 The world's most honored watch is Laun Jean. Laun Jean watches have won ten World 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 Wittenall Watch Company. And for the Laun Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour, brought to you every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A presentation of the Laun Jean Wittenall Watch Company, maker of Laun Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittenall, 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 Cuey, editor of the American Mercury, and Mr. Henry Haslett, editor of the Freeman and contributing editor of Newsweek Magazine. Our distinguished guest for this evening is the honorable author, Bliss Lane, former ambassador to Poland. The opinions expressed are necessarily those of the speakers. Mr. Lane, our Chronoscope audience remembers you for your appearance here last December, and we're very happy to welcome you back here tonight. Since that time, an investigation has been underway in Washington into the disappearance of 15,000 Polish officers, some 4,000 of whom were found murdered in the Captain's Forest in Russia. Now, we'd like to get your views on that mass murder because you've been very active in trying to get the truth before the American public about it and what has happened and what has developed about it. Now, I'd like to begin first by asking you when this murder occurred and what were the conditions under which it occurred? Well, in my opinion, Mr. Haslett, it occurred in April or May of 1940 when the Soviets were in charge in command of that district in Katyn, near Smolensk. When and how was it first brought out? It wasn't brought out until 1943 when the Nazis discovered the graves and that discovery brought about a great rupture of relations between the Polish government in London and between the Soviet government. Well, Mr. Lane, first, sir, why is it so enormously important in 1952 for us and for our government to go back and establish once and for all before the world the importance of this massacre? What's so important about the Katyn Forest Massacre? Well, Mr. Huey, if I may say so, first of all, I think it's most important that the people behind the iron curtain, and I refer not only to the Polish people and the Hungarians, but also the Russian people, should realize at last that the American people and their representatives are taking a very great interest in this case. But secondly, and perhaps most important, is to bring back home to the American people the importance of this because it shows what Soviet criminal methods are. And that's why tonight that we are discussing it and that's why it's so important is that it shows to the American people the nature of their enemy, how the Russians were capable of murdering large numbers of Poles and then use telling our people that somebody else did it. Exactly, because this isn't the only case we have. You see the case of the Ukrainians who have murdered Vinitsa? In many other cases of which perhaps we don't know nothing because there were 11,000 Polish officers who disappeared. We don't know their fate today. Well, what is the major evidence that the Russians did it? Well, first of all, the medical evidence, the condition of the bodies. Second, there's the, shall we call it, the agricultural evidence, the height of the saplings that were planted above the graves. Third, the circumstantial evidence, the fact that in the clothing were found documents that were not dated after April or May of 1940. Because let me say that's before the Germans got in there. Yes, because I was going to say that. Mr. Hassler, if the Germans had committed this crime, they would have had to be in August 1941 or after. Yes. But fourth, there's the diplomatic evidence, which I think is extremely important. From 1941 until 1943, the Polish government in London had been trying to find out where these 15,000 Polish officers were. And even our ambassador was trying to find out because of course the United States was equally interested in setting up a Polish army in the Soviet Union. And what did they say? They'd gone to France, Joseph Land, they'd gone to Manchuria, perhaps they'd gone back to Poland, perhaps they'd disappeared. And then when the Germans announced the finding of these graves, Pravda, the official organ of the Soviet government, says, oh, they were killed by the Germans while they were working on the roads near Smolensk in great coats in the August of 1941. The Russians have said that the crime was committed in August of 1921. Yes, but they were found in these coats, frozen in these coats with these great coats and so on. So that must have occurred then, at least the prior winter. Well, if I may say, it's to my mind most ridiculous that the Soviet secret police, which I consider fairly efficient, should not detect the presence of 15,000 Polish officers in Polish uniforms near Smolensk for two years. Now, Mr. Lane, let's get this fact straight again, if we will. The Russians caught 15,000 Polish officers in 1940 and murdered them. Well, in 1939, as they entered... That's right, in 1939. Oh, probably many more, but there were 