24 Dec ‘Peace’ Parley For Lennons
OTTAWA — Beatle John Lennon and his bride, Yoko dropped in yesterday at Prime Minister Pierre’s Parliamentary pad, for a parley on peace.
The appointment was for five minutes, but it went 55.
The busy Pierre, who only recently found it difficult to find time, at the federal-ro- v i n c i a I constitutional conference, for some of the premiers who wished to see him in private, found it simple to fit the hairy pair into his schedule.
The time priorities of the trendy PM were somewhat more constricting last week when there was no way, 50 dismissed federal civil servants — film board sackings — could get in to see him.
But Beatle John and Yoko were a different matter: “we’re for peace, man,” they said.
Maybe the PM had something — for while the premiers and the film board purgees might have been for a lot of things, peace wasn’t exactly one of them.
Both the Beatle and his bride have shoulder-length hair. Yoko’s was crowned by a flappy black hat, big as an umberella. She wore an ankle-length black knited garment under a black great coat.
The one reporter who operated as a pool man for all the others, revealed that, after the greetings, the Prime Minister had thrown an arm around Yoko’s shoulders.
Following their tete-a-tete with the busy prime minister, the two “ambassadors” of youth went out to tunney’s pasture to talk with Health Minister Munro who has spoken of the possibilities of softening the penalties for pot-smoking.
The Beatle was asked if he had sworn off drugs. He replied he hadn’t sworn off anything, but added that he keeps clear of anything that interferes with my health or mental well-being.”
Asked whether this included Marijuana, he replied: “No, not for me.” He made it clear, however, he was not advocating drug use for others.
Though the couple refused to be pinned down on exactly that they had discussed wiii the Prime Minister, Lennon said he was convinced Mr. Trudeau is “a beautiful person.”
Lennon said they wanted to discuss the “health aspects” of next summer’s big Mosport Peace Festival with the health minister.
The Beatle is one of the organizers for a festival scheduled for next July 3, 4, 5 at the Mosport Race Track near Toronto.
Asked what possible interest such a peace rally could be to the Canadian Health Minister, Beatle Lennon replied: “to keep the festival healthy, man.” Similar festivals, held during the last year in both the United States and England, have created problems for organizers, among them treating teenagers who have freaked out on drugs.
Lennon said Mr. Trudeau was the first major politician he and his wife have met personally since they launched their international “crusade for peace.”