FOR GENERAL RELEASE CONTACT:
21 APRIL, 1976 NEW YORK: Ci. 7-6161
WORLD CITIZEN GARRY DAVIS FLYING TO FRANCE
ON WORLD PASSPORT
NEW YORK -- In a letter dated 20 April, 1976, World Citizen Garry Davis advised
President Giscard d'Estaing of his forthcoming flight to France to regain "World
Territory," the present headquarters of the World Service Authority, in Hesingue,
Haut-Rhin, after his short visit to the United States to attend the memorial service of
his father, Meyer Davis.
Mr. Davis was admitted to the United States on his World Service Authority passport
issued by the human rights organization he heads which has its legal base in Basel,
Switzerland. The Swiss Department of Justice, however, with the approval of the Federal
Council, have issued an interdiction of entry against Mr. Davis in March, 1975 after his
request for political asylum was refused by the Berne government. Thus, the temporary
headquarters of the WSA is actually in France on land owned jointly by Mr. Davis and his
wife. Its official designation is "World Territory" according to the deed.
During his trip to the United States, Mr. Davis visited thje North American
headquarters of the World Service Authority at 664 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago. He also
conferred with Dr. Luis Kutner, Chief Justice of the World Court of Human Rights, and
chairman of the Commission on World Habeas Corpus, concerning the legal feasibility of
declaring the present W.S.A. headquarters extra-territorial vis-a-vis the French state.
"If the United Nations, which is nothing more than an association of states, can
legally own the land on which it is situated," Mr. Davis told reporters during a
press conference in Chicago, "certainly our government of declared world citizens can
own the piece of territory on which is situated its administrative offices. Besides, the
French Government in 1948 ceded the Palais de Chaillot to the United Nations during its
Paris session . Also many French towns during the Napoleonic era were granted charters as
'Free Towns.' There is nothing new about the idea. What is new is that for the first time
a piece of Mother Earth would be dedicatexd to the implementation of fundamental human
rights under a regime of world law. And that's what it's all about."
The World Citizen intends to return to the United States in June as a candidate for
'world political office' under the aegis of the newly-formed World Citizens Party, 1590
Broadway, San Francisco. "No presidentikal candidate is addressing himself to the
three top issues facing the U.S. electorate," declared Mr. Davis, "inflation,
integrity in government and world peace. These are global issues, not national, Politicsa
must meet the challenge of the 20th century, not the 19th. Direct, popular representation
on the global level, say democratic representation to the United Natisons, is a must for
ultimate survival. This means getting down to the knitty gritth of political party
politics. The alternative is the continuation of the national armament race and the final
holocaust. The average voter must be given a choice in a realistic, standard, accepted
form. My candidacy is meant only to stimulate others to enter the global political ring.
Dick Gregory is already a citizen of our World Government with a passport to match. So is
Yogi Bhajan, leader of the Sikh Dharma Brotherhood. So is George Wald of Harvard and Nobel
Laureate in Biology. 'World peace through law,' and 'No taxation without representation'
must now become the battle-cries of the politically dispossessed."
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