15,000 that were known to exist in three camps. I see. Now, why did the Russians murder these 15,000 Polish officers? Well, in my opinion, it was for the purpose of stamping out the nucleus of the nationalism of Poland. All right. Now, were these officers intellectuals or were they scientists or what? Well, there were some who were members of the Polish Army Corps, but there were many others who were intellectuals and scientists. In other words, I think that Soviet policy is always to stamp out the roots of intellectualism in every country. In other words, the roots of nationalism. And they were, in other words, they were taking over Poland and they were not going to have any trouble. They were going to avoid trouble in the future by killing these men then. Exactly. Just as they did in 1944, they exterminated the... And then... When the bodies were found, the Soviets said that the Germans had killed the people, didn't they? Exactly. And then our OWI and our government also told our people that the Germans killed them. That's correct. That's correct. Well, that's what I'd like to get at. Yes. Why did our government put the blame on Germany instead of on Russia? And did our government know that Russia had done it? Well, now, that's a very difficult question to answer. Why we did it? But I think it's pretty obvious from what's happened why we did it. We didn't do... Our government didn't fact do this. The OWI didn't fact announce that the Germans had done it. They did. They swallowed the story of the Russians. And I personally feel that our government felt that appeasement of the Soviet Union was the most important thing in our policy. That's confirmed by many events that have happened since then. Now, the OWI not only swallowed it, but the OWI told our people that the Germans did it, didn't they? And how late after the war was the OWI and many major American journals still telling our people that it was the work of the Germans? Well, I don't think it has really been denied up to this day by our government. Because remember at Nuremberg also, we gave the impression that the Russians were not responsible. Because the indictment at Nuremberg against the Germans was just allowed to drop. And now, Mr. Lane, why is it so important now in 1952 why is it so important that our people understand this whole technique, this of lying technique on the part of the Russians? Are things happening in Korea today that our people should know about? Well, in Korea today, a ghastly repetition of cateen has taken place. I don't know the numbers because the numbers have not been admitted by our government. But there's certainly hundreds of thousands. In the middle of last November, Colonel James Hanley revealed that 6,270 American prisoners of war have been murdered by the Chinese and North Korean communists. Now, what happened after his announcement? Well, I don't want to comment on that, but let me say one thing, that those boys were found in mass graves, just the way those Polish officers were found. And they were found with their hands tied behind their backs like this and with bullets in the back of their necks. And that's the thing that I think the American people ought to realize today that this isn't a matter that only concerns Poland or the Polish officers, it concerns the security of the United States. Well, hasn't this been minimized, these facts been minimized by the administration and dealing with the Russian negotiations Well, of course it has. Matter of fact, friends of mine in the State Department begged me not to take an interest in this cartoon matter. But fortunately, members of Congress have taken the matter up. And they've made not only the Soviet government so angry, but also the Polish Embassy so angry that vitriolic statements have emerged. And I'm glad to say that the State Department last Saturday came up and said that Poland today, the Polish Embassy magazine was suspended. Because of the attacks that they made on the United States as a result of Cateen. And the Polish Embassy had the temerity to say that the United States had murdered prisoners of war in Korea. Well now, sir, is there some indication that our government, our State Department, is at last about ready to tell the people the truth about this Soviet technique? Mr. Huey, after years of experience under the Department of State as a minister by Mr. Dean Atchison, I do not know what is going to happen. I see, sir. And I refuse to make a prophecy. I'm sorry. Well, Mr. Lane, I'm sure that our audience very much appreciates this very forthright message that you brought tonight. And thank you for being with us, sir. The editorial board for this edition of the Lawn Jean Chronoscope was Mr. William Bradford Huey and Mr. Henry Haslett. Our distinguished guest was the Honorable Arthur Bliss Lane, former ambassador to Poland. Now, suppose you said to your jeweler, show me please the best Lawn Jean watch you have. He would say, I have a wide selection of models to choose from. Choose the style you like best. The one you select is the best Lawn Jean watch of its type. 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