It is high time that I remind our readers of the rule which, years ago, the staff of the Standard Bearer laid down for contributions. 

That rule is that contributions must observe the limit of three hundred words. 

Perhaps, most of our contributors and readers are not even aware of the fact that such a rule exists. 

It is possible, too, that I myself am partly to blame if they have forgotten it. I certainly did not always strictly adhere to and maintain this rule. I was too lenient and very liberal. Frequently I published contributions that far exceeded the space limit. This was, in part, due to circumstances: the Standard Bearer did not always have a complete staff of editors. 

But now it is different. 

We again have regular editors. To each of them a certain space is assigned in our paper.

The result is that I cannot find room for contributions of a thousand to twelve hundred words as, recently, I have been receiving again. 

Let contributors, therefore, as much as possible observe the rule. 

Personally, I like contributions from as many of our readers as are able to write. And if at all possible I usually place them even if they exceed to a certain extent the space limit.

But if I receive long articles that would occupy two or three pages in our magazine, the reader will understand that it is impossible for me to place them. 

Ik kan gen ijzer met handen breken. I cannot break iron with my hands.