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Copyright © 1956 Lithuanian Students Association, Inc.   No..2(7) - June 1956 Editor of this issue: L. Sabaliūnas

EAST AND WEST OF THE CURTAIN

Recent Soviet broadcasts urging members of the Lithuanian resistance movement to lay down their arms and surrender to the Russians point up the fact that nearly twelve years of suppression and brutal reprisals have failed to destroy the Lithuanian Underground... Bread Lines form even before midnight in many Lithuanian cities, according to German repatriates from behind the Curtain. Shelves in stores are invariably bare, and items like sugar are practically unavailable — in a country that was prosperous exporter of foodstuffs before the Russian invasion. In one city a riot broke out when an all-to-small quantity of soap — a scarce commodity behind the Curtain — was finally received by a State store... German repatriates interviewed by Lithuanian intelligence men just west of the Curtain reveal that native Russian anti-Communist broadcasting stations operate deep inside the Soviet Union. Natu-rallly, they do lot foil )w an advertised schedule...

Speeches and Statements by fifteen Senators and fifty-three Representatives in Congress highlighted official American observance of Lithuania's Independence Day this year. In both Houses the invocations on February 16 were read by Lithuanian clergymen. A statement issued by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles gave unmistakable evidence that the United States Government still follows the policy laid down in 1940 condemning the Soviet annexation of Lithuania as an act of force and refusing to recognize it. To this day the United States mainiains diplomatic relations with Independent Lithuania'!) Legation in Washington, D. C., and Lithuanian consulates operate in many American cities... Governors and many mayors proclaimed February 16 Republic of Lithuania Day in their states and cities, urging all citizens to observe the thirty-eighth anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania's independence.

In Rome, Senator Prof. Raf-faele Ciasscji delivered the keynote address at an observance attended by many Italian officials. His Eminence Cardinal Pizzardo celebrated Mass and preached... February 16 was also the fifth anniversary of Voice of America broadcasts to Lithuania. Special programs during ten days marked the event. The Dulles statement was a keynote feature. The Voice now beams words of encouragement to the enslaved country three and a half hours a day.

Gabrielius Rajeckas, teen-age son of a counsellor of the Lithuanian Legation in Washington, D. C., won the first prize in the famous "Voice of Democracy" speech contest and received congratulations from President Eisenhower, vice - president Nixon, and P. Zadeikis, Minister of Lithuania to the United States. Theme of his speech, subsequently printed four times in the Congressional Record, was the Lincoln penny created by Lithuanian Baranauskas-Brenner. Young Kajeckas will repeat his prize-winning speech at the annual convention of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce May 1.

Joseph Simanis, from Bridgeport, Conn., has been appointed vicecónsul of the United States at Stuttgart, Germany. A graduate of Yale and Indiana universities, he further pursued his studies in foreign affairs in Washington... Dr. Julius J. Bielskis, Lithuanian consul in Los Angeles, was honored at a testimonial banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

Mrs. Josephine Daužvardis, wife of Lithuania's consul in Chicago, spoke on Lithuania and her people to Chicago teachers at a meeting at the Chicago Board of Education... Members of the Executive Committee of the Lithuanian American Council, Inc., recently conferred in Washington with officials of the State Department and Congressional leaders.

Stasys Lozoraitis, Chief of Lithuania's Foreign Service, will arrive in Washington from Italy in June, according to an announcement made by the Legation in Washington... Jonas Budrys, Lithuania's Consul General in New York, was honored at a special banquet in Chicago under the auspices of Sandara, a Chicago Lithuanian weekly. On return to New York, he and Consul Vytautas Stašinskas attended several functions in honor of the visiting President of Italy.

On the fifteenth anniversary of the deportation of some 40,000 Lithuanians from their native land to the Siberian wastelands, a Petition to the President of the United States of America is being prepared by the Lithuanian Youth organizations.

J. Matulionis, President of the Supreme Lithuanian Committee of Liberation, and E. Deveniene, Chairman of the Executive Council, received an audience with Pope Pius XII at the Vatican.

ART AND ARTISTS

Paris — Twenty of the newest works of A. Moneys, Lithuanian sculptor, went on exhibit recently at the Paul Pouchol gallery here. The exhibition was opened by the head of the municipal council of Paris.

New York — Works of Ado-mas Galdikas, veteran Lithua-anian painter, on exhibit at Feigl gallery here, were very favorably reviewed by critics of the New York Times, New York Herald Tribune, Art News, Art, and Pictures on Exhibit. Gordon B. Washburn, director of the art department at the Carnegie Institute, after inspecting the pictures invited Mr. Galdikas to exhibit at the international exhibition in Pittsburgh. One of the paintings from this shoving was selected by Whitney American Art Museum for its spring exhibition. After the individual showing the Feigl gallery included five of Mr. Galdikas' paintings in a group exhibit of Matisse, Leger, Metzin-ger, and other painters.

Paris — Four paintings of Lithuanian V . Kasiulis were shown at "Les Arts en France et dans le Monde" exhibit of the Musee d'Art Moderne.

Chicago — Over 160 works of religious art by 37 Lithuanian artists were shown at a grand exhibition of Lithuanian religious art. A first prize of $300 and four of $100 each were awarded. In conjunction with the opening of the exhibition, Zenonas Nomeika, Lithuanian virtuoso organist, was presented in a concert of sacred music.

New York — "The Hands," a drawing by Lithuanian Romas Viesulas, was among 125 drawings selected from 5,000 for the Ail-American exhibit of drawings at the Museum of Modern Art.

Washington — The Library of Congress has acquired two of Mr. Viesulas' works for its J. and E. R. Pennel collection. The purchase of 90 also includes works by Cezanne, Picasso, Ho-fer, Crawford, and others.

Paris — P. Staunulis, a Lithuanian artist residing in Geneva, Switzerland, exhibited seven paintings at the Barbizon gallery here.

Great Neck, N. Y. — Six artists participated in an exhibition at the Almus gallery here, scene of frequent Lithuanian art exhibits.

Chicago — Individual exhibits of the works of Tadas Sparkis and J. Pautienius will be shown at the Lithuanian Auditorium here.

Philadelphia — Ten Lithuanian artists participated in the Young Artists' Exhibition presented by "Santara" — a Lithuanian youth movement. Some forty works of art were presented at the exhibition.

THE LITERARY SCENE

Three Lithuanian writers,Henrikas Radauskas, Antanas Rimydis, and Antanas Škėma, have been elected to the P.E.N. Club in New York.

Henrikas Radauskas received the 1955 literature award of the Lithuanian Writers' Society for his collection of poetry, "Winter Song." The $500 prize was presented to him at the annual Day of Literature sponsored by the Society in Chicago.

Birutė Pūkelevičiūtė, young Lithuanian novelist, won the annual $1,000 novel award sponsored by Draugas, Lithuanian daily published in Chicago, for her latest work, "Eight Leaves." The modern impressionistic novel portrays the experiences of a young refugee girl during the Russian capture of Danzig as well as her happy childhood in Lithuania.

"The Candlestick," a drama by Antanas Škėma, won its author the $500 award given by Darbininkas, Brooklyn Lithuanian newspaper, to commemorate its 40th anniversary.

Lithuanian poet Jonas Mekas edits and publishes "Film Culture," a unique magazine devoted to motion pictures as a form of art that fills a void in its field in the United States.

The Works of Dr. Jurgis Baltrušaitis, Jr., son of the noted poet, "Anamorphoses ou Perspectives Curieuses," and "Les Moyen Age Fantastique," published in France, enjoyed exceptional successs there.