Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service
Speaking to press representatives upon the acute political problems in Lithuania, Professor Waldemaras, the Prime Minister, referred to the recent statement of the Government concerning the excessive influence of the minorities on the affairs of the State. “We did not intend with our statement to reproach the minorities of Lithuania,” he explained, “but rather the Lithuanian Parties who, owing to their mutual animosity and divisions, gave the minorities the opportunity to play the role of a pointer on the scale. The minorities have no right to assume such a position, because they did not fight for Lithuanian independence.
“It is true,” he proceeded, “that the Jews are an exception in this case, because they were the first to participate in the rebuilding of Lithuania, and I still remember the great help given to us by Dr. Rosenbaum. But they did it more because of the partition of Russia than of love for an independent Lithuania.
“We did not see the Jews among the volunteers who fought for Lithuanian independence. Only after mobilization a number of Jews volunteered for the army. We have, however, to admit that of all the minorities, the Jews were the first to work with us hand in hand for the new Lithuania,” he concluded.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
