Of the factors in civilization and in the growth of nations, perhaps the most important is the press. The press is a living mirror of contemporary life and culture; it faithfully reflects all of the events and occurrences in the everyday life of nations and communities.

In ancient times, when printing and newspapers were yet unknown,.....criers announced the decisions and commands of the king to the people in the market place. Later, criers in the larger cities also announced court cases and the more important events. In some German and French towns this custom has survived until the present times. Special criers announce the news, decisions of the local government, lost articles and so on. Criers were used in Italy also for the same purposes, and not until the advent of printing did their numbers begin to grow smaller.

Journalism has a great significance in the life and the development of 2nations. It is really difficult to imagine modern society without the press, without news and daily newspapers. Large publishers issue several editions each day for the purpose of supplying the public with up-to-the-minute news in either political matters, international affairs, or local occurrences.

However, in addition to these daily papers that deal primarily with matters of immediate importance, events of daily life, there are a great many weekly and monthly periodicals that are devoted to science, art, and other special subjects, including trade publications that have a great significance in, and influence on, the development of civilization in the nations of the world.

Daily papers, prepared in feverish haste daily or even several times daily, are not able to satisfy all the needs of the reading public; they cannot pause in their mad scramble for news long enough to ponder over a given question or subject for any length of time; then, too, they do not have 3enough space in their columns for lengthy discussions, for every column inch in a metropolitan paper has its cash value, as publishing costs are exceedingly high, having grown out of all proportion in recent times. It need hardly be mentioned here that especially in war times the cost of printing material--that is, ink, paper, metal, type, and so on, not to mention wages--has gone so high that a publisher who is to make both ends meet--profits are now out of the question--has to scrimp and scrape in order to keep his paper going and satisfy his readers.

Journalism and Business

It should be mentioned here that one of the principle tasks of a daily, weekly, or monthly publication, in addition to education of the great masses of readers and the dissemination of culture, is to contribute to the commercial development of a given society, if the businessmen of that society properly understand their own task.

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Unfortunately, our Polish businessmen, here as well as in Poland, are not yet fully aware that a daily or weekly paper is the best means of telling the public of their products or of their services. Only a small number of businessmen advertise regularly in daily, weekly, or monthly periodicals; the majority still advertise in the old ways, that is, by word of mouth, by window display, or, as is still practiced in small towns and in outlying districts of larger cities, by "barkers" who recommend the stores' wares to passersby.

Those who discovered what large profits advertising in the press brings, and how many people read well-written advertisements, have come to the conclusion that business cannot be conducted without advertisements, that is, without the press.

The daily paper is a man's friend. It greets him the first thing in the morning at his coffee, and is the last to bid him good night when he lays down to rest. Without the newspaper it would be difficult for a man 5to get along in the world, if he is at all interested in current events, and if he is at all interested in life. One reads the news from abroad, another the feature articles, a third reads advertisements, a fourth reads only the headlines, others glance over the local news items--but everybody reads something in the newspapers.

The Polish people in America have at their service a great number of publications. At present, there are sixteen Polish daily papers in America, besides the weeklies. The average reader in Poland, however, differs greatly in every respect from the average Polish reader in America. In Poland, it is said that a reader who buys or subscribes to a newspaper reads it, so to speak, "from cover to cover"......It is different with the average reader in America. He reads several papers, glancing at headlines, telegrams or local news and letting it go at that. The average reader rarely reads editorials. Usually, only a certain class of reader gives the editorials any attention.

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Early History of Journalism

Polish Newspapers in America

Polish journalism in America dates back to the year 1863, when the political paper, Echo z Polski (Echo from Poland) was founded in New York. The first issue of this little paper appeared on June 1, 1863. It possessed a character entirely different from that of the present-day Polish-American papers, since it was the political organ of the Polish immigrants here. It was devoted entirely to political agitation and at that time the principle topic of discussion was the insurrection [of 1863]. The first numbers of the paper were printed by Schriftgeisser and Picker, who had their shop on Nassau Street in New York. At first, Echo z Polski was issued three times a month, later weekly. The first numbers of the little paper indicate that the Polish cause had a great many friends in America at that time. According to the Reverend W. Kruszka in his "History of Polish Journalism 7in America", American contributions of money to the Polish cause poured into the offices of the paper.

Despite the support that the paper received, it collapsed in April of 1865, and from that year until 1870 there was no Polish paper in America. In that year Orzel Polski (The Polish Eagle) was founded in Washington, Missouri, and it was this paper that really laid the foundation for Polish journalism in America. It had none of the characteristics of its predecessor, Echo. It was not a political paper, but devoted its columns to local Polish-American affairs, seeking to establish itself on a business basis. The newspaper was issued every two weeks, and after eleven issues it became a weekly under the name Orzel Bialy (The White Eagle). Soon it was moved from Washington to a town called St. Gertrude [Missouri], where the publisher was given a permit to use the mails. A short time later, the name of the town was changed to Krakow. The first editor of Orzel Bialy was Ignace Wendzinski,who often had to deliver the papers himself, in a farmer's wagon, to the post office in town.

