www.lituanus.org
 
Copyright © 1956 Lithuanian Students Association, Inc.
 
October 1956  No.3(8) 
Editor in Chief: L. Sabaliūnas


EAST AND WEST OF THE CURTAIN

The Big News again is Guerrilla Warfare. By publicly appealing to Lithuanian guerrillas to surrender and return to "peaceful socialistic endeavors," the Russians again unwittingly proclaimed to the world that the Lithuanian Underground not only still exists but also is bothersome, to say the least. The latest report thus indicates that the Freedom Fighters are active not only in Lithuania Major but also in the heavily garrisoned Klaipeda (Memel) seacoast region. The number of the amnesty offers shows that the Partisans pay little heed to Russian promises.

Meanwhile the draining of Lithuania's finest manpower to distant areas of Russia continues unabated. The allegedly voluntary movement of young male and female workers to new industrial projects in the Russian wilderness is seen as nothing but the old deportations under a new guise. That Lithuanians are resisting this industrial conscription is evident from articles in the Communist press condemning all persons who "agitate" against the removal. Lithuania is scheduled to give up about 10,000 young people by the end of the year.

The plight of Lithuanian teen-agers under Russian rule is demonstrated by an executive order requiring all school children from the seventh grade up to work for a period of not less than two weeks on a state-con-trolled "collective" farm (seventh-graders in Lithuania are normally 13 years old).

Bread sold in Soviet-run Lithuania is of the poorest quality and often is only half-baked, the Communist press admits. The state bakeries, however, do not seem to be much concerned about the matter because the demand greatly exceeds the supply. (In our last issue we reported that bread lines in many Lithuanian cities started well before midnight.)

Present-day Soviet rulers share Stalin's guilt and cannot escape responsibility for the crimes they perpetrated with him, U. S. Senator William F. Knowland told a liberation mass meeting in New York recently. Speaking at a meeting sponsored by the American Friends of the Captive Nations, Know-land cited the enslavement of the Baltic States as an example of crimes in which the new Russian leaders were Stalin's henchmen. Other featured speakers included U. S. Representative Harrison Williams, General W. J Donovan of wartime OSS fame, the Rt. Rev. Jonas Balku-nas, a noted Lithuanian-American clergyman, and famous Polish General Anders. President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, Governor Harriman and others notables sent their greetings to the assembly.

The Soviet Union must withdraw its forces from the Baltic States and other captives East European nations and permit free elections there, U. S. Senator Paul H. Douglas told the Senate recently. He submitted a resolution urging the Senate to declare the foregoing as the "sense of the Senate" and to request the President to seek to implement this policy by all proper means.

Stasys Lozoraitis, Chief of Lithuania's Diplomatic Service, recently completed his American tour and returned to his headquarters in Rome, Italy. While in the United States, he had conferences in the State Department, called on governors and mayors, and visited many Lithuanian-American communities.

Col. Felix Vaitkus, sixth man to cross the Atlantic in a solo flight, died recently in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he held an important position in the U S. Air Force. In 1935 he flew from New York to Ireland and from there to Kaunas, Lithuania.

THE MARCH OF SCIENCE

Quietly and without fanfare, Lithuanian refugee scientists and scholars are making their contributions to knowledge at many Free World universities. Indicative of their wide range of interests is this random selection of new Ph. D.'s.

Jonas A. Gylys received his Ph.D. in pharmacology at Loyola University in Chicago. His doctoral thesis was "The Effect of Some Aromatic Sulphur Compounds on the Growth of the Walker 256 Tumor."

K. J. Čeginskas was awarded a doctoral degree by the University of Strasbourg. "Lithuanian National Resurrection, an Attempt of Sociological History" was the subject of his thesis.

Antanas Klimas, an instructor in German at the University of Pennsylvania, received his Ph.D. from the same institution. His thesis was entitled "Primitive Germanic 'kuningaz' and Its Spread."

In enslaved Lithuania, however, the academic picture is bleak. Tiesa, the organ of the Communist Party, admits that despite a shortage of scientists not a single doctor was produced in five years in biology, biochemistry, hydrageology, geological engineering, archaeology and kindred fields.

