Associated Press correspondent William Oatis set at liberty: Centrary to all expectations, AP correspondent William Oatis was surprisingly dischrarged from Czech Prime Minister Zapotocky. The discharge went into effect on Saturday, 16th May 1953. In July 1951, William Oatis had been sentenced to ten (10) years prison, due to alleged espionage. On Saturday, 16 May 1953, a few minutes after twelve o'clock, William Oatis crossed the Czech German border. He was accompanied by US Vice Consul Mr. Christopher A. Square and by Mr. Nat B. King, a member of the US embassy in Prague Czechoslovakia. When he arrived at the Czech-German border, Oatis was welcomed by many M.P.'s and they eyed him during the trip from the border to Nuremberg, Germany. In the late afternoon hours of Saturday, 16 May 1953, the overtired AP correspondent gave the first interview to many German and American press-television-, broadcasting and news reel reporters and/or correspondents. In downright words, he expressed his own gratitude and gratefulness to the US Government and to many US citizens Oatis said he was not badly treated when in a Czech prison, but he mentioned, "When they screened me they "used police methods, which are usual in some countries, and in others are unaccustomed.
Photo measures 8 x 5.75 inches.
Photo is dated --0000.
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