The Russian-American Civic League advises all citizens of Russian extraction in Chicago to register on March 17 in their precinct polling places so that they be permitted to cast their ballots on election day. We all know that on April 14 all over the city elections will be held for ward committeemen, and in autumn we shall elect a president and the governor of our State. For that reason all Russians who have received their first and second papers should register prior to the election; otherwise they will lose their right to vote. In the election we American citizens of Russian descent should present a solid mass of organized voters, and every one of us should take part in the election. Russians should take active part in the political life of our city and our country, and there are many reasons for this.

First, more privileges are enjoyed by citizens of those nationalities who vote in elections as organized blocs and not as individual voters. Second 2the city administration hitherto has been under the impression that we Russians do not take part in any city elections, and moreover, some of the officials have told our representatives that in the city of Chicago there are no citizens of Russian descent. For this reason Russians have been disregarded in the political life of the community. Third, when Russian people are forced by circumstances to ask for help, the city officials very often ignore their requests, and the Russians fail to obtain any assistance or even any advice. The officials have always reminded us that we Russians are poorly organized, and that therefore we can be treated with indifference when we are in need of help or good advice.

And yet there are many thousands of us, Russian citizens, in Chicago. According to statistics there were 179,000 Russians in the city in the year 1930. By this time the great majority of us have acquired American citizenship, and despite this our Russian colony plays the least important role in the political life of the city among [the foreign] 3nationalities. How is this to be explained? By our inertia --by our ignorance of how to appraise our strength and measure it against that of other nationalities which are no stronger than we are and yet are more active, perspicacious, and farsighted. We should always bear in mind that in life victories are won by those nationalities which are better organized and more active than others. We cannot remain forever merely mute taxpayers voting as individuals as we have heretofore done, while the fruits of our efforts have gone to everybody and anybody but the Russians. The times themselves insistently demand of us Russians that we gain for ourselves such rights and privileges as are enjoyed by the citizens of other nationalities in the political life of the community.

We appeal to all Russian citizens in Chicago to join the Russian-American citizens' organization and by concerted efforts to gain the recognition in the political field that we well deserve, a recognition which will benefit the entire Russian colony and help us to protect and advance our own interests.

Remember the day of registration--March 17.

Executive Committee of the Russian-American

Civic League

Orlovsky, chairman

N. Korecky, secretary.