Evening star., 1951-08-12
By Gornett D. Homer

to the United States, is enjoying
a life here in sharp contrast to
what his regime is dealing out
for William N. Oatis.
He must feel secure in the
knowledge that he cannot be ar
rested here-that any law officer
who dared serve a warrant on him
would be subject to imprisonment
himself.
Mr.. Oats is liying-that is, his
friends hope he is surviving-cut
of from the world in Czech jail.
An Associated Press correspondent
in Prague, he was sentenced to
10 years in prison on espionage
charges for trying to do there
what reporters normally do every
day in free countries-report the
news.
Since his arrest on April %
Mr.. Oats has not been permitted
to talk with any American OF
other friend.
Refuses Interview.
Mr.. Prochazka, among all his
other privileges here, may choose
whom he talks to. He arrived
in Washington Thursday night
Friday. a Star reporter telephoned
his embassy seeking an interview
He was told the Ambassador was
resting and could see no one
that day. Yesterday, the re-
porter was told the Ambassador
"preferred'' to have no interviews
until he had presented his Gre
dentials' to President Truman.
The politely-stated desire of the
Czech Communist leader not tc
see reporter was controlling. Ar
American reporter could not force
his way into the Ambassador
residence or Office to see him even
if he wanted to-one of the privi-
.leges of even a Communist diplo-
mat mere is the protection OF
Washington police.
But in Czechoslovakia an Amer
ican reporter has received just the
opposite of protection" from
Czech police
. Drafted Czech Constitution.
Mr.. Prochazka is known as the
chief architect of Communist
! Czechoslovakia's constitution es-
tablishing the sort of justice" un-
der which Mr.. Oats could be jailed
] to serve MoScow's purposes.
: A Communist since 1923 at least
| Mr.. Prochazka has reputation
as an expert in law-especially
Soviet law-and so was natural
] for the most important post on a
committee which drafted the con-
stitution delivering Czechoslovakia
: to Communist justice in 1948.
He was picked for the job OF
Ambassador here in May, after
former Ambassador Vladimir Out
, rata had been called home for
consultation in a general purge
of Czech diplomats abroad and
sent back to his old job of teach
ing political science in a Prague
school.
The new Ambassador first pub
lie appearance in Washington will
be when he calls on Secretary
of State Acheson to arrange for
presenting his credentials to Pres
ident Truman. The date for the
] Acheson call has not been set yet,
, but presumably will be sometime
this week. The FIRST call at the
White House would follow a few
days later.
Will Submit Remarks"
According to the usual protocol,
Mr.. Prochazka will give Mr.. Ache
son a copy of the formal re
marks" he proposes to make to
the President, for use in drafting
. the Presidents reply.
; Normally. such exchanges OF
; remarks" between the President
: and a new Ambassador are polite
Notwithstanding up or down
the, scale of cordiality to fit the
situation. Rarely are the formal
remarks" actually made verbally
copies are exchanged and the
President and the Ambassador
then talk informally about what
ever is on their minds.
Mr., Prochaka may be in for
q shock when he sees Mr. Truman
Senator Cain, Republican, OF
Washington suggested last night
that the President use the occa-
sion to make direct demand fol-
Mr.. Otis release from prison
Chances are Mr.. Truman already
was considering such an idea.
But whatever he may face in the
! way of diplomatic demands or un-
friendly talk here, Mr. Prochazks
will enjoy immunity from physi-
cal annoyance - and even the
mental annoyance to which Amer
leans themselves are subject in the
form of taxes.
Immune From Arrest.
Among the traditional privi-
leges fol all diplomats serving
: their country in a foreign land is
freedom from arrest for anything
Even if caught in the act of vio-
lating a law, from murder down
to a traffic violation, a foreign
diplomat cannot be arrested here
If a traffic ticket should be put
on his car by mistake, the ticket
is void, according to our own law
And the foreign diplomat can
not be sued for even such things
as failing to pay a debt.
If anyone should attempt tc
prosecute a suit or serve a war;
, rant, the law Omitted States Code
Title %, Sections 252 to 255) pro-
; vides that all involved-"w whether
as party or as attorney or So
licitor, and every officer con-
cerned in executing it''-shall be
/ deemed a disturber of the pub
lis repose, and shall be imprisoned
for not more than three years
and fined at the discretion of the
court"