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diff --git a/39888-h/39888-h.htm b/39888-h/39888-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e044cb3 --- /dev/null +++ b/39888-h/39888-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1047 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Thirty Days in Lithuania, by Rev. Peter P. Saurusaitis. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + + p.bold {text-align: center; font-weight: bold;} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + h1 span, h2 span { display: block; text-align: center; } + #id1 { font-size: smaller } + + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + hr.smler { width: 10%; } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + text-indent: 0px; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .tbrk {margin-bottom: 1em;} + .fnanchor { font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Thirty Days in Lithuania in 1919, by Peter P. Saurusaitis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Thirty Days in Lithuania in 1919 + +Author: Peter P. Saurusaitis + +Release Date: June 1, 2012 [EBook #39888] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THIRTY DAYS IN LITHUANIA IN 1919 *** + + + + +Produced by David Starner, Martin Pettit and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="center"><a name="cover.jpg" id="cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /></div> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> + +<h1><span>Thirty Days in<br /><br />LITHUANIA<br /><br />in 1919</span><br /><span id="id1">By</span> <span>REV. PETER P. SAURUSAITIS</span></h1> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<p class="center">Being an Account of Personal Experiences and<br /> +Observations Encountered in a Trip extending<br /> +from August 30, 1919, to February 16, 1920</p> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<p class="center">Printed by Call Printing Company<br />EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS<br />1920</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>Exodium for All Americans</span></h2> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<p>I hope the American people will be interested with the information I +have just brought from my native country. I am writing the story of my +trip to Lithuania and return at the suggestion of some of my fellow +citizens, to whom I have narrated some ideas of it, in which they took +much interest as instructive information for anyone who prepares for a +trip to any part of the world. As this country is composed of citizens +and patriots of all nationalities, so every citizen may get attraction +to visit his native land; and even those who are born in this country +are sometimes tempted to visit the country of their fathers and +forefathers.</p> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<h2><span>Exodium for Waterbury, Conn., Citizens Only.</span></h2> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<p>My Dear Friends and Fellow Citizens:</p> + +<p>I am glad to be with you again. Why am I glad? Because of the thirty-six +years since I came to America, most of the time I have spent in +Waterbury. Here I have lived for twenty-one years. Because in Waterbury +I had time enough to make many friends, and if I did not do so, it is my +own fault. In a word, in Waterbury my adopted citizenship must have +rooted much deeper than in the other parts of the United States in which +I have lived for a much shorter time.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<h2><span>What I Saw in Lithuania</span></h2> + +<hr class="smler" /> + +<p>No matter how zealous patriots we may become in our adopted country, we +should not forget altogether our native country. As I did not venture to +visit Lithuania under the czar in 1910, when I was visiting other parts +of Europe, I had a great desire to see my native land after the horrible +war. Anyone would be anxious to visit his native country after +thirty-six years' absence.</p> + +<p>It was not an easy task for me to get a passport, as the United States +government objected to letting me cross Germany. There being no American +consul to Germany, our government would not take the responsibility of +protecting me in that country. To avoid crossing Germany I was advised +to ask for a passport through Denmark, Switzerland and Libow, which I +did. But the consul at Denmark refused to put the visa on my passport +unless I would send a cable to Denmark and get the consent of the +government. I went to Washington to see the ambassador of Denmark +personally, and he told me the same as the consul in New York. I then +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>went to the State Department asking to have a change made in my +passport which would permit me to go through France. This the State +Department refused to do. Finally I went to Mr. Walsh, the Senator from +Massachusetts, who sent his secretary with me to the State Department, +and the change was made immediately. I then went to the French +ambassador who put his visa on my passport, and I was ready to go by way +of France. It took me about two months to get the passport.