 The Honored Watch is Laun Jean. Laun Jean watches have won ten World's Fair Grand Prizes, twenty-eight gold medals and more honors for accuracy than any other timepiece. Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch, is made and guaranteed by the Laun Jean Wittenall Watch Company. It's time for the Laun Jean Chronoscope. A television journal of the vital events of the hour brought to you three times weekly. A presentation of the Laun Jean Wittenall Watch Company, maker of Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittenall, distinguished companion to the world-honored Laun Jean. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Laun Jean Chronoscope? Dr. Jan Papanek, formerly Ambassador from Czechoslovakia, and member of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations, and Mr. William Bradford Huey, editor of the American Mercury. Our distinguished guest for this evening is the Honorable OK Armstrong, United States Congressman from Missouri. In this spontaneous and unrehearsed discussion, the opinions are necessarily those of the speakers. Congressman, many of our listeners will remember you for your splendid stories and articles and readers' digest. I believe you are, you're from the Missouri Ozarks, aren't you? That's right, Mr. Huey. I live in Springfield, Missouri, and that's right in the middle of the Ozarks. And you are a Republican from that state, too, aren't you? Yes, believe it or not, I'm a Republican, but a progressive Republican. I see. Tonight, sir, we are and our listeners will be most interested in what you're doing in Congress, your efforts to free the splendid American journalist, Bill Otis. Now, how did you come to champion Mr. Otis? Well, Mr. Huey, being a journalist myself, a former newspaper man and magazine writer, I was attracted to the idea that something should be done when the Communist regime of Czechoslovakia imprisoned this man simply because as we felt that he was going about his duty. So I introduced an amendment to a resolution in Congress which called upon our government to cut off trade relations with the Communist regime of Czechoslovakia unless he is freed. You are, of course, convinced of that Otis is innocent of all the charges that have been made against him. Oh, yes, indeed. And I'm sure my colleagues in Congress agree on that. And what steps have now been taken to free Mr. Otis? Well, Mr. Huey, the resolution which was passed by Congress calls upon our government to break trade relations with Czechoslovakia unless Mr. Otis is freed. Now, that resolution was passed, I believe, Dr. Papenek, you recall the date, the passage of that resolution. It was in August 24th, if I'm not mistaken. Well, at any rate, Dr., since that time considerable pressure has been put on the Czechoslovakian government, as you know, to free this American newspaper correspondent. But unsuccessfully, now we think it is time to put in, put all the pressure that we can to get him freed. What particular steps have been taken prior to your action, sir? Prior to the action of Congress on my resolution, the President, the Secretary of State, and others in the executive departments had made some moves to free Mr. Otis. Those moves were, for the most part, diplomatic. We felt, or at least a great many of us in Congress, felt that they were just slaps on the wrist. They were not strong enough. And therefore we went ahead with this resolution. Now at the present time, I have introduced a new resolution which would make the breaking off of trade relations with Czechoslovakia mandatory. In other words, they would be broken off by congressional action. Now there have been some other moves made, for example, prohibiting the airplane traffic from Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia, and other points in that country from flying across the occupied zones of Germany. This, I think, is hurting them. At least I think it is. What do you think, Dr.? Definitely it is hurting them because the direct connections with the West that are very important by air are cut off. Is it costing them money? Costing them money, very definitely, and they cannot contact the West the same way as they could, because most of the other lines, Americans and others stopped their flights to Czechoslovakia, too. Now why was Otis seized in the first place? Was he seized as a hostage? In my opinion, just the purpose was to have him as a hostage for future purposes. And some of those purposes, what did they want from us? What did they want to trade Otis for? One of the reasons that they were complaining and are still complaining of the broadcasts, of the voice of America, and the new broadcasts that are developing from Munich directed to Czechoslovakia. And they say Otis is to intimidate us. Intimidate, and perhaps to free him if these broadcasts would be stopped. Congressman Abstow, could I ask you whether your resolution, especially the second one as it is proposed, is or will be a part of a general policy of the United States or whether it is intended just for the purpose of helping to free Mr. Otis? Well, Dr. Popinek, while the resolution is directed at this specific case of freeing this American citizen and