Departure

Kaunas, Lithuania, July 30, 1928. The American Consul to Lithuania (front row, third from left) and his wife (holding flower bouquet) leave Lithuania at the end of their diplomatic mission. The Consul wrote: 

The official waiting room at the station was open in our honor and we met the people there who had come to bid us goodbye.  All the diplomats and consuls came, including the Soviet charge d'affaires [Simon Rabinovich] with who we had never had official or social intercourse. All our other friends were of course also present ... Lily received large quantities of flowers and everybody wished us a pleasant trip. Mr. Smetona sent a beautiful bunch of roses with a young lady and one of the President's adjuncts. Photographs of the assembly with us in the center were taken. As the train pulled out, countless handkerchiefs were waving. We were deeply impressed by all these marks of affection and good will on the part of our Kovno friends. Lily broke out in tears as we crossed the Nieman railway bridge a moment later. ... We went to bed early in our two first-class compartments in the German sleeping car.

 Thanks to the Consul's Granddaughter for making this photo and narrative available to us.