Over the back fence and Transatlantic profile

Over the back. A cross-section of Canadian opinion from the price of your northern neighbor. These viewpoints on national and international events are taken from newspapers from coast to coast. The program is compiled each week as a service to American listeners by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Now this is John Tretheway speaking with Lee fortune and this week's edition of over the back fence. It was a week of resignations transport minister Paul here in Ottawa President Charles de Gaulle in Paris and the prime minister O'Neill in Belfast and kind of those newspapers have rarely had such a sustained opportunity to begin and eras to write just a surprise or not to register it to predict disaster or proclaim better days ahead. Though it wasn't the first in time of Paul he was preceded by three days to step down from power of General de Gaulle was obviously the first in importance for the world and even in a rather special way for Canada. Ever since 1967 our centennial year when the French president issued his

inflammatory Viva Quebec leave it a long live act from the balcony of Montreal city hall. Canadians of both English and French expression have watched every move and it was natural that a number of English language papers found it hard to contain some glee at the fall of this man who insisted on calling Quebeckers not French Canadians but they fall outside to Canada. The French of Canada however most of them rose to the occasion forgot their animosities and a salute of De Gaulle's many achievements. The Ottawa Journal had its editorial pages turned in France and the world shown to go straddle the history of our times for so long. His influence was so profound and his stature so great that the primary response and his laying down the presidency of France would be universal awe at the passing of an epoch. Whatever his enemies said they could never deny that he had the moral and the intellectual resources to maintain his

Olympian role. Even his faults were on a grand scale. That is why his resignation leaves a feeling of wonderment and ease in those who in recent years had good cause to be irritated at his high handedness and perverse vanities. Gore gave France stability and direction. He had powers enough to be a dictator but as his action shows today he was no despot without him to bring France through the trouble of Algeria the Western world would perhaps have had much more to cope with than his passion for a French grand jury. The Ottawa Citizen to pay tribute to the goal of service to his country but didn't go overboard. PRESIDENT The goal's resignation will stir mixed emotions relief regret anxiety relief that his this powerful politician who has stood against the broad internationalism needed in the 20th century is out of office. I regret that a great

patriot a man who loved his country as few people do is defeated anxiety for the future of France at a time of growing economic weakness and potential social turmoil. Ironically this strong man met political death by his own hand. The referendum that he made a test of his own presidency need not have been that it dealt only with the regional government and less authority for the French senate. But when he turned the referendum into a personal and or sation the electorate said so be it. And finally he has been told that he is not indispensable and the Montreal Star definitely agreed with the voters who said no to the general what the referendum did in fact was distort up passions instead of soothing them for some of those leaning to the non vote. The major concerns were taxes the cost of living and the survival of small business areas that would have been affected by constitutional

reform. But obviously even many golders particularly young people voted negatively in the belief the general had overstayed his time in office. No longer was his magic pervasive no longer could he say or at least persuade people that without him there would be chaos. But the choice had to be between the go and the Communists. The former premier Pompidou who was a declared candidate for the presidency offers an attractive alternative both to traditional girl ism and communism and he offers it along with stability. The General has had his day in a kind of ghost may linger in the shadows they say but the realities of 1969 not 1944 prevail for the Globe and Mail to write all of this was the last great young but in General de Gaulle has lived by the referendum and now politically he has died of it and of the future of the Toronto paper had this to say. General de

girls government resorted insistently during a referendum campaign to the tactic of the abyss. Now we shall see indeed whether they are here is of disorder and disaster were realistic predictions or hollow electioneering on the strength of their sober and careful considerations of the issues of the campaign just ended. The French people are unlikely to rush into the streets to demean themselves and the nation in pointless violence. The great fund of common sense that saves the French at the end of all their national dramas can surely allow them to elect a new president in a dignified and democratic manner. The man they choose as president of the French republic cannot replace to go but he will and must succeed him. If the people are able to confound the prophecies of chaos it will be the most befitting and flattering tribute to the strange gargantuan man who has made them proud to be a Frenchmen for the past 30 years in the French language

