 The World's 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 Whittenall Watch Company. It's time for the Laun Jean Chronoscope, television journal of the important issues of the hour, brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A presentation of the Laun Jean Whittenall Watch Company, maker of Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Whittenall, 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. Mr. William Bradford Huey, editor of the American Mercury, and Mr. Henry Haslott, editor of the Freeman and contributing editor for Newsweek Magazine. Our distinguished guest for this evening is Dr. Charles Francis Potter, one of America's great philosophers, liberal leader and author of note. The opinions discussed are necessarily those of the speakers. Dr. Potter, here at the beginning of the new year, I'm sure that our Chronoscope audience would like the views of a great liberal preacher. And you are a preacher, are you not, sir, and perhaps a Yankee preacher? They call me the preacher, yes. And you've just published an autobiography called The Preacher and I. Right. And you've always regarded yourself. You've been a life-long liberal, I believe. Right. And does that mean, sir, that you supported new and fair deals, Truman and Roosevelt? Yes, sir. You voted for Roosevelt throughout his career, and you voted for Truman in 1948? I did. Well, I'm sure that our audience would like some advice from you, or like your views tonight, sir, on the very grave problems of 1952. Now, what do you think is the principal problem facing the American people in 1952, sir? The problem of morality is the leading problem, it seems to me. How we can achieve a higher and better morality. As a preacher, you are concerned, or as a philosopher, you are concerned about what you think is a drift away from moral standards. Yes. Well, are you talking, Dr. Potter, about the morality of the American people as a whole, or the morality of the political level of the country, or what? What do you have primarily in mind? Morality and government. That seems to me the place where it seems to be breaking down now. You've noted yourself a general deterioration in government morality. I've noticed it deteriorating, but I have also noticed that we're waking up to the fact that it is deteriorating. Well, what strikes you as outstanding in this? What are the chief symptoms of this breakdown in morality? Well, lack of responsibility in the part of men that are high in office, that have responsible positions, and even those that are halfway down. It seems to be running like a cancer through the whole system, the whole setup. Do you expect to vote against the present administration in 1952, sir? I certainly do. And primarily because of what you think is this moral breakdown? I do. And would you say that the tax scandals have impressed you most as being most significant in this breakdown? I think that the exposure of the scandals in the income tax department particularly are revealing what's happening in the whole system. Pardon me, Bill, I just wanted to ask you, what do you think are the main reasons for that, Dr. Potter? Is it a matter of the political setup, or is it a matter of a declining sense of morality in the American public? Well, I think that capable honest men have stayed out of politics when they should have been in it. And I think there's much to blame as the crooks that are in it. Well, don't you think that in some respects it's the immense oversize that government has come to that's caused a lot of this? And the immense interference of government in the affairs of the public, for example, takes something like the RFC. Now, here is an institution, it's a public bank, a government bank, set up for the purpose of making loans to firms that can't get loans from private institutions. Now, when you have such an institution and it can make loans of up to $100 million or whatnot to an individual firm, doesn't this in itself create a situation that has great temptations for bribery and corruption? Yes, it does. And you think then that the reducing of the general over unwillingness of government would help, to some extent, to reduce the dimensions of the evil? I think it would reduce the temptation somewhat, but I don't think that's the only trouble. Well, what do these temptations go back to as you see it? Well, it wouldn't tempt a man unless he was vulnerable, and he's vulnerable if he doesn't have his conscience in pretty good working order. And his conscience is not in good working order because of the public conscience being in less good working order or because of lack of his personal accountability? Well, they work together, they play together, the individual says, well, everybody's doing it, I might as well get my share, my part. And that is a cancerous thing in our body politic, it seems to me. Dr. Potter, I'm sure that here at the beginning of 1952, the American people want to do some soul searching and see where their responsibility lies. Now, this corruption in government is a symptom, isn't it? I mean, it's a symptom of something that's wrong with our whole people. Yes, the measles are breaking out and that's good because now we know what the trouble is and we can cure it. I have ultimate faith in the American people. This is only a temporary thing and it's only a surface thing. Now the American people are all right. When the American people know the facts, you feel that they will themselves make the corrections. The only danger is keeping the facts from the people. Well, now where would you go back in place to blame for this symptom that's now obvious? Would you say that a breakdown in the home has had something to do with it? Yes, definitely. You can trace it right back to the home because when you begin to blame the school, the school teachers say they haven't cooperation from the home that when the children get to them, they haven't any sense of moral responsibility. They destroy property in the school even. Do you think there's been some failure on the part of the church? Well, I think the church has it, sir, share the blame. Do you think the family, the school and the church all must share the blame for some of this moral deterioration? They have to get together. You don't think that they have been teaching perhaps enough individual responsibility? They have failed in