At the request of several members we have decided to comment on some of the needs of the Polish National Alliance and other kindred Polish speaking organizations in these United States. We want it to stand up with other American organizations in point of influence for good on an equal basis with them. We want the Polish National Alliance to take its rightful place in civic life, and we want it consulted on public problems as are other organizations which make their power and influence felt.

It is a sad commentary on our organizations when, at a public demonstration such as we recently have had, the representatives thereof were unable to adequately represent their organizations and membership in the matter of a speech in the official language of the land, and had to resort to the only language they knew. Why must these organizations speak through an interpreter? If the men at the head of these organizations cannot speak English, the accepted language in this country, why do they not ask some 2member of the organization who has a command of the language of the country to make the address at such demonstrations and be a credit to that organization. Everyone of our Polish speaking organizations has men who were born and educated here, and who could and would represent them adequately if asked to do so.

How can we expect to gain the respect and sympathy of our American fellow citizens unless we can speak to them directly in a tongue which they understand. The best way to convince them of our sincerity and loyalty to this country is to tell it to them in their own language and in their own way. You cannot do it thorugh interpreters, because the force of your personal tone of speech is lost in the translation. This fact was demonstrated in one or two attempts during Gen. Haller's visit in Chicago recently.

If the Polish National Alliance wants to enjoy the prestige and wield the influence it can and should wield, its officers, at least those who are called upon to represent it in public, should have a command of both the 3Polish and English languages, the former for organization work and the latter for work of a civic and public nature. Unless we learn the lesson that other nationalists have learned, we can never hope to make ourselves felt in the community to advantage, and it will take so much longer to scale the barrier of inequality built up around us by the enemies of our people. The same may be said of our other associations.