papers a different tone exemplified by M-Audio my tires the will to go. The French people voted against to go. Will they be sorry for it. It's certain that they won't be happier without the gold and with him. And they've deprive themselves of the prestige of a great man who is moving them despite themselves along the world scene. Who will be able to attain the stature of a god. The world will be worse without him and friends has nothing to gain by his departure and Mahdi Elma Times editorialized takes a view of the future of France that is almost the exact opposite of the Globe and Mail's such dire predictions as these don't seem to say much for the people. Friends with to go are gone. France will be torn apart as never before. It will break apart politically it will become a little bourgeois power never content and always criticizing and which fears devaluation like the plague. France is dear to us. It is not without heavy hearts that we see it following unknown path.

Le Devoir the other main French language mourning daily in Montreal was also anxious about the future. We will know about here later. The precise meaning and the consequences of Sunday's events. For the moment everything indicates that the no which the French people gave to their general president introduces a new and very dangerous phase in their political and social history. The press of Montreal probed the delicate question of Franco Canadian relations. For us Canadians his departure probably means more supple diplomatic relations between our country and France. For us French speaking Quebeckers you know when the General took a lively and personal interest it probably will bring because of a change in the political and psychological climate a certain modification of Kodak's relations with the French government. Just what that certain modification would be. The press didn't elaborate but the Toronto Daily Star longer proclaimed enemy of Quebec nationalism was and ruptured by the prospect. With des goes departure and the pressure to liquidate the Quebec adventure may well become irresistible. Probably there will be no special announcement but the red

carpet will no longer be spread for nationalist zealots in Paris and the showers of gold of Quebec politicians have counted on will not materialize. And Canada will again be left to deal with her most dangerous domestic problem without foreign interference. When Paul Hellier minister of transport and minister responsible for housing in the Canadian government resigned from Prime Minister $2 cabinet the press seemed a little has and in their reactions some papers confined their remarks to the immediate reason for Mr headers but with his fellow liberals their refusal to approve his housing policies. Others however look beyond that to the constitutional questions raised by the departing minister when he stated that he was in basic disagreement with the Prime Minister's view of federalism. The drama Daily Star true to form saw a chance to be Labor the federal government for being too soft with Quebec. The dispute between Pierre Trudeau and Paul Hellyer demands that the prime minister immediately and unequivocally signal the direction and

define the limits of his concept of Canadian federalism. Does he stand for a strong active central government pressing to the limit of its constitutional powers in order to serve the needs and express the values common to Canadians across the land. Or does he stand for a weak passive central government which would leave maximum initiative to the varying capacities and aims of the provinces. Canadians need from Mr. Trudeau clear assurances in words and deeds that the federal role is not going to be shrunk so that the roles of all the provinces can expand to the volatile dimensions sought by Quebec nationalism. That is not the kind of federalism the country thought it was voting for last June. Even paper that stuck mainly to the holes of your shoe and Mr Holder of the mantle Ottawa be more aggressive in looking after every Canadian to basic needs. Couldn't resist needling the prime minister for his jurisdictional approach. The Ottawa Citizen for example professors and senior civil servants may debate

how many Supreme Court justices can dance on the head of a pin. But meantime housing is acutely short and interest rates are sky high. The government's own economic council warns that something must be done for those 20 percent of the people who live below the poverty line. And quite a few editorials wondered whether Mr Hellyer who was one of the main rivals of Pierre Trudeau for the Liberal leadership last April might be thinking of doing more than just resigning. The Windsor Star commented there may be more to the dispute than meets the eye. Both Mr Hellier and Mr Trudeau are strong willed men. It could very well be a clash of personalities. The London Free Press thought so too. There is much more behind the resignation than housing. Polly hell you're from high school days was determined to become prime minister of Canada even look press considers such a possibility. The departure of a cabinet minister especially when accompanied by open expressions of disagreement can only in the short view comfort the opposition that is

