 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 Larry Lusser, both of the CBS television news star. Our distinguished guest for this evening is Madam Pandit, President of the United Nations General Assembly. Madam Pandit, we remember you on your many trips from India to this country before as a most outspoken person and personality when you were ambassador and in your other capacities, and we hope that nothing has happened to you as a woman or as a person to inhibit what you have to say, but you have been recently elevated to the presidency of the United Nations, and we're not quite sure what the restrictions are, whether it's a sort of relation of judge to jury and you can't talk during the case. Can you make some comments, for instance, on India's relations with the United States? You're right, Mr. Morgan, in imagining that there are some inhibitions. My role is a little different to that of ambassador, because now as head of the United Nations, I am more or less a citizen of the world, someone who has to stay aloof and help in an impartial way, the proceedings of the General Assembly. Therefore, it would not be possible for me to comment on any specific issue of the type you've mentioned. Well, let's take it from another tack. In this country, and I suppose in yours, when a person gets an office, he usually runs for it. Was that the case in your instance with the presidency of the Assembly? Well, actually in the case of the presidency, no one runs, because you know the procedure followed is something like that of the House of Commons in England. There are no nominations and there is no campaign. In my case, it was a little more strange because, of course, I didn't run as an individual. And when it was decided by my government that perhaps the majority of nations would be willing to have India in this position, I was just told to pack up my bags and come here and I did that. Madam President, you're the representative of a great Asiatic country or the sister of the Prime Minister. And now you're the President of the United Nations Assembly. Do you feel that there is any possibility in your position now that you can do something about bringing together the conflicting forces in the world? Didn't you say something to that effect at a news conference just the other day? Couldn't we amplify that a little? Yes, it's true. I did mention something at my first press conference. I don't know that I can do anything special, but I do believe that the President of the General Assembly does have the opportunity to help towards conciliation and, how shall I put it, of lessening a gulf that might exist. Well, would you want to be asked or do you actually have any plans of your own? No, I don't have any plans for two reasons. One is that in a case like this, as the situation develops, the plan emerges and in any case, it would have to be other people who would ask me to intervene. It would not be the President who would intervene in a situation with any sort of a suggestion or proposal. But you would hold yourself in readiness if you were asked to intervene in such a virulent blockade. Madam Pandit, how does the world situation look to you today? Is it more or less tense than it was before the armistice in Korea? I would say it's much less tense today. In fact, a few days ago, one had almost a feeling that the tension might die out. Unfortunately, that hope has not been fulfilled, but even so, the tension today is very much less than it has been during the past two or three years. Are you thinking of any specific developments that caused it to turn a little further worse in the past few days? Well, I'm merely thinking in terms of the Korean political conference, which is not yet functioning. Madam Pandit, may I ask you a rather pointed question? Do you think that your presidency as a representative of India will have any impact should the question of Korea be discussed at the United Nations? I don't quite follow what you mean, Mr. Lesser, but I shouldn't imagine that would affect the situation in any way. Because, as I said, I'm only incidentally an Indian. As somebody president, your nationality and your country makes no difference then, I take it. No, no. Well, do you think, let me put it this way, there's been a great deal of speculation, some of it on the, most of it on the negative pessimistic side, that the whole Korean question would have to be thrown back into the laps, as it were, of this assembly? Well, Mr. Morgan, the position is this, that as president of the assembly, I wouldn't like to prophesy anything. We have to wait and see how developments take place. And my job, and I believe the job, even of the responsible leaders of delegations, would be to try and help any development which might lead to a fulfillment of the idea which we had when the ceasefire in Korea was negotiated. Well, Madam President, because there are still some doubts, and they were expressed only today in that second note that the United States sent to Beiping and Pyongyang, do you think that there will be a Korean political conference? Well, I'm not prepared to comment on that. But if there is none, then your position as assembly president will have a very important role, should the whole question be thrown back to the United Nations. Why do you say that my position as president? Would you mean any president? Yes, any president. Yes, certainly the responsibility to try and find some way out of a situation which is delicate and might become threatening. Perhaps you'd care to give, apart from Korea, the three or four or more principal issues on the agenda of this assembly, Madam Pandit? Well, of course, the political issues always seem more important to people because of their more immediate need for their settlement. But of course, the racial issues that are now before the assembly and have been for some years are growing in importance. And I think that their solution is very, very important if we are to have any kind of easing of that kind of tension in the United Nations. You're referring, for example, to various racial conflicts that exist in the world, on the continent of Africa and other places. Of the various things of which the United Nations is seized at the moment. Then, of course, there are the economic problems, the problem of technical aid, to which I personally attach a great deal of importance, because I think that is one way of proving that the United Nations is doing a good job. It's a very visible way of showing it. Madam Pandit, I'd like to ask you a question, which has occurred to me. Since you are the first woman president the United Nations has ever had and you have already been in action for a number of days now, have you noticed any signs of moderation of language of your fellow diplomats in your presence? I've been a diplomat myself, and although this is the first time I've had such an exalted position, but I've been working with men in various fields for a long time, I don't think anybody has taken any special pains to modulate their language. On the other hand, they haven't in any way said anything that one could take objection to has just been the normal thing. I know you'd have to wrap your gavel very vigorously a few times. Yes. Madam Pandit, many people, not only Americans, but others, seem to have become over the years pessimistic and discouraged about the United Nations as an instrument of peace. Do you think that is justified? No. There are moments, I suppose, in the life of everyone when certain situations look gloomy and one feels unhappy about them, but I have great faith in the United Nations and I do believe that it has done a great deal towards keeping peace in the world. After all, if we look back and see the record of the United Nations for some of its failures, there are also things like Palestine where the fighting was stopped, Korea where we've just achieved an armistice and so on. What does the average Indian think of the United Nations? Well, you know, India is a long way from the United Nations, from New York, and I suppose to be quite honest, I don't suppose the average Indian has much thought about it. I can tell you what my constituents think, some of them. They write and ask me why I'm not attending to my duties in parliament instead of sitting here trying to bring peace to the world that doesn't want peace. Not very different from an American reaction. I think people are pretty much the same all over. But by and large there's an increasing understanding of the fact that the UN is doing a big job in maintaining the status quo, even if it's doing nothing else. Madam Pandit, do you think that, as an Indian, that Asia is emerging as a third force between these two conflicting ideologies in the world? Well, I don't know about, I wouldn't put it that way. I'd say, certainly Asia is emerging as a third force, a third force in the interests of peace. I don't know that she's so keen to emerge as a force between any two ideologies. Thank you very much, Madam Pandit. The opinions that you've heard our speakers express tonight have been entirely their own. The editorial board for this edition of the Laun Jean Chronoscope was Edward P. Morgan and Larry LeSere. Our distinguished guest was Madam Pandit, President of the United Nations General Assembly. 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Whatever the price, every Laun Jean watch is manufactured to the high standards of quality which have made Laun Jean the world's most honored watch, the world's most honored gift. Premier product of the Laun Jean Wittner Watch Company since 1866, maker of watches of the highest character. We invite you to join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at this same time for the Laun Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour. Broadcast on behalf of Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world honored Laun Jean. This is Frank Knight reminding you that Laun Jean and Wittner watches are sold and serviced from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jurors who proudly display this emblem. Agency for Laun Jean Wittner Watches. Red Barber reports the sports on the CBS television network.