Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-17

he anti-American issue in a
belittling and promising great
er achievements.
Mr.. Pearson, IS, is making
his second bid for the prime
ministership. Mr.. Diefenbak-
er. Sc, defeated him in 1853
when the Conservatives won a
record 208 seats in Commons
to the Liberals 40, but the then
newly-chosen Liberal leader
was not the politician he is to-
day. Mr.. Pearson was a late
conner to politics. after a ca
reer as a diplomat that includ-
ed service as Canadian Ambas-
sador to Washington.
Within the last fortnight the
Conservatives, including Mr..
Diefenbaker and Finance Min
lister Donald NJ. Fleming, have
attacked Mr.. Pearson by i'm
plying that he is soft on COM
munism." The Soviet Govern
ment, Mr.. Fleming said last
night, hopes for a Liberal vic
tory because it fears Mr.. DEF
enbaker's militant opposition.
Polls Show Shift
The Conservatives chances
OF reelection have also been
enhanced by the increasing
popularity late in the campaign.
as shown by the Gallup Poll,
of the two minor parties. the
Socialist New Democratic Party
and the right-wing Social
Credit Party.
The latest poll reports, re-
leased today, show that 38 per
cent of the voters favor the
Liberals; SO per cent, the Con-
servatives; IL per cent, the New
Democrats, and Is per cent, |
"other parties" principally So
cial Credit.
The significance Of. the
figures lies in the fact that poll |
results based on a late May
survey and released q week ago
the Liberals at A per cent and
the minor parties at 10 per cent
each. The Conservative figure
did not change.
How far Liberal attrition in
favor of the minor parties may |,
have gone in the final week of
the campaign is causing anx-
iety in the Liberal camp and
high hopes among the Con-
servatives.
Quebec Is Key
The liberals chances of sue
cess rest on sweeping French
Quebec for at least go
Of its rs seats, then taking 40
or more Of Ontario's IS seats,
and picking up enough In the
Atlantic provinces and the West
to give them 1873 seats, which
is a bare majority in Commons.
Early and phenomenal Social
Credit strength in quebec
helped Liberal prospects because
its was mainly at the expense of |
the Conservatives, but now the
is that Social Credit
will take some Quebec seats that
otherwise would go Liberal.
The Social Creditors appear
to make a comeback in
the Commons after their total
eclipse in 1858. They are led by
Robert Thompson, a tyro poll
tician and former United Ma
lions official, who advocates
economic indignation of Canada
with the United States.
9.S Million Voters
The New Democratic Party,
led by the former Socialist Pre-
mier Of Saskatchewan, T. c.
Douglas, stands for national
economic planning, the welfare
state, and opposition to "the
economic dictatorship Of corpo-
rations."
Campaign observers believe
the two minor parties may win
about Is seats between them
enough to give them the balance
Of power in Parliament If the
voters elect approximately equal
numbers Of Conservatives and |
Liberals.
Tomorrow 100000 Canadi-
ans will be qualified to vote in
the election of 284 members of |
Parliament from among q total |
of 1,012 candidates. Polling will
range through six time zones,
and at polling stations from as
far north as 500 miles from the
North Pole to the southern tip
of Ontario, which is farther |
south than San Francisco.