taken for granted. But beyond that everything depends on the real intentions of the man who resigns. If Mr. healthcare in withdrawing stops fighting a relative thing anyway since he will retain his seat in the House of Commons no more will be heard of him. But if on the other hand he is merely stepping back the better to be able to leap forward. A lot of plans may well be upset he could count on the strong support shown him at the spring of 68. Leadership Convention. But then such a turns of events were easier to contemplate and build up into dramatic editorials and nothing much to write about days before President the goal of resignations. If Mr. Hunter's action is followed by others of a similar nature there may be more to say on the subject for the moment however as a Toronto telegram pointed out prime minister though doesn't seem too worried unsolder the third resignation of the week that of Captain Taro until a deal was finally forced to step down from the prime ministership of the strife torn Northern Ireland because of lack of support for his policies

among his cabinet. The Toronto Daily Star exhibit of the Spera shared by many other papers in Canada. This represents a major defeat for the forces of moderation and conciliation. Captain O'Neill had tried very belatedly to halt the growing religious strife by granting long overdue concessions to the Catholics including equal voting rights in municipal elections and an end of discrimination in housing and employment. But he was unable to win the consent of the hardline Protestants in his own party who regard the Catholics much as Mississippi whites regard negroes. If as now seems likely he is succeeded by one of the hardliners or by someone prepared to knuckle under to them. We can expect only an escalation of the current rioting. Gloomy predictions that Northern Ireland is headed for civil war. Now look un comfortably accurate. In any case the growing chaos in the north is bound to strengthen demands for the ending of

partition and the union of all Ireland under the Republican government in Dublin. The Irish problem is back as explosive as ever. Over the back fence. Is a weekly review of Canadian editorial page. It was compiled this week by CBC staff writer Morris Jones and was read by Lee fortune and John feel. The program is distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters and is produced in Montreal by the International Service and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. And I am. Over the back fence was made available to the station by the national educational radio

network. Riding on a drug or is it transatlantic profile picture of life in Europe produced by a many. Times about you provided presented today by junk our friends the president ruled by the chairman of the Senate and he will be ruling that country until next June presidential election. The only report by a but it's are and deals with the person and his position in French politics. The print photographers are turned out in droves to shoot pictures of the traditional made a lot of money in and counted. When THE POINT OF THEM THE BEAUTY QUEEN of the

central countries then down to the head of state we're going to find. Gauntlet even to destruction and to find a protocol surrounding that and printed 90 general to go to the public. They were greeted instead by the kind of the infant return to going to him. On the preceding Monday had spent time from the position of president of the Senate about to be stripped of his lend that to the dignity and I think President of France. A politician in the tradition of the Fourth Republic believes in keeping cool. Being polite to people and exerting a stabilizing influence. Sixty in double that and a president and his long. This round face have been gentlemen like to relax. Stem collection model railway trains and best of all with a single daughter three children who insist that their grandfather's bedtime stories are the best in the world. But the

city boy is a man who in the past few weeks and be more thanks than any other arrangement in pushing general to go over the brink of defeat and appointed a referendum last Sunday. Oh yeah and I origin a mining engineer was drawn into politics money great leader of the MIT Catholic Antti rubbish and. Who appointed him to accompany. An amendment in 1948 being infringed on again phony room area and commission a general in charge of German and Austrian affinis. Jobs introduced him to Continental circles preoccupied with the unification of you know. Chairman of the willing succession of different committee and it's been years on route between appointments and as of the European movement. For instance a Christian Democratic leader in the European continent. He became president in 1966. The next turning point came in October of last year.

