TORONTO (CP) — A tape recording in which Beatle John Lennon talks in Japanese and sings about peace will be played today at a pacifist rally in Tokyo, his wife Yoko Ono said Tuesday night.
On it, John talks about peace and the “beautiful snow” of Canada and is joined by Yoko in the rallying song of Give Peace A Chance. Lennon plays his guitar.
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.”
We have read about John and Yoko doing something for peace at Christmas, so we decided to express our feelings, too.
Everyone talks about peace, but do we really know what it means? Look at a drop of water. Alone it is practically nothing, but many drops become something. We are like the drop of water. Alone we are practically nothing, not altogether unuse- ful but it is hard for one man to do something alone. United- with others, we may be able to do something if we use our intelligence wisely. Too many men want to do something alone, but imagine if we could all be united. Maybe together something could be done to have peace at Christmas.
VALERIE URBALIS ‘ MARYHEGEDUS LUDIVINA CARDORO Class 8C,J. J. McGrand Catholic School
Christmas Eve
Biafra, Viet Nam, the Middle East—these are some of the places
these names describe to us better than any other the suffering of the common people, the suffering of the human race.
The message of Christmas Is peace upon earth; but this year Christmas will fail again to do so, for far away men will be falling upon the ground not to pray, but to pass away. Soldiers tonight will weep, and ask themselves: “What am I doing here?” Children at home will cry, for they will be asking: “Where is my daddy tonight?” Yet, the tears of hungry children will be stronger, for they will say: “I am hungry, I am hungry, I am hungry.” Children will die tonight because we did not care enough to give a dime!
I think of Christmas as a time for the nations of the world to unite, to stop all wars, to put an end to the suffering of the human race, to forget racialism and to unite as brothers. But these are illusions, dreams, that cannot come true.
Yet, if I can help stop famine by donating what I can donate, I will
by protesting, that too I will do, for I wish that all people of the world could eat and be merry as we Canadians will be tonight.
GIULIO ANTONIO BERTOCCHI
Willowdale
John and Yoko
Rev. G. H. Clements thinks that John and Yoko’s peace mission is an exercise in futility. I ask you, has there ever been a greater exercise in futility than organized religion? In the past 5,500 years there have been 14,531 wlu-s, an average of 3.18 wars per year. In the past 20 years the frequency has increased to 5.2 wars per year. In World War I, 95 per cent of the fatal casualties were members of the armed forces; iq World War II, 56 per cent were from the armed forces. In Korea 88 per cent of the fatal casualties were civilian, and to date in Viet Nam 91 per cent of the dead have been civilian.
During this time religious leaders have supported these wars, or done
Festival, promoted by Johu, *oko and many other notables, including some religious leaders, is attempting something constructive to avert the wicked waste and futility of war. “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”
Wm. A. JOHNSON Rockwood
Beatle John Lennon was scheduled to attend a press conference this afternoon at the Sheraton-Brock Hotel — all in the cause of peace.
The conference was arranged by seminarians from Mount Carmel College who began a peace vigil at noon today at the Rainbow Bridge.
Bill Dorgan, a spokesman for the seminarians, said a telegram had been received from Lennon in which the pop star confirmed he or his representative would attend the press conference.
OTTAWA—John and Yoko met Pierre Tuesday and appeared to get similar vibrations for peace.
“If all politicians were like Mr. Trudeau, “said John Lennon, “there would be world peace. You don’t know how lucky you are in Canada.”
And his wife. Yoko Ono, chimed in breathlessly: “We got a great incentive by meeting him and knowing there are such people as him in the establishment.”
The peace campaigner among the Beatles came out of his 55-minute interview with Trudeau exclaiming that the prime minister was one of the “beautiful people” Lennon’s Japanese-born wife gushed. “Yes, more beautiful than we expected.”
Then they dashed off, with their escort—a bearded agent in a racoon coat and another aide in a purple suit and floppy hat, to visit Health Minister John Munro to discuss the health aspects of their proposed international peace festival at Mosport next July 3-5.
Lennon told members of the press gallery that they and Trudeau had “talked in generalizations.” Asked if their views were similar, he said that “we want hope for the future and in that respect our views are similar.”
