 It's time for the Lawn Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A presentation of the Lawn Jean Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lawn Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lawn Jean. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lawn Jean Chronoscope? Edward P. Morgan and Bill Costello, both from the CBS television news staff. Our distinguished guest for this evening is the Honorable Clayton Fritchie, Deputy Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Mr. Fritchie, with a prominent and important politician in our midst, it would be most appropriate for us to discuss politics on Chronoscope tonight, and that we propose to do. But beforehand, it occurs to me that often a lot of us take a great deal for granted, and we say that we know what a chairman or a deputy chairman of a political party is and does, but we really would be hard put for a definition. What do the chairman and the deputy chairman of a party, specifically the Democratic party, do? Well, confusion in that area is understandable. Committees change from time to time, and their roles change, particularly when a party that has been in power goes out of power. When you're in power, your committee is engaged largely with organizational matters, patterned to some extent, contact in the field, and many affairs of that nature. When you're in power, the party as a whole looks to the White House for leadership. It looks to the executive departments for information, for research, for ideas, for the whole stream of intelligence, so to speak, that activates the party and keeps it nourished. Now, when you go out of power, you lose your personnel in these executive departments. Therefore, one of the first acts after the last election was for Chairman Mitchell with the approval of Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Truman. To reorganize the Democratic National Committee and created two deputy chairmanship under him. One, for matters of the field, organization, and fundraising, and secondly, a public affairs division under my direction. And that includes publicity, public relations, radio, TV, matters with which you are familiar and interested. Liaison committees with the House, with the Senate, Library, and particularly a new and highly developed research division to supply information intelligence to our own party. Does that give you a quick slant? That's a very scholarly and lucid answer, I would say. But it brings us to another point that you have mentioned by indirection at least. And that is your new duties as editor of a publication which I believe is called The Democratic Digest. Bill Costello and I would be most happy to put some questions to you about that. Shall I hold this before the camera so our readers can see it? Can I get a good plug in for it? That's up to you. Tell us how it originated, Mr. Pritchie. Well, it flows from exactly the same problem that I mentioned earlier, the problem of intelligence. As you know, we Democrats, whether we are right or wrong, have felt that at least insofar as the editorial pages of the country are concerned, we have not had a favorable press. By that we don't mean to suggest or to insinuate that we have been mistreated in the news columns or the news columns have been distorted or biased. But we do think that the editorial pages of the country have been predominantly Republican and that some 80 to 90 percent of the American newspapers, the large dailies, have supported Republican candidates in recent elections. Now, what do you propose or propose to prove with this publication? Well, I wanted to add this one thought, Ed. During the last 20 years that was offset to some extent by the fact that the Democrats were in power and that the President was a Democrat and his voice could always be heard. And every paper carries the President's remarks on page one automatically. Now, one reason that we were greatly concerned after the election insofar as intelligence concerned is that we not only had a press that was predominant Republican in his policy at least, but also the Republicans now had the voice in the White House. And that was really the genesis of this magazine, which we hope will become a real instrument in giving more adequate expression to the Democratic point of view. Well, does that mean that you expect the magazine to become the spokesman for the party for lack of a presidential spokesman? Well, let me say this. And I think this is true probably of the Republican party as well as the Democratic one. I think even Mr. Eisenhower agreed there's no one voice in either party. This is not the voice of the Democratic party because there is no such thing. There are many voices in the Democratic party, some greater than others, some claiming more attention than others, but there are a number and this attempts to reflect the voices of the Democratic party. May I put it that way? Can we aim one right between the eyes and ask you who's running the Democratic party now? I think there'd be very difficult to ask about either party. They are run by a great many men from great many sections of the country, all of whom contribute a great deal in different ways. To the total intelligence and leadership and policies of the party. Well, now in the establishment of this magazine. I mean that in an entirely sincere way. And I think you noticed in the last six months that even the President of the United States has difficulty always in speaking exclusively for his own party. Now, in getting the digest underway, Mr. Fricci, what sort of circulation results have you had so far? And particularly, what results have you had down south in the deep south states, some of which voted Republican in the last election? We find the response more or less uniform. Can't find any reasonable distinctions. As you know, it's never very attractive to boast about one's activities. But I think you know, as a matter of record now, that we had a truly phenomenal sale of the first two issues. The third issue will be out around September the 