 It's time for the Lorne Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour, brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A presentation of the Lorne Jean Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lorne Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lorne Jean. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lorne Jean Chronoscope? Mr. William Bradford Huey, author and analyst, and Mr. Elliott Haynes of United Nations World. Our distinguished guest for this evening is Ambassador Lail Mattis, delegate from Yugoslavia to the United Nations. Mr. Mattis, over the last 10 or 12 years, there's been a great deal of bitterness in our country toward Yugoslavia, and perhaps a great deal of misunderstanding. So tonight, I'm sure that our viewers would appreciate some rather frank statements from you as to the present attitudes toward the United States and Yugoslavia. First of all, sir, we in this country are spending an enormous amount of money on armaments, and we are accused throughout most of Europe of being more war-minded than other people. Yet your country is spending more than we are. Is that correct, sir? Well, I think if you take it in comparative figures as to percentage of national income, I think that we have unfortunately been forced to spend for defense and even a higher percentage of our national income than in this country. In other words, of all the nations outside the Iron Curtain, your nation has spent more of its effort, devoted more of its effort to armaments in the last few years than any other nation. It would not be another statement to say so. Mr. Mattis, what sort of armaments are you building? Well, I am no expert in military questions. I couldn't give you a list of products of our armaments industries, but I suppose that it would be a large variety of light and medium weapons and other equipment. How many divisions have you got roughly? I know you don't know exactly. Well, again, I don't know these figures, but I have heard that the number of about 30 divisions has been quoted. I should say it might be a fair guess. 30? 30, yes. Well, why, sir? Why are you arming so rapidly? Who are you arming against? We are arming against no one. We are arming to preserve our independence. And as you may know, and I suppose your viewers would know it, that independence of my country has been very strongly and rudely questioned by the Soviet Union and countries in the Soviet bloc since 1948. You are the one nation that has successfully broken away from the Soviet bloc. Well, that's right. And of course, that is the principal threat to your national independence at the moment. Yes, yes. How long do you think you can keep up this very large burden of armament? Well, it is a very high burden and the percentage of the national income as it was at its peak in last year, 23% of the national income, that means 23 cents of every dollar earned in the country, is a very heavy burden. And I think that any country and any economy would suffer heavily if it should continue for a longer period of time. Now, what is the United States helping you materially in this defense effort? Yes, we are receiving assistance in armament equipment of various types from the United States. We are receiving some assistance also from Great Britain and France, but the amount and number we receive from the United States is by far higher. In other words, now you're getting valuable assistance from us. First of all, you're getting military aircraft, are you not? Yes, there are military aircraft, tanks, guns and other equipment. And are we training some of your people in our country now? We have officers who come to the United States and are being trained in the training camps and establishments of the United States. And are there American technicians now with your armed forces? And there is a number of technicians which accompany the equipment. Now, sir, on our program recently, Admiral Zacharias noted American intelligence authority commented on the fact that perhaps Yugoslavia knows more about what's going on in Russia than any of the rest of us. And I'm sure that our viewers would appreciate a statement from you on this. How do you, with your knowledge of Russia, how do you interpret some of the things that are going on in Russia now? Well, I think that these developments have mainly two causes. One is the deadlock into which Soviet foreign policy has come, the failure they have had in many parts of the world. Well, one, and I think the first major setback and failure and defeat, if I may say, in a Cold War, Blitzkrieg was against Yugoslavia. And then they have suffered defeats in other respects. If we take the first part of this assembly of the United Nations with the resolution submitted by India and voted on by almost all nations of the United Nations, I think that they have found themselves isolated in a very bad spot. On the other hand, I think that the internal situation in the Soviet Union, and particularly the critical situation which has developed since the death of Stalin, has forced them to try to make the government more popular among the people in the Soviet Union and to find some way to acquiesce the resistance and resentment of the people in the Soviet Union. I think that this necessity, the weakness internally and externally, has forced them to do this most. Well then, Mr. Matta, you