Dr. A. Maceina, noted Lithuanian philosopher, lectured at the University of Freiburg/Breis-gau on Dostoyevsky's religious philosophy.

Dr. A. Liaugminas, who recently came from Colombia, teaches French language and literature courses at Loyola University in Chicago.

Social Science Research Council, Washington, D. C., has granted a subsidy of $1,500 to help finance the publication of Dr. J. Balys' "Lithuanian Songs in America," a major work by the leading Lithuanian folklorist.

Dr. Skardžius, a Lithuanian philologist on the staff of the U. S. Library of Congress, is nearing completion of his study on the morphology of Lithuanian words. It will be published in Heidelberg and Goettingen.

Dr. A. Salys and Dr. A. Senn, University of Pennsylvania, are working on a new Lithuanian-German dictionary.

Human Relations Area Files, Inc., at Yale University, has published a 411-page volume on Independent and Sovietized Lithuania, edited by B. Maciuika.

ART AND ARTISTS

Lithuanian artists, who fled the Soviet onslought to save their lives and their freedom to create, are making their mark on four continents, our survey indicates.

Australia. The exhibit of the works of Lithuanian artists H. Šalkauskas and A. M. Šimkūnas in Sydney was opened by the president of the Art Society of Australia, W. Howkins. Also present at the opening was the governor of the National Gallery and president of the National Opera, T. E. Lankner and many other notables. Favorable reviews acclaimed the exhibit in the Sydney press. Mr. Šalkauskas also exhibited three of his works at the Modern Art Exhibit in the D. Jones Gallery. Sydney's Bissielta Art Gallery recently featured an exhibit of the works of V. Ratas, opened by the Consul of Denmark, Mr. F H. Hergel. Other recent Lithuanian exhibitors in Australia were V. V. Meškenas and L. Žygas.

Brasil. Antanas Kairys received a Mensao Honrosa award for a painting at the great 25th exhibit of the Associacao Pau-lista de Belas Artes at the Pres-tes Maia Gallery in Sao Paulo.

France. The works of V. Kasiulis, a noted Lithuanian painter were on exhibit throughout June at the C. G. Stiebei gallery in Paris. His paintings were also seen at the Exhibit of Contemporary Painting. Other works by Mr. Kasiulis were featured at the Eighth Salon of Drawings and Water Colors... Forty works in granite, wood, lead, and bronze were shown at a survey exhibition of A. Moncys, Lithuanian sculptor, in Laon.

Switzerland. Geneva's municipal Rath Museum was the scene of a recent exhibit by Mrs. Juze Katilius-Stanulis, Lithuanian refugee artist. Like her first exhibition here three years ago, this showing of 25 works, mostly Swiss and French landscapes, won acclaim in the Swiss press.

U. S. A. Povilas Puzinas, aleading Lithuanian painter, received his sixth American art prize when the Windsor Newton Award was presented to him recently at the twenty-sixth annual exhibition of Long Island Art League. His other awards in the United States were: the first prize of the All-City Art Show in Los Angeles, given for his painting, "Refugee Woman," (also popularly voted the best picture of the year); the annual art medal of the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles; highest award at the International Madonna Art Festival; special prize at the International Flower Show Art Exhibit and the first prize at last year's American Traditional Art Show for his painting, "The Deportees." ... V O. Virkau's lithograph "Illustration Miguel Manara" is among the works of graphic art shown at the fourteenth exhibit of American Graphic Artists in the Library of Congress... Miss N. Jasiukynaitė's works went on exhibit recently at the New York Public Library... C. Janušas, P. Puzinas, and W. Vitkus exhibited at the Long Island Art League. ... New York's Fine Arts Associates featured a show of A. Blatas' graphic work. Six Lithuanian artists went on exhibit at Stony Brook, N. Y. The show was opened by Jonas Budrys, Lithuania's Consul General in New York. V. Vaitiekūnas exhibited a number of his paintings at a special show in Chicago.