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On March 29, 1872, the first number of Pielgrzym (Pilgrim), a weekly, appeared in Union, Missouri. Its publisher was John Barzynski. Instead of competing with Orzel Bialy, the Pilgrim united with it and the publishers of these two first Polish papers in America formed a corporation. However, Orzel Bialy ceased to exist on May 6, 1872, while the Pilgrim continued to be issued regularly. After surviving a great many difficulties, the Pilgrim was finally moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1874, where, under the name Gazeta Polska Katolicka (Polish Catholic Gazette) it grew rapidly.

In March in 1872, almost at the same time of the founding of the Pilgrim, the newspaper Swoboda (Freedom) appeared in New York. It was published by Tomicki and became the official organ of the "Union of Poles." About forty numbers of this paper appeared.

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Polish Newspapers in Chicago

In 1873, the first Polish paper in Chicago, Gazeta Polska (Polish Gazette) was founded. It was a weekly, founded by W. Dyniewcz who ran a book shop in Chicago. The first issue of the Polish Gazette appeared on October 23.

The second paper to appear in Chicago was Gazeta Katolicka (Catholic Gazette), modeled after the Pilgrim. The corporation that published this paper consisted of the late Barzysnki, W. F. Smulski, and his son, John Smulski. In the year 1875, the Polish Catholic Gazette was also moved from Detroit to Chicago.

In 1876, another Polish paper, called Przyjaciel Ludu (Friend of the People), was started in Chicago. It was moved to Milwaukee in May 1879. For the next few years, this paper experienced many difficulties. It changed ownership several times, wasted itself on internal quarrels, and was finally moved back to Chicago, where it collapsed in 1884.

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During these years, a number of papers arose in New York, among which was the Kuryer Nowojorski (New York Courier) in (1876). It existed for only a short time, for in 1878 it had already disappeared, after having been moved to Brooklyn. In the same year that the Courier collapsed, another paper arose in New York, Ogniwo (The Link), but it too collapsed after two years of existence.

Finally, in 1881, the weekly Zgoda, at present the official organ of the Polish National Alliance, appeared in New York. The first issue appeared on November 23. We will not write of Zgoda in detail here, since the reader will find that paper's history elsewhere in this edition.

In 1885, Gazeta Chicagoski (Chicago Gazette) was started in Chicago, but collapsed the same year. It arose again in 1901 through the efforts of Francis Danisch, but even then it was not able to maintain itself.

In 1884, Gazeta Narodowa arose in Detroit, Michigan, but it too collapsed 11in the same year. At this time a number of Polish newspapers were founded, but after a year or two of existence they passed into journalistic history. Among those that existed in Chicago were: Tygodnik Naukowo-Powiesciowy (The Literary and Scientific Weekly), Ziarno (The Seed) (1886-1905), Lekarz Domowy (The Home Physician), Kuryer Chicagoski (The Chicago Courier), Czas (Time), Kropidlo (The Aspergillus), Glos Wolny (Free Voice), and others. Some of these existed two or three years and then disappeared, or merged to make larger publishing houses which are still in existence. Such was Wiara i Ojczyzna (Faith and Homeland), which in 1899 became Narod Polski (The Polish Nation).

In 1890 Dziennik Chicagoski was founded in Chicago....and in 1892, Telegraf and Polonia w Ameryce (American Polonia).

In 1899, Dziennik Narodowy (The National Daily) came into existence in Chicago. From that time on, a great many Polish daily and weekly papers 12came into existence in America. Amongst those that survived until the present are: Dziennik Zwiazkowy Zgoda, Kuryer Bostonski. (The Boston Courier), Rekord Codzienny (The Daily Record), Dziennik Dia Wszystkich (Everybody's Daily), Telegram Codzienny (The Daily Telegram), Wolna Polska (Free Poland), and Gwiazda Zachodu (The Star of the West).

As we can see, then, Polish journalism has passed through some very interesting phases, and has played a rather important part in the history of the Polish immigrants in the United States. Unfortunately, lack of space prevents us from describing each publication in detail. We can only say that Polish journalism and its development testify clearly to the intellectual vitality of the Polish element in America, to its increasing struggle for existence, and to its definite advance toward a greater tomorrow.....

Especially in recent times during the World War, the Polish newspapers in America have become great champions of the [Polish] national cause. They should be supported, and the examples they set should be heeded.

Stephen S. Lewental.