that regard. Do you think that the school should give direct moral instruction or do you think that ought to be left to the parents and to the church? I think the school should have morality and ethics shot through the entire program. I don't think you can isolate them from life. The whole life must be moral. And when they don't get the cooperation of the home, then it's when the trouble begins. What do they start with? They teach a child, now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep if I should die. And then they expect the child to have social responsibility when they've focused it upon his own welfare, his own salvation. Don't you think that helps to give him some individual responsibility? Well, to a certain extent, but the child himself knows. He counteracts that by saying, well, God bless Papa, God bless Mama, God bless Aunt Jane. He's got a social sense there that the prayer omits. Now, Dr. Potter, I'm sure that our audience would appreciate some specific recommendations from you here at the beginning of the year. Now, first of all, what do you think an American can do about this deteriorating situation? Well, I think one of the first things to do is to excite even more the public indignation, create a more responsive public opinion. And not only throw the rascals out, but get the idea into the people that they are themselves responsible, that they ought to go to the polls and vote, and vote intelligently. Well, do you think it brings a certain public apathy among the people that they can't get at an administration except once every four years on one specific day every four years? Well, I think there should be a recall provision that would take care of that in between times. Why wait four years in these very busy times when a whole crisis can develop within a week? Well, will you be in favor of something like the British system in which a vote of confidence can change an administration overnight or a lack of vote of confidence? Well, I wouldn't have felt that way once, but I certainly do now. You think that the first thing for the American people to do then is to get mad to demonstrate a capacity for moral indignation. I'd like to see a wave of righteous indignation sweep this country. But you would agree, I believe, that just throwing the rascals out is not enough. Oh, that's wonderful. I mean, since it is just a symptom why the people themselves are going to have to produce a more responsible brand of leadership. We've got to educate our young men to appreciate public service in public office as an honor and a responsibility, not something to be dodged. Dr. Potter, I'd like to ask you what your standards would be on some of these things. For example, do you think a public official ought to accept gifts from anybody that he's in a position to give favors to? Do you think you ought to accept any gifts at all or where should he draw the line? I think a person in a public position should not accept gifts. Throughout my ministry, for instance, I've refused to accept a 10% discount of the clergy and a half fare on the railroads, because I think that's creating a moral situation which is dangerous. And I think, therefore, that anyone in a public position should be very, very careful about accepting any gifts of any kind from anybody. Well, as a final question, Dr. Potter, how would you summarize your advice to the American people in 1952 as to what they can do about this situation? Well, I'd say, first of all, educate yourself on public affairs, second, be sure to vote, and third, be sure your own house is in order. And when the voting time comes, be there and ready to elect somebody who will be responsible. Well, thank you very much for being with us this evening. The editorial board for this edition of the Lawn Gene Chronoscope was Mr. Henry Haslett and Mr. William Bradford Huey. Our distinguished guest was Dr. Charles Francis Potter, noted philosopher and author. Each year, some 800,000 people witness the bowl games, the traditional championship playoffs between college football teams, which take place on New Year's Day. And countless other millions follow these games on television and on radio. Now, each year, for many years past, all of the major bowl games are timed by Lawn Gene, the world's most honored watch in sports as in other fields of precise timing. The reason for the choice of Lawn Gene watches for the official timing of championship sports events is the greater accuracy which is inbuilt into every Lawn Gene watch. By correct engineering, the finest manufacturing, and most important, the precious hand-finishing of essential parts that distinguishes every Lawn Gene watch. The skills gained in producing high precision watches for scientific purposes has contributed to the betterment of all Lawn Gene watches. For excellence and elegance, Lawn Gene watches have won 10 World's Fair Grand Prizes and 28 Gold Medal Awards. For accuracy, Lawn Gene watches have won prize after prize from the leading government observatories of the world. And yet, you may buy and proudly own a Lawn Gene watch for as little as $71.50. Lawn Gene, the world's most honored watch, premier product of the Lawn Gene Wettner Watch Company since 1866, maker of watches of the highest character. Join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at this same time for The Lawn Gene Chronoscope, a television journal of the important dishes of the hour, broadcast on behalf of Lawn Gene, the world's most honored watch, and Wettner, distinguished companion for the world-honored Lawn Gene, sold and service from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jewelers who proudly display this emblem, Agency for Lawn Gene Wettner Watchers. This is Frank Knife, again reminding you that the Lawn Gene Chronoscope is brought to you three times weekly, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So won't you join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at this same time for The Lawn Gene Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour, broadcast on behalf of Lawn Gene, the world's most honored watch, and Wettner, distinguished companion for the world-honored Lawn Gene, sold and service from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jewelers who proudly display the emblem, Agency for Lawn Gene Wettner Watchers. This is the CBS television network.