</p> + +<p>On August 30th, 1919, I embarked from New York, West Fourteenth Street, +on the ship Transatlantique La Lorraine, to Havre, France. The second +night of my trip was very foggy. Our ship sounded fog horns all night. I +felt that the ship was standing still and went on deck to see what had +happened. I saw lights flashing in two places, as if two ships were +sinking not far from each other. On making inquiry from the sailors I +found that our ship had collided with a fishing boat from Canada, +cutting it in two. Fortunately all the fishermen were saved by our ship. +I saw them struggling in their small boats against the waves near our +ship, till they came close and the ropes were let down, by means of +which their small boats were pulled up to our ship and the men were +saved. Next day a collection for the fishermen was taken up among our +passengers which amounted to 3000 francs, and they were carried to Havre.</p> + +<p>All the voyage to France was very stormy except one day at the beginning +and one day near France. Eight days' trip from New York to Havre. Sunday +night about eight o'clock we reached Havre, but we were obliged to sleep +on the ship because Monday morning the inspectors came to examine all +passports and luggage. It was after one o'clock in the afternoon when I +reached Paris, where I called at the Lithuanian Legation to get +directions for going by way of Switzerland and Libow to Lithuania. They +directed me to cross Germany, assuring me that two Lithuanian priests +just before me had crossed Germany without any trouble.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> They were +ignorant of the fact that one of those priests lost in Germany two suit +cases valued at about five hundred dollars. This priest told me this +later, when I met him in Lithuania.</p> + +<p>After remaining in Paris for three days, trusting the advice of the +Lithuanian Legation, having seen all authorities of France and England, +I started for Lithuania by way of Belgium, Cologne, Berlin, Eytkunen, to +the first station of Lithuania, called Valkaviskis. My baggage was +addressed by the same route and was carried on the same train. The train +left Paris at 9:30 P. M. I had a chance to see some of the ruined cities +of Belgium only in the morning—at night there was no possibility of +seeing. When we came to the first station in Germany, Herbesthal, the +German inspector of passports and baggage came to examine all trunks. I +was told that the train would wait there at the station till all the +trunks were carried back to the baggage room and the same train would +carry them together with the passengers. But it was just to the +contrary. When I returned from the station after unlocking and locking +my trunk the train was gone, and my trunk was left in Herbesthal and my +two suit cases were carried away to Cologne. I was obliged to take +another train to Cologne. On the first train we were supposed to arrive +in Cologne about 11:00 a. m.; on the second train we did not arrive +until very near four p. m. I was afraid of losing both my suit case, +portable altar and the trunk. The suit case and the portable altar I +found in Cologne, with the help of the British soldiers, but my trunk, +worth about five hundred dollars, is lost forever in Germany.</p> + +<p>In Cologne I tried in vain to get breakfast about 4:30 p. m. If you do +not drink beer you can get nothing to eat. Those who drink beer get some +herrings without bread. Bread you get only once a day—two small thin +slices, for supper. There are no dining rooms on the trains any more in Germany.</p> + +<p>At 9:30 p. m. the train left Cologne for Berlin.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> Near Berlin the +British inspector of passports told me: "I allow you this time to pass +this way to Lithuania if you promise me not to return to America the +same way." I said: "I will return by way of Libow." At 8:30 a. m. the +train arrived in Berlin and left for Koenigsberg and Eytkunen at 9:30 p. +m. The evening trip from Berlin was a regular torture to me which I +shall never forget. It seems to me that on that evening there must have +been some sort of revolution among the German parties. No matter what +the classification of the ticket of any passenger, whether first, +second, third or fourth class, there was no distinction in the service +on the train. There was such a multitude of people flocking to the +train, the stronger ones trampling over the weaker—especially the +women. Even after the train was filled there were many left to stand and +wait for another train. I had a second class ticket and was obliged to +sit in the corridor on my suit case all night and the greater part of the day.</p> + +<p>On the train were many armed German soldiers going to Latvia and a part +of Lithuania. I heard them talking about Littau and Mittau Shauliai. +After we passed Koeningsburg near the Eytkunen limit of Lithuania, some +persons, one of them in the uniform of a soldier, began to speak the +Lithuanian language. I asked them who they were and they told me they +were Lithuanian officials returning from Berlin.</p> + +<p>As soon as we arrived at Eytkunen, the German inspector asked to see our +passports, and seeing on mine no visa by the German authority, I was +told to return to Berlin for the necessary signature. I informed him +that the consul of Switzerland in New York put the visa on my passport, +permitting me to cross Germany. This was not sufficient as the Swiss +consul had lost this authority at the termination of the war. +Fortunately the Lithuanians whom I met at Eytkunen appealed to the Mayor +of Virbalis, a city of Lithuania, who came to Eytkunen and obtained my release.