Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-04-02
By DAVID S. BRODER
Star Staff Writer

By DAVID 5. BRODER
Star staff Writer
MONTREAL, April 2.-As 6
young lawyer in Saskatche-
wan, John George Diefen.
baker won a reputation as &
defender of lost causes. In one
five-year period, he recalls, HI
saved Is of 20 accused muir.
derers from the gallows.
1t is a safe bet that in none
of those cases did the present
Prime Minister of Canada fight
with more skill or against great
er odds than in his current
campaign to save himself from
political extinction.
The other night, in Kingston
the 67-year-old Mr.. Diefen.
baker pitted his lungs anc
larynx-and his will power
against an organized group o.
some 200 hecklers, determined
to shout him down. For a full
hour, the lone man battled the
mob for the right to be heard
At length, he leaned into
the microphones and said
I've been In public life a Ions
while, but :"
He sounded weary and the
hecklers, thinking he was
about to give up, hooted in de.
rision.
But he Strengthened at the
podium and said"-but if thi,
sort of thing continues, I'm go.
ing to be in it a longer while.
The Conservative crowd
which had sat silent until then
broke into cheers and set up q
chant, I'VE want John. We
want John"
Raising his voice over the
din of the hecklers and the
cheerers, Mr.. Diefenbakel
commanded: I'VE want ST.
lence" and from that point on
the meeting was his.
The triumph in Kingston was
but one of a series of dramatic
appearances that have lee
Canadian reporters - few Of
them Diefenbaker fans - to
write that the Prime Minister
Is putting on the most exciting
comeback campaign in recent
Canadian history.
Whe t her his conservative
supporters can hold enough
seats in next Mondays election
10 permit him to remain in Of
flee is still problematical. But
there is near-unanimous agree
nent that "the DIETS stump.
ing has made Liberal Party
leader Lester B. Pearson a much
shaker bet for Prime Minister
han he seemed even a month
lgo.
Arthur Blakely, correspond
snt for the Toronto Gazette
wrote yesterday that Mr.. Die
tenbaker may not win this
campaign, but. certainly, he has
dominated it,"
Ill at East
The Prime Minister has criss-
crossed the country by train
getting into the small towns
and rural areas where much Of
MS strength lies. But the ode
hing is that he's no Estes Ke-
Iauver when it comes to shak-
ng hands. hosting babies OF
batting old ladies on the Shout
der.
On a whiStle-stop tour o.
mail towns between Quebec
City and Montreal yesterday
ne seemed almost ill-at-east
With the stout housewives, tht
tocking-capped children anC
pipe smoking fathers who
turned out to meet his train.
Hard of hearing and pain
fully ill-at-ease with his re-
Gently acquired schoolboy
French, he could barely com.
nunicate with his adherentS.
His wife, Olive, makes up fol
What he lacks in the charm
department.. An outgoing ma
ron, descended from a New
England family that moved tc
Canada after the American
Revolution, she balanced hel
Hedda Hopper hat with sen.
hble" low-heeled shoes anc
moved with easy grace through
;he crowds. exchanging smiles
landshakes and, occasionally
mugs with the ladies.
But lead THE DEF" to 9
nicrophone and let him SPEAK
IN English and he needs ne
nelp from anyone. Those years
Of courtroom experience taught
MIN all the tricks. He is play
ing his audiences as a shrewc
criminal lawyer plays a jury.
He is also, quite self-con.
sciously. acting the part o.
Harry 8. Truman in what HI
hopes will be a re-run Of the
l948 election.
Do these lines sound familiar
They say. give 'em hell, John
but ! never do. ] Just give 'en