Revolution, Ltd.

The socialists won Saskatchewan last week and jarred all Canada. The only vigorous socialist party in North America, Canada's Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, took 43 of 51 contested seats in the provincial legislature, lost only five to the Liberal Party of Dominion Prime Minister Mackenzie King. The Tories (Progressive Conservatives) did not win a single seat.*

Saskatchewan's next Premier and the head of Canada's first nominally socialist government will be bantam-sized, genial Tommy Clement Douglas, only 39, a onetime Baptist minister and linotype operator (TIME, May 22). In the province where the C.C.F. was born some ten years ago, he can now write his own ticket.

Liberal Premier William John Patterson was not yet sure of victory in his own constituency. The famed Saskatchewan Liberal machine of tough Federal Agriculture Minister James Garfield Gardiner, which had made the province a Liberal fief, was in ruins.

The Crepe Hangs High. Before Saskatchewan voted, the politicians in Ottawa had prophesied that if the Liberals won in Saskatchewan, Mackenzie King would quickly call a Federal election. But now one of Canada's great Liberal Party fortresses had fallen. Another--Quebec--was threatened by insurgent French Canadians who do not like Mr. King's war policies. No word came from Mr. King's office. But no one thought that he would hurry to call a Federal election now. Largely rural, grain-growing Saskatchewan (pop. 896,000) is not typical of Canada as a whole. But it is all too typical of western Canada for the comfort of the old-line parties.

Nonsocialist Canadians suddenly felt a need for reassurance, and they got it from their newspapers. Ottawa's oldest, able correspondent, Charles Bishop, purred soothingly that the Saskatchewan victory "should not be regarded as a beachhead from which the Party will advance in all directions. . . ." The Ottawa Journal called it "Revolution, Limited," observed: "The Reverend Mr. Douglas is no Robespierre. . . ." Said the staunch Liberal Toronto Star (Canada's biggest newspaper): "The lesson taught is that the people want radical reform legislation and socialbetterment measures from their governments. . . ."

Hope Hangs High. National C.C.F. Leader M. (for Major) James Coldwell was jubilant and cocky. Said he: "This is a prelude to victory in the Federal field, where alone the great national problems must be dealt with. . . ." Coldwell knew that so long as the forces of the right remained divided he stood a chance of coming back to the Federal Parliament, after the next election, with the largest party bloc, if not with a clear majority.

He and his men had learned their political lessons well. The old-line parties relied on old-line arguments, methods and men. The C.C.F.ers campaigned with the evangelical zeal of young and coming men, tempered their policies to the political winds.

Not the C.C.F., but the Tories and Liberals, had chosen to make the issue socialism. Liberal Boss Gardiner stumped the province until he was hoarse and weary, telling the electorate that socialism meant dictatorship, hitting the C.C.F.'s program of nationalization of resources and industry.

The C.C.F. evaded this issue, capitalized on the long season of discontent, weariness and irritation with a government which had been ten years in power. Premier-to-be Douglas admitted that the socialists could not bring about real socialism in Saskatchewan, in effect confessed that they do not yet intend to try. Said he before election day: "Don't think that we can give you an entire new society. . . . Under our constitution there are some things that only the Federal Government can do."

The truth was that it was not socialism but practical politicians who called themselves socialists that had won in Saskatchewan.

* The line-up in the previous legislature: 33 Liberal, ten C.C.F., two Social Credit, two Unity, five vacant. Still to be elected are three members-at-large. Voting in one constituency (Cumberland) was postponed until June 24. At week's end three seats were still doubtful.

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