The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 40

The Ottawa Citizen Page 40 April 10. 1967 T7 wxsr'fTiftsr' i TV tPl r. -Cillien UPI itiK pholoi Old war buddies meet again than 200 veterans enjoy a banquet in the West Block, renewing friendships and youthful memories Vimy, a lesson in unity: PM brated his birthday April 9, 1917, by going over the hill into shrapnel and machine-gun Ottawa in time. At the dinner, the guests sang a rousing happy birthday to Ian McKenzie, 79, who cele official said, the RCAF dispatched a jet aircraft and picked up the wayward soldier at North Bay. they got him to Veterans of Vimy Mr.

Justice R. A. Ritchie inspects the contingent Battlefield ceremony Time goes back 50 years at Ottawa commemoration By Gerry Snroka rmen staff writer Prime Minister Pearson took a veiled swipe Sunday at France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military command. He was speaking at a dinner in Ottawa in honor of Vimy Ridge fallen and survivors. More than 200 cheerful and exuberant veterans from all parts of Canada were there.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge, the prime minister said, was successful because of integrated action and co-operatKc effort by Allied troops. He said he was thankful he was not at "those awful desolate, chewed-up slopes of the ridge," that Easter Monday. 1917. Vimy Ridge, he said, demonstrated the vital need in such cases for collective, international action. Ixon forgotten This is another lesson jf Vimy and we seem to lie forgetting it.

"The soil of France or of Belgium in 1918 or in 1944 could 'ot have been liberated by national action alone. "Nor will an attack on France, or Belgium, or Canada or any other country be deterred by national planning or power alone. Only by collective action for collective defence, with collec-lective strength under collective control can there be maximum deterrence aRainst aggression." he said, in apparent reference to France's decision to order Canadian and United States forces to close their French bases and move elsewhere. The prime minister made no on their own were in the stands. In a message delivered by Associate Deface Minister Leo Cadieux, Prime Minister Pearson said it was appropriate in this year marking the Centennial anniversary o.

the creation of Canada, that "we should recognize the one event which, above all others, made it a nation half a century "In the chronicles of a nation or a people," he said, "a few events reveal their fundamental nature and their strength. In this history of Canada, the Battle of Vimy Ridge was such an event." In the day's other major address, Print Philip, representing the Queen of Canada, said all mankind must learn what happens "when the personal admission, heritage and pride of its national leaders and the and aggressive instincts of a people drag half the world into war. Next will be the end The first great war was bad enough, but ve did not learn the lesson and we let it happen again. There will be no third warning: the next time will be the end." prince placed the first wreath at the memorial, followed by diplomatic and military representatives and then the veterans Canadian and French. At the conclusion an RCAF plane dropped Flanders poppies on the memorial area.

The flow of survivors who came back for Sunday's service included some prominent Canadians, among them Mr. Justice Douglas Abbott of the Supreme Court, Lieut-Gen. E. L. M.

Burns, and former Ontario Premier Ieslie Frost. By Bob Hill Southam News Service VIMY RIDGE A few or me Canadians who fought on this slope in northern France in 1917 returned to the shell-pocked battleground Sunday. This time they earned wreaths instead of rifles. Thus, in a Centennial year full of hoopla and Whcopdedo, Canada solemly commemorated the 50ih anniversary of the bloody Batfle of Vimy Ridge (10.000 Canadian dead) a battle which, in the words of Prime Minister Lester Pearson marked the "birth of a nation." Some 15.0U0 spectators, most of them Frenchmen who feel a personal bond with Canada, watched a 90-minute ceremony at the majestic twin-towered Vimy Ridge Memorial in cold, rainy weather reminiscent of the cold, snowy April 9th battle day 50 years ago. It was a moving event for participants and spectators alike, at a site not far from the still-preserved trenches and tunnels of 1917.

"I felt proud being a Canadian." said 83-year-old J. M. Walker of Prince Rupert, B.C., a former sergeant in the Fifth Mounted Rifles and one of 73 Vimy survivors brought here by the government to place a wreath at the memorial. "Who wouldn't have been proud?" The spectators were equally affected. They broke into applause when the 73, each representing a different unit, lined up smartly between Canadian and British honor guards for inspection by Prince Philip before the wreath-laying began.

Another 40 or so survivors who came over reference of France's much-criticized decision to play down Vimy Ridge commemorations in France by not supplying an honor guard or a high-ranking dignitary, as in past years. Mr. Pearson said Vimy is a symbol of the courage of Canadian men and the coming-of-age of Canada as a nation. The dinner was the culmination of one of the largest and most impressive Vimy Ridge remembrances. In the large banquet hall at the West Block on Parliament Hill, songs rang out and wine glasses tinkled.