President to go to the legislative authority of the French and it had become so formidable that the senator persuaded that the anti-gunners president to step down in favor of a compromised personality. That shines to everyone's surprise was. Right next to no reputation in national politics but prone to Modernism leading rival in the run up. In a moment available for the popular referendum put himself on the scene. Simply turning the country into a frenzy haunt President with all his considerable frustration. If approved by referendum to go reforms would have reduced the Senate to a talking shop mainly social and economic issues. Oh yeah no the Gemini thing has cause for quietly with great tenacity against the reforms and the referendum of the home. Never indulging in personal polemic against the go go and made a great impression on the French electorate

intimated in every appearance in the not on state television during the last week. There would be no general step down. Is reassuring one thing coming to great many middle class and since 1958 had never dared to contemplate the catastrophe and to go on that occasion to know and face the music. Today I'm still being nominated for the Democratic convention. The center 155 presidential nominee John Doe can do me and the ring calling on him to join the ring. But hasn't been to pick up the phone. To the left he would be thinking the competition of my pumpkin ascension is mad. And to his right he would find from a premium on being too inclined to make any concession to the nation's mood of anti-gunners them. Soaking them behind again and to vote. Considering this and I'm going to mean to scientists and for the president in the Senate

which would make him the number two man in front. And don't believe in the measure of time he would like to tell his grandchildren bedtime stories about his five training weeks at the anything. After the resignation of Captain O'Neill as prime minister in Northern Ireland. Major interest of Clark has become officers a new leader. His job will be to try and bridge the gap between fanatical Protestants and protesting Catholics who feel that they're treated as second rate citizens stored in Belfast sent in the following contributions. It seems to have become contagious. Kept in a Neil was forced to resign as prime minister then general to go without force to commit political suicide and the moment day's Monday newspaper strike in Britain was over most front pages of the British national press than a headline that some hundred Labor Members of Parliament were ganging up to replace Mr Wilson. At least a little Arab Northern Island settled its problems. That's to say only

its most immediate problem finding a new prime minister. And then in the parliament for the ruling Unionist Party in evolution there O'Neill's electoral reform plan for the poor Catholics over the one man one vote that still doesn't exist in this province of Great Britain. Manger James kitchen clock the man who had resigned only a week before the minister of agriculture is very one man one vote business. They tell him by secret ballot and by a margin of only one vote over the burned Minister of Commerce when given the same reason for resigning some three months ago. Major Key just a clock like Frank said that he resigned not over the principal but over the timing of the one man one vote legislation. For a traditionally more liked by the ultra right wing of the party and already that strong counter candidate when O'Neill became prime minister 963 still distrusted too much by the moderates or the short election campaign inside the parliamentary party to go

in and the another day or two he would have won and he's now again awaiting his chance which may still come in a few months from now. At this time O'Neill with the power he still had after resigning heavily back to Clark and won the day. Kitchen the clock though he disagreed about the timing of the man in the world but only has the painful if at all of his three years at ground is the same. He's a landowner. He was educated at Eton and he was given a commission in the Irish guy when O'Neill became a captain. The clock and nature. It's for these reasons that he could only get the 20 slender majority of one. All these reasons that he is already now ripping on the razor's edge and will have to continue to do so until the next crisis and that alas doesn't look too far away in the future. Or the right wingers will certainly not give them much of a chance when chips at the clock just prove to be another O'Neill

present moment he doesn't yet suffer from the many personal animosities that O'Neill suffered from and there's no real middle class Protestant dying on the bench for Terry and the militant followers of the No Popery Protestant leader the Rev. Ian Paisley who's in jail until August 30th. Don't like tension. Up for the same reason that in my county you do English establishment the background and on the other side you really disgusted by the part of Catholic. They distrusted on you as well. Towards the end my cottage. The civil right is also no longer listen to them to the portal to their church leader and I are proud and content as well as disgust for these right wing Protestant. Kitchen clock like O'Neill will have to fight for time and as I said from here last week. Time is a short if not shorter and work. And further bloodshed can come without even a moment's notice. Most people head content at the

