JAV lietuvių srovių telkimosi sunkumai ir prieštaravimai 1940 10 15–1941 05 15: nuo Lietuvai gelbėti tarybos iki Amerikos lietuvių tarybos
Difficulties and Disagreements in Consolidation of Lithuanian American Movements from 15 October 1940 to 15 May 1941...

Summary/Abstract: Council to Aid Lithuania established as a common political body of Lithuanians in exile on 15 October 1940 in Washington functioned in theory only because a larger part of its members did not show willingness to pay more energy and time for implementation of the objectives of the organisation. For the leaders of the main patriotic movements (Catholic Leonardas Šimutis, Socialist Pijus Grigaitis, Sandara member Mikas Vaidyla) the Council to Aid Lithuania became like a refuge in further strengthening the positions of their movements among Lithuanians in exile. Lithuanian diplomats in the US, primarily envoy Povilas Žadeikis, put every possible effort to stimulate the activities of the Council to Aid Lithuania by proposing its leaders to carry out specific works (to raise funds for the matters of Lithuania; to re-structure the Council to Aid Lithuania; to finance the release of required publications, to pursue propaganda, etc.). Movement leaders used to find a reason how to digress from the common specific work: the Catholics were dissatisfied with the organisational and financial unpreparedness of the Nationalists and the Socialists; the Nationalists were displeased by the disagreement of other movements to the arrival of Antanas Smetona in the US; the Socialists avoided communication with Lithuanian representatives; they went on to criticise the former regime in Lithuania. A part of Socialist leaders questioned the necessity of the Council. However, the principal obstacle to close cooperation among Council members was a financial issue because they could not establish Common Fund by any means possible. Strange though it may seem, the leaders of Lithuanian American Catholics were the fiercest opponents. They had their own Fund to Aid Lithuania, which partially coincided with the name of the Council to Aid Lithuania and brought certain confusion among Lithuanians in exile because some of them donated for general matters rather than the Catholic organisation. The Nationalists and the Socialists were dissatisfied about it. Povilas Žadeikis rested much of his hopes on the common commemoration day of 16 February 1941 in Lithuanian colonies in exile; however, the chairman of the Council to Aid Lithuania Leonardas Šimutis failed to prepare the planned address of the Council to Aid Lithuania to Lithuanians in exile. Joint commemoration events were organised by local enthusiasts and Lithuanian representatives rather than the Council to Aid Lithuania. The first more numerous funds were raised for Lithuanian refugees in Germany and elsewhere. The Catholics separately sent their financial support to Europe which was primarily intended for their ideological supporters, thus raising discontent among other Lithuanian groups...

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