The spring elections are coming closer. The political campaign, especially in our own Sixteenth Ward, shows definite signs of awakening, and our own countrymen are decidedly interested in it. And they have reason to be!

Lately, due especially to the split among our Polish citizens and numerous switchings to other parties, the old political influence of Chicago Poles, based chiefly on their adherence to the Democratic party, has been waning rapidly. A number of Polish candidates were defeated in the elections, and even in the Sixteenth Ward, that undefeated stronghold of Polish political strength, the last elections gave us a German alderman.

We are considered a zero now in political circles. The Republican mayor of 2Chicago taunts us. Hundreds of Poles, formerly employed by the city, are now blowing on their fingers.

We must exert all our strength to change this situation. The time to do so is in the present year.

This is a political year. The spring elections to the city council have, it is true, only a local significance, but this local political situation is of great importance to us. Let us gain a permanent stronghold in our ward first, and whatever we may gain in the general political situation will be fine for us here. We must, therefore, regain some of the advantages we have lost. And that isn't all. The fall elections are of much greater importance to us. These are the presidential and state elections. Here much greater issues will be at stake, and the campaign may become very hot.

The bitter fight between the two major political parties which will decide the 3future elections emphasizes the importance of the moment and permits us to wield our political strength to the greatest extent.

This strength is today quite problematical. We are broken up into fractional parts. We advance in one hundred different directions. We quarrel among ourselves and as Poles in the same political party to which we presumably belong. Individual selfishness and momentary gain, control practically all of us. Our adherence to either political party is uncertain. We are unable to decide what we are and in which direction will we proceed at a certain time.

Briefly, we lack organization, and this dooms us.

At one time we had Democratic, Republican and other leagues, but today it is all gone with the wind--forgotten. These leagues, it is true, acted quite sloppily; they accomplished very little; still they were representative. They were the symbols of certain political aspirations. They were proof of our own 4existence in the political world.

We do not recommend that it is necessary to return to this form of political organization. But we do insist emphatically that some sort of all-embracing political organization is most necessary.

We refer not only to the local ward organizations, but also to a widespread organization in the party and, finally--if it is at all feasible--an organization of Poles from all political parties, to promote the welfare of our own nationality.

Without an organization we are lost. United we will be able to regain at least a part of what we lost and perhaps gain some new political positions. This is certain.

We must remember this today, because there is no time to organize when the war 5is on. The organization work must be undertaken immediately; the ranks must be filled out and the privates must be armed before the battle.

This is too important a matter to end it with this one article. We will revert to it many times and will discuss the terms and conditions under which such desirable organization of various Polish political entities in Chicago and Cook County could be created.