We have received the following letter with the request that it be printed in our editorial section:

An Appeal from the Polish Medical Practitioners of Chicago to the Poles

"The Society of Polish Doctors practicing medicine in Chicago held the second meeting of a drive to interest the Poles of this city in a hospital of their own.

"Although it cannot be denied that there are in Chicago many hospitals whose facilities are offered to the public at reasonable prices, the fact is that our people hesitate to go to them for medical care, and very often the doctors' recommendations of hospitalization are disregarded. The things 2that scare our people away from these hospitals cannot be discussed at present for lack of space.

The necessity for a Polish hospital requires no profound study or explanation. If it pleases the healthy Pole to spend his idle time in a polish saloon or purchase his groceries in a Polish store, why shouldn't it be more pleasant for a sick one to be cared by a Polish physician? What could be better than to have a Polish patient confined in a Polish hospital where he is attended by Polish nuns?

"Every group in Chicago, including the Jewish and the Negro, has its own hospital, but the Poles, who number a little over 100,000, do not have one.

"Brother citizens, help us make this possible for our people by giving us your support and financial assistance, and we will be able to build a beautiful Polish Hospital in Chicago.

"As it has been decided to build this hospital out of contributions and to have Polish nuns in charge, collectors will be sent out to canvass the homes for signatures pledging financial support to this project, each person contacted stipulating the amount he or she is willing to contribute. As soon as enough names are obtained, a general meeting will be held at which the plans for the hospital will be discussed. The persons attending this meeting will elect directors and officers so as to execute the original plans agreed upon at the meeting of March 25." (Signed.) Dr. B. Stryzowski, secretary; Dr. M. Kossakowski, Dr. E. Czerniewski, Dr. K. Rewkowski, Dr. J. Train, Dr. L. Ostrowski."

It goes without saying that a Polish hospital would afford many conveniences to our people in Chicago and vicinity; not only it is badly needed, but it is a shame to all Poles not to have their own hospital, especially when smaller groups have them. This appeal is just a step in the right direction, 4as by itself alone it cannot materialize.

This plan of the Polish physicians shows a noble effort that deserves due credit and support, but we are afraid that it is not practical, as it is almost impossible to get enough funds to build a hospital by means of popular contributions. Generally speaking the Poles are not paupers and the erection and upkeep of a hospital would be possible if enough support could be found. As it is, it will be a difficult task to find such support, for only few Poles would contribute even for the beneficial project. Small donations, of course, will not supply the necessary funds.

The funds would have to be large enough to make the building possible on a cash basis; otherwise small contributions would have to flow continually, thus increasing the overhead. Besides, if mortgage notes can not be met, the entire plan would be doomed.

If other groups have hospitlas, it is because they are better established in the city and have rich philanthropists to contribute large sums of money. Many times these philanthropists' contributions are so great that they are enough not only for the project itself but for the creation of a reserve fund for its expansion. We do not have very rich individuals in our colony. The best we can do is to make one philanthropist out of every few thousand Poles willing to share the expense of the hospital. Those who have tried to raise funds by popular contributions know the difficulties encountered, and that is why we say that the present plan of the medical group will meet with grave difficulties.

We believe, however, that there is a good possibility along another road. Practically every Pole with a regular income belongs to some kind of society, and as there are many Polish societies in Chicago, it would be possible for most of them to agree upon a certain sum of money to be offered towards the hospital plan. This initial donation, plus a stipulated sum to be contributed annually, would place the project on a solid foundation. There should be no difficulties, for a hospital proposition so meritorious as this one cannot but gather the willing support of the 6members of many organizations. Through this plan the money would come from organizations that can be depended on. It is our opinion that this procedure would bring better results.

We make this statement from past experience, and the type of plan we suggest shows at once whether or not the essential funds can be raised. With such information, it can be decided definitely whether the present plan can be worked out or not.

We say "present plan" because we feel that the task of raising funds to carry it out would meet with greater obstacles than ever. This, of course, should not discourage its promoters to the point of scrapping it entirely.

Today the Poles face many problems, and those who live among us are more or less familiar with them. For one thing we are continually making donations to the Holy Family Orphanage, and a welfare society has been recently formed that is asking all of us for support. Besides, contributions are being made 7right along for the Greek Catholics facing famine on Russian soil, not to mention the Monument Association, which has been receiving our support and will continue to get it for sometime, for the cost of presenting entertainments is high. To make the drain still worse, a Lithuanian Church is being built with the cooperation of many of our people. Money given towards the support of all these projects will never earn anything for the donors; it is an outright contribution, not an investment of capital.

There is a plan followed by business enterprises, in which funds are raised through the sale of shares, the shareholders receiving returns out of their investments. Today we have two enterprises of this kind, but they have received very little publicity from our press. In addition there are a few building and loan associations that pay interest on every dollar invested.

In view of the present setup, we contend that the hospital plan proposed by the Polish doctors has little possibility of materialization. We do 8not wish to discourage the originators of this admirable idea, but present conditions require that the plan be abandoned at least temporarily, that is, until conditions clear up.

We wish to point out that when yesterday's editorial, "The Monument Project," appeared, the plans of the medical group were not known to us.