Lietuvių kolonijų kūrimo planai 1918-1940 metais

Abstract

In this article the author reviews plans envisaged in the first Republic of Lithuania for creating Lithuanian colonies abroad. The purpose of such a planned colonization was to provide an alternative for ongoing emigration processes not controlled by the state. Colonization was understood to be the creation of a maximal number of ethnic settlements in as many foreign lands as possible. In this way it was sought to protect Lithuanians who chose to emigrate from the threat of losing their national identity and from sundry economic, social, and cultural problems. Plans by various authors for establishing such colonies, as well as the possibilities for their implementation, are analyzed; and the position of state officials on this question is presented. The locations that, according to the enthusiasts of the colonization idea, might be suitable for Lithuanian emigrants are enumerated, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The first to broach the idea of establishing colonies was Professor Kazys Pakštas; later other intellectuals showed an interest in this idea. Most frequently mentioned as possible countries for planned colonization by Lithuanians were Canada, Alaska, South Africa, Angola, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. It was hoped that a colony, once formed, would actively cooperate with Lithuania in the fields of commerce and culture and that mutually beneficial exchanges would ensue.