correspondent, it is the sentiment of my colleagues in Congress, I am sure, that this be a test case and that it set a precedent and that wherever in any of the Iron Curtain countries under the domination of the Soviet Union, free citizens are imprisoned unjustly, that in the future the red regime of that government will be given notice that we are going to take every step possible to protect them. I hope that the resolution when adopted will cover every case and that there would not be any exceptions. Well, that's exactly what we hope it will do. The resolution, as you understand, calls for the cutting off of exports from this country, from the United States to your fatherland, to Czechoslovakia by action of the Commerce Department. In other words, the cutting off of all permits to export goods from this country. Likewise, the Treasury Department, which has charge of imports from Czechoslovakia to this country would prohibit any transactions that would permit trade from Czechoslovakia to the United States. So it would be a complete blockade of trade either way. This policy, when developed, will affect tremendously the people of Czechoslovakia whose morale will be strengthened to resist the communist regime. Is there a strong resistance in Czechoslovakia now, doctor? Definitely there is. I would say that over 90% of the people oppose the regime. But the real fact that jails are full, that there are executions practically every week that the forced labor camps are full of about 300,000 people prove that there is a resistance. I'm glad to hear your explanation of that, doctor, because we in Congress and certainly the American people do not want to penalize the people of Czechoslovakia. We feel that they are the victims of communist aggression. However, we feel that if this step is taken and those people of the resistance of the underground, the anti-communist forces in Czechoslovakia, they will be willing to make whatever sacrifices needed in order to strike directly at the communist regime. They will be happy to do so and they know also that the economic relations, trade relations during the last months or last two years that have developed really supported the Soviet military to build up because Czechoslovakia imported only raw materials. Now, Congressman, after all, Bill Otis is an individual and what I'm interested in is whether this is going to be effective in getting the man out. Now, when do you think Otis will be released? Well, Mr. that is the $64 question so far as Mr. Otis himself is concerned. And as you say, he is a human and we want to free him. We do not want, of course. Would you care to predict just how long he will be in prison? When do you think he will be released? Mr. Huey, I believe when this blockade becomes effective I believe that he will be freed within a few weeks. Within three or four weeks from now then you think there's a good chance that Bill Otis will be free. I think there is a good chance that he will be free. However I think that he will be freed when Moscow tells the Red Brigade that Czechoslovakia to free him. Well, thank you so much for being with us, Congressman. The editorial board for this edition of the Laun Jean Chronoscope was Dr. Jan Papunek and Mr. William Bradford Huey. Our distinguished guest was the Honorable O.K. Armstrong, Congressman from Missouri. One of the most interesting monuments in New York is in Herald Square. It's a replica of the clock of medieval days which was simply a striking mechanism. There was no dial, no hands, just tolling bells to mark the time. And way back in the distant past the word watch was first applied to a timepiece where the time could be read rather than heard. And way back in 1866 at 85 years ago the first Laun Jean watch was made. Created to the ideals that forever and forever the name Laun Jean would be placed only on the finest watches which mechanical skills could produce. How well successive generations of Laun Jean watchmakers have followed this ideal is reflected by the public honors Laun Jean watches have won. Ten World Fair Grand Prizes 28 Gold Medals and highest honors for accuracy from the leading government observatories. The Laun Jean watches now being shown by fine jewelers throughout the land reflect in every detail of performance and beauty the perfection which today's Laun Jean watches have attained. It's a fair statement that throughout the world no other name on a watch means so much as Laun Jean. The world's most honored watch premier product of the Laun Jean Wittner Watch Company since 1866 maker of watches of the highest character. This is Frank Knight reminding you that our program is brought to you three times weekly Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So once you join us again Wednesday evening at this same time for the Laun Jean Chronoscope a television journal of the vital events of the hour broadcast on behalf of Laun Jean the world's most honored watch and Wittner distinguished companion for the world honored Laun Jean sold and serviced from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jewelers who proudly display the emblem agency for Laun Jean Wittner watches. This is the CBS television network.