Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-15

;Iroutine duty.
1 In the words of the Voice of
america, Mr.. Oats thus becomes
the first American martyr to
press freedom behind the iron
curtain" The Voice the United
States State Department radio
added that "in sending Mr.. Oats
Ito prison the Czech stooges. of
the Kremlin have themselves COM
United an awful crime-a crime
which a decent world will not let
forever go unpublished"
The Czech Communists, begged
down in a moraSs Of their own
mutual mistrust, their own bloody
tpurges, their own incessant spying
their own violent dread of the
truth, singled out Mr.. Oats. Why?
Because, as the prosecutor said,
he insisted on getting the facts.
| Mr.. Oats would not compromise
with truth. Nobody knows this
better than the people who worked
with Bill Oats. His associates on
the foreign desk Of the APP re-
garded him with something ap-
preaching awe for his constant
plugging to get at the very roots
of q story.
They say about Bill that a good
gust of wind would blow him away
he looked that frail.
He is still remembered for this
ability back home in Indiana. In
the AP Office in indianapolis they
tell of his intellectual proves and
his ability to absorb information.
They say of him that he would
rather read dictionary than a
novel.
Tragedy Marked Early Life.
Mr.. Oats early life was touched
Iby tragedy. When he was only a
year old, a brother Is months older
was scalded by hot water and died.
Shortly afterward his father. Ross
Oats, went to Arizona to seek
work; and within a few months
his mother disappeared. never to
be heard from since. Bill Oats
was brought up by his paternal
grandmother. Mrs. Charles Oats.
His was bookiSh. interpretive
boyhood. with two abiding pas
sions-music and the written word.
But despite a retiring nature. ne
was popular among the young
people in Marion. He played the
piano for them in young peoples
functions at the Christian Church.
often led their discussion meetings.
took part in many school activities
and even went in for dramatics-
he made a fine apothecary in
Romeo and Juliet" one OF his
friends recalls.
A school official in Marion re-
members him as "a perfect citi-'
zen and a perfect pupil" His
teachers say he was one OF their
best students.
After graduation from Marion
High School, Mr.. Oats went on to
Depauw University on a scholar
ship, remaining there for one
school year He Joined the staff OF
the Marion Leader Tribune in
1888. A copy of one of the human
interest stories he wrote there
about the death Of Sport, dog
beloved by the whole town-still
hangs, framed under glass, in
Marion's Plymouth Club. /
In 1887, he joined the A. p.
staff In Indianapolis. He remained
there until 1912, when he was &C
cepted for Army duty-thoughI
none could understand how hel
managed to pass the physical
examination. The Army assigned
him to, q Japanese language
school, and in two years at the
Universities Of Minnesota and
Michigan he mastered the Ian
guage.
Wanted to Go Abroad.
After his release from the Army
he joined the A. P. in New York.
going to the foreign desk in 1916
because of his ambition to becomet
a foreign correspondent. In 1913
he was sent to London, and after
A. P. Bureau Chief Nathan Polo
wetzky was expelled from Prague
by the Communists, Mr.. Oats was
assigned to Czechoslovakia, June
%, 1850.
He had been married in London
to Laurabelle lack, who also had
been an A. P. employee in New
York. He had intended eventually
to take her to Prague, but for the
time being she returned to the
United States and now is living
in st. Paul, MINI.
Few expected the Czech Com
munistS would permit Mr.. Oats
to work freely for long. Before his
arrival the Czechs already had
been engaged in a campaign to
snuff out all freedom of reporting 1
Two other A. P. bureau chiefs had
been expelled, along with a pa
rade Of other Western newspaper
men Today, not a single Western
newspaperman remains in Czecho-
slovakia to annoy the Red masters
OF the country by reporting facts.
Mr.. Oats tackled his Job IN
Prague in the same methodical|
way he approached everything
else. He dug for the truth. no
doubt with full realization of the
risk involved. He carefully re-
ported the Red campaign to SUBJ
stitute a state church for the
Roman Catholic hierarchy; the
Communist Punishment of Arch
bishop Josef Beran and the sub
stitution of a progressive priest"
in the archbishop's office.
Reported Wave of Red Arrests.
He reported the wave of Com
munist arrests and the growing
Red purge of the party's own un-
reliables. He reported the Com
munists' distrust of each other
which led to the arrest of Vladi-
mir Clements. the Foreign Min
lister, and other high-ranking
Communist leaders. Through N