Old friends met again, and talked of the days when they were young soldiers. Defence Minister Hellyer was at the receiving line, and State Secretary LaMarsh. She received, on behalf of the Canadian people, from Veterans' Affairs Minister Teillet the Vimy cigarette box. It had belonged to General Lord Byng. who commanded Canadian troops.

Miss La-Marsh gave it to the National War Museum, "for the people to remember." Miss LaMarsh drew loud laughter when she commented, upon receiving the cigarette box: "Of all the things to give me." Jet helps eteran Miss LaMarsh, when minister of health, urged Canadians to give up smoking. As an example, she herself kicked the habit. One veteran from Columbia, an official representative of the 73 units in the battle, was on the wrong train early this morning, and almost missed the celebrations, absent without leave. J. Hill of Vernon was in Capreol.

a CNR switching point, and phoned a veterans affairs official at 5 a.m., to tell him he was on the wrong train. In a move considered unprecedented at such an affa'r, the wa, whose regiments bear the Battle Honor "Vimy, 1917" flanked the memorial, while a 30-man national color party of the Royal Canadian Legion led the contingent of veterans of all wars. Thousands of onlookers ringed Confederation Square for the proceedings, most of them standing firm behind the police barricades for the full cer-emonv. despite an ineresing-ly heavy drizzle. Among them, solemn in a black coat and bowler was Opposition Leader John Dief-enbaker, himself a First World War veteran.

The nation's respect Paying honor to the assembled veteraas. and those who fought and fell beside them, Veterans Affairs Minister Roger Teillet offered the nation's "respect, our admiration and our everlasting gratitude." Mr Teillet termed the conquest of that April 9 "a great victory." So'diers of many different ethnic and cultural bark-grounds "all blended together on the battlefield into a solidly united and uncompromisingly dedicated body of men. "Therein lies the secret of their victory," said the minister. "Therein, also, lies a lesson well worth rememberinc Brig. Melville, stepping forward read a commemorative and familiar stanza for the fallen: Age nof wmry Ihrm.

nor the yearn condemn. At the gninq down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. It was a theme elaborated by the ceremonial blast of rifle shots issued by the firing party of the Governor-General's Foot Guards, by the forlorn trumpeting of The Last Post and the moment of silence that followed it. And again in prayers offered by Air Commodore E. S.

Light. CD, Protestant chaplain-general to the Canadian Armed Forces and by Col. J. Leduc. CD.

Roman Catholic acting chaplain-general to the forces. And In the long slow procession of the dignitaries and the 73 representative survivors of the Canadian Expeditionary Force that captured Vimy Ridge as they set down flaming WTcaths o' artificial poppies and manle leaves before the Memorial. Wreaths placed First, while the Centennial Choir sang a Bach chorale. Mr. Jastice R.

A. Ritchie of the Supreme Court of Canada, deputv administrator of Canada, laid a wreath on a metal stand beneath the memorial. A chill wind came up suddenly as more dignitaries came forward on their solemn mission: Prime Minister Pearson, George Lilley of Ottawa, representing the Canadian forces, and representative of the Royal Canadian legion and the National Council of Veterans Association in Canada. By Joan Cohen Citizen staff writer For an hour Sunday, on that triangular expanse of concrete stretching away from the War Memorial, time became telescoped. Vimy, all these long years a name drifting backwards in history, moved up close to us again.

It was more than remembered. It was almost a presence. Or so it seemed anyway, in the somehow appropriate gloom and chill of the rain-dampened square, in the presence of the dignitaries, the military and those, decked in ribbens. who carried me-ories of their own of the nroud, tough battle that brought a Canadian victory on the snow-swept escarpment in northeast France. They were assembled there to commemorate 50th anniversary of that battle, which reaches half-way back to the beginning of the Canadian Confederation itself, and which it is said made Canada a nation, in the world's eyes and her own.

