Friday, April 12, 1968
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
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JAIL, TYHE;I ARiIVMY, OR CANADA:
It's Not All Roses for Draft-Dodgers in Toronto
t'
By RON LANDSMAN
special To The Daily
TORONTO-Jail, the Army,
or Canada. Those are the pos-
sibilities. None terribly exciting
to average middle class Ameri-
can college students, but the
time may come when those are
the only three choices. How do
you choose?
"The Canadian Alternative,"
as they like to call it in Tor-
onto, often seems to most
Americans very remote and
very forbidding.
It is far away from family
and friends, it offers no pros-
pect of returning, it. seems to
offer little culturally, intellec-
tually or socially compared to
the States, and there don't
seem to be the same job oppor-
tunities there are here.
All of these worries are real
and valid, but they are coun-
ter-balanced both by the lack
of alternatives and by some
very real advantages Toronto
has.
The greatest difficulty for
Americans to overcome is the
realization that the United
States is not the center of the
universe, that it is actually pos-
sible for a human being to live
a full, rewarding life somewhere
t else.
"I'm really 'in' here," one
successful ex-American says. "I
like the way I'm living -- good
job with the Toronto Star, nice
social group - I don't think I'd
go back to the States even if
there was an amnesty for
draft-dodgers. At least not to
stay," he adds.
The pitfalls that every new
American must face may even-
tually become overwhelming,
and those that return to Amer-
ica do so for personal, not po-
litical, reasons.
A stranger in a strange land
has a lot against him, and even
with help from such groups as
the Toronto Anti-Draft Pro-
' There Are Easy Ways to Canada
TORONTO - Going to Tor-
onto now is easier than ever.
An immigration law developed
by then-Justice Minister -
now Prime Minister - Pierre
Trudeau has made it simpler
for American dift-dodgers to
win landed immigrant status in
Canada.
Although not aimed specif-
ically at aiding Americans try-
ing to avoid the draft, the law
0 has tended to have that effect.
The intent of the changes in
the Canadian law was to make
the test for immigrant status
more objective, leaving as little
up to the personal whim of the
immigration official as possible.
100 Point System
The law, passed in late 1967,
bases gaining immigrant status
on winning 50 points on a 100
point evaluation system. A
prospective immigrant can gain
points for how much education
he has, if he has a job already
lined up when he applies for
.admission, his age if he is be-
tween 18 and :36, ability to
speak English and/or French,
and having friends or relatives
in Canada.
There is a loophole, however
- one that can work either
way. The law allows for 15
points to be awarded on the
basis of personality and char-
acter, completely at the discre-
tion of the immigration official.
For a person who has already
earned over 50 points in the
more objective categories, there
is nothing to worry about.'But
t~for the immigrant with any-
where from 35 to 49 points,
that 15 point margin can be
crucial.,
If the potential draft- dodger
can impress the official in an
interview, he might win enough
points to gain entry even if he
earned only 35 in the other
areas. On the other hand, some-
one with 49 points can be de-
nied admittance if the official
doesn't approve of him.
The immediate implication is
how the individual's position as
a potential draft-dodger affects
his standing. Technically, offi-
cials are not allowed to ask an
immigrant what his draft sta-
tus was in the States, but there
have been more than a few in-
fractions of that rule.
Some Good, Some Not
The Toronto Anti-Draft Pro-
gramme, a counseling agency
run mostly by draft-dodgers or
anti-war Canadians, keeps rec-
ords on which border crossings
are best for draft-dodgers to
use. Publicly they will only
warn of where it is most diffi-
cult to gain access, although
they have an extensive list of
the better spots as well.
One draft-dodger who even-
tually crossed the border at the
Thousand Islands crossing on
the St. Lawrence Seaway, had
a pleasant surprise when he
applied for immigrant status.
After rifling through the pa-
pers for a while, the official
asked him if he was coming
over to avoid the draft. He ad-
mitted that he was.
Cutting Corners
The official sort of smiled,
and said, "Well, don't worry
about anything, I'll take care
of it" andsproceeded to cut all
the corners and finish up his
processing quickly.
Others have not been so
,lucky. Some report one or two
failures in trying to cross at
various points. While the Mon-
treal Airport, Sault Ste. Marie,
and smaller border crossings
tend to be easy, others like De-
troit, the Toronto Airport, and
the Peace Bridge in Buffalo,
N.Y. are notoriously bad.
