‘“‘What is being done here will ring — is ringing now — around
the world.”

With those words, uttered 25 years ago, the great Black singer
Paul Robeson began the historic concert in Peace Arch Park, the
meeting ground of Canada and the United States whose border he
had been barred from crossing.

From the platform where he stood together with his ac-
companist Lawrence Brown, and Harvey Murphy, regional
director of the Mine Mill and Smelter Workers, Robeson could
see the crowds stretching out for hundreds of yards before him.
Ten thousand people had been expected but 40,000 came,
thronging the border point, and spilling out over the lawns
surrounding the huge Peace Arch before which Robeson stood.

And the concert was indeed heard around the world. The ap-
plause gave a thunderous reply to the U.S. authorities which had
sought to silence the Black singer by denying him the right to

-enter Canada.

The entry ban — issued in Washington and carried out by US.
Immigration officials at the Douglas border crossing — had been
placed upon Robeson several months before, in January, 1952.

Robeson and progressive U.S. attorney Vincent Hallinan had
been invited to Vancouver by the International Mine Mill and
Smelter Workers Union for a concert-meeting coinciding with the
union’s convention which was set to open February 1.

But neither man was able to cross the border. The gates of the
Peace Arch on which is inscribed the invocation, “May these
gates never close,” were, in fact, closed to Paul Robeson and
Vincent Hallinan.

Robeson was served with an executive order — signed by U.S.
president Truman — which invoked a once-used law passed in
1917 to bar him from leaving the country. With the usual public
relations gloss put on McCarthyite edicts, it was said that
Robeson’s visit would “not be in the best interests of Canada-US.
relations.”

For three hours, the two Americans sought, together with Mine
Mill officials, to force the government to rescind the order. The
order held.

But that night, in the Denman Auditorium in Vancouver, the
concert that was to have heard Robeson became instead a protest
rally. And from Seattle, from a telephone in the headquarters of
the Marine Cooks and Stewards Union, Robeson did sing — to
2,000 people gathered in the auditorium.

At the same time, Mine Mill announced that Robeson would be
heard inperson May 18, 1952. The concert would be held in Peace
Arch Park and the sound truck and platform would be one foot
south of the Canadian border.

As that concert ended, Harvey Murphy announced to the 40,000
people gathered in the park: “Paul has just told me that he’ll
come back next year unless the ban is lifted.”

Robeson did return — on August 16, 1953 and August 1, 1954
while the ban on exit from the U.S. still held. He sang again on
July 24, 1955 but on the eve of the concert, the U.S. administration
granted him leave of exit to visit Canada. The Peace Arch con-
certs, the great courage of the black singer, the thousands of
people who came to hear his voice — all combined to force the
U.S. authorities to retreat.

The campaign to win back a passport, taken from Robeson by
U.S. authorities in August, 1950, was to go on for some years yet,
however, despite massive pressure from organizations all over
the world.

TOP: The Peace Arch behind him, Paul Robeson takes the microphone
to open the historic concert. CENTRE: The platform. Mine-Mill
regional director Harvey Murphy is behind Robeson. BOTTOM LEFT:
Part of the crowd of 40,000 that thronged the park. BOTTOM RIGHT:
Eager hands reach up to fill Murphy's hat as he takes donations.

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 29, 1977—Page 17