JAV lietuvių tautininkų Lietuvai vaduoti sąjungos įkūrimas 1941 metais
Authors: Skirius Juozas 
Published: February 2022

THE FOUNDING OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE LIBERATION OF LITHUANIA BY AMERICAN-LITHUANIAN NATIONALISTS IN 1941

Summary

Historiography lacks a deep and thorough analysis of the Association for the Liberation of Lithuania (ALL), the American-Lithuanian organisation of nationalists (tautininkai), and yet its founding in 1941 marked the beginning of independent actions by American-Lithuanian nationalists and their relations 155 with the US government. Unfortunately, their efforts were undermined by their opponents (the Catholics and the socialists in particular), who expressed concerns regarding their agenda. Among the most notable claims were that the ALL duplicated the agenda of the Lithuanian American Council (LAC), and interfered in common interests during the Second World War.
The Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940 greatly encouraged different patriotic political groups (Catholics, nationalists and socialists) to combine their efforts and establish a common political organisation, the Lithuanian Rescue Council, which in 1941was renamed the Lithuanian American Council. Unfortunately, the nationalists found it difficult to accept a common financing model and the dominance of the Catholic group, which led to friction within the organisation. Moreover, Antanas
Smetona, the president of Lithuania, who arrived in the USA in 1941, received a cold and unfriendly welcome from the socialists and the Catholics. Consequently, this caused even greater dissatisfaction in the nationalist group, as they had hoped to work closely with the former president to help the occupied country. Therefore, Smetona became a unifying axis for the nationalists, and a reason for them to withdraw from the council.
It is no coincidence that the 1941 nationalist convention was held at Juozas Balčiūnas’ summer house in Michigan: President Smetona was living there with his family. Soon the Tabor Farm became a nationalist hub, which united like-minded Lithuanian-Americans from Chicago to Brooklyn. The twoday convention was attended by 27 nationalist delegates, as well as other guests, including Jadvyga Tubelienė and the consul Petras Daužvardis. The event is also known for the founding of the ALL and the Information Bureau, as well as the establishment of the Lithuanian National Relief Fund, which
brought together other smaller nationalist funds. The purpose of the fund was to collect donations not only from Lithuanians, but also from American citizens, to support Lithuania and its diaspora. The aforementioned organisations settled in Chicago in order to keep the balance between the patriotic left and right wings. Antanas Olis, a US-born lawyer, stood out as a new leader, and was elected head of all three organisations.
The participants in the conference at the Tabor Farm approved the ALL statutes, which defined the structure of the new organisation, its goals and agenda. The statutes also highlighted the aim of this nationalist organisation, which was not only to work with the Lithuanian diaspora, but also to establish relations with the political class in the USA. It was essential to inform them about recent developments in Lithuania, and to garner their support in order to restore Lithuania’s independence. The main idea was to openly support the Lithuanian government, which was formed by local citizens rather than by
foreigners.