Guild House, Too
The Anti-draft programme,
in contact with groups similar
to the Guild House in Ann Ar-
bor, disseminates information
on how to prepare for immigra-
tion to Canada.
The general procedure for
obtaining landed' immigrant
status-- which is what draft-
dodgers want who plan to stay
and work in the country - ai-
lows three ways to apply fur
admittance: at the border when
coming over, by mail. through
Ottawa, the capital, or through
an embassy or consulate.
Whichever route is taken,
counselors strongly advise that
preparations be made, if pos-
sible.
Whatever the preparation,
though, the most important
step is psychological. "You
can't have any qualms about
coming up here," one exper-
ienced draft-dodger warns, "but
if you come here with the right
attitude, you'll be fine."
gramme, it takes personal for-
titude to succeed.
A philosophy professor at the
University of Toronto warns of
new immigrants being cut-off.
"Avoiding a sense of being iso-
lated is important. They must
find a community of friends to
prevent being overwhelmed by
that isolation."
That is the greatest threat:
being trapped in the city with
no one to talk to and little to
do. Support from parents -
moral more than financial ;-
is oftenmarkey factor. Getting
a satisfying job is another.
"I guess I attribute my suc-
cess mostly to my parents' at-
titude and to getting this job,"
the reporter for the Toronto
Star said. "They were with me
all the way and that helped a
lot."
Records kept at the anti-:
draft programme indicate, to
no one's surprise, that most
draft-dodgers come from large
urban centers. A prime consid-
eration for them is Toronto's
atmosphere. Though no Paris
or New York, Toronto is far
ahead of Detroit or Pittsburgh.
As a city it is most often
compared to a very large,
slightly modernized town.
Whereas French-speaking Mon-
treal is seen as the New York-
San Francisco of Canada, Tor-
onto is considered to be a
"simpler Chicago."
Toronto is a much slower-
paced city than Montreal or
San Francisco. "The arts here,"
one former American explains,
"tend to be sort of artsy-
craftsy. The night life isn't the
same. It's nice," he adds, "but
just a little naive."
More important, though, is
the general mood of becoming
a Canadian - and no longer
an American - and the change
it produces in attitudes about
the United States.
"The change is amazing," one
two-year veteran says. "From
here it really looks like it-will
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"The whole American scene sounds like shrill
parodies of real patriotism," one draft-dodger
says, "It is really frightening that such an un-
wise country has so much power."
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happier and freer," a former
Northwestern University jour-
nalist says.
"There'snot the same huge
product orientation as in the
States, and the schools - es-
pecially the University of Tor-
onto-seem to be pretty good,"
he adds.
"The whole American scene
sounds like shrill parodies of
real patriotism," he concludes.
"It is really frightening that
such an unwise country has so
much power."
Despite the many personal
problems a new immigrant
doesn't hurt. There's no hos-
tility," he adds.
Some observers explain this
as the result- of a general
apathy of Canadians to poli-
tics, especially when it is for-
eign politics. "It's not that most
Canadians approve or disap-
prove," a Torontoan explained,
"They just don't give a damn."
Another native Torontoan ex-
plains, "The Toronto man on
the street is probably eighty
per cent indifferent. Of those
who feel strongly, most of them
are against the war and will-
ing to help."
be all over for the U.S. in a
few years. It all looks so fran-
tic, so much on edge."
"One huge improvement is
the lack of pressure," another
adds. "It's hard to generalize so
much, but it really seems as
though the people here are
faces, Toronto - and most of
Canada - appeals to draft-
dodgers for one overriding rea-
son: they look favorably on
American draft-dodgers.
"While it's not exactly a rav-
ing honor to be a draft-dodger,"
one explains, "it certainly.
Is this the last-minute line to Follett's where they're
giving more cash for used textbooks?
Naw, buddy,'dis is a jailbreak.
11
SPRING and/or
SUMMER TERM
TEN HOUSES
near campus
ROOM & BOARD
$21.00/week
BOARD ONLY
$13.00/week
Join a Co-op This Summer
Inter-Cooperative
Council
2546 SAB
668-6872
{I '
' Members work 4 hours er weekw
MIDDLE EARTH
IS HIGH ON STATE STREET
at 215 S STATE
(3rd FLOOR LOFT)
Planning a trip? Then for your highway needs, take
along one of our travelling head kits, our' wire rim-
med sunshades in a variety of glasses,scales, stash
bags . . . and all manner of more bulky items.
