Evening star., 1945-02-07
Grey North Election

From the viewpoint OF the out
slider, the defeat of General A. G. L.
McNaughton, Canada's Minister OF
Defense, in the special election in
Grey North riding district leaves
Canadian wartime politics in an all
but-hopeless muddle.
The result of the election probably
is serious setback for the govern
ment of Prime Minister w. L. Mac
kenzie King. He had made a per-
sonal appeal to the Grey North
electorate in behalf of his Defense
Minister, and incidentally in behalf
of his own policy with respect to the
explosive issue of conscription for
overseas service. In view of that, the
defeat of General McNaughton may
be regarded by some as reputation
Of the government conscription pol
icy, and is expected to hasten the
dissolution of Parliament and the
calling of general election, which
would be apt to weaken, if it did not
wipe out, the Liberal party majority
in the Canadian House Of Commons.
This threat to the Mackenzie King
government arises primarily from
the bitter hostility of French-speak->
ing Quebec to any form of conscrip-
tion for overseas duty The Prime
Minister'S policy has been one of
compromise-an attempt to steer a
more-or-less middle course between
full CONSUMPTION. such as we have
in the United States, and no con-
scription at all. He has sought to
reconcile conflicting pressures-po-
litical in the case of sentiment in
Quebec and military in the case of
army, without being able, apparent
ly. to please any one. The Province
of Quebec. comprising nearly one
third of Canada's population. also
supplies large and essential bloc
OF the Prime Minister'S Liberal party
membership in the House. There
fore, If he were to lose Quebec sup
port in general election, as is quite
possible, it is doubtful that his gov
ernment could remain in power.
At the same time. it is not easy to
see how the Quebec voters could
further their own ends by transfer
Of political allegiance. The second
party in the House is the Progress
sive Conservative faction, headed by
John Bracken, whose candidate
Garfield Case-defeated General NC
Naughton in the Grey North elec-
ton.
The Progressive Conservatives
stand for full CONSUMPTION, and
speakers charged during the Grey
North campaign that the Mackenzie
King government was deferring to
sentiment in Quebec for reasons of
narrow politics, with the result that
an excessive proportion of young men
from other sections of Canada were
being sent to war while Mr.. Kings
"zombie" army was being kept at
home. There are about 10000 men
In the "home defense" army who
have refused to volunteer for over
seas duty, and the consideration
which the government has shown
them probably is very real issue in
Grey North, whose voters are pre-
ponderantly of old-line British stock.
1t would be difficult, however, to
say that this factor was decisive,
since there was a third candidate in
the f1eld-Air Vice Marshal A. E.
Godfrey of the Cooperative Com
monwealth Federation party, who
campaigned on platform of jobs
for returning servicemen and hos
tility to the big interests" The
unofficial count showed that he
polled 3,136 votes, while 1888 were
cast for Mr.. Case and 5000 for Cen
eral McNaughton. Thus, the vote
was split three ways, with no can
didate receiving a clear majority.
In these circumstances, while the
outlook for the Mackenzie King
government is not bright, only a
general election can determine
whether it still represents majority
sentiment in all Canada.