</p> + +<p>What a joy it was when a German soldier came to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> me while I was +preparing to return to Berlin and told me to proceed to Lithuania. He +led me to the train leaving for Vilkaviskis.</p> + +<p>I was very anxious to see that part of the country for I was well +acquainted with it thirty-six years ago. I saw that Lithuania is more +devastated than Belgium. The Germans crossed through Belgium once only, +while Lithuania had been the regular battlefield for the German and +Russian armies. It was alternately captured and recaptured by the +contending armies. When the Russian army was fleeing it destroyed +whatever opportunity afforded, likewise the German army in its retreat +carried everything in its wake, pillaged, burned and destroyed whatever +it could not take. I noticed in particular one village which had been, +only a few trees were visible. Numerous farm houses had been destroyed +and burned to the ground. People now live in huts made partly of straw, +old boards and clay. Not only the war, but nature has made changes in +Lithuania. Rivers, such as the Seimena and Sirvinta, are only brooks. As +we approached Vilkaviskis, my native town, the passengers called my +attention to the station. My imagination failed to picture the rudely +constructed hut as the same station of former years, which had been +entirely destroyed by the invading army.</p> + +<p>When I descended from the train, my sister's son-in-law, whom I had seen +in Germany ten years ago, recognized me and conducted me to his home +nearby. After spending a few happy hours with my friends and relatives I +proceeded to the rectory. The next morning I was fortunate indeed to say +mass for the first time in the church in which I was baptized. That +afternoon at a meeting of the Lithuanian Sales Corporation, I lectured +on American Lithuanians and Americans in general. Monday I went to +Kaunas, or Kovno, to meet the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span><a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a>President of Lithuania, Anthony +Smetona, to extend to him the congratulations of the Lithuanian Total +Abstinance Organization of America.</p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> When I presented to the president of Lithuania, Mr. Anthony +Smetona, the said recommendation of the Lithuanian Total Abstinance +Organization in America, which is indeed a suggestion to introduce the +prohibition of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks in +Lithuania—in other words, to imitate the American government in this +respect, he expressed himself sufficiently in favor of it, but it is +quite self-evident that he, as the President of Lithuania alone, cannot +accomplish it. In our conversation he made a suggestion to me that I +should strive to get a chance to speak publicly in Kaunas and in other +places as much as possible on the subject of total abstinance, to which +I expressed my hope that some of the priests of Kaunas, no doubt, would +give me a chance there. Then the President said to me: "I have read in +the Lithuanian American newspapers so much of you as the apostle of +total abstinance among Lithuanians in America, I wish you would do the +same here." In Lithuania the opportunity to speak to the people is +offered only on Sunday, and in that case it is better in the church. So +I had an opportunity on Sundays and delivered sermons in seven churches. +In one a good number of priests as guests were assembled and listened to +my sermon. They were pleased and at dinner table were discussing about +American prohibition. A great many of them are boldly opposed to it; +some even expressing their doubt about total abstinance. But they all +were curious to know what those Lithuanians will do who were arrested +and punished for manufacturing at home and selling intoxicants without +the license of the government, after hearing of that sermon in the +church. Lithuanians in Lithuania have learned from the Germans when they +were in occupation, not only how to make intoxicants, but also soap, +sugar, etc.</p> + +<p>At first I considered it might be an insult to speak about total +abstinance in Lithuania, after the horrible war; that those people could +not get any attraction to intoxicants having witnessed such horrors of +the war. But I was soon informed by some good souls of the necessity of +total abstinance and of the dangers and temptations of many to +intoxication. So I could not part with Lithuania without making an +effort to sow the seed that might produce some good effects in the field +of total abstinance.