Last Sunday, December 21, 1924, at the Walsh's Hall (Chicago), Mr. Mckella, the well-known journalist, gave a lecture, "The Present Situation in Russia." The hall was crowded. Bolsheviki, monarchists and plain Russian people were all there. All came with the one desire - that of hearing the truth about mother Russia, so far away and yet so close to the hearts of all of them.

Mr. McKella has been residing in Russia 20 years, but it appears that a foreigner, and especially an Englishman, cannot master the Russian language so that he can lecture in Russian. Mr. McKella addressed the audience in Russian, begging it to be allowed to give the lecture in English, and the audience, after having heard the few words which he spoke in Russian,was quite willing to grant this request of his.

"You probably all remember from your studies of the history of Russia, 2the period of the Tartar invasion, the period of internal trouble, when the Poles tried to subjugate Russia, and the times of Ivan the Terrible. The present situation in Russia is very similar to the state of affairs during these periods."

These were the words with which Mr. McKella began his lecture. And as he went on with it, he drew a series of pictures, communicating facts and drawing conclusions from them as an eye-witness. Mr. McKella related how the people live in Russia, what kind of freedom of speech and freedom of press they have got there, who rules the country and how foreign to the Russian people is the so-called "bolshevism."

After the lecture, the lecturer answered questions; it was even allowed to all those who wanted to do so to critize the conclusions of the lecturer, speaking not longer than 5 minutes. The lively exchange of 3thought in which persons holding different views were participating made this lecture exceedingly interesting; one did not want even to leave; but the discussion had to be stopped as the hall could be used only till 6 P. M.

The organizers of this lecture have to be congratulated: perfect order reigned during the lecture and the discussion, and everybody was pleased.

V. Slavgorodsky.