George Matulaitis Journal

I understood that he had been instructed to say this. I knew that there was some dissatisfaction when, in place of those who had died or fled, I appointed not the “endeks,” but more moderate priests like Bobnis to Rudamina, ÷ uk to Bukonis, and so on. I had heard that the Border Guards had even organized certain watch groups to supervise the priests and to remove them if they do not approve of them. Monsignor Bajko was crit- ical of Fathers Bobnis, ÷ uk, Kakarieka, 1 and others. Actually, I constant- ly hear various complaints, but usually the people defend their priests. So far, they have succeeded only in getting Father Linartas out of Nemencine. As much as I could, I did my best to calm the old man down. Truly, the situation in which the Church now finds itself is a very diffi- cult. May God grant that the fate of this land be decided quickly. Then we can begin some serious work. In the evening Colonel Chardigny and Mr. Nase, the representatives of the League of Nations, visited me again. I expressed my regards and apologized to Colonel Chardigny for the unfortunate attack made on him by the women. We discussed the situation that has developed here. It seems that the League of Nations’ people are now well aware of local conditions. Colonel Chardigny expressed himself very frankly. I shall make a separate note of this conversation. 2 They expressed their regrets that I have to live in such a difficult atmosphere. While they can pack up and leave, I must stay behind. And, in fact, all the League of Nations’ representatives left this evening by train for Kaunas. They were angry with the Poles. They said that up until now they had been as patient as angels with them, but even patience has its limits. “After what has happened,” they said, “this is no place for us.” They promised to come back from Kaunas to visit me. General ÷ eligowski returned from Warsaw that same evening. The Poles organized a rally in his honor at the railway station—to show 325 1 ÷uk was Belorussian, while Bobnis and Kakarieka were Lithuanian. 2 There is no evidence of such a record. He probably did not have time to write it, since even the journal entries for 1921 are incomplete.