Chicago Lithuanians have enthusiastically begun preparations for the coming "Lithuanian Day" (Tag Day) on November 1, 1916. The Nationalists and Catholics have agreed to form unconditionally a united front for that day.

The Socialists, however, refused to join the united front. Prior to the big meeting, which was called by the editorial staffs of nearly all Chicago Lithuanian newspapers, and held on September 13 in the St. George's parish hall, an effort was made to draw the Socialists into the united front. A private meeting of representatives of all Chicago Lithuanian newspapers took place in the home of Dr. A. J. Zimontas. The Socialists were represented at that meeting by Pius Grigaitis and Casimir Gugis. These two insisted that Chicago Lithuanians should conduct the Lithuanian Day independently 2of the Central Committee which was elected at the Lithuanian-American Congress in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, because the Socialists do not recognize that Committee. The Nationalists and Catholics answered that they are willing to make such a concession and conduct the Lithuanian Day not as a branch of the above-mentioned Central Committee, but independently in the name of the Chicago Lithuanians, provided the Socialists will agree to enter into a united front with the other two factions.

Immediately after this concession was granted to the Socialists, they submitted additional demands. Mr. P. Grigaitis (who was instrumental in the passing of a similar motion at the recent Chicago convention of the Lithuanian Socialist League) reported at the meeting that the Socialists demand the right to send one third of the funds that shall be collected on Lithuanian Day to a Socialist controlled Lithuanian war relief agency in Lithuania, and that one third of the members of the Central Chicago Lithuanian Committee be composed of Socialists. As a result, the representative of the newspaper Draugas (The Friend) arose and stated that 3"the Catholics will abide by the decisions of the Lithuanian-American Congress of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania".

Then Mr. B. K. Balutis, representative of the Lietuva (Lithuania), stated that it is apparent that an agreement between the two factions cannot be reached unless each makes some concessions. This remark precipitated a debate along the following lines:

Mr. Grigaitis: "What is the position of the Nationalists, what are their demands? We have stated our position, why are the Nationalists keeping their position a secret?"

Mr. Balutis: "We are not hiding our position; we believe that our position is very clear. We Nationalists do not demand anything except that we desire to work in unity and harmony with all factions to make the Lithuanian Day a great success. We Nationalists guarantee in advance to enter into any kind of united front that shall be agreed upon by the Socialists and Catholics.

Mr. Grigaitis: "Nevertheless, you still did not state your reaction to the demands of the Socialists and the Clericals [Catholics]. What is your position; why are you playing politics?"

Mr. Balutis: "I have already stated our position, and we are not playing politics. It is apparent that if we all wish to from a united front the Socialists and Catholics must make some concessions. In this connection we would like to make a suggestion, which appeared in the newspaper Kova (The Struggle), the official organ of the Lithuanian Socialist League: Let the Socialists receive one fifth of the funds) that shall be collected, and let the disposition of the balance be decided by the Central Chicago Lithuanian Committee, in which the Socialists will be represented. I am submitting this suggestion only because it was made by the Kova and supported by the newspaper Darbininkas (The Worker). In other words, that suggestion is being supported by a part of the Socialist faction and by a part of the Catholic faction. Perhaps it can help us to come to some kind of an 5understanding. What is your reaction to this suggestion?"

Mr. Grigaitis: "That suggestion was rejected at the recent Chicago convention of the Lithuanian Socialist League and therefore cannot be accepted here as a basis for discussion."

(In a recent editorial of the newspaper Naujienos (News) Mr. Grigaitis untruthfully stated that "he [Mr. Balutis] believes that the Socialist Lithuanian war relief agencies should receive only one fifth of the funds that shall be collected on the Lithuanian Day, and if the Socialists refuse to accept this amount then he will support the Central Chicago Lithuanian Committee, which was created by the Lithuanian-American Congress at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania". The truth is that although Mr. Balutis had discussed the subject, he never advocated the above quoted idea either directly or indirectly. Such an unscrupulous distortion of thoughts and falsification of facts reveals that Mr. Grigaitis possesses a weak journalistic conscience.)

Afterwards, other propositions were submitted to the Socialists. For example, they were offered as many representatives on the Central Chicago Lithuanian Committee as the Nationalists and Catholics, under the condition that all decisions of the Committee shall be binding to all factions.

Then Mr. Grigaitis said: "We must be guaranteed not only the right to one third of the membership of the Committee, but also to one third of the funds that shall be collected. This is our minimum demand."

Mr. Balutis: "We are willing to make that concession to the Socialists if they can prove that they will make proper use of one third of the funds that will be collected. If the Socialists can prove this, then we are even willing to let them have more than one third of the funds, if their activities for the Lithuanian Day show that they deserve such an amount."

Mr. Grigaitis: "How can we prove such a thing? We have no detailed information about this matter on hand. We insist that our minimum demands 7be guaranteed in advance before we will enter into a united front."

In another effort to come to some agreement, Mr. Balutis said: "Here is another, although rather strange, proposition which might bring us to some kind of an agreement. Mr. Ycas, a Lithuanian member of the Russian Duma, and Reverend Zilinskas will soon arrive in America from Lithuania; Mr. Bulota, another Lithuanian member of the Russian Duma, is already in America. Mr. Bulota is a Socialist, Reverend Zilinskas a Catholic, and Mr. Ycas is a Nationalist. I suggest that these three individuals meet, discuss the problem which we are now discussing here, and then let us all abide by their decision."

Mr. Grigaitis: "That is indeed a very strange suggestion. In the first place, it would be impossible to get these three individuals to meet; another thing, we do not consider Mr. Bulota as a member of our faction."

Mr. Balutis: "But you have stated before that you are not interested in 8factionalism, and that you have confidence in Mr. Bulota, who is supporting the very same Lithuanian war relief agencies in Lithuania as you are."

Mr. Grigaitis: "Yes, we do have confidence in Mr. Bulota, but only so far as he is connected with the Lithuanian Assistance Fund [a Lithuanian war relief fund, set up and supported by Lithuanian-American Socialists]. Furthermore, why should we Americans depend on greenhorns to guide our affairs?"

Mr. Balutis: "Is it not true that those greenhorns have precipitated all the quarrels and disputes among Lithuanian-Americans? If there were no quarrels and disputes among Lithuanians in Lithuania, then there would not be any here either. Is not that the truth?"

Mr. Grigaitis: "That is true, but we will never come to any agreement with such arguments."

Mr. Grigaitis was right; no agreement was arrived at. After two hours of discussion the meeting was adjourned without any favorable results. When Mr. Grigaitis left the meeting he said: "We, Socialists, will arrange a "Lithuanian Day" of our own."

Thus, the unity of Chicago Lithuanians was destroyed, because Mr. Grigaitis, who even opposed the suggestion of the Socialist newspaper Kova, desired it to be so.