Kaunas, August 18, 1925

The issue of establishing an honorary consulate in Los Angeles arose at the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in late summer 1925. At that time, Ignas Jonynas, who was temporarily serving as Director of the Law-Administration Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inquired about the opinion of the Lithuanian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Washington, Kazimieras Bizauskas, regarding a candidate who had applied to become Lithuania’s honorary consul in Los Angeles. Beyond this exchange of views, the matter did not proceed further at that time.

Lithuanian Central Archives, archive No. 656, summary No. 3, file No. 10, page 4

Chicago, August 7, 1937

The idea of establishing a consulate resurfaced in the second half of the 1930s, when the Lithuanian government, seeking to strengthen its authority within the diaspora, to find new markets for the export of Lithuanian goods, and expand trade with the United States, began considering the establishment of Lithuanian honorary consulates in areas of the U.S. where larger Lithuanian communities had settled.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 656, summary No. 3, file No. 10, page 42

Standing from the left: daughter Rūta, J. J. Bielskis, his wife Ona Bielskienė, and son Alfredas.

United States of America, 1930s

When considering the candidacy for the position of Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Los Angeles, Dr. Julius Jonas Bielskis was regarded as the most suitable candidate. In addition, he himself expressed an interest in the post. Dr. J. J. Bielskis, a prominent figure in the Lithuanian–American community and a lawyer, was not new to consular work. In 1923, on behalf of the Lithuanian government, he established the Lithuanian Consulate in New York, and his appointment as consular agent in that city was confirmed by the U.S. Department of State. In November 1926 (according to other sources, on December 1), J. J. Bielskis resigned from the Lithuanian consular service and took a job at an American insurance company. In 1930, the Bielskis family moved to Los Angeles.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, P-58791

Chicago, April 13, 1938

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 1818

Los Angeles, March 28, 1939

The functions of honorary consuls — not only those of Lithuania — were quite limited: they could only carry out tasks assigned by career consuls, had no separate accounting, and did not receive a salary. However, they could be allocated certain funds to cover office expenses.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 663, summary No. 1, file No. 34, page 19

Kaunas, June 14, 1939

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 656, summary No. 3, file No. 10, page 60

Kaunas, June 15, 1939

It is likely that the approval of Julius J. Bielskis's candidacy by the Lithuanian Envoy in Washington, Povilas Žadeikis, and the Lithuanian Consul General in New York, Jonas Budrys, may have played a decisive role in his selection.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 656, summary No. 3, file No. 10, page 65

Kaunas, July 13, 1939

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 656, summary No. 3, file No. 10, page 68

Washington, D. C., August 7, 1939

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 1818

September 7, 1939

As the Honorary Consul, Julius J. Bielskis was directly subordinate to the Lithuanian career consul in Chicago (P. P. Daužvardis at the time). On the recommendation of Envoy P. Žadeikis, no consular district was officially assigned to Julius J. Bielskis (nor to the Honorary Consul in Boston, A. O. Šalna (Shallna), meaning that, formally, his activities were limited to the city of Los Angeles. On the other hand, since the Lithuanian Consul General in Chicago was unable to visit the Western United States frequently, Honorary Consul J. J. Bielskis operated in Los Angeles with considerable autonomy.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 663, summary No. 1, file No. 34, page 14

October [18–20], 1939

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 663, summary No. 1, file No. 34, page 33