But they both felt they had achieved something by these talks, with as Yoko said, a great incentive for furthering their peace movement.
Although he had not discussed the Mosport peace festival with Trudeau, Lennon said it was designed for “musicians, poets, artists to do their thing for peace.”
When a reporter asked if “the road to peace is primarily the development of a frame of mind,” Lennon replied ‘yes, it couldn’t be phrased better’ and Yoko added “peace starts in the home.”
Her husband said that “if I can grease them,” he hoped to have the other members of the Beatles at the Mosport festival.
He did not spell out the “health aspects” which he wanted to discuss with Munro. It was just “a nice way to put it, to keep it healthy, you know.”
But as one who has been convicted of possession of marijuana, he indicated he hadn’t sworn off the drugs, although he was keeping ‘clear of anything that interferes with my physical or mental wellbeing.”
He said he didn’t want anything to develop at the Mosport festival, like the drug binges that had wrecked other rock music festivals.
But he felt a lot had been learned by the experiences of the Rolling Stones and the festivals at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight, and he said “we can have a safe and harmonious meeting of people in peace at Mosport.”
As an anti-war protester, Lennon felt the site of this Canadian auto racing track for a peace festival was all right, “because he can change the vibrations on that ground.”
Asked if he would be going to the Manitoba Centennial celebrations next year as asked by Premier Ed Schreyer, he said he hadn’t received the invitation yet, so nothing had been done about it.
Although he has had his photograph taken with Britain’s Prime Minister Wilson, Lennon claimed Trudeau was “the first political leader we’ve met, “and, of course, he was “just beautiful.”
The Lcnnons, after a week in Canada pushing their slogan “war is over—if you want it,” came to Ottawa late Monday night and left for London via Air Canada Tuesday
There’s a question all red- blooded Canadians with a slight inferiority complex should ask themselves.
If London town is so swinging, how come its number one son comes to Canada with an empty suitcase knowing that filling it is as easy as having $800 and 30 minutes?
Cause that’s just how long it took the Lennons… you know, John and Yoko… to park their white Rolls Royce on Yonge street in Toronto and swoop into Le Chateau.
John bought jumpsuits, hats and scarves…. Yoko bought everything in sight, including five blouses by Finnish designer, Hans Metzen. It’s easy to see how Yoko got the lion’s share of the purchases. Five blouses at each, and her pointing finger at other things added up to $600.
But then, the Lennons knew shopping wouldn’t be difficult.
When they were in Montreal last May for their bed-in, they dropped by Le Chateau on St. Catherine street at proprietor Hershie Segal’s invitation and bought eight jumpsuits … three each and two for their daughter Kyoko.
In Toronto last week they didn’t wait for an invitation.
They rang up, made an appointment and asked for privacy because they’re always mobbed.
And the store complied… locking all three doors.
But… the word had gone out and the mob gathered outside, making an exit impossible for the Lennons… a dignified exit, that is.
So, the store manager made his first public appearance, asked for calm and said the Lennons would be out if they would please behave themselves … the crowd did and were rewarded with John’s speech for peace before he and his wife got into their Rolls with all their bundles and drove off…
OTTAWA—Beatle John Lennon and his bride, Yoko, dropped in yesterday at Prime Minister Pierre’s parliamentary office 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-provincial 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 I 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.
There could be all sorts of future embarrassments for the trendy one in the tete a tete with John and Yoko.
Because from now on, when he finds it’s impossible to see Local 108 of the National Boiler Workers International Union, the Whitby Humane Society — or just about any other group—the howl will go up that he had time for these creatures who looked like they came from another world, which perhaps, in a sense, they did.
Clad from head to foot in funeral black, the touring Britons, claiming to be ambassadors of today’s youth, swept in through the doors of the centre block, surrounded by a small corps of managers and hangers-on.
They were escorted without delay to the prime minister’s office by his press secretary and several officers of the commons protective staff.
There was a short delay because the prime minister was in conference with the Privy Council clerk, Gordon Robertson, who came out of the PM’s office grinning in what might have been embarrassment, as the honored guests and 20 photographers and one ‘’pool” reporter crowded in.
