The latest United States census shows that 872,000 foreign-born persons live in Chicago. Of these, according to the census, 149,602 were born in Poland, 78,462 in Russia, and 48,814 in Czechoslovakia. Hence the total number of Poles, Russians, and Czechs in Chicago is 276,878. (The number of Jugoslavs and Bulgarians in Chicago is not known to us.) The American-born children of these foreign-born persons were not included in this group, as the children born on American soil are all natural citizens of the United States, though foreign blood flows in their veins. For this reason, the Slavic group in Chicago is much more numerous than is shown by the census, and is much stronger than any other racial group in this city.

Despite their numerical superiority, the Chicago Slavs do not play as important a part in public life of the city, as, for instance, the Irish, of whom there are only 54,789 in Chicago, according to the census. Naturally, the Irish born in this country do not figure in the census as Irish, but as 2Americans.

The comparative unimportance of the Slavic people of Chicago in the political and social life of the city is at least partly due to their lack of unity and solidarity. The Slavs in Chicago and in the entire United States represent today a great potential power, a power which some day will come into its own. When the Poles, the Czechs, the Russians, and the Jugoslavs unite and adopt a common platform, they will be able to wield a great power in all public affairs of our city, county, and state. It is true that the Chicago Slavs, especially the Poles and Czechs, have already achieved a great deal in the way of winning public recognition of their important contributions to American life. By united action, however, the Chicago Slavs could open the way to wider achievements. Here is an example: As a result of the coordinated efforts of Poles and Czechs to facilitate the preservation, for America, of the cultural values and traditions of both nations, the authorities of the State of Illinois have decided to establish a Department of Slavonic Languages at the University of Illinois. Great credit for this 3achievement is due to Mr. Anthony Czarnecki, an outstanding American of Polish ancestry, and to one of the Czech-American leaders, a member of the Czech National Alliance. (Translator's note: Anthony Czarnecki, member of the editorial staff of the Chicago Daily News, formerly Federal customs collector at the Chicago post.) Mr. Czarnecki's efforts are now directed toward the establishment of a Slavonic department in every college and university in Chicago. If every Slavonic organization in Chicago will earnestly support this effort, we have no doubt that it will be crowned with success. When all the Slavonic groups in Chicago are united, it will not be difficult to have the Slavonic languages introduced into at least some of the city's high schools.

Mr. Czarnecki favors strongly the union of all Slavic groups in Chicago. Mr. Czarnecki is of the opinion that the Slavic peoples possess a great cultural heritage, that they have good leaders, and that they form the largest foreign language group in Chicago. But he states that, in spite of all these good points, the Slavs still occupy an inferior position in 4the life of the city as compared with that of other national groups. Mr. Czarnecki urged the Russians, the Poles, the Czechs, and the Jugoslavs to unite into one strong Slavic organization, and then forge ahead to a brighter future for all the Slavic peoples of this city. The leaders of all Slavic organizations in Chicago should get together and work out a plan for co-ordinated action directed to one end--the fuller recognition, by Americans, of Slavic contributions toward the beauty, security, and safety of life in our adopted country.