Evening star., 1951-08-30
0atis Case Not Closed
Until He Is Freed,
Truman Declares
Continued From First Page)


Continued From First Page)
also replied mo comment" to most
other questions about the case,
just as he had at the White House
Tuesday, when he presented his
credentials.
Mr.. Oatis was tried by our
court of justice and sentenced not
because of his activities as a re-
porter" the Ambassador said, "but
for his activities which trans
gressed those of a reporter"
AS in his meeting with President
Truman. Mr.. Prochazka's confer
ence with Secretary Acheson
lacked the usual pleasantries of
such occasions.
The State Department said, for
example, that Mr.. Acheson didn't
offer to shake hands with the new
Ambassador, but merely showed
him a seat.
The department added that the
Ambassador was called in by Mr..
Acheson "for a frank and thor
ough discussion of the Oats case
and related problems of United
States -Czechoslovakia relations. ~
The Secretary took occasion to
stress the aroused feeling of the
American people and the Govern
ment at the arbitrary and unjust
treatment" of Mr.. Oats and other
Americans, the department said.
BY way of emphasizing senti-
ment here, Secretary Acheson
handed Mr.. Prochazka copies of
resolutions adopted by the House
and Senate calling for a break in
trade relations with Czechoslo-
vakia until Mr.. Oats is freed.
Wild Scene Recorded.
About so reporters and photog-
raphers Swarmed around the Am
bassador as he emerged from the
AcheSon conference, with the
newSmen shouting questions and
the photographers jockeying for
positions.
Observers agreed it was one of
the widest scenes ever staged
around the State Department.
At one time an aide to Mr..
Prochazka shouted:
will you restrain the AmbaS-
sador by force?"
One reporter pointed out that
American Ambassador Ellis o.
Briggs had not been permitted to
see Mr.. Oats since his arrest and
asked if this was in conformity
with Czech law.
The envoy refused to answer.
Asked if he would expect to
see a national of his own country
who had been imprisoned here,
Mr.. Prochazka said he would ex-
pect this to be settled according
to the laws of the United
States E"
Senator Jenner said it was IAN
outrage that the American Gov
ernment isn't able to protect its
own citizens wherever they may
be-"
The main thing is to effect Mr..
Oats release" Senator Jenner
commented. "All proper steps
should be taken to this end"
Benton Sees Oats as Symbol.
Senator Benton called Mr.. Oats
IAN innocent victim" of Commun-
list-line propaganda. The Czechs,
he said, made Mr.. Oats symbol
of what the Reds call Americas
warmongering press.
Having made Mr.. Oats a vic
tim of their own propaganda,
Senator Benton commented, "they
have jockeyed themselves into a
position-got themselves so far
out on a limb-that they don't
know how to retreat"
In Berlin today, the East Ger
man Communists tried to explain
the Oats case.
The Soviet sector newspaper,
Berlinger zeitung Am Abend, re-
viewed the Czech courts charges
that Mr.. Oats was a spy in the
employ of the United States
secret service" and contended his
sentence was justified.
The Red-controlled newspaper,
possibly noting the worldwide |
protest against the Oats trial. |
contended his case proved all
Western journalists are spies.
The newspaper added:
According to his own testimony
the Prague bureau of the Asso-
ciated Press has been an import
ant point for American espionage
in CzechoSlovakia. The previous
chiefs Of this bureau, CA. H. Gold
berg, (Richard) KaSischke and
(Nate) Polowetzky, were agents of
the American secret service and
for years assembled information
of a military. economic and po-
litical character.
The so-called chief correspond
ent of the biggest American agen-
cy was in reality a major aSso-
Ciate of the American secret serv-
ice. His colleagues of United Press,
Reuters and France Press (AFP)
were of the same stripe" the Ber-
liner Zeitung said.