Ten years ago, the first issue of Rassviet appeared on the stands of New York City. This was on December 8, 1924. On May 26, 1926, Rassviet was moved to Chicago. For eight years now, Rassviet has served the Chicago Russian colony with daily world news and information on Russian life in America and in Russia. Today, Rassviet is celebrating its tenth anniversary. This anniversary fills with joy all patriotic Russians in Chicago, indeed in the entire United States, and in Canada.

Thanks to Rassviet, the Russian colony in Chicago still lives. If not for Rassviet, Russian life here would have succumbed as a result of the hostile work of our enemies.

Rassviet does not receive subsidies from outside sources. It has no capital, and exists only because of the support it receives from the Russian colony, 2in exchange for the services in supplying the colony with the news and the reading material of the kind most desired by the colony.

In this, the anniversary issue of Rassviet, it would be worth while to discuss the serious question now in the minds of many Russians in America, the question of what is awaiting us in the future. Where and in what circumstances shall we have to spend the last years of our lives? What should we do to solve once and for all the puzzling problem of our dual nationality? Should we remain Russians, or should we become Americans, forgetting all that has been dear to us, all that has been a part of ourselves, all that has been causing us so much anxiety and longing for more than twenty years? Probably this is the best time to consider with all seriousness whether we should settle down and forget the past. The final and decisive solution of this vital problem will add to our strength, individually and collectively. We must have a country which we can call our own. At the present time, we are like a rudderless ship upon a stormy ocean. Because it is unable to reach the shore, the ship is tossed 3about by the waves and finally sinks to the bottom of the sea.

We would have probably reached the "shore" of our decision and of the final clarification of our views on these vital matters, had we not allowed our enemies to come to power. They are today leading the Russian people deliberately and with premeditation into the abyss of national annihilation. There was a time when we persistently and steadfastly dreamed of our country--Russia. We built all our hopes on the supposition that we would return to Russia as her faithful sons. These hopes were raised still higher by the Bolshevik propaganda in this country. The Bolsheviks used to say at the meetings: "Russia is now your true mother country. As soon as you return, you will be 'in clover'. Don't worry about the future. Just give us your money, and we will take care of you." And we believed them with childish naivete or with plain stupidity. Today we are different. The fog of the world revolution which enveloped us seventeen years ago has now lifted. We are sane again. We can think and we can reason.

The first sober realization which dawned upon us after many years of self-delusion was that Russia was no longer our country, bitter and disappointing though this realization was. Russia is lost for us, although we are Russians; and perhaps here lies our tragedy.

America is now our country; it is the country that gave us refuge and shelter. America gave to us, the strangers, equal rights with her own native citizens. It is true that many of us have passed through many trials and privations in this adopted country of ours. However, this is a capitalistic country, and the workingman cannot expect much from it. Nevertheless, the great majority of the Russians living in this country have succeeded somehow in making their lives bearable during their long residence in this country, especially when compared with the life of the working people in other countries, particularly in our own Russia. As far as the economic situation is concerned, and in respect to freedom and opportunity, conditions in Europe are far below any comparison with those in the United States. As the years went by, we became-- 5as a matter of course--citizens of this country.

There are several problems facing us now--as full-fledged citizens and as a group of people who will have to live their lives in surroundings sharply different from those in Russia. How should we organize our lives? What should we represent, and how should we look after our affairs to make our lives as useful and as happy as possible? We shall never be able to embrace completely the American way of life, if for no other reason than that it is too difficult, and too late, for us to adjust our lives to American customs and to acquire American habits. The only way to avoid emptiness in our lives and to satisfy our spiritual needs is to cultivate and cherish our Russian traditions. The Russian people in America can preserve and strengthen their native traditions only by common aspirations and by common action toward the same ends. Without unity of purpose and action, we will languish and will cease to exist as a national group.

We already have to our credit at least a good beginning in the direction of 6solidifying our ranks. We have two strong Russian organizations, the Russian Independent Mutual Aid Society and the Russian Consolidated Mutual Aid Society. There are also other Russian organizations, benefit societies and clubs. All of them should get together and agree on a common action: to advance the Russian cause in America. Such teamwork would change the face of the Russian group in America. We would become rich, not only financially, but also spiritually.

The foundation of all our activities and plans for the future is, however, the Russian press, the daily press in particular. The daily newspaper published in our own language, and professing our own ideals, is the spiritual backbone of all our activities. We have such a newspaper. It is Rassviet. There is no other Russian newspaper in America which could take the place of Rassviet.

Today's issue of Rassviet, because of the anniversary, is much larger than usual. Let us make a common effort to make it possible for Rassviet to publish 7such a large issue every day. All Russians in the United States and in Canada should participate in making Rassviet the largest Russian newspaper in America, representing not only the Chicago Russian colony, but the entire Russian group in the United States and in Canada. Let a big and prosperous Rassviet be our chief achievement and chief pride in this our adopted country.