The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-09

christian democratic party; from the
point of view of class-physiognomy,
however, this small party of mon
archist landed proprietors and peas
ants is closely allied to the christian
democrats. 1t is, therefore, no won
der that, after some vascillation, they
came to form one party with the lat
ter in the Seym, and of late began
to turn most pronouncedly against
the rule of the Narodnild and social
!. democrats.
These two reactionary parties,
which, to the delight of Great Britain,
aimed at bringing about rapproche-
! ment between Lithuania and Poland
and an estrangement from the Soviet
union, initiated the Kavno upheaval,
in which connection the christian
democrats required the aid OF the
nationalists so as at least slightly to
mask their tactics from the working
masses who hate the very sight of
them.
The leader of the entire movement,
Major Plechavitchius, a former car
list officer belonging to the class of
Polish landed proprietors in Lithu-
ania, had already distinguished him
! self in 1919 in his bestial execution of
the Bolsheviks of the Shmudj region
\ Tin Lithuania), thereby gaining credit
il. the eyes of the christian demo-
Gratis; Colonel Glovatzkis, likewise al
former czarist officer and one of the
landed proprietor class, made a name
in the summer of 1919 by causing al
number of Communists to be shot in
the Kupishski and Rakishski districts.
Both are in favor of an alliance with
! Poland.
The leaders of the Narodniki and
social democrats proved incapable of
forming bloc with the working class
and the village poor against the big
farmers, landed proprietors, and CAPT
talists, and of putting up a resolute
fight against the Fascists. They
merely kept declaiming on the threat
ening danger and had a lot to say
about democracy and the will of the
| people; meanwhile the Fasc1sts or
ganized their ranks and then proceed
ed at an opportune moment, and with
out meeting with any resistance, toI
arrest the entire government, occupy
the government buildings and place
the commanders of such regiments
under arrest as had remained loyal
to the old regime. Here, as in Bull
garia, the failure of the petty-bour-I
geois parties became patent.
Even before the upheavat, the Com
munist party of Lithuania constantly
and emphatically advocated a srug-
gle against Fascism, if necessary with
the use of arms. Without actually
supporting the government of the
Narodniki and social democrats, which
was after all bourgeois body, the
Communist party urged it to fight
against Fascism, clearly recognizing
all the advantages Of this govern
ment as compared with the Fascist
and christian democrats policy of the
big peasants. and big bourgeoisie
class according to Lithuanian stand
ards). After their coup d'etat, the
Fascist proceeded to arrest numerous
Communists, left wing and even social
democratic workers. There can ma
turally be no doubt whatever that the
overwhelming majority of the work.
ers and working peasantry of Lithu-l
ania are radically opposed to the
whole movement and to the Dictator
ship of the christian Fascist bankers
and land owners and, if for the time
being they do not take any active
steps, there is no question that in al
very short time they will take up the
fight against this form of dictator
ship along the whole front. The lead
in such a struggle cannot but fall to
the share of the Communist party.
The late President Grinius, whose
interment has meanwhile been repeal
ed, has dissolved the Sliashevitchus
cabinet and entrusted the nationalist
Voldemaras with the formation of a.
new government. The Fascist up
heaval and the new Fascist govern
ment of Lithuania have, therefore,
already been placed on legal foot
ing. Besides the pronounced reac-
tionary and Fascist elements, the
christian democrats and nationalists,
the government comprises repre-
sentative of the farmers party and
an independent, all it's members being
extreme Right champions of the
Lithuanian bankers, capitalists, big
farmers, and big landed proprietors.
The attitude observed towards the
Soviet union and the guarantee agree
ment concluded with the Soviet union
by the late government, is openly
hostile in the case Of the christian
democrats and in that Of the national
lists specifically, i. e., allegedly,
friendly, while the attitude assumed
with regard to Poland is friendly to-
the extent of servility in the former,
and professedly hostile in the latter
case. The christian democrats were
not averse to using the aid of Pilsud-
ski in the subversion of the Narodniki