park and if you must. Rank O'Neill enormous sense in that you don't want gradual reform. But O'Neill has the rise of Great Expectations which neither O'Neill could nor captured a clock and yet satisfied and that we were no more was being the tragedy of so many reformers. This was painted in Belfast. Finally we have the question of a communist country dealing with of all things the traffic problem. Harry's latter filed the following report from Buddha. Hungary and tourists to a display of the picturesque clean dress. Gypsy Prince is galloping across the puszta But make no mistake about it. The automobile is going to horse over here just as surely perhaps a bit more slowly as it has done in most other parts of the world. Too. Pride of car ownership is underdeveloped here even compared with other communist countries. One hundred and sixty five thousand automobiles in a nation of some 10 million people. Yet in the

last few years mass murder rise ation has made its impact on Hungary and the central economic plan as saying that in the years ahead the development will be explosive. During the current year and 1970 a total of 60000 automobiles is to be imported. Well over one third of the present number of cars operated in the country. Hungary it seems to lack the ambition so common in the communist neighbor countries are building its own Detroit in miniature with no automobile production of its own and no military industry being planned for the future. Depending on imports alone. Hunger is a chronic shortage of foreign exchange Comic Con nations in the communist economic block might be the cheap suppliers. Judging from contracts agreed for the current year East Germany with its pump putting two stroke engine cab on 10 book models the list with more than 8000 automobiles to be supplied from Czechoslovakia. The Hungarians will be importing 18:00 Skoda automobiles

from Russia. Fourteen hundred muskets cars. It is in the West a mainly talent and French rhino automobile and also a West German Volkswagen. Another too soon to be introduced on the Hungarian motor market is the escort the small compact recently launched by Ford of Dagenham in Britain. In a related development the first of a series of Shell Gas stations is shortly to be opened in the country. But this appears to be mainly a concession to the motoring taste of tourists from the West seems to terminate at any rate to keep sales of wealth and build motor cars in check. Perhaps to keep out of the market open for the chic girlie. The automobile. Russia will start building in real mass production in the years ahead. Not a studier development issue girly is a weapon designed to be built under license from Italy's leading carmaker. This manipulation of the car market is now resulting in higher prices of cars built in the West not included in the new and Gedeon system of linking prices to

factory property ability the already steep prices of Western automobiles have been pushed up to unprecedented levels. You can judge them for yourself. When I tell you that has a 50 to draw 42 saloon now fetches about $3500 and the official rate of exchange. France's mini station wagon costs more than 3700 and a German in excess of $500. That's a lot of money for what I observed by American standards. Ultra small cars with no expensive extras. But the demand is booming nonetheless. And with 40000 mortars recorded and yet unfulfilled I'm getting a motorist must resign themselves to waiting for the Russian XI girlie before it will be possible to buy an automobile straight from the showroom. Even so with the automobile becoming the symbol of hunger it is slowly increasing prosperity. The drawbacks of mass motorised station are already becoming apparent. Road

accidents are becoming a major threat to life. 40000 in the part about half of them involving grave or light injuries fatal crashes rose by no less than 30 percent resulting in a traffic death toll of more than run and. The situation is aggravated by the Hungarian tendency to run over consumption of alcohol. It is true that Hungary with its annual intake of just over 2 gallons of hot link up ahead of the population dangled somewhere in the middle of the list of the world's hot drinking nations. Did the Social Studies show that the country nowadays is something like seventy two thousand chronic alcoholics on its. Other investigations prevent an even gloomier picture. Run a hundred and twenty thousand can and 200000 borderline alcoholics. I've been on countries of the European block the authorities are dealing very severely with all motorists found to be driving up to even buy not to drink but run in every five auto accident. You are partly due to the influence of alcohol. The

forthcoming automobile explosion is going to affect the already some of the critics is anybody's guess. And with that contribution will come to the end of this week's edition of. Trend about a profile from Roddy only belonged to Millicent Holland and this is Jerry Collins thing the buy until next week. Transatlantic profile was made available to the station by the national educational radio network.