George Matulaitis Journal

the Lithuanians and later from the Poles, I learned that it had been decided to teach the children in their native language and, in addition, to introduce Polish lessons into the Lithuanian schools and to have Lithuanian taught in the Polish ones. The Bolsheviks had installed their own principal, Vy niauskas, to replace Mr. Kairiuk tis 1 as head of the Lithuanian Teachers’ College. They have also dismissed the priests. The students protested against this and decided not to come to class. They made their retreat 2 and dispersed. The teachers met to send the Bolsheviks a letter of protest. That is how the Bolsheviks have disrupted one Lithuanian educational institution. The others would have been closed as well, but the Lithuanian high schools decided to end the school year right away and send the students home for vacation. They would not resume classes after Easter and thus avoid the Bolshevik repression. I gave the Lithuanian girls the first retreat conference myself, while Father Joseph gave the rest. Here in Vilnius, nationalistic quarrels are introduced into every serious issue. Some of the Polish priests, supporters of the National Democratic Party, 3 are saying that I will not publish a pastoral letter or speak out on the school issue because the Lithuanians have prevailed upon me not to do so, since they are afraid that the Bolsheviks will exile me if I do speak out. From the Poles I learned that a rumor is being spread against me that I have decided to dismiss Father Lubianiec from the seminary and put Father Vaitkevi ius in his place. All this is coming from a group of Polish priests, the “endeks.” Once again I called together the Polish religion teachers to learn how things stand in the Polish schools. It seems that there is some disagreement among the Poles: a certain number are strictly opposed to the Bolsheviks, do not want anything from them, and are determined to close down the schools; others have accepted financial support from and collaborated with the Bolsheviks, continuing to have classes without religious instruction while consoling us with 245 1 Juozas Kairiuk tis: a much-respected Lithuanian educator who taught for fifty-four years in all. From 1919 to 1926, he was the director or principal of the Lithuanian Teachers’ College in Vilnius; he was reinstated when the Bolsheviks left. 2 It was the custom for students in all the schools to be given a retreat before Easter by the school chap- lain or another priest. 3 Known as the ND, from which “endek,” a popular term to denote supporters of this party, was derived.