</p> + +<p>As soon as I came to Boston and Worcester the Lithuanian Total +Abstinance Central Committee held its quarter-annual convention and +caught me unexpectedly and cross-examined me on the situation in +Lithuania. I was obliged to give an account of all I had done in +Lithuania for total abstinance and prohibition. I told them that the +President alone could not introduce prohibition, and that they will wait +until a general convention of Lithuanians will take place. Then they +appointed me to write to the President for an official answer to their +communication, and that I should strive to find some way by which the +Total Abstinance Organization of America could unite in co-operation +with the same organization in Lithuania. So I undertook to do so, and am +trying now to perform my obligation, but at present the correspondence +with Lithuania is very slow.</p></div> + +<p>The President of Lithuania was very thankful to the Americans and +Lithuanians for the help they so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> generously extended to alleviate the +sufferings of the people committed to his care. I visited the +institution for teachers, called "Saules Namai", the Home of the Sun, +which was almost miraculously saved from the devastations of war. While +speaking of this institution I must also say a few words about the vast +difference in spirit of the Lithuanians of the past and present. In +former years the parents were free to send or not to send their children +to school under the regime of the Czar. Few parents grasped this +opportunity for they despised education, saying our forefathers were +very good people without education, so we and our children will remain +without it. I was very much surprised to see the spirit among the +Lithuanians today. The young and old are eager to learn, to educate, to +build schools and institutions of learning. The larger cities have +gymnasiums or higher schools for girls and boys. They are creating new +organizations to support these institutions and are exerting to the +utmost to preserve them.</p> + +<p class="bold">The Spirit of Patriotism</p> + +<p>I would not dare to undertake to describe to you the spirit of +patriotism of the Lithuanians in their native land, for I am a +Lithuanian, and some may say that it is quite natural to praise one's +own. But what I have heard from their enemies, the Germans, would seem +to be legitimate. Even they are amazed to see the patriotic spirit of +the Lithuanians, especially young boys eighteen and nineteen years of +age who are so anxious to defend their liberty. They are presenting +themselves in great numbers to the officials of the present government +to be enrolled in the army, but for the lack of ammunition and clothing +great numbers are turned away. In my conversation with some of these +soldiers I asked them if they really thought they could defend their +country from the yoke of their oppressors. Their answer was: "We will +not submit to any yoke; we know well that our fathers and forefathers +suffered for so many centuries, and we in turn shall defend our liberty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +to the last drop of blood." One of these soldiers was preparing to +return to war against the Kolchakians and Germans, to expel them from +the city called Siauliai, which they had lately occupied. After +repulsing the Bolshevik from the Dvinsk, they had a few weeks' rest and +then marched to Kaunas.</p> + +<p>At the time I was visiting Lithuania she was surrounded by enemies—on +the north and east by the Bolsheviks, on the west by Kolchak and the +insurgent Germans, and on the south by the Poles. The most stupendous +fact is that at present the Poles are the most dangerous foes of the +Lithuanians. The Poles, rejoicing in their own liberation from the yoke +of oppression, are altogether unmindful that they are striving to place +the Lithuanian nation under worse oppression. When the Germans occupied +Lithuania they did not treat them as roughly as the Poles are doing at +this moment. For example, I was in Lithuania when the Poles took Seinai, +the seat of Bishop Karosas, which is a Lithuanian city, imprisoned the +Lithuanian Bishop in his residence, expelled the ecclesiastical students +from their seminary, arrested two priests and carried them to Poland. If +any of the remaining priests are called out on a sick call, they send +armed soldiers to accompany the priest and guard his movements strictly. +They did not permit the Bishop to correspond with his pastors, or the +priests of the diocese, nor was anyone permitted to call on him. The +Germans during their occupation never guarded a priest going to sick calls.</p> + +<p>Here is a translation of a little article taken from a Lithuanian +political daily newspaper called Lietuva (Lithuania) of October 10, 1919:</p> + +<p>"Actions of the Polish Occupants.—The Polish army came to the district +of Vilkaviskis in September. After two weeks they began to show their +rapacity. They robbed Augustin Kliogutis of Norvydai while he was going +home from church, with five other companions, stripped them of their +clothing and left them in puris naturalibus."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p><p>Similar notices filled the paper with the various robberies committed +by soldiers of the Polish army. On September 21, 1919, one of the Polish +officials called the Lithuanian people together and promised them great +favors—while the people asked him to stop the robberies, which would +have been the greatest favor possible. The Lithuanians say: "If the +Poles could grant us favors they would not keep their soldiers half +naked and half starved."