11th. We hope this will not be a flash in the pan. No doubt some of this was curiosity sales, some of it novelty. But the press has been extremely kind and flattering and helpful. And commentators, radio and TV alike. Megasyn is attracting many editorials. I must warn you that we're going to have a distinguished Republican on Chronoscope soon. One of the first ones, I believe, is going to be the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, Mr. Hugh Scott, the congressman from Pennsylvania. And we intend to quiz... So I understand. We're going to quiz him about their editorial aspirations and what criticisms, if any, they have on the Democratic Digest. Did you notice that magazine article of Mr. Scott's about the Republican Party? It's almost exactly the same as the leading article on this issue of the Democratic Digest, which is titled, How the Democrats Saved Eisenhower from His Own Party. He scooped us. We'll ask him about that. All right. Let's move into the broader area of politics. The president, I believe, is going to make a rather extensive trip in September and October from the east coast clear down into Texas. Does that indicate that... Which president are you referring to? The president of the United States. They're both going to be on the road? No, we still refer naturally in a sentimental light. Oh, no, I'm referring to the president of the United States. They're both going to be on the road in September. He's making this trip, obviously, in his capacity as president. And I'm wondering if he's getting the jump on the Democrats' apropos of the 1954 elections. Oh, I don't think that's the president's intention. I think if he apparently enjoys getting around the country and seeing people and finding out what's going on, probably a very worthwhile thing for a president to do. His speeches may be entirely political, but we don't know that to be a fact. I think people like to see their president, like to hear from him. What about Governor Stevenson now? He's going to make an appearance in Chicago in mid-September. What other plans does he have after that for public appearances? Bill, they're somewhat fluid. As you know, he just got back to this country about a week ago, and he's been through a grueling trip for six months. And I think he's longing right now just to get some cool air and get it in the woods for a little bit. We hope that he will give some further time to party affairs during the remainder of the fall. As you know, he's going to make a speech in September, September the 15th in Chicago. That's going to be under non-partisan auspices and will not be particularly a political speech. It will be held in connection, however, with a party rally in Chicago on September 14th and 15th, and there will be a party dinner on Monday the 14th at which he will appear, along with former President Truman and numerous other leaders of the party. Partly in connection with this clam-bake, and no offense meant because we usually refer to such things as clam-bakes, there's been a good deal said, speculated, that there is something of a rift remaining within the Democratic Party, particularly between the Southern Democrats and the Northern Democrats, and Senator Hollande of Florida made a point of refusing an invitation that you gave him to the Chicago Conference. What about that? I saw that in. Oh, I think a political party, a large political party is pretty much like a large family. There are always some differences of opinion, some difficulties, not total meeting of the minds at all times, but by and large, when the pinch comes, the party pretty well stands together. I think as you know yourself, there has been a great effort this year to play down the differences in the party and to achieve a reconciliation as much as possible. I think Chairman Mitchell has done extraordinary well in that respect, and I assure a number of Southern senators would agree that he has. That may be a final question now. The Republicans have been in seven months. I'll ask you to answer this quickly. What is your assessment of the situation up to now? Hypothetically, who would win an election tomorrow? Well, I'm a very poor authority since I thought Stevenson was going to win the last election. I think we're going to answer quite seriously, and as objectively as possible, I think we are in an interim stage where policies have not coalesced, where they're not frozen. We don't know exactly yet what the foreign policy is going to be. We don't know whether the administration is going to come up with the sales tax in January. We don't know what they're going to do about the farm problem. As you know, that's quite serious. In other words, things are in a state of flux. Quite. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Critchie. The opinions that you've heard our speakers express tonight have been entirely their own. The editorial board for this edition of The Lawn Jean Chronoscope was Edward P. Morgan and Bill Costello, both of the CBS television news staff. Our distinguished guest was the Honorable Clayton Fritchie, deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Do you know that a Lawn Jean watch actually improves with use? That given proper care, a Lawn Jean watch after five or even after ten years of service is actually a better watch than it was the day you bought it. Yes, long years after an inferior watch is virtually worn out, a Lawn Jean watch continues to be an accurate and a dependable timepiece. So may I suggest that when you are planning the purchase of a very fine watch, compare the facts about Lawn Jean with the facts you have about other watches you know. The facts reveal Lawn Jean as one of the very finest of watches. 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This is Frank Knight reminding you that Lawn Jean and Wittner watches are sold and serviced from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jewelers who proudly display this emblem, agency for Lawn Jean Wittner watches. Tuesday night they're suspense on the CBS television network.