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nected by land to four U.S. states,
the key one being New York.
If an independent Quebec chose
not to belong to NATO or NORAD
(the joint North American Air De–
fense network), there would be a
gaping hole in the continental de-'
fense structure. (The P.Q. has vaci l–
lated quite a bit about future
defense commitments.)
The effectiveness of the Pinetree
Line and DEW (Distant Early
Warning) Line networks against So–
viet ICBMs would be gravely im–
paired. The Canadian navy would
also be seriously hampered in per–
forming its main task-keeping the
sea-lanes open to Europe.
Moreover, a recalcitran! Quebec
may choose not to honor existing
U.S.-Canadian treaties regarding
the St. Lawrence Seaway-or may
elect to hold the seaway passage as a
bargaining chip to secure its sover–
eign association aims.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawr.ence
Seaway navigational system serves
an agricultura! and industrial region
unparalleled in the world. The
opening of the seaway in 1959, pro–
ducing North America's " fourth
seacoast," has been a great boon to
the continent's heartland. If the
seaway were to be bottled up. Can–
ada's grain exports to the world
would be halted, as well as ship–
ments of much of the iron ore (from
Quebec and Labrador) needed for
U.S. and Canadian steel milis.
On Soviet
Attack
Route
Quebec, which is larger than France
and Spain combined, is one of the
most strategically importan! pieces
of territory in North America. Nich–
olas Stethem, a Canadian defense
expert, reveals just how critica! it
is-and how dangerous an indepen–
dent state on its soil would be if it
chose neutrality (perhaps as a con–
sequence of Soviet/Third World
support). In the Winter 1977-78 is–
sue of
Foreign Policy,
article "Can–
ada's Crisis, The Dangers," Stethem
writes: "An independent Quebec
implies a fundamental change in
one of the post-World War 11 mili–
tary constants of the West, a strong
and unified North America. Perhaps
the separatists believe that the sta–
tioning of one-third of Canada's air
defense interceptor force ... in Ba-
34
gotville, Quebec, and of another
third at Chatham, New Brunswick,
just south of the Quebec border, was
a function of coincidence, or of re–
gional politics played by the federal
government.
"The fact is that these forces are
based there because the primary
manned-bomber route from the So–
viet Union to the most heavily pop–
ulated and indus trialized areas of
Canada and the United States runs
from the Kola Península over the
Arctic and then south, straight down
the middle of Quebec from Ungava
to the St. Lawrence. That is also
why American units of the North
American Air Defense Command
(NORAD) are stationed in a direct
line further south.
"If the intermediate range super–
sonic 'Backfire' bomber, the latest
addition to Soviet arsenals, follows
this route, armed with standoff or
cruise missiles, and refuels in ftight,
it can attack the eastern seaboard of
the United
~tates.
The weapons
themselves would be released at a
point smack in the middle of Que–
bec."
Much at Stake
lt
is time that everyone in the
United States, in Canada-and cer–
tainly in Quebec-woke up and real–
ized what really is at stake if the
coming showdown in the Canadian
unity crisis is not resolved peace–
ably: nothing short of the very sur–
viva! offreedom in North America.
As 1 left the office of Quebec
cabinet official Louis O'Neill at the
conclusion of our discussion last au–
tumn, my host paused in the door–
way and called back to me: " Please
tell your American audience that
they have many friends here in
Quebec. Tell them also that we are
not making a tragedy, we are creat–
ing a nation."
Mr. O'Neill was no doubt sincere
in his appraisal. But only time will
te ll whether or not he is correct.
o
This article is the result of a
month-long lrip the author re–
cent!y took in Canada, where
he interviewed prominent Ca–
nadian political, business and
military leaders.
BURGLARY
(Continued from page 15)
2) Report any strange noises-es–
pecially the sound of breaking glass
or doors being kicked in anywhere
on the block or in the apartment
building, which may mean a bur–
glary in progress.
3) Don't tolerate large, noisy
groups of teenagers hanging around
aimlessly. Instead, join in some civic
group active in belping young
people find something constructive
to do with their time. Bored kids
may not necessarily become vicious
kids , but sorne may burglarize
homes for the sheer thrill of it , par–
ticularly if they feel ignored or un–
wanted in their own community.
The fight against burglary is
everybody's business. Make it yours
now, before the crime comes to
you.
o
(Editor's note: Ambassador Col–
lege publishes a booklet entitled
"Crime Can Be Stopped-Here's
How!" This booklet gives many
precautions and commonsense
rules
to
protect yourself from crim–
inals. To obtain your free copy,
simply write
to
the address of our
office nearest you.)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
James Edward Keogh is a profes–
sional security consultant who has
lectured in po/ice science at the John
Jay School of Criminal Justice in
New York City and at the lnter–
nationa/ Association of Po/ice
Chiefs seminars. He also devised, at
a cost of $500, a municipal antibur–
glary campaign for his hometown of
Ridgefie!d Park, New Jersey, which
was credited with saving the town
$66,000 in crime losses. He has ap–
peared on TV and radio to ta/k
about prevention ofburglary and the
technology ofthe waron crime.
John Koster is the author ofThe
Road lo Wounded Knee
(Bantam
Books, 1974), which won the Sigma
Delta Chi Award for Distinguished
Pub/ic Service. Koster is a veteran
po/ice and municipal reporter and
has written numerous articles on
youth crime, drugs and serious fel–
oniesfor his newspaper,
The Record.
which covers northern New Jersey.
The
PLAIN TRUTH May 1978