Leadership Test

For the third time in its 14 years in power, Canada's Liberal government was about to go to the country in a general election. For the first time in 30 years it would be without the leadership of William Lyon Mackenzie King. Last November he had given up the Prime Ministry; last week, having announced that he would not stand for reelection, he ended 33 years as a Member of Parliament.

In the election, Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, 67, the courtly onetime Quebec corporation lawyer, would head the Liberals. As a party leader, he had already given a good account of himself in Parliament, had proved adept in the rough & tumble of political infighting. Moreover, he had won the admiration of his followers. Toward him they felt an almost paternal protectiveness. "We've got to win this one for Uncle Louis," they said.

In High Gear. The election would also test George Drew's leadership of Canada's chief opposition party, the Progressive Conservatives. When Parliament was dissolved last week, the Progressive Conservatives (Tories) held 69 of the House's 245 seats against 125 for the Liberals. Last January George Drew, 55, had given up the premiership of Ontario to become the Tory leader. In the federal Parliament he had been an outspoken, hard-hitting member. He had made things hum in the House, had thrown his party into high gear.

As the party in power, the Liberals had been able to fix the election date to suit themselves. Early last week, back from a 6,000-mile political swing through Western Canada, Louis St. Laurent had called his cabinet into session. "Well, gentlemen," he said, "I think we should have an early election. Does everyone agree?" Everyone did. The cabinet settled on the earliest possible date: June 27. In the House of Commons that night, Louis St. Laurent made his early election call, announced the dissolution of Parliament for week's end.

A Build-Up. All week long, Liberals and Tories tried to build up issues for the federal election. The government whipped through, without hindrance from the Conservatives, vote-catching items such as increased old-age pensions and baby-bonus payments. Earlier, the government had chopped income taxes, always good election bait. Both parties got together in Parliament's last days, for a unanimous ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Even before the session ended, George Drew and his party began to attack the Liberals for their bureaucracy, their failure to do anything about a prospective drop in Canada's foreign trade, and their haste in calling the election. There was a good chance that the country would also hear him repeat a charge that he made last week--that the Liberals were "socialists in low gear."

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