</p> + +<p>For all this greediness and avariciousness of the Polish people I do not +blame the good Polish citizens and patriots, because in our days in all +nationalities there are a great many political parties, of which the +governments are composed, the greater number of those compelling the +entire nation to act against the good will of the citizens. On the other +hand we Lithuanians cannot boast too much of our patriotism, as though +we had no traitor, even among the Poles. There are many Polonized +Lithuanians, or so-called Poles who by the familiar and long intercourse +with the Polish race, gradually neglected and despised and finally +rejected entirely the Lithuanian language, adopted the Polish language +in such a manner that some of them do not acknowledge to be Lithuanians +but claim to be of Polish descendency—in other words, Polish by birth. +These are the greatest persecutors of the Lithuanians now. This is the +principal reason why the Poles took possession of Vilna, the first +capitol of Lithuania. They maintain that all the province of Vilna is +purely Polish. In this way the Polish patriots, joined by the Polonized +Lithuanian renegades and traitors, try to induce others to join their +party, and to struggle to find the demarkation between the two countries +would appear endless without the final decision of the allies.</p> + +<p>It is true what the Rev. Laukaitis remarked in his speech, that the +Poles are carrying on their propaganda to induce more of the Lithuanian +farmers, ignorant enough, to sign the Polish alliance. They send their +crafty speakers to the villages near the boundary trying to persuade the +Lithuanian government to permit a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> ballot to be cast in Vilna as to +which side they prefer to belong. These propagandists do not tell the +truth. They, like the Bolsheviks, promise mountains of gold, and in the +end give bitter sorrow. It would indeed be foolish to allow a ballot +after these speakers obtain the signatures of the farmers, who, through +their ignorance, are misled by the vain promises and misleading +arguments that the Lithuanians are incapable of self-government, without +first hearing our side. With such arguments it would take only a few +months to lead astray all the Lithuanians or vice versa Lithuanian +speakers could bring to our side all Poles.</p> + +<p>Members of the British mission at Kaunas (Kovo) told me that the +Lithuanians are very brave soldiers who have so many enemies, yet +nevertheless keep their spirit of patriotism so long and so firmly. It +stands to reason then, that the Lithuanians, as a nation, are very +brave, considering the numbers of Poles and Lithuanians, you could +hardly imagine how the Lithuanians could dare oppose the Poles, and yet +you see they attempt to oppose many armies. Lithuania has about +one-fifth the population of Poland in Europe and about one-third the +population of the Poles in America.</p> + +<p>While I was spending five days in Kaunas, the temporary capital of +Lithuania, the President received a cable from Lloyd George, London, +recognizing the independence of Lithuania. This was on the night of +September 26th. As soon as the cable arrived the Lithuanian government +had the greatest demonstration in the history of the nation, wholly +unmindful of the weather and rain. Parades, speeches, and the wildest +rejoicing for this newly realized dream took possession of the city.</p> + +<p>I intended to remain in Lithuania until May, but was obliged to change +my mind for more than one reason. My winter apparel was in the lost +baggage in Germany and the cold weather was approaching rapidly. There +was no possibility for me to visit all the Parish churches as intended. +There was no means of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>travel, train or vehicle. During the war the +Lithuanians were deprived of all their horses. Those which they have now +are used on the farms. With the greatest difficulty I managed to visit +the following: Kybartai, Virbalis, Alvitas, Lankeliskiai, Valkaviskis, +Gizai, Marjampole, Kaunas, and Kamendulai. I did not get the opportunity +to see the Bishop of Vilona; for there was no consul of Poland in +Lithuania to sign my passport. I spoke with the suffragan of the bishop +of Kaunas. The Bishop of Seinai was arrested by the Poles. The last and +to me the most important reason why I was determined to return to +America immediately was because of the bad treatment the Lithuanian +Bishops, priests and ecclesiastical students received in Seinai. I +resolved to return to appeal to the sympathetic hearts of the Americans +to protest against the wrong-doings of the Poles.</p> + +<p>After visiting the above mentioned places, I decided to find out when +and how I could get a ship from England to New York. I went to Kaunas a +second time, as I was advised that I should telephone to Libow for +information with regard to sailings of English ships—so as to know how +long I could remain in Lithuania.