 The World's Most Honored Watch is Lawn Jeanne. Lawn Jeanne watches have won 10 World's Fair Grand Prizes, 28 gold medals, and more honors for accuracy than any other timepiece. Lawn Jeanne, the world's most honored watch, is made and guaranteed by the Lawn Jeanne Whittenall Watch Company. It's time for the Lawn Jeanne Chronoscope, a television journal of the important dishes of the hour. Brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A presentation of the Lawn Jeanne Whittenall Watch Company, maker of Lawn Jeanne, the world's most honored watch, and Whittenall, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lawn Jeanne. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lawn Jeanne Chronoscope? Mr. William Bradford Huey, editor of the American Mercury, and Mr. Jesse Abramson, noted sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune. Our distinguished guest for this evening is Mr. Aza Bushnell, secretary of the United States Olympic Committee. The opinions expressed are necessarily those of the speakers. Mr. Bushnell, after many very serious political shows, I'm sure that our audience will welcome a talk about sports and good fellowship and the possibility of making some friends this summer. Glad to be able to take part in a little change of pace for you. Now, sir, will you tell our audience just briefly, will you fill us in on the background of the Olympic Games? Just what are the Olympic Games, sir? The Olympic Games are a series of athletic contests held originally in ancient Greece for some 1,200 years prior to the year 400 AD. They were abandoned when politics began to bulk a little too large. And when did the modern Olympic Games begin? Olympic modern games were revived in 1896. And except then, of course, there were war years in which there were no games held. 1916. In modern times, the Olympic Games, unfortunately, have been suspended on account of war. In the old days, wars were suspended for the benefit of the Olympic Games. I see. Now, this year, this is 1952, and where will the games be held this year? Helsinki, Finland. And you've already had the winter games, and now talking of the games, you mean the summer events in Helsinki? The summer events are thought of as the Olympic Games proper. The winter events are always referred to as the winter games. They're a subsidiary of the Olympic Games. Isn't that because the winter Olympics were added to the program as late as 1920, I believe, for the first time, Mr. Bushnell? That's correct, Mr. Abenson. The first several Olympic Games celebrations included no winter sports. Now, there's been a conception in our country that we have won most of the Olympic Games, or all of them. Is that a proper conception, sir? Well, no one wins the Olympic Games, Mr. Huey. The Games are made up of separate individual contests in which there is an individual or a team winner, but there is no national winner of the Olympic Games. Now, this summer, of course, approximately how many American athletes will participate in the Games? There'll be something over 300 if we are able to amass the necessary funds to send all of them to Helsinki. Now, these 300 people are going to Helsinki and compete there, and they're going to live with athletes from other countries? The basic idea of the Olympic Games is to summon the youth of the world to a meeting point for friendly contact and competition. They'll all live together in Olympic Villies. I see. Now, I'm sure that our audience would like to know something about the actual events and what our chances are, and the chances of our star athletes. Who is expected to make the best showing for or win the most gold medals for us this summer? Well, I assume that you think first, Mr. Huey, as most of the people in this country do, of track and field. So your question probably is directed to track and field. Mr. Bushnell, you say men's track and field because we have generally had a very poor women's track and field team. Well, when we say track and field, we mean the men's team, Mr. Abramson. When we say women's track and field, that's the women's team. Well, I think that in men's track and field, it's my impression, isn't it yours, Mr. Bushnell, that we will be just as strong in 1952 as we have been ever since the Olympic Games were reorganized in 1896? I think we have a wealth of material and a great many of the events of the track and field program. Not all of them, as you well know, but in good many of the events, we have a number of the leading contenders. Well, who has been, who is the most outstanding of all American Olympic stars? For the present day? No, sir. You're in modern Olympics. Well, I should thank Jesse Owens from his performance in the 1936 Games in Berlin when he won four gold medals. I think he deserves that designation, although Mr. Abramson may have some other feeling the matter. Well, Mr. Huey said, American athlete, I would have to go along with you on Jesse Owens if you said an American athlete. But if you widen the field to others, I would have to possibly take issue with you, Mr. Bushnell, and include Paavo Nermy of Finland. We also won four gold medals in one Olympic meet, as did Jesse Owens in 1936. Well, if we had to pick the outstanding modern Olympic star, would it be Nermy or would it be Jesse Owens? I think we make out a good case for either one. We need a lot of time to discuss and debate that question because there are both men who won four gold medals in one meet and no one else ever did except Jesse Owens and Paavo Nermy. Well, now, do we have a likelihood of a repeat performance? Do we have a Jesse Owens on our team this year? I don't see that in prospect. Although, to go back to one question you asked a moment ago, it would seem to me that Bob Richards, a 15-foot pole volter, is perhaps our outstanding individual candidate at the present time for the track and field team. He not only excels in the pole vault, but he's also progressing in the calf line and should make a good showing in that. Possibly only the second best showing in the world because we have the defender from 1948, Bob Mathias of Stanford. