A Richard Rohmer Omnibus. Richard Rohmer
you probably could stand to lose a few pounds anyhow. I don’t think I’m going to have anything, but I’ll get my secretary to find some sandwiches and coffee for you.
“While I’m seeing the Governor-General, do you think you could rough out a sketch of what I might say in my television address tonight? I want to tell the people exactly what’s going on and how we propose to deal with the situation, and I want to stress again the need for a calm approach. You might get Bob Gendron of External Affairs to give you a hand. He’s a pretty wise old bird, and he’s had lots of experience. Also, he understands the Americans very well.”
“Sure, at least I’ll make a stab at it. I can’t guarantee anything, but having listened to you for a good part of the day and watched what’s going on, I’m sure I can get something down on paper. It won’t be the first speech I’ve drafted for you.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”
Porter turned to gaze out the office window. “I’ve got something else on my mind. I wonder how we could get a good reading of what the people of Canada think we should do about this ultimatum. Surely with the fantastic communications systems today there must be some way to do a representative sampling of opinion fast. Maybe Davies of Bell Telephone would have an idea. He’s a good friend of mine. You know him, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. I met him in Montreal with you just before the leadership campaign started. We had lunch at the Beaver Club in the Queen Elizabeth.”
The intercom buzzed. It was Tom Scott. “Sir, the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Adamson, is on the line.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
The Prime Minister picked up the telephone. “General, you were calling me.”
The General answered. “Yes, sir. Two things: First of all, I want to report that the airlift for the members of Parliament and the Senate is going very well. We should have everyone in for the eight o’clock briefing tomorrow morning except for those who are too ill to travel — there are a couple — and three from the Senate who are out of the country and can’t make it back in time.”
“That’s a very good turnout.”
“The second thing is that I think you should know that in the past twenty-four hours we have noticed a substantial increase in the number of practice flights carried out by USAF bombers over Canadian territory. The same thing applies to fighter interception practice. As you know, Prime Minister, under the NORAD arrangements, the Americans have to get final clearance from us to overfly Canadian territory. They’ve been doing this, so there’s no secret about the flights, but I thought I ought to draw the matter to your attention.
“We have no intelligence that there is any ground activity, troop movements, or anything of that kind anywhere in the United States, but there certainly is a lot of activity in the air.”
“Thank you for telling me, General. The President knew very well that you would report to me the increase in the overflights. Obviously it’s another piece of pressure.
“Since I have you on the line, General, there’s a matter I should take up with you. I have been quite concerned that the military be ready to come to the aid of the civil power should any anti-American reaction develop in the next few hours — protest parades, or acts of violence against American citizens or property in Canada. I understand that the emergency structure that was set up in the early 70’s after the FLQ trouble in Quebec is designed to cope with this kind of situation, and I just want to make sure that the military are on the alert.”
The CDS responded, “We certainly are, sir. I’ve already issued instructions and the machinery is in operation. I’ve kept the Minister of Defence and his deputy fully informed, including the information I have just passed on to you, sir. They have approved of what we’re doing.”
“Thank you, General. Keep a close eye on the situation. For what it is worth, I think the Canadian mouse should put all its military forces on the alert in case the American elephant decides to get nasty, although I can’t conceive of such a possibility.”
The General chuckled. “I will, sir.”
The Prime Minister hung up and said to Thomas, “I guess you could gather what that was all about. The Americans are rattling their planes at us. And the members and senators are on their way back.
“Now I should be off.”
He touched the intercom. “Tom, is my car ready?”
“Yes, sir, and there are four RCMP officers here waiting to escort you through the gang of reporters and photographers lying in wait out in the hall.”
“O.K., I’m leaving right now.”
As he headed for the door, Porter said to Thomas, “I suggest you stay and work here, John, rather than go back to your own office. You can use any of my staff. But suit yourself.”
The Prime Minister went through the reception area, where he collected the four RCMP officers, resplendent in their traditional red-coated uniforms. Two of the men preceded him and the other two walked one on each side.
As they opened the door to the corridor, the Prime Minister was confronted by a mass of pushing reporters, most of them holding out microphones. All were shouting questions, none of which he could make out. The Prime Minister and his bodyguard wedged their way through the milling throng to the top of the staircase, but there they were blocked. Finally Porter held his hands in the air and waved vigorously. Gradually the commotion died down and the shoving subsided. The RCMP officers cleared a space of a few feet between the Prime Minister and the reporters, but he still had to shout to be heard.
“If you will all be quiet for a minute, I’ll tell you what I am doing and where I am going. There’s no time for interviews at this point.”
A score of hungry microphones were thrust toward the Prime Minister, and television cameras ground away.
“The Governor-General has just arrived back from Victoria and I am on my way to advise him of the ultimatum and to let him know what steps the government is taking. Also, of course, I will seek his advice. I’ve known His Excellency for many years and there is no man in the country whose counsel I would value more at a time such as this.
“I have nothing more to add to what I said on television a short while ago except that all the machinery is in operation to ensure that a decision will be made by Parliament within the time frame set down by the United States.”
Someone shouted, “How are you going to vote on the ultimatum question, Prime Minister?”
Porter did not respond immediately. When he did, he spoke slowly. “I am not in a position to say how I will vote, and will not be until the House has completed its debate tomorrow afternoon. By that time I will have heard what the members of the House have to say, I will have had opinions from all across the country, and I will have had counsel from the premiers of the provinces. When I finish off the debate in the House tomorrow, you will know my decision on the ultimatum.”
Another question. “Prime Minister, do you think the Americans are justified in putting a gun to our heads?”
This was a question that the Prime Minister clearly did not want to answer. He held up his hands and said, “Sorry, I can’t take any further questions. There’s no time.” With that he turned and moved quickly down the stairs and out the heavy doors into the waiting limousine. An RCMP car with the four officers in it followed the Prime Minister’s as it moved away from the East Block.
Air Force One (Churchill)
1:07 p.m., CDT
Air Force One, with the President at the controls, had slowed down to 250 knots. To the citizens of Churchill, Manitoba, 2,000 feet below, the Boeing 747 appeared to be hovering there like some great goose followed at a respectful distance by a brace of ducks. The new pair of Canadian Armed Forces CF5 fighters trailed the 747 in formation, about four hundred yards behind and a thousand feet above.
The