‘The Ides of March’

“‘ he Ides of March”, prophetic portents of the fall of an

earlier empire. Chut. What’s that got to do with to-
day? Well we have a few “Ides” blowing around in our own
political backyard, to mention only two; George Jones and
one Lucien Rivard.

As chairman of the Bennett government’s purchasing
department, Mr. Jones was “‘suspended”’ from his duties in
October 1964 by Socred cabinet decree on some trumped-
up allegations of wrong-doing — which a B.C. law court
later dismissed as so much political hogwash.

That, however, didn’t satisfy the hierarchy of the Soc-
red Inquisition. Couple of weeks ago it introduced a “bill”
in the Legislature declaring George Jones to be “retired’’
as of October Ist. One could debate the fine distinctions no
end between being “suspended”, “‘fired’’, “retired” or what
have you, Socred semantics being what they are. But one
aim stands out like a sore thumb; that the “kangaroo-
jungle-star-chamber-inquisition” brand of ‘“‘justice” the So-
creds doled out, they were hell-bent determined to get rid
of George Jones, and didn’t stand on any ceremony upon
“the order of his going.”

‘

Why is the seemingly all-powerful Bennett govern-
ment so desperately anxious to defame and dispose of one
honest public servant—to pronounce sentence upon him
without even the decency of according him a hearing? In
the answer to that one, the end of the Socred “empire” in
B.C. might be more easily forecast. .

Couple of weeks ago another of these “Ides of March”
flew the coop, one Lucien Rivard, -underworld narcotics
kingpin, whose corrupt influence and organization extend-
ed right into the inner circles of the Pearson Liberal gov- |
ernment in Ottawa.

There, too, a problem disturbed official Liberal circles,
not how to hold and sentence a “big shot” in the narcotics
business, but having him already in custody, how to get
rid of him lest he do too much “singing”’, that is, “‘spilling
his guts” and exposing other high-placed politicians.

Hense his dramatic “escape” from Bordeaux (Secur-
ity) Prison, where he is said to have enjoyed all the “home
comforts” of the Chateaux Laurier, and to avoid the danger
of Lucien “singing”, either in open Court or before the
Dorion Commission, now investigating graft and corrup-
tion in high Liberal circles.

For public servant George Jones a “kangaroo” dismis-
sal carrying with it the specially designed Socred stigma of
~ presumed “guilt”, confirmed by a shameful Bill rammed
through a Socred majority-dominated Legislature.

—Behrendt in N.Y. Herald Tribune.

‘Undue violence?’

C8c-TV late news Tuesday of this week left little doubt
in the minds of any viewers on the racist sadism and
brutality of the Selma, Alabama state troopers and police.
Their brutal smashing of the Negro march for civil rights
was a sickening thing to look at, even on TV. Even some of
the foul epithets of the racists could be heard.

Three thousand miles away Washington is imposing
its special brand of “democracy” upon the people of Viet-
nam, via bombing planes and mass murder. At home it in-
structs its FBI to determine if “any undue violence” was
used against Negro Americans in Selma.

President Johnson should take time out to watch his
own TV filming, and use his FBI to round up the white
racists in Alabama and elsewhere, whose vile brutality
against the Negro people turn the stomachs of all decent
humanity.

For public enemy Lucien Rivard, his profession abhor-
red and reviled by all decent people, and his intimate con-
tacts with high Liberal government circles a measure of
the latter’s decadence and corruption — for him the “open
door” from Bordeaux Prison, with the probability of the
touching farewell—‘“‘get lost”’.

The “Ides of March”, prophetic of the swamp of deca-
dence and corruption now engulfing all monopoly-dominat-
ed governments, and (let us hope) presaging their early de-
mise.

Tom

_McEWEN

“He’s buried in a prison yard
Far from his native land;
And the wild waves sing his

Requiem
On th’ lonely Banna Strand,”

t is a beautiful song, sung by

a people who have known
centuries of colonial oppression
and suffering, but never defeated,
It is their victory,

On Tuesday, February 23, 1965
the remains of the Irish patriot,
Sir Roger Casement, were on
their way to the Irish Republic,
the culmination of a struggle
which has raged undiminished
for 49 years, When the mahogany
coffin bearing the ashes of their
patriot son was landed in Dublin,
countless thousands stood with
bowed heads, Snorts of derision
came from British-Tory reaction
—their revenge had been cut
short,

At the funeral services in Glas-
nevin Cemetery Sir Roger Case-
ment’s body was re-interred with
full State honors, Carried on a
gun carriage draped with the
tricolor of the Irish Republic, a

1,000 troop detail, a 26-man
firing party at the graveside, a
19-gun salute from a battery of
artillery, Sixty army trumpeters
sounded the Reveille, President
Eamon de Valera delivered the
oration, and the ashes of a great
Irish patriot were laid to rest
beside the martyrs of the Easter
Rebellion of 1916, 49 years ago.

