THE CHINAMAN BUTTON- A great premise is taken to the extreme, and all the more interesting with a sympathetic character turned into Frankenstein.

.......I do like stories of this sort. A scenario is set that has moral implications sufficient and real enough to have we, the listeners' ask "What would I do?"...I love the CBSRMT for having the temerity to resolve the dilema that is both ugly and more likely than the candy coated "nice endings" so many other forms of entertainment conclude with. This is not to say that all would go the way of Walter Van Hass. Certainly not all WW2 Germans were 'Goose stepping Goons'....but an awful lot were and many more turned a blind eye. Yes, it is absolutely plausable the Walter gives in to the corruption. The CBSRMT recognizes this, and thus acts as a veracious witness to life. This makes the drama........drama. It touches on reality and becomes compeling. Will Walter make the phone call, we ask? We want him not to and simultaneously know he will! The stinger here in our drama is not only does he make the call but then applies his new found liberation from a sense of right and wrong on his creator. I suppose it is a logical ending, but more than that it is a brilliant surprise.

If this story conveys anything it is that tremendous moral strength is requisite to the survival of humanity.