American newspapers and writers have been and are still predicting that the country will experience a great economic improvement in the near future. In spite of these predictions, the unemployment situation has not improved. On the contrary, conditions appear to be growing worse. There are tens and hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers in every city and town in the United States. The plight of many workers and their families is very pitiable. In the bigger cities, large numbers of people have nothing to eat and no shelter from the cold weather. Complaints of misery are being heard everywhere. Some unemployed workers are driven to insanity by their miserable plight.

The riot which took place last Sunday in front of the Hull House was not, as some people would have us believe, the work of conspirators or "anarchist" 2agitators. It was a legitimate protest by people who are actually starving. The significance of that protest cannot be minimized by wrapping it in soft wool. The significance of that protest cannot be hidden even by all the Chicago police, who brutally dispersed the unemployed on the technical ground that they did not have a "permit" to parade. More than 250,000 unemployed and hungry people of Chicago and Cook County stand behind those who marched in the parade last Sunday. That parade was also a protest in behalf of the millions of unemployed workers in the United States.

Everything points to the fact that the army of unemployed is not decreasing but, on the contrary, it is increasing. The Americans are trying to lighten the burden of the unemployed. The Chicago administration and private institutions are setting aside large sums of money to relieve the miserable plight of the unemployed workers and their families. However, the situation is so grave that even the large sums of money that have been allotted for relief cannot abolish the crisis. In order to abolish the misery of unemployment it is necessary to eradicate the causes which produce unemployment--that is something 3everyone knows and understands. It is a shame that in such a civilized country a man who wants to work and can work is forced into idleness and starvation. It is really a shame to see masses of workers march hopelessly from the gates of one factory to another, and to see so many innocent families, whose heads have done no wrong to anyone, in the deepest misery.

Our economy should be regulated so that such crises as the present unemployment situation would not occur.

In the meantime, we must turn our attention to the problems of the present situation. If the crisis cannot be immediately abolished, then at least we must not neglect our duty to alleviate the misery of the unemployed. We must not put this problem aside with a wave of the hand. If it is impossible to aid the tens and hundreds of thousands who are in need of relief, then we should at least help those who are in the greatest need of relief. From a humanitarian standpoint, the existing unemployment relief agencies deserve much praise. If they are really alleviating the misery which has been caused by the 4present crises, then they are useful; those who are in dire need should apply to them for assistance. Feeding of the hungry is a good and useful deed.

As far as we know, the Lithuanians in America are completely unconcerned about the problems of unemployed Lithuanian workers. Considering the kind of employment the Lithuanians are engaged in, the percentage of unemployed Lithuanian workers is probably very large. So far we have been completely unconcerned with the misery of our own people, although we should have started doing so a long time ago. So far as we know, we do not have even one Lithuanian unemployment relief organization. On the other hand, even if we would have such organizations, they would most probably be unable to render effective assistance because nearly all Lithuanian-Americans are more or less poverty-striken.

The most possible and effective way in which we can assist our unemployed is by establishing employment bureaus. It appears that here and there our people have started to establish such bureaus. But so far, the activities of these bureaus have been very limited. If such bureaus are properly organized and operated, they can do much good for our people. They are especially desirable 5in the larger towns and cities. If these bureaus are organized on a non-partisan and non-sectarian basis, so they can command the respect and support of all Lithuanians, then they can render a very valuable and useful service to unemployed Lithuanian workers. If Lithuanian businessmen and other Lithuanians who have "connections" and relations with employers would co-operate and assist these bureaus, then employment can be unquestionably found for many unemployed Lithuanian workers. Unless such bureaus are organized and operated along the above-mentioned lines, it would not pay to establish them. However, the aims of such bureaus are so praiseworthy that it is hard to believe that any Lithuanian-American would refuse to support them.

There is another thing which Lithuanian-Americans have completely forgotten, and that is the purely American unemployment relief agencies. These agencies have been created to assist Lithuanians as well as other immigrants. They can alleviate the misery of more than one Lithuanian family. These agencies are in a position to furnish relief to many people during the most critical moments of their lives. But do many of our Lithuanian people know about the existence of such agencies? A very short announcement about these agencies 6has appeared once or twice in our newspaper; our people did not receive any other information about them. Our people should know more about such agencies. It would be a good thing if our active leaders would get acquainted with these agencies and then refer needy Lithuanians to them for assistance. Those who become acquainted with these agencies should inform other Lithuanians through our newspapers. Then when a Lithuanian becomes in dire need of relief, he will know where to apply for it.

We do not believe that it is possible to abolish entirely the misery of unemployment among the Lithuanian people by the above-mentioned means. However, they can help a great deal and for that reason deserve attention.