Commerce is the foundation of every nation, the main pillar of every community. Today the prosperity of a nation does not depend upon the size of its army, but on its commerce and industry; in any given community, too, the more its commerce and industry are developed, the more enlightened, wealthy, skillful, and resistant to all kinds of temptations of the enemy it becomes.....

Our Polish people in America, in the matter of commerce and industry, are still standing at the very bottom of the ladder--a sad state of affairs for which specific individuals cannot be blamed. We must search out all the factors which, directly or indirectly, should influence the development of our commerce and industry; these must be corrected or strengthened, so that they will operate to the advantage of our entire community.

A Pole is a farmer and a knight in one person. Our forefathers knew how to bear arms against great odds and still be victorious; they knew how to till the soil expertly and to draw profits from it; but they lacked trade instinct, and held commerce in utter scorn as being nothing but a swindle. Our blood rebels against business. This is the primary factor, and probably the most important of all factors, exerting a baleful influence on our commerce.

Another important unfavorable factor is the lack of professional commercial training among some of our businessmen. Coupled with this is a deficiency is business resourcefulness and rapid orientation. Still another deficiency is the lack of that vital link between the merchants and the people, national solidarity!

Is there a cure for our faults? We answer that there is a cure, an unfailing cure.

If we acquaint ourselves with the conditions under which our commerce is developing, 3we will not be surprised at its inadequacy, but rather we will be surprised that a single peasant or factory worker, lacking these attributes of commercial success, is able, after a fashion, merely on the strength of his work and perseverance, to survive in the position of a businessman.

Let us remember what we were, what we are, what we desire to be, and what we must become. Let our past be the indicator of our mistakes. Today, in America, we cannot step out with a saber in out hands ready to fight; we cannot plow and sow on the pavements of great cities; but we can fight intelligently with the pennies we have earned, gathered together in the fund of the Businessmen's Association, and harvest the crop in the form of dividends.

Children of more comfortably situated parents should not be harnessed to the insignificant businesses of their parents, but should go to professional commercial schools where they can develop the faculties of orientation and resourcefulness in every kind of business. Only with such commercial education are people capable 4of conducting partnerships and of constantly increasing the business of the firm--because there will be no suspicion and lack of confidence among the members, since all of them will know their business thoroughly, and one will not be able to swindle the other; there will be no quarrels there, but work and more work geared to a professional business tempo.

Furthermore, an absolutely necessary factor in business success is advertising in the press. Our press lends very feeble support to business--because Polish business lends even less support to our Polish press; therefore, many publishers do not support Polish commerce and industry with all their strength and knowledge for fear that foreigners will refuse to give them any advertising; and it is this foreign advertising, meager as it is, which enables the publishers to make ends meet.

The solution is a simple one--our press and our businessmen, as the pillars of our society, must shake hands. Our businessmen in Chicago number more than forty thousand, easily enough to support the four Polish newspapers issued in 5Chicago at present. Our businessmen must advertise regularly in these papers, even though the advertisements are small.

Our press will then stand strongly behind them, seeing this new spirit of co-operation; and the hand of the businessman will be clasped by the hard, honest hand of the worker. Then when the patriotic capitals have united in brotherhood, the patriotic provinces will follow. And our warriors, who are fighting for the future of our people, will then rest in the blissful conviction that strangers will not disregard our community.

Your compatriot and servant,

(Signed) M. Kmieciak