think that their long-range aims remain the same, that of conquering as much of the world as they can? Well, I should not like to express myself at this moment of what the aims and the final and long-range aims of Soviet policy will be. I think it is much more important than to guess on such things to think about what the rest of the world has to do. And I think that there should be made all efforts to bring about an easing of tension in the world, but at the same time to be strong enough to make every possible aggressor to respect our freedom and independence. Well, Yugoslavia has done a lot to ease tension and keep the peace in the last few years, hasn't it? That's what we are, what is the main basis of our foreign policy. But we think that it is not enough to wish peace and to wish easing of tension. As I said, we first must be strong, and that's why we devoted so much energy to building up our defense. Well, Mr. Matta is in the minds of our viewers, of course, here in the United States. There are a number of questions about Yugoslavia itself. Now, first of all, you are a communist nation, are you not? You yourself are a communist, are you not? Yes, I think I should first remind you that nowadays, and perhaps not only nowadays, words are being used with different meanings attached to them. Well, briefly, what's the difference between your type of communism and the Moscow type? Well, I think the first thing which I should say is that we do not think that we possess the stone of wisdom and the monopoly of knowledge. And in the question of the internal organization of the state, we do not believe that the citizens of the state do exist to satisfy the aspirations of the rulers. Do you allow any political freedoms? There is in Yugoslavia a very free discussion on all issues of public life, and may I say that this is the strength of our country. When the attack in the resolution of the coming form in 1948 came, we immediately made an issue of public discussion and the declaration of war, cold war, I mean, on the side of Russia was published in all our newspapers together with the defiance. Can the voters of Yugoslavia vote for more than one person for each office? Yes, they can and they do. In the last elections, for instance, for the legislature of one of the component republics of our Federation for Serbia, the average was two and a half candidates to each person to be killed. During the existence of the Nazi-Soviet pact when Moscow and Hitler were allied, was your group an allied with, were you a party to the Soviet-Nazi pact? No, I don't quite understand. If you think of Yugoslavia as a state, there was made an attempt by the last pre-war government in Yugoslavia. I mean your particular group, the Tito group in Yugoslavia, were you supporters of the Nazi-Soviet pact? We were supporters of our own independence and as the situation developed since the pact between Russia and Germany, the danger for our own independence increased and my political party undertook measures to increase the defense power of the country. Two very brief questions, sir. First of all, are Americans welcome to come to Yugoslavia now? Yes, and they do. Tourists can go to Yugoslavia this summer? Yes, visas are being issued without any permission being required from Central Latvia. And is there any religious freedom in Yugoslavia now? Yes, there is a freedom for worship and religion. And as a final question, sir, we Americans realized that we even extended aid to the present Chinese communist leader at one time and then he turned on us and we've had to reform us. Now, what do you think that we should regard Tito and your government as a more reliable group than other communist groups that we have been perhaps disillusioned with? I should like to quote a sentence from a speech at the luncheon party I was present when the President Tito addressed the British Foreign Minister Eden and on that occasion he said that Yugoslavia has never let down its allies. Well, thank you very much for being with us this evening, sir. Thank you. The opinions you've heard our speakers express tonight have been entirely their own. The editorial board for this edition of the Lone Gene Chronoscope was Mr. William Bradford Huey and Mr. Elliott Haynes, our distinguished guest was Ambassador Leo Matins, delegate from Yugoslavia to the United Nations. Big news for thrift-minded motorists is the outcome of the 1953 Mobile Gas Economy run, just concluded, a race against time with honors for economists. The Mobile Gas run was supervised by the AAA and officially timed over the entire 1200-mile route by a large complement of Lone Gene Watches, official watch for the contest board of the AAA. 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We invite you to join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at this same time for the Lone Gene Chronoscope, the television journal of the important issues of the hour, broadcast on behalf of Lone Gene, the world's most honored watch, and Witnor, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lone Gene. This is Frank Knight, reminding you that Lone Gene and Witnor watches are sold and serviced from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jewelers who proudly display this emblem, agency for Lone Gene Witnor watches. There's tonight's the video theater on the CBS television network.