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Bushnell? Definitely, Mr. Abramson. I don't think we can discount Bob Mathias. He will certainly be a leading candidate for the calf line gold medal. I'm sure that our listeners have noted that this year we expect to have the Russians compete. Now, have the Russians ever competed before? Russia has never been represented as such in past Olympic Games. That's even in Tsarist days and now in the Soviet days. This will be the first occasion. Now, in sports circles, is that regarded as something that's quite hopeful that the Russians are planning to compete? Yes, we feel that whenever competitors from the different nations come together in the Olympic Games, they are bound to develop friendships which cannot help being reflected in their country folk back home. How do you and Mr. Abramson think that the Russians will do in the track and field events this summer? I would defer to Mr. Abramson as far as the answer to that question is concerned. I think he would be a better one to speak up. What are the possibilities? As far as we know from reports emanating from Russia, I do not think there will be in our general class in men's track and field, limiting the discussion to men's track and field because I believe the Russians have the greatest women athletes in the world and we do not go in for developing women athletes, not in track and field anyhow. Why is it that we haven't developed great women athletes? Well, it's not part of, I believe Mr. Bushnell will bear me out because it's not part of our college program and we do not have the same system in women's track and field as we have in men's track and field. Very little opportunity for women track and field athletes to have competition, very little chance for development. Well, why shouldn't Radcliffe and Vassar and Wellesley and the rest of the women's colleges go in for women's track and field? Well, Mr. Bushnell? I don't know the answer to that, they don't. Now, do you expect that the Russians will send their athletes and that they will live together with ours? That is the normal procedure. Athletes of all the countries come together, they not only compete together but also live together in the Olympic Games. Well now, I hope that certainly would be a hopeful development. Now, there's a problem of money and of course you as commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference and as secretary, you're interested in how we're going to get the money. Now, I believe that our athletes are sent by private subscription, aren't they? That's correct, Mr. Hewley. There's no government money involved. Most of the countries in the world do help subsidize their teams for Olympic Games competition in the United Kingdom and in the United States. There is no such arrangement of that sort. We must depend entirely upon popular subscription, gifts and donations from... How much money is needed? Our budget reached what is for us an astronomical figure of 850,000 for the 1952 Games, both Winter Games and Olympic Games proper. How do we propose to raise it? We get some of our money from gate receipts at the more popular tryouts, the tryouts of the more popular sports. But the great bulk of the money must come from individual contributions from sports-minded people, from individuals throughout the country who want to make certain that our team will be able to make the trip without leaving anyone behind. Maybe either you or Mr. Abramson have any suggestions as to how our audience, our sports-minded people among our audience can help raise that money. Well, we'll be very happy to receive checks and any amount from any one of them. Mr. Bushnell, I have an idea that might be helpful. There's been a lot of agitation against the college football games and the postseason basketball tournaments, and it's a great rush every four years to get this money together. A few, as commissioner of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, suggest that the football bowls and the basketball tournaments turn over a good share of their receipts to the Olympic Fund, which is an American system. A smart suggestion, and it would help in many ways. Is there to be an event in the New York area anytime soon, in which people can help? There is an Olympic carnival of five sport carnivals to be held at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The kick-button, Mr. Bushnell, and the greatest track athletes in as much as it's only a six-race program that we have in this country. I'm sure that our audiences appreciate you being with us tonight, Mr. Bushnell and Mr. Abramson, and thank you very much, sir. The editorial board for this edition of the Lone Jean Chronoscope was Mr. William Bradford Huey and Mr. Jesse Abramson. Our distinguished guest was Mr. Asa Bushnell, secretary of the United States Olympic Committee. The Lone Jean with Norwatch Company was happy to afford Mr. Asa Bushnell this opportunity on the Lone Jean Chronoscope to present the United States Olympic Committee's needs for funds. Our own company will certainly make a contribution and will, in addition, provide superlative timing equipment for all of the trials of the 18 separate sports events which will be represented in the United States Olympic team. This will require some 60, one-tenth per second, Lone Jean Olympic timers with a value of $30,000. These Lone Jean Olympic timers are considered to be the finest of all sports timing watches for all sports, and each watch has its own accuracy bulletin from a government observatory. Now, for certain events, we will also make available these certified Lone Jean wrist and pocket chronographs. The choice by the United States Olympic Committee of Lone Jean Watchers to time all events for the selection of the 1952 United States Olympic team is assurance that any records made will have international acceptance. The reputation for accuracy of Lone Jean Watchers rests on a solid record of achievement. Lone Jean Watchers of all categories have been classified first by the leading government observatories over the past 75 years. So if you wish to buy for yourself or as a gift just about the finest watch made anywhere in the world, your choice might well be Lone Jean, the world's most honored watch, a creamier product of the Lone Jean Wittner Watch Company, since 1866, maker of watches of the highest character. We invite you to be with us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening at this same time for the Lone Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important dishes of the hour, broadcast on behalf of Lone Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner Distinguished Companion to the world-honored Lone Jean. This is Frank Knight again reminding you that Lone Jean and Wittner Watchers are sold and serviced from coast to coast by more than 4,000 leading jewelers who proudly display this emblem, Agency for Lone Jean Wittner Watchers. This is the CBS television network.