world. All lovers of beauty treasure their imperishable art, those who seek freedom, who think in terms of democracy and humanity, drink from those ancient Greek springwells. Their intellectual and artistic achievements revert to us the Olympian heights of the possibilities of human mind.

It seems, as though Mother Nature extended herself in a too generous distribution among our ancestors.

Perhaps she wished to intimate to us that what she gave once to them she can give again to others. We all know many worth-while sons following the foot prints of their fathers.

Now we come to the second meaning of the word Greek, the specific, which as we previously have stated refers to the modern Greek.

It is a well known fact that every race has its characteristics. Something which distinguishes it from the other races. Instinctively the Greeks is egotistic. His political unions lasted only as long as dangers threatened. The only person who succeeded to unite the Greeks was Alexander the Great.

After the fall of Constantinople, the outstanding Greek minds immigrated to western Europe, there establishing their influence and modern civilization.

The dream of all the Greeks, who were deprived of their liberty under Oriental Mohammedans, was to revolt. They did so in 1821. Americans were the first ones that expressed their sympathy for the struggling noble race.

President Monroe, in his epoch-making message of 1823, which enlisted the eloquence of Daniel Webster and Edward Everett in championing the Greek cause, gained thus the undying gratefulness of the Greeks.

Few decades after Greek independence was accomplished, rumors began travelling of the new and wonderful country which extends from Maine to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, where liberty was real and rewards were based on individual merits and not on accidental advantage or influence of birth, where education was not the privilege of the few and selected, but free for all, attracted the ever adventurous and fortune hunting Greeks.

Hoping to create a better tomorrow for themselves and their families, few at first and thousands afterwards, started to immigrate to the New York to enjoy liberty and together with other European races, to put their shoulders to the wheel of progress and the development of this Republic which was destined to play such an important industrial, social and economic role in the modern civilized world.

The story of the Greek immigrants to America is just as romantic as that of any other race. Previous to the great economic movement that brought into America the millions of immigrants from every corner of Europe, the Greeks sent into America a number of outstanding scholars such as Professors Sophocles and Zachos, the former devoting his life to classical studies, at Harvard University, the latter establishing the Cooper Union in New York, one of the outstanding educational institutions of America.

In addition to the educators, the Greeks distinguished themselves in the 7military and political fields of America. It is well-known that during the Civil War a member of Congress from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, named Lucas Miller, was a Greek and in the Navy Admiral Calvokoresis served the United States Navy during the Sapnish-American War in that capacity with Admiral Dewey.

Furthermore, history tells us that during the American Revolution a grandfather of the Greek patriot, Ypsilanti, served under Washington, with a number of Greek volunteers who distinguished themselves in several battles.

So you can see that in the establishing of the American Commonwealth the Greeks did not lack to offer their services.

It was after 1885 that the Greek economic immigration began to assume proportions of a racial character.

As you know, the first Greeks had to overcome insurmountable difficulties to gain an economic foot-hold in this country. Little by little they began to adapt themselves to the conditions and today we find them all over in practically every line of business in every nook and corner of America. They have proven to be law abiding and progressive citizens.

When, in 1917, the trumpet of the war marshalled the American youth to the colors, Greeks through the United States, seventy thousand strong, answered the call like true Spartans. One of them in particular faithful to the proud name of his heritage and true to the country of his adoption, died in the battlefield of France with super-human heroism and valor.

General Pershing called him one of the ten great heroes. The Congressional Medal was awarded in his honor, and his remains lie resting in the Arlington Cemetery.

This young man's name was George Dilboy and his statue was unveiled this year in Somerville, Mass. It was on that occasion that Ex-President Coolidge and especially David Walsh, Senator of the United States, paid a glowing tribute to the immigrants in general who fought for their adopted country.

In the educational field they have distinguished themselves and thousands are to be found in the highest institutions of learning. Many occupy chairs of Professorships. For example, there are Greek Professors at Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, College of New York City, Ann Arbor, etc.