Sir Roger Casement was hanged
in Pentonville Prison in August

of 1916, charged with the crime.

of “treason” to British imperial-
ism, Sir Roger had gone to Ger-
many during World War I to
negotiate the purchase of arms
for the Irish Republican Army,
While there the ill-fated Easter
Rebellion had broken out and he
hurried back to help in that epic
struggle, Immediately arrested
by the British authorities on his
return, Sir Roger was summarily
charged with “treason” and
hanged, his body unceremonious-
ly buried in Pentonville Prison
yard,

The history of thepast can
never be divorced from the pres-
ent, An able and highly intelligent
man, Sir Roger Casement first

achieved world fame away back
in 1904 as a member of the Brit-
ish diplomatic service, In that
year he visited the Congo, later
publishing his report on the hor-
rible oppression, tyranny and
barbarism of King Leopold of
the Belgians against the Con-
golese people, a murderous
colonial tyranny, obvious for all
to see 61 years later, but now
disguised by Belgian, U,S, and
British imperialism as*humani-
tarianism,”

The British tory Blimps didn’t
like Sir Roger’s Congo report,
nor did they like his later one
on Uncle Sam’s “open door” ex-
ploitation of the countries of Latin
America, which, among other
things, wound up his career in
John Bull’s “diplomatic” service,
So, in Ireland’s cause for free-
dom and independence from the
galling yoke of English landlord-
ism they found a handy pretext
to add another to the long line of
Irish martyrs,

Now Sir Roger Casement is
home, his ashes released from
the hate and lime-encrusted earth
of an English prison yard, to rest
in the warm soil of the Ireland
to which he gave his life,

To rest beside the myriad
ranks of other Irish patriots who
bathed that soil with their heart’s
blood that it might one day know
the unity, freedom and self-de-
termination of its people, To rest

beside the Wolf Tones, the Jim
Connollys, the Kevin Barrys; the
countless other unknown martyrs
who have suffered and died that
Ireland might be free,

Shure, th’ bhoys will celebrate
this year’s St, Patrick Day with
greater joy than ever, They will
pause to lay pale Easter lilies
on the graves of all the Jim
Connollys of the Easter Rebel-
lion, And they will pause with rev-
erence at a new grave; of one who
spoke out against all the horrors
of colonial tyranny, and paid the.
supreme sacrifice for his cour-
age, Shure, an’ the’ very Sham-
rock itself will be singing at
that grave,

That he has “Come Home” is

AT

Tt

Sl ia ow
Ie
J A fl

Worth
Quoting

There are two points of view on the —
tragedy’s effect on Granduc stock. —
Some observers feel the public will
consider Granduc a risky situation be-
cause of its location in dangerous
mountain country.

Others say the dramatic story at the —
mine has focused world-wide atten- —
tion on the operation and the fact it —
has over 32-million tons of ore un-
affected by the avalanche. a

—Bill Fletcher in the Vancouver
Sun, Feb. 20, ’65.

*

And doesn’t this floor you: ‘‘Ben-
nett digs up extra fin for pensioners.’
Not before the old crocks hobbled |
around and got 20,000 shaky signa
tures to a petition to present to him
What about all the rest of us old crock
who can still drive and do; or can stil
walk and do; can thumb our nose 0
his generosity which isn't hisen any- —
way, and Bennett doesn't dig it up. I! —
is already bought and paid for by |
those who need it and that’s a dam- —
shur. }

—‘‘Ma"’ Murray in Bridge River-
Lillooet News, Feb. 25, '65

*

Sometimes at night, | still dream of
the horrors | saw and heard there.! —
shall never forget it, and | ask my- |
self, what of those who lived through
it and what of those who did not sur —
vive, like my people. It is for them, in
their name, that | speak here. | am no
a lawyer.

But nothing in the world can ex
plain or justify cold-blooded, planned
mass murder, the destruction of whole
nations, of men, women and children
alike for no reason whatsoevre. The ©
West German government has no right
to take any legal decision in thi
matter. It has affected the Germans —
less than any other nation in Europe —

Who has the right.to decide whethel”
mass murderers are to go scot-free — i
those who condoned the crimes, %
those who have suffered? It is all theg
nations of Europe who have suffered: —
all the victims who are entitled 10
judge. And we say, No.

—PRAGUE NEWS LETTER,
Feb. 20, '65

a good -augury for the ultimate
triumph of Ireland’s unity and
sovereign independence, That iS
what he died for, Some may ques~
tion his method, but none cal
ever question his devotion or his
courage, :

When he ascended those fate-
ful 13 steps of a British scaffold
49 years ago, Sir Roger Case~
ment had a vision; the vision of
freedom and happiness and peace
for all the peoples of the earth,
including his own,

That vision is now very much
ours to fulfill, May we all be
endowed with his courage to as~
sure its fulfillment,

“Up The Rebels!”

Published
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Editor — TOM McEWEN
6 Associate Editor — MAURICE RUSH
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March 12, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pagé A