The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-09
The Fascist Upheaval in Lithuania
BY W. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

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more especially during the last few
weeks, the Lithuanian Fascists, led
by the so-called christian democrats,
have been preparing quite openly for
an upheaval. This is avowed by the
entire Lithuanian press. The Com
munist Party of Lithuania and the
left-wing workers had untiringly
pointed to the threatening danger and
demanded that it be energetically
combatted; however, the government,
which was composed of popular
socialists and social democrats, could
not make up his mind to any decided
action.
If we inquire into the nature Of
the present upheaval, we cannot but
recognize that it is fascist-capitaI-
ist movement, directed in the first
line against the working class and the
poor peasantry. Under the petty
bourgeois regime of the Narodniki
popular socialists) and social demo-
Gratis, who came into power after the
Lithuanian Seym elections in Nav
1926, the working class and the work
ing peasantry had succeeded in max
ing considerable progress in regard to
/ the freedom of coalition, assembly.
and the press, besides attaining a
practically complete amnesty for poll
teal prisoners and the removal of the
Ochrana butchers and of certain Off
Gals Of particular notoriety as en-
bezzlers of public property, and at the
same time concluding a guarantee
agreement with the Soviet union.
The working class of Lithuania could
breathe more freely and commenced
the formation of trade unions. while
there was series of strikes through
cut the country. The poor peasanrry
demanded that at least the most out
rageous acts of the land reform eff
fected in the interest of the formerly
prevailing clique be subjected to re-
vision, and that the embezzlers of
public property be called to account.
The government of the Narodniki
and the social democrats failed to
comply with these demands. Under
the pressure of the reactionary cleri-
cal bourgeoisie, which was louder and
louder in its allegations that the gov
eminent was likely to plunge the
country into Bolshevism, the latter
tegan to incline more towards the
right. Steps were taken to dissolve
the trade unions which were under
the influence of the left, certain Com
munists were arrested, and so forth.
The Communist Party failed to at
tain any legal status, while the
Fascists were allowed to carry on
their work and found their organi-
cation quite openly. During the last
few weeks, it is true, the government
responded to the growing danger and
to the pressure of the peasantry and
working class and affected a certain
movement towards the left, placing
the Fascist leader Glovatzkis under
arrest and prohibiting the publication
of his paper. These measures, how
ever, proved insufficient.
At the head of the Fascist move
ment in Lithuania are the christian
democratic party (Chadeki) and the
party of the Lithuanian nationaIists.
The former comprises three organi.
cations, the actual christian democrat
tic party, the union of big peasants
and the Yellow Federation of Labor.
IL is the party of the reactionarv
Lithuanian bourgeoisie, the bankers.
the big peasants and landed proprie-
tors, under the lead of the catholic
clergy, the banker Vailokaitis, Krupa-
vltchius, the others. Up to the last
Seym elections, this party was in
power; by inscriptions, corrupt, and
brutal practices, by a misuse of pub
lie property, by the pressure it exer-
cised on the peasants and workers.
by openly favoring with government
commissions and contracts a small
number of profiteers (such as the
parson-banker Vailokaitis), by allot-
ing the centres" of the dismembered
estates to its own proteges, by serious
infringements of the law, by giving
free play to the jesuits, by the "elec-
trification" of political prisoners, and
by similar misdeeds, the christian
democrats aroused so much discomfort
in the country as to entail their
severe defeat at the last elections.
Immediately after these elections.
which turned out so badly for them,
the christian democrats set to work
to institute a Fascist dictatorship by
means of a general upheaval, Plecha-
vitchius being designated for the post
of dictator. The elections, however,
had so far weakened the party, and
the general dissatisfaction with their
rule had grown so great, that they
found themselves under the necessity
of deferring the coup d'etat and of
waiting until the new liberal govern
ment should in its turn have suffi-
GENTLY compromised itself, in the
meantime preparing for the coming
struggle. The clerical reactionaries
Of Lithuania devoted their attention
in the first place to the formation of
Fascist fighting organizations out Of
the reserve of officers, former volun-