Vilniui vaduoti sąjungos veikėjo V. Uždavinio misijos į JAV 1936-1937 ir 1938-1939 m. tikslai ir rezultatai

LTVilniui vaduoti sąjungos (toliau - VVS) ryšių su JAV lietuviais XX a. ketvirtame dešimtmetyje problematikos tyrimo istoriografijos praktiškai nėra, išskyrus labai trumpą aprašymą istorikės Nastazijos Kairiūkštytės knygoje „Vilniaus vadavimo sąjunga”. Iš tos trumpos apžvalgos matyti, kad VVS Centro komiteto (toliau - CK) ir JAV lietuvių ryšiai plėtėsi: nuo 1931 m. prasidėję VVS CK atstovų (prof. Mykolo Biržiškos, prof. Fabijono Kemėšio, doc. Boliaus Vitkaus, žurnalisto Petro Babicko, poeto Jono Steponaičio, žurnalisto Vinco Uždavinio) apsilankymai JAV lietuvių kolonijose tapo sistemingi. Norint geriau suprasti VVS veikimą, JAV lietuvių vaidmenį šios organizacijos planuose, reikėtų detaliau panagrinėti minėtus stiprėjančius ryšius. Suprantama, iškilusių klausimų analizė ir ne vienos problemos sprendimas negali sutilpti į vieną pranešimą, todėl tenka apsiriboti šios temos vienu siauresniu, dar netyrinėtu klausimu, kuris yra suformuluotas pranešimo pavadinime. Vincas Uždavinys pasirinktas ir dėl to, kad jis dėl Vilniaus reikalų lankėsi JAV net du kartus. Apibendrinta pranešimo medžiaga remiasi dokumentais, saugomais Lietuvos ir JAV lietuvių archyvuose, bei to meto lietuviškos spaudos straipsniais. [p. 54].

ENEarly in 1936, under stronger political pressure on Lithuania by the Polish government and upon restriction of rights of Lithuanians in Poland and, especially, in the Vilnius territory, members of Vilnius Liberation Union (here under: VLU) were forced to turn to Lithuanian emigrants in America for help and support. The major task in America was to establish the VLU departments in all Lithuanian colonies in the USA and to unite them under one Centre for propaganda purposes and collection of donations (from sales of Vilnius passports and stamps and from distribution of press) for the Vilnius territory. Vincas Uždavinys, the editor of Mūsų Vilnius, was sent to the USA. During more than a year (1936-1937) spent in America, he had visited almost all Lithuanian colonies in the USA and established about 20 new departments of VLU though he had failed to found the Center because of deep disintegration existing among emigrants. V. Uždavinys decided to suggest the Lithuanian government to delegate its representative on a special mission to the USA for carrying out propaganda activities to dissuade Lithuanians from the Left political views and to unite them on non-political basis for liberation of Vilnius. V. Uždavinys saw himself in the capacity of such representative. V. Uždavinys came on his second mission to the USA (1938-1939) already as a correspondent of the journal Pasaulio lietuvis. He visited colonies, read lectures, initiated discussions, distributed Vilnius passports and stamps, collected donations and continually encouraged emigrants to unite into the Center. In meetings with Lithuanian emigrants in the USA, he tried to persuade fellow-countrymen from the Left political views to patriotism by raising the Vilnius problem. The role of American Lithuanians in dealing with the Vilnius matter had become of special importance since 25th November 1938 when VLU was closed in Lithuania.New opportunities to unite emigrants were brought about by attempts to found a common cultural Society for the Support of Vilnius Residents. It was approved by the Government of Prime-Minister V. Mironas. V. Uždavinys had not succeeded to put this idea into life by the time he left. In addition, there existed different opinions on this matter among emigrants. The activities of V. Uždavinys among emigrants had laid the foundation for common activities in the future in the support of Lithuania and its struggle for independence.