Editorial Note
House Concurrent Resolution 140, expressing “profound indignation at the arrest, sham trial and unjust conviction of William N. Oatis” was adopted by the House of Representatives on August 14 by a vote of 363 to 1 and by the Senate on August 23 by a vote of 81 to 0. The resolution requested executive agencies to take all possible action to bring about Oatis’ release and expressed the sense of Congress that all commercial relations with Czechoslovakia should be terminated immediately. For text of the resolution, see Department of State Bulletin, September 10, 1951, page 417.
The resolution, introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Beamer on July 6, was one of nine House resolutions and three Senate resolutions introduced during July to express Congressional indignation at the arrest and conviction of Oatis and to request the taking of measures to bring about his immediate release. Some of these resolutions proposed the evacuation of all American nationals from Czechoslovakia with a view to severing diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia or preventing the representatives of the foreign Communist press from operating in the United States. In two letters of August 1 (one open and one [Page 1403] confidential) to Representative James P. Richards, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in a confidential letter of August 3 to Senator Tom Connally, Assistant Secretary of State Jack McFall expressed the Department’s views on the various proposed resolutions. (249.1111–Oatis, William/7–2351 and 7–1851) The general view of the Department with respect to these resolutions was expressed in the concluding section of a confidential briefing memorandum on the Oatis case, dated July 23, submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs:
“Congressional Resolutions. The Department fully shares the outraged feelings which have led to the introduction in Congress of various resolutions on this subject. The Department also appreciates the help which all of these have provided in impressing the Czechoslovak Government with the importance of this issue to the American people and Government. These have been of value in our opinion especially as the Department has used them over the Voice of America as the medium for communicating them to the Czechoslovak Government and people.
“As to the substantive merits of the different resolutions, it is hoped that the following consideration may be taken into account. However much it may be desired to punish the Czechoslovak Government for its outrageous treatment of this American citizen and representative of the free press and however much such punishment is warranted, it would in our opinion help Mr. Oatis the most, for the present, if any resolution not go so far as to encourage the creation of a great international issue, excluding room for retreat on the part of the Communists. The Department stresses again that its primary objective is to get Mr. Oatis released as soon as possible and is determined to do everything this Government can to achieve this purpose; and that punishment of or retaliation against the Czechoslovak Government should be subordinated to the attainment of our primary objective. At this particular moment the most assistance would be given to our diplomatic effort by a concurrent resolution along the lines of S. Con. Res. 37 and H. Con. Res. 140, which the Department could then use to advantage in our continuing representations to the Czechoslovak Government.” (249.1111–Oatis, William/7–2351)