Dirva = Field. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1915-current, 1945-03-30
Lithuania's Right to Independence
Speech by Anthony A, Oils,
President The American Lithuanian Mission
Congressional Dinner, March %, 1915
Hotel Statler, Washington, D. C.

|
who are proud of our Government
-poud of our representatives i'll
that Government and we are par
ticularly proud and grateful to the
many United States Senators and
Congressman who honor US this
evening by their presence. We al
so wish to thank the many men,
bers of the Press and Radio who
are here tonight representing news
papers and broadcasting outlets
from many parts of the United
States.
These are critical days because
of the war and we would not have
imposed on your valuable time were
not the purpose of this gathering
related to the war effort and the
winning of a permanent peace. We
are concerned about the rights Of
small nations to self determination
after the war is won. We are con-
cerned because it is our conviction
that there cannot be permanent
peace unless people in both small
and large nations are free from
political as we'll as economic bond
age.
Now we understand that there
are many problems to be solved
and that the length of the war has
increased the complexity of these
problems. We understand also and
we fully subscribe to Americas
foremost purpose that we must
first win a military victory, but un-
der the heavy pressure of the many
burdens of war little time has been
available for a restatement Of the
principles which guide US in this
conflict. We say we want perma-
nent peace but at the same time
there has been tendency to avoid
discussion of the principles that
| should guide to prevent aggression
against small nations and to pre-
vent the very causes which led us
into the, present war. There has
been much talk in Washington that
we will have to make concessions,
that we will have to sacrifice GER
tain principles, that some small ma
tions and their innocent people are
bound to get hurt in the setting
up of our postwar world.
1t is the view of the American
Lithuanian Mission that there is
not only no need for making con-
cessions or sacrifices of our prin-
ciples but that it would be fatal to
a permanent peace to do so and
it is with a, sincere desire that we
as American citizens, as constitu-
ents, have called this gathering this
evening to voice our views to our
representatives in our Government
upon this vital war issue.
THE Atlantic Charter, proclaimed
by President Roosevelt d
Prime Minister Churchill on Aug
ust ID, 1941, sets forth that one of
the principles for which we are
fighting the enemy is the right of
small nations to self determination
as Independents. The Charte e r
states:
"SECOND, they desire to see
no territorial changes that do
not accord with the freely ex-
pressed wishes of the people
concerned;
THIRD, they respect the right
of all peoples to choose the
form of government un der
which they will live, and they
wish to see sovereign rights and
self government res tored to
those who have been forcibly
deprived of them"
In a speech on September IL,
1913, Secretary Of State Cordell
Hull reaffirmed these principles in
declaring:
Cali peoples who, with decent
respect for the opinions of man.
kind, have qualified themselves
to assume and to discharge the
responsibilities Of liberty are
entitled to it's enjoyment.
each sovereign nation, large
or small, is in law and under
law the equal of every other
nation.
"All nations, large and small,
which respect the rights of
others, are entitled to freedom
from outside interference in
their internal affairs"