News Brief

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

After lengthy negotiations, the Lithuanian Cabinet has just been formed. The Cabinet is supported by the Jews and the other National Minorities. With the exception of the Minister of Education, the Jews regard the composition of the Cabinet as satisfactory. The new Premier, M. Sleszewitch, has been Premier on a previous occasion when his Cabinet included several Jews, as well as a Minister for Jewish Affairs. Recently he appeared several times in the Law Courts as Advocate on behalf of Jewish interests. He was the Counsel who proved the falsity of the allegation made in the Press by the leader of the Lithuanian anti-Semites, the Priest Shmulkshtes, that the Lithuanian Rabbis and the Jewish Deputies in the Lithuanian Sejm had urged the American Rabbis to intervene with the United States Government against the de jure recognition of Lithuania, and the result was that Shmulkshtes was sent to prison for five days.

As a young student in Odessa, he organized a branch of the progressive Christian intellectuals to fight against the pogroms.

The new Minister of Education, Professor Tchepinski, who is a member of the Social Democratic Party, on the other hand is not in favor with the Jews. At first, the Jews and the other Minorities opposed his appointment. His party, however, induced them to withdraw their opposition, assuring them that he would be kept under strict party control.

On the eve of the formation of the Cabinet, the President of the Republic. Dr. Grinius, called for the leader of the Jewish fraction, Deputy Dr. Robinson, and obtained from him a statement of Jewish demands to the new Cabinet.