According to latest statistics, there are at least one hundred Lithuanian organizations in Chicago. That is a fairly large number, compared to the size of the Lithuanian population. But of what benefit are these organizations to our people? A study of the character of a majority of the Lithuanian organizations will more or less reveal the character of the majority of the Lithuanians of Chicago.

The Lithuanian population of Chicago in large enough to establish and very easily support at least one daily Lithuanian newspaper, and a good school with a library and national museum, but we still stand very far away from the realization of these aspirations. Furthermore, we do not have even one Lithuanian book in the Chicago public library; a number of less numerous nationalities such as the Japanese, Czechs, French, and Russians, have many 2of their own books in the public library. It does not cost anything to introduce Lithuanian books into the library. In order to do that, all that is necessary is for our societies to send a petition signed by their members to the librarians, who will purchase a number of Lithuanian books with public funds. It appears, however, that our societies are not much interested in the educational uplift of our people.

Recently a movement was launched to build a Chicago Lithuanian community hall; and what happened? As in all other efforts to accomplish something worth-while, the above proposal precipitated many disagreements and enmities. The members of the movement were split in half, and it now appears to be a lost cause.

When our priests learned that non-Catholics were planning to build a community hall, they immediately went to work and built a church hall, together with a parochial school. In that way the need of the Catholic societies for a community hall was satisfied; they have no need for another hall and for that 3reason will not support the efforts of the association of Chicago Lithuanian Societies to build a community hall that would suit the needs of all Lithuanian factions.

Nevertheless, the non-Catholic societies can still realize their aim, without the aid of Catholic organizations, if they will only unite and work together. But they refuse to unite, and as a result we now have two non-Catholic associations of Chicago Lithuanian societies; later on there may be more, because that is the way of our life.