Simivors attend Present were 73 survivors, each representing one of the units which participated in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, led by Brig James L. Melville of Ottawa. Also there were nearly 130 more veterans of that same historic march. A military contingent, mounted by the Governor-General's Foot Guards and the Cameron Highlanders of Otta Show me your belly button This in tiiiolhrr in a series of jricturps from a in'ir best-spiling hook trhich take a refreshing look at people in the news SpTril conserve ff. space, buf where Retiring policeman feels he can make good in post as ombudsman S.

will we get he small people? i France not consulted MONTREAL (CP) Le Devoir says has learned from reliable sources that Canadians responsible for organization of Sunday's ceremonies at Arras, France, marking the 50th anniversary of th Battle of Vimy Ridge, did not see it as their duty to consult the French government when preparing the program. It was with a certain sur-prLv, the newspaper says, that Paris learned that Prince Philip had been invited to come to France and that he had accepted the invitation. "Surprised by this unexpected initiative, Paris decided to take another look at the program for the ceremonies, mainly because it was the Prince who was going to represent Canada. "Hrwever, it turned out to be too late to change the pro-gran and the French government, believing the ceremony to be strictly Canadian, decided agaiast representation." Nevertheless, Devoir says the government instructed local civil and military authorities to accord all necessary facilities to the organizers of the ceremonies and to attend the different functions. licemen as protectors of the public.

Nobody's been more critical of bad policemen than I have and we've gotten rid of many of them in my time. "In all the difficulties we've had lately, there has been no incident in which the integrity of the force has been criticized. "Many former members of the force have become distinguished magistrates around the country. I think I can become a good ombudsman, though I admit there is a lot to learn. a 1 my hide is thick." Commissioner McC 1 1 1 a said that in his new post he hopes to be as informal and as accessible as possible.

Ho recognizes that, unlike ombudsmen in the Scandinavian countries where the idea originated and where judges usually assume the post, it will not be in his power to launch prosecutions. His strongest authority will be to make recommendations to the legislature. He hopes that even that will not be necessary. Imperfect justice As he sees the problem of the ordinary man in today's hectic society, justice is recommendation to the legislature. What if the legislature turns him down? "Let's not get hypothetical," he said, philosophically.

"Let's just say that in my career up to new, many of my recommendations have been turned down and the world hasn't ended yet." To policeman, he said, there's nothing new about giving aid and assistance to the public. In many Mounted Police detachments, especially in the North, the bulk of police work falls In that category-policemen are, in effect, welfare officers And he thinks his nppoint-nien' is in line with some of the ancient traditions of the RCMP. He points to the force's enrly role as protedor of the Indians In the West, a tradition first carried Into Alberta hv Assistant Commissioner James F. Mcleod. "He went West as (he protects of the Indians and the acent of justice," said McClellan.

Would Commissioner McClellan himself consider accepting such a post here In Ottnwa? The answer Is no. So far as the Mrdellan's nr concerned, it's "AllH-rta, here we come." "Government is big and impersonal," he said. "The mistakes that are made in dealing with the public usually are not malicious. They reflect, rather, a lack of understanding and a lack of time. So many decisions are made under extreme pressures- full investigation of individual cases becomes difficult.

"An abrasion sets in. "Well, I'd like to be the lubricant. "It won't be a case, for public servants, of 'big brother' looking over their shoulders. I hope to able to reason with them just the way I hope to be able to reason with the public." Written uhuiiions All cases submitted to the Alberta ombudsman mns1 he in writing. Under the law, the commissioner must satisfy himrelf that all normal channels for dealing with a case have been tried.

Then, assuming the case falls within provincial rather than federal jurisdiction, he will make an investigationand he hopes it will not be necessary to "hold court" in a formal fashion. If he cannot witisfy himself that justice is being done, and if nn informal solution proves impossible, he will make a Charles Lynch SnllthHril MTVln-N Can a policeman be a good ombudsman? Commissioner George B. McClellan of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who has declined an invitation from Prime Minister Pearson to stay as head of the force beyond his retirement date of Aug. 15 thinks so. He leaves on that date to become ombudsman for Alberta.

He has in his favor the fact that he has been a remarkable policeman, with a broad streak of everyday man in his makeup. A less officious man it would be hard to find, at least in his dealings outside the ranks of the RCMP. What if his duties as ombudsman bring him into collision with the force itself? "They had better be right," he said. "Remember, it's me that's being appointed to this job, not the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, i I'll be responsible to the legislature of Alberta." He added: "I don't like seeing people being pushed around, physically or mentally. I've always been proud of the fact that in our society, IHilieemen arc known as 'peace "I've always regarded po 'W i Vkic '('te v- f'M 1 1 -m.

Record spoiled TUCSON, Ariz. fAP) Members of the Sunshine Kiwanis Club planned in secret to present Carl Kngler with a certificate of perfect attendance during the past year. Kagler then skipjied the meeting..