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Where are they al/ gone
-
these former heads of govern–
ment - al/ of whom 1 knew
-
sorne
warmly, affectionately!
Why are they gone? What
do
es
it al/ mean? This world
was not like this when 1was a
youngman.
ERY FEW MEN in this world
know personally as many
heads of government as
1.
Yet 1
am absolutely AMAZED at how short
a period of time most of them last.
Many have a tenure in office - if
they stay healthy - of only four to
six
years. Many die in office. Sorne
are assassinated - others shot down
in a military coup or violent over–
throw of government. Sorne are
forced to resign due to alleged mis–
conduct in office.
1 think over in my mind about
many 1 have known, sorne closely
and intimately -
now
GONE! One
was Prime Minister Eisaku Sato of
Japan. He and 1 had a personal
agreement we wou ld throw away a
year annuaUy - to become one year
younger
each year. And also. as he
said to me, "One of us mustlive into
the 21st centu ry, so lo have lived
into THREE CENTURIES - and that
must be you, Mr. Armstrong, be–
cause 1was born in
this
century."
Before he died last year, he re–
ceived the Nobel Peace Prize.
There was Prime Minister Tanaka
of Japan, now under alleged bribery
charges, forced to resign. 1 had ac–
quaintance with him before and
during office. There was Emperor
Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, taken
prisoner in a military coup which
overth rew his long-established gov–
ernment. He died in military cus–
tody. There was Presiden! Allende
of Chile, machine-gunned in the
back in the very room where
1
had a
prívate conference with members of
his staff. There was President Rah–
man of Bangladesh. assassinated in
an overthrow of his poverty–
stricken. illiteracy-cursed country.
There was the king of Afghanistan,
whom l was invited to visit. but who
was overthrown and driven to Euro–
pean exile before my visit could be
arranged.
There have been others. affec-
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1977
Personal from ...
THE REAL SIGNIFICANCE OF
CHANGINGGOVERNMENTS
tionate friends of mine, whose terms
of office have expired, such as V. V.
Giri, ex-Presiden! of India. And
many more. sti ll in office.
1 think mine one of the rarest ex–
periences in world history.
And now, even since writing the
words above. Prime Minister Tha–
nin Kraivichien of Thailand has
been driven from office in a military
coup which overthrew the Thai gov–
ernment. He is being held in ' 'pro–
tective custody.·· Th ree weeks
before this military coup.
J
had a
prívate meeting with him in his of–
fice in Bangkok, and that night he
sat next tome ata banquet.
There was Presiden! Suleiman
Franjieh of Lebanon. with whom 1
was spending a day at his summer
mountain home. at the time of the
Allende assassina tion in Santiago,
Chile. Presiden! Franjieh fought
desperately on, in the bloody civil
war in Lebanon. until forced to "re–
sign" - at least officially.
And what NOW?
As I write, in a spa near Rome.
the Sunday morning
Daily Ameri–
can
front-page headline says:
"Christians Seize South Lebanon
Garrison Town" - the disastrous
civil war still continues in Lebanon .
Other front-page news that ap–
peared as 1was writing these words:
"Smith (of Rhodesia] Wants Kiss–
inger in Geneva to Untie Rhodesia's
Transition Knots." 1 had stopped off
here near Rome, waiting for a
scheduled meeting between myself
and Prime Minister Jan Smith in
Salisbury last November 1st. His
emergency meeting at Geneva post–
poned that meeting.
1
proceeded on
to Johannesburg and other South
Africa cities instead.
A recent issue of
Time
had a story
on the granting of freedom to the
ALL-BLACK NEW STATE of Transkei
on the eastern coast of South Africa.
last October 26th. There was a great
celebration at Umtata. the new cap–
ital of Transkei. lts new head of
state is Chief Minister Kaiser D.
Matanzima. He flew in to Johannes–
burg for an hour-and-a-half prívate
talk with me and M
r.
Stanley Rader
(my -chief assistant) last June. He
invited us to the opening celebra–
tion. but we preferred another prí–
vate talk with him after he would be
officially in office.
Jusi look at the STATE OF THE
WORLD. TODAY!
J USt WHAT DOES
IT
ALL MEAN?
Current news headlines - look at
the significance - a WHOLE WORLD
ON FIRE - fast approaching the final
SUPREME END-TIME CRISISat the END
OF THIS PRESENT WORLD!
TODAv's front-page news head–
lines - Paris edition of New York
Hera/d-Tribune -
and
Daily Ameri–
can
of Rome: " Hu a Hailed as
Leader: Leftist Bid 'Shattered.' "
(That's the great political CRISIS in
the world's largest na:ion. China.)
"Right Dominates New Thai Cabi–
net - Military Men Hold Two Key
(Continued on page 42)