4 -- PORT PERRY STAR, THURSDAY, MAY 28th, 1964 Editorial Viewpoint Has A Beaver By The Tail Prime Minister Pearson, intent on making good one of his promises, obviously will lead his party in choosing a distinctive national flag within a very short time. The PM is known to favour the Maple Leaf and it is almost certain now that the flag will be one which features three leaves on a single stem. In favoring this, he goes against the wishes of the Royal Canadian Legion who long ago came out in favour of the Red Ensign. However, it has been noted that the Hon. Lester, a veteran himself, has persuasive oratory backed by uncommon good sense and an innate diplomacy. He will undoubtedly put his choice across. The Maple Leaf, or leaves, is a good choice. It is not racial, political nor regional in design for some species of the Maple is native to all ten provinces. It has long since been recognized everywhere as the symbol of Can- ada. During the war the Leaf was used to mark Canadian Army vehicles, was used on uniform buttons, on lapel discharge pins, marked supply routes and the Canadian Army newspaper was "The Maple Leaf". 'A Legion spon- sored tour this year is called "The Maple Leaf Up" tour. It is obvious that the Leaf holds a dear spot in the heart of every Canadian. It is no accident that the three leaves on a single stem is also, and has been for two decades or more, part of the Armorial Bearings in Canada. Perhaps Canada is a little late, 97 years to be exact, in choosing a distinctive national flag. There are going to be howls of protest in some quarters as certain as there will be a new sense of unified pride in others. Mr. Pear- son has a beaver by the tail but we rather suspect that the beaver will yell "uncle" before the Hon. Lester lets go. We say, hang on, sir. It will take time but not too much time before every Canadian will be pointing with pride to those three red leaves and saying "That's OUR flag!" or --Uxbridge Times-Journal 65 Million Customers Despite the diplomatic verbal minuets in Ottawa re- cently, it is likely to be a long time ipdeed before this country gives formal recognition to the Red Chinese re- gime in Peking, comments The Financial Post in an edi- torial. Our beloved protectors and friends, the Americans, would be horrified if we did and State Department special writers would promptly be put to work to tell us how we must behave. But why don't we skip the protracted dip- lomatic dance and invite the Chinese to set up a trade office in Canada right away? That wouldn't be '"recog- nition", just savvy. This suggestion comes from Alvin Hamilton, agricul- ture minister during the Diefenbaker years, who is now back from Mainland China. Mr. Hamilton has in the past assiduously promoted the idea that he is a prairie hayseed pitting his all against the might of "big" busi- ness. But he is also a shrewd enterpriser fully able to recognize a business opportunity when he sees one. - Hamilton says in The Financial Post that many of our allies are now streaming into China trying to sell the heavy machinery, farm equipment, chemicals and news- print that the struggling Chinese economy must have. The Japanese are already there. So are the French. The British are now planning to mount a major sales cam-, paign and others are on the way. Canada is a major producer of these items China needs. Why not unleash our salesmen? The main reason Canada will miss out on this major piece of export busi- ness, says The Financial Post, is that the Canadian branches of U.S. firms can't get into the act. Port Perry Star Co. Lid. Serving Port Perry, Brooklin and Surrounding Areas WM. T. HARRISON Editor P. HVIDSTEN, Publisher Member of the Ontario Weekly . . Newspaper Assoc. Member of the Canadian Weekly: Newspaper Assoc. Published every Thursday by The Port Perry Star Co. Ltd., Port Perry, Ontario. Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cash. Subscription Rates: In Canada $2.60 per yr., Elsewhere, $8.00 per yr. Single Copy 7¢ YereRape * HOSPITALS | | Remember When? 50 YEARS AGO May 27th, 1914 On Sunday evening a double motor cycle carrying a man, woman and child were coming down hill from Borelia when an approaching horse. took fright and blocked the roadway. The motor cyclé was going quite slow and that was fortunate, as the riders -were--compelled to take the ditch and had they been going at any rate someone would have been seriously in- jured. Of course the whole outfit was upset. : Mr. Percy Graham captured two firsts with his horse at Uxbridge Spring Fair -- taking the lead in the carriage class and thé gentleman's turnout. * * %* ~ 25 YEARS AGO May 25th, 1939 Royalty tastes buffalo steaks Choice dish is sered at one of the meals on the Royal Train. The buffalo steaks served on the Royal Train came from herds in national parks in Wes- tern Canada. The establishment of herds in Buffalo and Elk Is- land National Parks. saved the 'buffalo from extinction but to- day it is necessary to reduce" the herds at regular intervals. to keep them within the carry- ing capacity of the park pas- tures, and from time to time periodic slaughters aré carried out by contract under Govern- ment supervision. : * - ok * : 10 YEARS AGO May 27th, 1954 One of Canada's outstanding athletes died in Ottawa. Lionel .Conacher died of a heart attack after making a three-base hit in a benefit Softball Game on Par- liament Hill, The 54-year old athlete callapsed on third base in the sixth inning. "Big Train" as he was called, was active in football, hockey, lacrosse and baseball. It was in football and hockey that he achieved his greatest fame. He was the elder of Canada's outstanding sports family which consisted of himself, Charlie, Roy afd Bert. hip. pocket." Sugar and Spice | a What this country needs is a good, five-cent civil war. It might relieve some of the pus and venom that seem to be filling Canadians these days, and get them back to the important things of life, like making money, love and rock gardens. Symptoms of the national ulcer are everywhere: the ferocity of the Canadian flag argument; the lurking threat of violence in Quebec; the growing defiance of police by youth gangs; the increase in homicidal tactics on our highways. Perhaps a lttle blood-letting would purge our native land of this tendency to quibble and squabble about everything from the national anthem to the water level in the Great Lakes. There's also the matter of international prestige. All the big boys--England, France, Russia, the U.S., China--have been through an all-out civil war, and gone on to greater things, In each case the country was so whacked out by the end of the war that everybody stopped bickering and complaining, and got down to the job of becoming a Great Nation. ! How can we hope to gain respect of the world if we never go through a testing time of seething hatred, unmentionable cruelties, gallant guerrillas, and all the other ingredients of a good civil war? : : How is our national character to be transformed from lumpy porridge to forged steel if we never throw a Molotov cocktail, below up a bridge, or hurl ourselves, barehanded, - against tanks? We should be ashamed of ourselves. Mumbling and grumbling about the CBC and the NDP and the Red Ensign and O Canada and what's for supper, when we could be string- ing up cabinet ministers, dynamiting the Soo locks, and sacking the O'Keefe Centre. : The Irish had a rebellion nearly 50 years ago. It lasted' -a_few days but they've written countless books about it, and every Irishman over the age of 20 swears he was in it, though he'll admit he was only a broth of a boy at the time. Why can't we have some grand traditions like that? ' Think of the stories we'd have to hand down to our an-. cestors, ' "Yes, Homer, your grandaddy was there, back in 64, when the Legion, enraged about the flag, marched on Ottawa. Mayor Charlotte Whitton slowed them for a moment at the ramparts with a tirade of invective, but nothing could stop them. They swarmed into the city, surrounded the government buildings, and fired a salvo of resolutions. One of these hap- pened to pierce the National Debt, and the streets ran red with ink." : Or, "Yes, dear, I want you always to remember, and to tell your own children, that your father was one of the brave freedom fighters in the Great Rising of '64. He was leading a wave of our gallant lads in a loot , . . uh, liberating attack on the Seagram distilleries, a capitalist stronghold. He was cut down by the fascist firehoses and seriously wounded in the, uh lower back when he fell heroically on the mickey of rye in his Only one stipulation. If this mecessary catharsis, this national lancing of our abscess, breaks out, and it's brother against brother, father against son, may I be on the same side as my wife? AT Gat! Ha a i ht! i#al i ~Toronto Telegram News Service {