</p> + +<p>At Kaunas I learned that the Germans and Kolchakians had taken Siauliai, +a city between Kaunas and Libow, and that I could not go back to America +by way of Libow. The telephone was interrupted by the occupants. Then +there was no way left to me but to go to the English mission at Kaunas +to get a permit to go back via Germany, and to go to the German consul +at Kaunas to put a visa on my passport for the same purpose. Having +obtained all the documents I said adieu to Kaunas, adieu Lithuania, +adieu Vilkaviskis, adieu my sister and all her family. On October 16 I +took the German train from Eytkunen to Berlin and Cologne. In Cologne I +remained three days, making investigation for my lost baggage, but in +vain. Via Brussells to Ostend, where I embarked on the four hours vessel +from Ostend to Dower, an English port. On October 23 I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> came to London +at 9:30 p. m. There I was obliged to spend all night walking up and down +the front of the church to avoid catching cold, because there was no +possibility of getting a place in any of the hotels. Next morning the +first thing I went to find out how soon I could get the ship Mauretania. +I was informed that it was not sure if the Mauretania would be able to +start for New York on December 30, because it was in repair. There were +some smaller ships to start sooner, which I did not risk. In Scotland +two Lithuanian priests who were informed of my coming to London and +would not be able to get a ship to America for a long time, invited me +to Scotland to give mission to the Lithuanians there. Having consented +to do so, I came to Glasgow November 5. In the following places I gave +mission of four days each: Graigneuk, Motherwell, Garfin, Burnbank; and +a whole week in each of the following places: Mossend and Glasgow. I +also spent one week at Manchester in England. The missions were very +successful in all places. The Lithuanians were rejoicing and saying that +my not getting a ship was very providential. On December 21, I came back +to London and bought my ticket to cross the ocean on the Canadian ship +called Empress of France, which was to start January 3, 1920. On +December 24 I came to Liverpool to spend a few days there in getting +ready for my voyage to Canada and the United States. On coming to +Liverpool, I learned that the "Empress of France" was to start four days +later, than was intended, on January 7th.</p> + +<p>The Lithuanian people of Liverpool asked me to give a Mission to them. +On the Sunday after Christmas I opened a mission for the Lithuanians of +Liverpool, and closed it the next Sunday.</p> + +<p>On Wednesday, January 7th, I embarked on the ship for St. John, Canada. +The "Empress of France" claims to make her trip in six days, but in +rough weather it took us fully eight days, so it was January 15th, about +7:30 p. m., we arrived in St. John, Canada. Next morning, after +examining our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> passports and trunks, we landed. There was no train to +Boston, Mass., till 7:30 p. m. I arrived at Boston January 17th, just a +few minutes before 12 o'clock a. m.</p> + +<p class="bold">The Object of This Lecture.</p> + +<p>Some one may inquire of me, what I wish the Americans to do for Lithuania?</p> + +<p>All small nations of the world, so far, had the greatest confidence in +the <b>League of Nations</b>, which promised to all equal liberty of existence +and self-determination, toleration of its language, etc. The principal +characteristic of any nation is the language of that nation. If the +native language is forbidden to any nation by those becoming its +conquerors, the nation is exterminated.</p> + +<p>All the enemies of Lithuania seem to be very anxious to deprive the +people of their language, for as soon as they take possession of some of +the Lithuanian cities or towns, the first step they take is to forbid +the children to be taught the Lithuanian language. Now, with all the +smaller nations of the world, Lithuanians are crying: "Where is Justice? +Why are our enemies so anxious to deprive us of our language? In what +respect is our enemies' language better than our own? Is it our fault +that we are born of Lithuanian parents and speak Lithuanian language?"</p> + +<p>Philologists are demonstrating that the Lithuanian language, of all +European languages, is the nearest to Sanscrit. All educated people are +glad to know that there is some nation in existence using the oldest of +speaking tongues. Why is it that, in our days, people who claim to be +very highly educated are attempting to exterminate the nation which is +using the oldest language? Nothing but envy, greed and grab!</p> + +<p>Now, as the <b>League or Nations</b> is gradually dying, so all hope of +preserving the Lithuanian nation, together with its language, is diminishing.</p> + +<p>Some people maintain that the <b>League of Nations</b> is diametrically opposed +to the will of God, expressed in the prophesies of the Bible; that there +will be no end of wars to the very end of the world. But we know,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +positively, that God does not want wars; that God wants peace. We know +very well that all the causes of the wars are to be found in the +iniquities of men—in the seven capital sins. If not all the prophesies +of the Bible, at least a great many can be explained conditionally. If +people mend their behaviour, the punishments, which have been foretold +for their crimes, will not take place, because the nature itself, which +has been so directed by the Creator to punish man for deviating from the +order, is changed by man's actions. In fact, some of the prophesies of +the Old Testament we could not explain, save in this way. If all people +would strive to stop the wars, the <b>League of Nations</b> would become the +means of bringing universal peace on earth, according to the will of the +Almighty. I wish the American people would study this question as +closely as possible, and bring all nations to everlasting peace.