The editors of the newspaper Naujienos (News), who recently boasted that they "elevated" the name of the Lithuanian nation when one of their number, Kleofas Jurgelionis, criticised Bachmetjev, Russian ambassador, in a speech at a reception for the Russian mission to the United States, now make another boast that they have again "elevated" the name of the Lithuanian nation.

Last Sunday the Lithuanian Workers Council, which was recently organized by P. Grigaitis, A. Lalis, and K. Jurgelionis, held a meeting in the Austra Hall, at 29th and Halsted Streets, Chicago. A large number of people attended. Mr. K. Jurgelionis acted as chairman. All resolutions and motions were passed in accordance with the wishes and desires of "comrade" Grigaitis.

To help make the meeting a success Ivin Saint John Tucker, a pacifist "Socialist priest" and president of the Peoples Council, delivered a speech at the meeting. This "Saint John" criticised the American Government and the President, but did 2not mention the German Kaiser; he denounced American militarism but did not utter a word against German militarism; he talked about the American millionaires who will become fat on account of the war, but did not mention the Krupp millionaires in Germany who already have become so fat that they are about to burst.

Such speakers and such leaders say they stand for peace, but in order to obtain peace they urge America to lay down so the Kaiser's boots could smash America's brains, thereby showing that they are nothing else but maniacs.

The most important decision made at the meeting was when they agreed to affiliate with the People's Council and send delegates to a conference which the Council will hold on September 1 at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The nature of the Peoples' Council with which the Lithuanian Workers' Council affiliated, will be explained later in this article. At present let us see how Grigaitis, Jurgelionis and company "elevated" the name of the Lithuanians last 3Sunday. The Chicago Tribune published the following news item about the above mentioned meeting of the Lithuanian Workers' Council:

"Local Lithuanians are organizing to oppose the war.

"The Lithuanian-American Workers' Council, organized as a wing of the People's Council, was created in a meeting last night at 3001 South Halsted Street; at this meeting 115 delegates represented various Lithuanian organizations in the United States. The delegates announced that they represented ten thousand people.

"The meeting started at 10 A. M. and continued until 5 P. M. The delegates at the meeting listened to speakers from the People's Council who attacked Wilson's politics, the entire administration, and military conscription, and upheld the Socialist ideology.

"A plan was placed into operation to extend the activities of the Council in all 4Lithuanian-American colonies."

Therefore, our Socialists are starting to "elevate" the name of Lithuanians in such a manner that it will not be long before we will be unable to walk safely in the streets. Such an elevation is not an elevation but a defamation of the name of Lithuanians. And if this sort of "elevation" of the name of Lithuanians continues then we can expect that not only the name of Lithuanians but also the interests of the Lithuanian nation will experience great harm.

The delegates at that meeting boast that they represent ten thousand Lithuanians (the newspaper Naujienos reduces that number to 8,500). What nonsense! They represent those ten thousand Lithuanians in the same way as Casimir Gugis (a leader of that same group) represents the League of Chicago Lithuanian Societies [a defunct organization]. They are smearing the eyes of Americans [non-Lithuanian-Americans] with soap, and for that Chicago Lithuanians will be made to suffer.

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Because of the behavior of such a group of three or four persons, Americans are beginning to look upon Lithuanians as adventurers, anarchists, and trouble-makers, although an overwhelming majority of Chicago Lithuanians have no connection whatever with that group of adventurers.

If the group continues such activities then Lithuanian workers are liable to suffer--employers will probably start laying them off from their jobs. It is not hard to imagine that if Lithuanians become known as opponents of the war then no Lithuanian will be hired or permitted to work in any factory that handles war orders. Such consequences would be contrary to the avowed aims of the Council "to improve the worker's position". Lithuanians and Lithuanian organizations that send delegates as observers everywhere, wherever they are invited to do so, should do more thinking before they take such steps.

The Lithuanian Workers' Council has not begun to act yet, but it has already defamed the name of the Lithuanians in the American press on two occasions. Then what will be the results when the council really becomes active?

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The People's Council

The Lithuanian Workers' Council has affiliated with the non-Lithuanian People's Council and has elected delegates to attend the conference of the People's Council in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The leaders of the latter are also cloaked with the working-class banner, they also claim to be the true and only friends and defenders of the working class.

Well, let us see what the workers and Socialists, not capitalists or members of the bourgeoisie, have to say about them.

From New York comes the news that union leaders and former members of the Socialist party, who resigned from the party because of its pro-German leanings, have issued a call for a conference on September 18 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a few days after the People's Council will have held a conference there. All working-class organizations have been invited to attend that conference. The temporary committee has announced that this conference of workers and former members of the Socialist party is being called to counteract the effects of the 7conference of the People's Council.

C. M. Wright, secretary of the temporary committee, made the following statement in regard to the coming conference:

"The purpose of this conference will be to further unite for the aid of the United States all those persons who, on account of ignorance or some other factor, are attempting to obstruct the work of the Government. The conference will express the mind of the working people against the pro-German and anti-American activities of the advocates of a Potsdam and German peace" (It should be understood that the People's Council acts exactly in accordance with the desires of the Kaiser).

Chicago Workers Against Camouflage

The Leaders of the People's Council attempted to persuade the Chicago working-class organizations to send delegates to the conference at Minneapolis, but failed. Evidently it is not easy to lead American workers by the nose. Union 8leaders have openly accused the leaders of the People's Council of using trickery to involve the working people into anti-American and pro-German intrigues.

When Laura Hughes, representative of the People's Council, spoke at a union meeting to persuade the unions to send delegates to Minneapolis, John Mangon, representative of the steamfitters union, denounced her speech. Miss Laura Hughes made the following reply:

"We believe in freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly, but the Government desires to abolish these rights. When peace is made we desires that it be a people's peace--without grabbing of land, without reparations and with political freedom for all small nations."

Mr. Mangon then asked her the following question, "How does your conference regard the question of militarism?"

"We have made no decision on that matter", Laura Hughes replied.

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"If so, then I an against you, because you are hiding behind the cloak of democracy in order secretly to destroy it", answered Mr. Mangon.

A motion was made at the meeting to send a delegate from the Chicago workers to the conference of the People's Council. The motion was met with very great opposition.

M. L. Johnson and W. Neer, delegates from the drivers' union, shouted, "We are against that conference because you stand for Germany!"

"You will never have peace as long as the Kaiser holds power in his hands," added E. R. Wright, delegate from the printers' union.

Another delegate said, "If the conference would demand that the workers of Germany be given a voice, and if it would demand the removal of the Kaiser, then even England would send a delegate to the conference. But Miss Hughes has 10stated that she does not know the purpose of the conference."

Christian Madsen and other Socialist delegates defended the conference, but no delegate was elected.

In speaking about the coming conference of the People's Council one delegate stated, "They are selling democracy but with their lips they are uttering democratic slogans". Another delegate called the conference "a camouflage".

That is the kind of camouflage the Lithuanian Workers' Council has affiliated with. The Council elected A. A. Lalis and Mr. A. Zymantas to act as camouflagers. [They were elected to represent the Council at the Minneapolis conference.]

Let then camouflage as much as they like at the conference, but let them not drag the name of the Lithuanian people into that camouflage.