On a Grand Stage

In his first week as Canada's new Tory Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker moved on a grand stage. Only two days after he was sworn into office, Diefenbaker flew to London for the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference. He had an audience with the Queen, and dinner at Windsor Castle; he spent a weekend at Chequers, and got a request from Madame Tussaud's that he sit for a wax statue. Prime Minister Diefenbaker flashed a happy grin, confided to a friend: "I'm enjoying my new job."

Diefenbaker alighted from his Canadian Air Force transport at London Airport with a preconference statement as reassuring to Britons as Big Ben's chimes. "I can think of no prouder opportunity to which a newly elected Prime Minister of Canada could be summoned," said he. The British seemed exhilarated by the prospect of a fresh Canadian voice in the Commonwealth family. To Diefenbaker as Prime Minister of the senior Dominion, and to Ghana's beaming Nkrumah, representing the newest member of the family, went the public's warmest cheers.

Around the Cabinet table at No. 10 Downing Street, Britain's Harold Macmillan moved to soothe the ruffles raised in the family by the Suez adventure. As the private talks ranged from the Middle East to Russia to defense, one newsmaking proposal came from Canada's Diefenbaker. Having campaigned on a pledge to seek new markets for exports within the Commonwealth, he invited Commonwealth Finance Ministers to meet in Ottawa in September to map an agenda for a full-scale trade conference.

Diefenbaker told earnestly of his hopes that Canada can strengthen its economic bonds with Britain, but refused to say he wanted to weaken his country's economic ties with the U.S. "Will you reduce American investment and domination in Canada?" one reporter asked. Diefenbaker's crisp answer: "I don't understand that question at all. We welcome any investment at all, from wherever it comes."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.