 He did not support acceptance of the Polish ultimatum in 1938 and thus advised that Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius should assume Chairmanship in 1940.He was awarded with the Italian Cross of the First Order, the National Guard Star Order, and the first class Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.In private life, he was friend to many innovative Lithuanian artists and writers, encouraging and publishing their works, now considered classics, including M. K. Čiurlionis, Balys Sruoga, Vincas Krėvė, Kazys Šimonis, and Adomas Varnas who drew caricatures of Šilingas to Šilingas' amusement.