Gallery- 62 -
political or ideological difference between the groups; the cleavage seemed based entirely on a personal struggle for power and for control of supplies. The candidates were chosen on Wednesday, March 26th. The following day, the committee presented a letter to Mme. Laborde signed by five of their number (Mr. Vecvagars defused to sign and another member was absent) stating they could not and would not work with Mr. Skuja, the Class II Latvian Administrative Assistant. They made no charges against Mr. Skuja and based their stand on personal grounds. Mme. Laborde and Mr. Schwartz refused to accede to their demand for the removal of Mr. Skuja, and just before a mass meeting was held on Saturday, March 29th., the committee formally withfrew its demand.
Elections
At the mass meeting, Mme. Laborde spoke, placing the facts of the reorganization of UNRRA before them and explaining that during the transitional period during which they would become accustomed to the complicated UNRRA procedure, Mr. Sheehan would act a Executive for Junkers and Mattenberg, and in his absence, Mr. Skuja would sign the necessary papers and be his representative. She added that Mr. Skuja had the full confidence of UNRRA and advised them to cooperate with him to the fullest extent possible. She urged them to keep Junkers a model camp, following which there was some applause; she then told the camp she was leaving and said goodbye to them, following which there was loud applause.
At this meeting, the President of the Committee had supported Mr. Skuja and said their opposition was not personal bit as based on the fact that he was UNRRA and they had been told they would get self-government. The next day, Sunday, March 30th., the camp was boiling with excitement and intrigue. The elections were held and the proteges
of
