Early in 1973, some of the rayon and city executive committees demanded all offices, farms, and organizations, as well as religious communities, to send them typeface samples from all their typewriters. Here is an example:
"Please send to the Executive Committee by March 22 of this year typeface samples from the typewriters to be found in the office (plant, farm, or organization) under your management and from those possessed by private individuals. Two original copies of the enclosed text are to be typed on a standard sheet of paper.
"In addition, please inform us of any other typewriters in your possession whose typeface samples you are unable to send us because they have broken down or are undergoing repairs, or for other reasons."
When the typeface samples are sent, the serial number and brand name of the typewriter must be specified.
It is clear to everyone that the typeface samples are needed by the secret police. Why have the state security organs taken an interest in typewriters?
Over the past few years the Catholics of Lithuania have sent many complaints to various governmental agencies. It must not be forgotten that every complaint to Soviet governmental agencies in regard to restrictions of religious freedom is considered slander and an "ideological diversion." That is why the state security organs want to ascertain just who has been inspiring and organizing this "anti-Soviet" action.
Aside from that, in Lithuania typewriters are used to produce multiple copies of religious literature, which is then used by people of varied professions. In this manner Soviet citizens are being "harmed"... It must be assumed that the secret police want to ascertain just how multiple copies of this literature are being produced and especially— to intimidate everyone.
These efforts by officials of state security organs to control even private typewriters is reminiscent of the Stalinist period when all typewriters had to be registered with governmental agencies.
