my chief executive assistant, when the matter has been arranged? Also would you let him know if there are any snags? I think it would be appropriate to carry the program on your radio network as well.”
As the Prime Minister stood up to terminate the meeting, there was a quick knock on the door, and Tom Scott entered.
“Sir, we’ve just had word that the President is going on television at 12:30. It looks as though he’s going to make a public announcement about the ultimatum.”
Porter was silent for a moment or two. Then he turned to Laing and Forbes and said, “Well, gentlemen, it looks as though the time-table is now somewhat out of our hands. Jim, I would appreciate it if you could clear your television network for me to speak immediately after the President’s address. I’ll try to deal with the points he raises at that time and make it as short as I can. In any event, I will still want to do the lengthy and considered statement at nine o’clock. Can you arrange it?”
Laing looked at his watch and exclaimed, “My God, it’s now two minutes to twelve. We’ve just a little over half an hour. If you can let me use the phone I think we can arrange for you to follow the President, but we’ll have to hustle. As far as nine o’clock tonight is concerned, that’s no problem. I’ll get onto our technical people immediately to get a TV camera and crew up here. I understand you have a cable and hookup for transmission in the Conference Room down the hall.”
Tom Scott said, “That’s right.”
“Good. We’ll use that room for your broadcast. Now, Mr. Scott, if you can get me to a telephone I’ll get everything set up.”
After getting Laing started on his calls, Scott returned to the Prime Minister’s office and reported, “Sir, all the members of the Cabinet are now in the Cabinet Room. I’ve also arranged for the six deputy ministers of the key departments and the Governor of the Bank of Canada to be present.”
Porter nodded. “Good. You’d better get the Deputy Minister of National Defence, too, if he’s available. How are the arrangements for transportation coming?”
“Very well, sir. Things seem to be going smoothly. Also the premiers are on their way now.”
“That’s fine. Now if you’ll look after Mr. Forbes, I want to have a brief word with Senator Thomas before I meet the Cabinet. “Thanks again, Peter. I appreciate your advice and co-operation.”
As the door shut behind them, Porter said, “Well, John, what do you think of the situation?” He walked over to a massive easy chair in front of the great stone fireplace, lowered himself into it, and put his feet up on the coffee table.
Thomas sat down opposite him, put his notebook and pen on the table, and said, “I think you’ve got all the bases covered, Bob. While you’re dealing with the Cabinet, do you want me to put together the draft press release? You remember you told Forbes you’d have one in half an hour.”
“I forgot about that when I heard the President was going to speak. No, it won’t be necessary now that I’m going on TV. My shot at that time will be more than sufficient, so don’t waste your time putting anything together.”
Thomas nodded. “Right. Now the only other question I have is this. Do you think there’s any possibility of getting the President to extend his time limit? It seems to me that after all these years of negotiating and haggling another day or two shouldn’t matter much to him. But it would give you and the whole country a far better opportunity to assess the ultimatum before a final answer is given. If there’s any chance at all of getting him to change the time, it must be done before he gets on television. He won’t do it after that.”
“You’re right. I think you’d better try to get the President on the phone for me while I go to meet with the Cabinet. If you’ll let me know when the call comes through, I’ll go to the office across the hall and take it there.”
The Prime Minister gathered up the papers on his desk and headed for the Cabinet Room. As he entered the dignified, elegant panelled room lined with portraits of past prime ministers, the buzz of conversation ceased abruptly and everyone in the room stood up. Porter went directly to the high-backed chair at the end of the long highly polished table, said, “Thank you, gentlemen,” and sat down.
With great shuffling and scuffling of chairs, the ministers seated themselves at the table in order of seniority, with the deputy ministers and other staff ranged round the outside of the room.
The Prime Minister opened the meeting without preliminaries. “Gentlemen, I am sure that by this time all of you have been informed that the President of the United States, on behalf of the government of that country, presented to me in a telephone conversation this morning a three-part ultimatum, the answer to which must be given by Parliament no later than six o’clock tomorrow evening.
“At this moment my staff are trying to get through to the President so that I may speak with him and ask that the time be extended. The President is scheduled to address the United States on television at 12:30. Once he informs the American people of the action he has taken, it will be impossible to get him to extend the time, so if we can’t get it done now we won’t get it at all.
“As soon as I receive word that the President will speak with me, I’ll leave the Cabinet Room to talk to him, but I’ll come back here as soon as we’re finished. I suggest we watch the President’s address here so that I can get your immediate reaction. The CBC are setting up a television camera in the Conference Room next to my office, and I will go on live immediately following the President. Unfortunately I will not have time to consult with you about my response, but I hope you have enough confidence in me to back me up in what I say.”
Robert Gendron, the Minister for External Affairs, broke in, “Prime Minister, despite the relatively short time you have held office, I know I can assure you that every one of your colleagues here has the utmost faith in you and will stand behind whatever response you see fit to make.” There were immediate cries of “Hear, hear!”
As Gendron was speaking, John Thomas had entered the room. He whispered to the Prime Minister, “The President has agreed to speak with you, but it must be very brief because he is attempting to put the finishing touches to what he is going to say on television. If you come with me now, everything is set up.”
Air Force One / 11:50 a.m., EDT
The President made his way from the cockpit of the 747 to the circular stairs which took him down to the office in the forward cabin of the aircraft.
When it was built, Air Force One had been designed to make it possible for the President to carry on the nation’s business almost as easily from the aircraft as from the White House. At the front, normally the first-class area, the President had his private office. In the midsection was a complex of offices housing the secretarial staff and communications centres for telex and telephone links to the ground, as well as a sophisticated system of computers, radar, ground and satellite communication which linked Air Force One with the military surveillance and communication network. Here, too, was the small, sound-insulated TV studio from which the President would broadcast to the nation. At the rear of the aircraft were the President’s sleeping quarters and accommodation for the staff.
As he came down the stairs, the President could see Irving Wolf and Al Johnston sitting opposite each other at a desk on the port side of the aircraft. These were his two top advisers. Through them the President maintained his contact with the world. From them came the ideas, analyses, considerations and judgments upon which the man in the world’s top position of power had to rely.
Wolf