HOURS: 11 .A.M. - 10 P.M. WEEKDAYS
Make your break
early and avoid
the rush.
DONT DELAY
Follett's will pay
'BIG MONEY,
for used 'book
No one, but no one should miss out on a good thing,
And extra cash is the good thing you'll miss out
on if you haven't brought in your used textbooks to
Follett's yet. We give extra cash because, frankly
we are part of a large operation and it needs your
books to stay that way. We'll even buy books that
won't be used on this campus next semester. The
more books we get, the less we have to make on
re-sale, and the more we can pay you for your
used books. So, hustle down to Follett's and keep
this good thing going.
C ASH
for your
USED BOOKS
at1
WAHR'S
UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE
F R OLLETTS
F_____
M CH GA N OKST
CONTRIBUTING TO EDUCATION
iNRaUSN SERVICE AND, TAXES
STATE STREET AT NORTH UNIVERSITY * ANN ARBOR
11 A.M. - MIDNIGHT
FRI. and SAT.
READ AND USE DAILY CLASSIFIED ADS
316 S. State
NO 2-5669
I
It
WHY WE SUPPORT
I
I
0
Of all the prospective and declared candidates for President of the United States,
we believe that Senator 'Robert F. Kennedy is the most deserving of enthusiastic support.
Why do we feel this?
ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS: IN THIS COUNTRY:
In criticizing American policy in Vietnam he has
recognized that the tragic errors of the poJicy are
symptoms of a fundamental failure to understand
the nature of nationalist and anti-colonial forces in
the Third World. He was the first of the candidates
(in February, 1966) to stress the importance of in-,
cluding the NLF in any solution to the Vietnam
conflict.
He openly attacked the system of apartheid during
his student-sponsored trip to South Africa in 1966.
He has identified himself with the aspirations of
WE BELIEVE that Senator Kennedy
understands the seriousness of the prob-
lems confronting America at home and
abroad far better than any other candi-
democratic forces in Latin America and other de-
veloping areas seeking necessary land reforms and
other sweeping social changes.
' He has actively sought measures to prevent the
spread of nuclear weapons and clearly recognizes
that the security of America and the international
community cannot be purchased through an ever-
spiraling arms race.
* To the peoples of the world he symbolizes a hope for
America's return to the traditions of Wilson, FDR,
and John F. Kennedy.
date. Moreover, he has demonstrated the
will to take the major steps necessary to
' He has consistently championed the cause of dis-
advantaged and- powerless groups in our society in
their quest for equity and justice.
. He has led the fight for legislation to protect black
people, Indians, Mexican Americans, farm laborers,
the aged, and dependent children.
" He was the only major political figure to support
Cesar Chavez in his courageous and difficult cam-
paign to organize migrant workers in California.,
" In his continuing search for solutions to the crisis in
our cities he has sought ways-such as tenant-
FINALLY, because of his extensive,
experience in both the legislative and
executive branches of government, in for-
eign and domestic affairs, we believe
owned housing and cooperatives-by which resi-
dents can actively participate in the control of
institutions which govern their lives. In this "and
other proposals he has shown a willingness to look
beyond the conventional wisdom of the last thirty
years.
* Because of this record, Kennedy is the only major
candidate who commands the respect and trust of
this country's ethnic minorities and lower income
groups. This was vividly demonstrated by his en-
thusiastic reception in Watts.
that Senator Kennedy is the strongest
candidate the Democratic Party can.offer
against the probable and dismal Repub-
lican choice.
solve these
rally others
problems and a capacity to
in this effort.
Albert Feuerwerker Judy
William Gamson Dav
Les Goldman Har
Alan Guskin Mar
John Bishop
John Bowditch
Demming Brown
Donald R. Brown
Nathan Caplan
Alexander Eckstein
Judy Epstein
John P. Evans
y Guskin
id Gutmann
old Jacobson
k Levin
Richard D. Mann
Leon Mayhew
Rhoads Murphey
Robert Neff
Gayl Ness
Kenneth Organski
Jerry Segal
Robert Sklar
Richa'rd Solomon-
Robert Vinter
Robert Weeks
Albert Wheeler
ROBERT KENNEDY CAN WIN.
We hope you will join us in working to make this possible.
WHAT CAN YOU DO:
----
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