"Ukrainian-American Citadel": from the pages of UNA history (Chapter 5) (08/29/04)

"Ukrainian-American Citadel": from the pages of UNA history

Following is part of a series of excerpts from "Ukrainian-American Citadel: The First 100 Years of the Ukrainian National Association," by Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, published in 1996 by East European Monographs of Boulder, Colo. The excerpts are reprinted with the permission of the author. The book is available from the author for $25, plus $2.50 shipping, by writing to: Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, 107 Ilehamwood Drive, DeKalb, IL 60115.

Chapter 5

The American Focus

[At the beginning of the 1920s] ... UNA organizational life in the United States continued. The UNA had problems to be addressed, ideas to be developed and members to be enrolled if it was to maintain its leadership role in the community. As in the past, many social issues were addressed by the UNA daily.

In January 1922, Svoboda published a long article about greater thrift among Ukrainian Americans. Reporting on the unveiling of a statue to Benjamin Franklin in New York on the occasion of the 216th anniversary of his birth, Svoboda recalled how significant thrift had been in Franklin's life. Reminding readers that in comparison to Ukrainians in Galicia, Ukrainian Americans led a comfortable life, Svoboda suggested teaching thrift by establishing an annual community-wide "thrift week" or "thrift month." "All [the money] that would be saved [during such events] could be donated to some worthwhile cause at the beginning of March. ... The overall benefit would be great. ... And so would the benefit to individuals ... who would learn to discipline themselves regarding money."

In a long editorial titled "The Self-Destruction of Ukrainians in America" Svoboda condemned the making of "moonshine." The main reason for "moonshineism" wrote Svoboda, was not Prohibition or the moonshine itself, but human stupidity.

"All Ukrainian communities are working long and hard to organize and enlighten all of their people. The work is hard. But for the moonshiners, the work is easy. Many people go to them for this poison and even pay for this illegal favor. This worse enemy called self-destruction has found its way into the Ukrainian American community. If the Ukrainian immigration in America wants to live; if it doesn't want to ... disappear before its time, then the time has come not to think and to talk but to immediately, and once and for all, rid their Ukrainian homes of this poison. ... [Let the Christmas season] be a time of agitation against moonshine, against the self-destruction of Ukrainians in America. ... Let's save our people for the Ukrainian nation and for its good name."

Another social problem Svoboda addressed during this period was child labor. In 1923 the editor reflected on a National Child Labor Committee report that provided shocking statistics regarding the number of children between the ages of 10 and 15 working in factories, explaining how diffficult it was to protect children from exploitation because different states had different laws. If federal laws were necessary to get children out of factories, Svoboda concluded, so be it.

In 1923, the UNA launched a major membership drive. Svoboda reminded its readers again of the importance of belonging to the UNA with an article by M. Bistrychenko titled "Ten Reasons."

"As an enlightened Ukrainian, I know 10 reasons why one should belong to U.N. Soyuz. These are 10 reasons which are peculiar to no other organization in the world. ... For your own good don't let yourselves be fooled by evil people. ... The UNA is the only organization to which all Ukrainians should belong. Look at it with your own eyes and ask yourselves: is there anywhere such truth, strength and will as in the UNA? No, nowhere, and that is because:

"1. The UNA is the only Ukrainian organization which is neither socialist nor clerical but nonpartisan and all-Ukrainian.

"2. The UNA belongs to all the members, where everyone has the same right and where no clique, not Bolshevik, nor clerical, nor business, is in charge.

"3. The UNA is strongly national and does not look at Ukraine with love through one narrow window. The UNA is a lighted beacon with many windows, illuminated by the sunshine of patriotism. ...

"4. Within the UNA one finds the most enlightened individuals who are moving towards the unification of our national vitality. They have rejected partisanship in order to achieve liberty for all the people.

"5. The UNA has the strongest financial base, one not enjoyed by other organizations. ...

"6. The UNA has the best management. ...

"7. The UNA has developed the kind of respect enjoyed by no other organization. It is truly an honor to belong to the UNA because it is a mark of an intelligent and wise person. ...

"8. The Supreme Assembly has not erected a wall of aloofness and formality around itself. The leaders are intelligent people who are responsive to the membership and try to honor all intelligent desires and proposals.

"9. The UNA is always in the front line regarding all freedom efforts of our people. It always was, is and will be for the total independence of the Ukrainian state ... The motto of the UNA is Ukraine for Ukrainians and for no one else!

"10. The UNA has the means and the capability to unite all Ukrainians who want the best for Ukraine, and who believe that we need to build Ukraine with our own strength, our own ideas, and our own people.

"It is for that reason that every wise Ukrainian must be a member of the Ukrainian National Association."

In an editorial titled "Non-members of U.N. Soyuz," the paper declared "Every UNA member knows a few Ukrainians who are not members of the UNA. That means that 12,000 members know thousands of non-members. ... Today we are writing to all 12,000 members together, as well as each one separately." Calling for a campaign to have each UNA member enroll one new member by the end of the year, Svoboda concluded that if "we all work day by day, week by week, and month by month without stopping, then most certainly on December 31 there will be 12,000 more of us."

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