Both the Beatle and his bride have shoulder – length hair. Yoko’s was crowned by a flappy black hat, big as an umbrella. She wore an ankle-length black knitted garment under a black greatcoat.
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.
Beginning their conversation with the prime minister, John and Yoko stood with their arms locked around each other’s waists.
Some cameramen said they heard the PM refer to John and Yoko as “ambassadors.”
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 spoke 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 what they had discussed with 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.
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.”
TORONTO (CP) – John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, planning a peace festival at Mosport Park northeast of here in July, plan to ask his fellow Beatles and “everyone who’s anyone” to entertain.
Lennon and Ono arrived here Tuesday night for a week-long stay, and held a news conference Wednesday.
Lennon said he feels about peace the way he felt about the Beatles a few years ago. “We’re not going to give up because some other people failed.”
“John and Yoko refuse to become the leader of the youth movement for peace. We’re just saying this is our flag, it’s a white flag, is anybody else in the game” he said.
He said advertising is the key to a successful peace campaign —“sell, sell, sell.”
He hopes Beatles George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney will come to Mosport, a park 30 miles from Toronto noted for Grand Prix car racing.
“ … If I can get Elvis Presley, I’l ltry.”
He and Yoko have arranged to distribute Christmas posters reading “War is Over! If yoi want it. Merry Christmas fron John and Yoko,” in 11 world cities.
They like Canada because:
. . : We like your not fighting, you’ve pulled out of NATO and all the things you do seem like good things. . . .”
Asked if he would like to meet Prime Minister Trudeau, Lennon said:
“We don’t want to hustle him you know, and pressure him. If it’s possible to talk we’d enjoy it.
MONTREAL – (UPI)
John Lennon, swinging his little “bag of laughs,” announced a Christmas Day “peace fast” with comedian Dick Gregory yesterday, and indicated there may he something to rumors that The Beatles are headed for a splitup.
Lennon was asked about the rumors at a press conference.
He hesitated before replying:
“Well, we’ll see how it works out in July. We’re going to see then about doing another album together.”
He said a new Beatles movie would be released shortly, a documentary- type film showing “how emotionally draining it is to make an album.
“In the old days Paul (McCartney) and I used to do all the writing. But now George (Harrison) is coming up with some good Stuff, and when you get three people trying to squeeze their songs on one album, it can be a real bind,” he said.
Lennon is in Canada with his wife, Yoko, promoting their peace campaign. They get “good vibrations” for peace in Canada, he said.
Lennon said that his song Give Peace A Chance was written during their “bed- in” in Toronto last July.
He said he talked with Gregory on Sunday, and they had tentative plans to stage a faki for peace together on Christmas Day but had not yet picked a place for it.
Lennon also had harsh words for the British press.
A London newspaper last week named him Clown Of The Year.
Lennon said he moved his peace campaign to Canada because of the hostile attitude of the British press.
“In England, talking to the press is like trying to tell your parents where it’s at.” he said. “They weren’t convinced of our sincerity.”
Lennon showed up with a “bag of laughs,” a fist-sized red pouch, with a tiny tape recorder inside, playing a tape of mocking laughter.
He dangled the bag in front of photographers, as it laughed at them,
“If we could get 50,000 people with these little bags, and hold them up at the people who make war I think that would be great.” Lennon said.
Prime ministerial aides were more flustered today than at any time since the 1968 election when black-hatted John Lennon and Yoko Ono called on Prime Minister Trudeau.
One reporter was selected by Press Secretary Romeo Leblanc to be permitted into the presence of the English Beatle and his wife with Mr. Trudeau.
But Mr. Leblanc’s assistant, Vic Chapman, a former professional football player, would not let the reporter in. Television cameramen and photographers were permitted entry.
Three plainclothes security guards were on hand as well as the usual Commons protective staff.
Marc Lalonde, principal secretary to the prime minister, and Gordon Robertson, clerk of the privy council, cut short a conference with Mr. Trudeau and left his office just before the long-robed visitors arrived.
Mr. Lennon had twice asked for an audience with Mr. Trudeau and made it on the second .attempt. He arrived here at 2 a.m. to prepare for the 11 a.m. meeting, which lasted some 30 minutes.