</p> + +<p>We can plainly see, from the following text of the Bible, that God wants +all people to live in peace always: "But if one strike thee on thy right +cheek, turn to him also the other. * * * And if any man will contend +with thee in judgment, and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also +unto him."—Matt. v. 40. God could never have said this, unless He +foresaw the possibility of lasting peace among all men and all nations in this world.</p> + +<p>Just imagine, if all people and all nations in this world were readily +prepared to turn their other cheek to the one who is ready to strike you +on your right cheek. It is self evident there would be none to strike +his neighbor on his right cheek. And if everybody in the world would be +ready to let go his cloak to one who is ready to take away his coat, +there would be none to deprive any one of his coat. As long as we +believe that Jesus Christ, who said these words, is true God and true +man; as long as we know that every man has free will, and can do what he +pleases, so long is this principle possible to every man. Even to those +people who do not believe in the divinity of Jesus<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> Christ, this +principle could be explained as a natural law: Do not do unto others +what you do not want others to do unto you; do unto others what you wish +others to do unto you. If all intelligent people, together with those +who are aspiring to a higher education, would strive to organize a +league to educate all people in this particular principle, there would +be no doubt of its success, because no people would desire to have +another war. Everybody knows that war does no good to any one; and that +another war would be ten times worse than the one we have had. I do not +see why the <b>League of Nations</b> or another similar reorganized regulation +of nations, should not attract all nations to a union of such principles as these.</p> + +<p>The objector insists: "I do not mean that the <b>League of Nations</b> is +opposed to the will of God, as if God wanted wars, but God, foreseeing +the wickedness of men, prophesied that there will be no peace among men +to the end of the world."</p> + +<p>It is sufficient to us to know that God does not want war, that God +wants peace; or, in other words, to know God's will, and to strive to do +it. As long as we know that either the <b>League of Nations</b> or other +international organization is in accordance to the will of God—who is +striving to induce all nations to prevent wars in future—just as God +wants all people to live in peace always—so we ought to strive, by word +and example, to induce all nations to hate wars and live in peace. As +every human being has a right to existence, so every family and every +nation has a right to exist and use its own language, etc. No one has +the right to destroy small nations because they are too small to govern +themselves. For the very reason, if there be no more wars, if the <b>League +of Nations</b> is to be sincere in every respect, to reject all greediness, +which is the cause of wars, there would be no more necessity of +greatness to be able to defend against foes. Just as every family is +capable of governing itself, so the smallest nation can govern itself.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p><p>So far the League of Nations does not produce its desired effect, +because there is no confidence in some nations in one another. One +nation does not trust the other. It is a new branch of science. It +requires a good deal of study—and study by all nations and all +persons—until some one may discover the means to induce the desired +confidence satisfactory for all nations. I hope Americans will make the +greatest progress in this line, as in everything else.</p> + +<p>My opinion is that all nations could be induced to trust one another, if +the above principle of natural law would be plainly explained, either in +all languages or in <b>Aspiranto</b> language. If all representatives of all +nations would sign the agreement, then the danger would be removed far +away. If it is so difficult to induce one nation to trust the other +nation to join the League, how can you expect any small nation to be +inspired with any confidence when it is annexed to another greater +nation by force? No matter how long it will be annexed, it will seek +opportunity to free itself, and, unless you amputate its tongue, it will +adhere to its language. Just exactly like a cat and a dog in one bag, +one will bark, the other will cry its own song, or, like a patched +dress, will remain patched forever.</p> + +<p class="tbrk"> </p> + +<div class="center"><img src="images/dec.jpg" alt="Decoration" /></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Thirty Days in Lithuania in 1919, by +Peter P. 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