Tomorrow the newspaper Rassviet gives its traditional concert ball. This evening of entertainment has particular significance for the Russian colony in Chicago, first because it is given by the colony's Russian newspaper, and secondly because it happens only once a year.

Whoever reads his newspaper daily knows what significance it has in the life of every cultured man or woman. Newspapers in our times play an important role not only in the social life of the people but even in the personal life of every cultured human being. No wonder, therefore, that all political parties, civic organizations, religious societies, and even smaller groups of people print their own newspapers. The power of newspapers in our times is particularly impressive. More than a hundred years ago, when the press was still in swaddling clothes, and when the majority of the people everywhere were illiterate, Napoleon used to say that two or three newspapers were more dangerous to him than several hostile 2armies. At present the power and the influence exerted by newspapers is incomparably greater than it was in Napoleonic times.

This is why, when a revolution occurs in any country, and a new set of rulers appears at the helm, they first of all crush all the opposition press, and if a dictator happens to seize the power, such as Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, or Hitler, he immediately tries to strangle the entire press and to replace it by party and government-controlled newspapers.

In America freedom of the press still exists, and the newspaper plays a very important role.

It is self-evident that the newspaper Rassviet does not exert any direct influence on American social life, but indirectly it does, for the Russian colony is a part of the large population of this country, and therefore along with all the other national groups it takes part in the social life of the nation.

For the Russian colony Rassviet plays a particularly important role, since, as 3one of our readers put it the other day, Rassviet is the most independent newspaper in America.

Without any bias it enlightens its readers on all events occuring in the world, and it states clearly and unequivocally the present position of the Russian people, giving impartial information on the state of affairs in Russia under the Bolshevik regime. It gives prominence to many articles on various subjects, prints letters from its readers, and keeps them in touch with current doings in the Russian colony. Rassviet gives particular attention to all the information and the news concerning Russian organizations and the good which they do or undertake to do. This is because it is the set policy of Rassviet to strive to render the Russian colony in America well organized, strong, and active.

All this is well known to the enlightened element in the Russian colony in America. This is the reason why the largest Russian societies, such as the Roov and the R.I.M.A.S. and lately even the Canadian Spiritual Fighters [Translator's note: a religious sect large numbers of the members of which left Russia and now reside in Canada] buy whole pages in Rassviet.

All this is clear testimony to the fact that the mass of the Russian colony knows the good work that is being done by this newspaper.

For this reason one may even say that tomorrow evening will belong not to Rassviet but to the entire Russian colony.

We hope that at the entertainment we shall meet not only the friends and the readers of Rassviet but all members of our colony. This newspaper renders services of all kinds throughout the year and defends the interests of Russian colonists, and the latter will support the paper by their presence at the entertainment tomorrow.