IN THE NEWS - 1904 - (Strike-Breakers) General Gathering of Greek Businessmen of Chicago to Protect Their Business and the Greek Name
Greek Star -- August 26, 1904
General Gathering of Greek Businessmen of Chicago to Protect Their Business and the Greek Name - Consul General Interested
The meeting of Greek businessmen last Sunday packed the Greek Orthodox church. The object of the meeting was to find ways and means to protect their business and their racial prestige against attacks by the Chicago press arising from the conduct of 320 Greeks who accepted jobs as strike-breakers.
Chicago newspapers have raised a hue and cry against Greeks in general, not taking into consideration the facts that by so doing they injure the business of Greeks who are not engaged in strike-breaking, and that they are also throwing mud at a nation friendly to this Republic.
Immediately after the ceremony of the mass, in which over 2,000 took part, the Reverend C. Georgiadis spoke. In a fatherly but businesslike address he brought out what the duties of the Greek businessmen of Chicago are toward those unwise Greek laborers who because of extreme necessity consented to be stigmatized as strike-breakers, taking the bread and butter away from families of their fellow-workers who had struck for higher wages. He further suggested that immediate steps should be taken to approach these misinformed Greek laborers and induce them for the sake of the Greek name and likewise for the sake of the strikers' families to abandon their temporary jobs.
The Hon. Dr. N. Salopoulos, Greek Consul General in Chicago, next took the floor and reminded the businessmen that besides the injury to their business the national prestige of Greece has suffered. He consented to head a committee to carry out Father Georgiadis' suggestions; during the day he visited the strike-breakers, and 120 of them gave up their jobs at once.
Other speakers at the meeting were Messrs. N. Stathakos, D. Kalogeropoulos, A. Papachristofilou, and N. Kontaxis, who very explicitly analyzed the situation and suggested means by which such unpleasant occurrences might be avoided hereafter.
Star's note:
This newspaper has time and time again trumpeted in the ears of all concerned the paramount necessity of establishing a society to initiate immigrants into
American life and look after them until they know what is all about. I do not approve of the press's indiscriminate attack on Greeks; nevertheless, in view of the present disagreeable situation created by the sensation-mongering press, it will be to our advantage to correct our negligence and do the right thing by our greenhorn immigrants.
American life and look after them until they know what is all about. I do not approve of the press's indiscriminate attack on Greeks; nevertheless, in view of the present disagreeable situation created by the sensation-mongering press, it will be to our advantage to correct our negligence and do the right thing by our greenhorn immigrants.