Lietuvos propagandinė veikla ruošiant sausio sukilimą Klaipėdoje

LTLietuvos užsienio politika, jauna kaip ir pati atkurtoji valstybė, 1922 m. atsisuko į Klaipėdos klausimo sprendimą. Atskirta nuo Vokietijos, valdoma prancūzų administracijos, ji kreipė kaimyninės Lenkijos dėmesį ir, savaime suprantama, dėl didelio vietos lietuvių skaičiaus - Lietuvos. Ne visi Lietuvos politikai suprato, jog atsiranda gal vienintelė proga Lietuvai išeiti į Baltijos jūrą per Klaipėdos uostą. Kiti rodė didelį atsargumą dėl galimų tarptautinių komplikacijų [p. 29].

ENLithuania's propaganda campaign in the lead up to the January Rising in Klaipėda took several forms: In the Klaipėda Region itself opposition was voiced to the idea of a 'Free City'. To this end Martynas Jankus' funds were used to buy up the Klaipėda newspaper „Memelgau Zeitung“ which remained the Region's peasant newspaper. A second newspaper, „Tilžės keleivis“ [The Tilsit Wayfarer], propagated ideas favourable to annexation to Lithuania. Also, meetings were arranged in the Region during which demands were made to join Klaipėda to Lithuania. On January 10 1923, having received information to the effect that the Allies were not prepared to hand over Klaipėda to Lithuania, a "Chief Committee for the Preservation of Lithuania Minor" [Vyriausias Mažosios Lietuvos gelbėjimo komitetas] was formed as a cover for the future uprising. An attempt was made to inform European public opinion of the Question. The Klaipėda Question was raised with the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs; the leaders of the Riflemen's Association were charged with contacting the German Government and gaining its approval for the annexation of the Klaipėda Region by Lithuania. Attempts were made to publish articles favourable to Lithuanian policy in the foreign press. All these attempts had positive results. Already during the Rising, a section of Klaipėda society aided the Lithuanian soldiers, Riflemen and volunteers. The peaceful behaviour of many Klaipėda citizens, Germans as well as Lithuanians, during the operation was important to the Lithuanian success in January 1923.