"Victory'' in Canada

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

"The situation is tense and it is baffling. Anyone who is dogmatic about its outcome . . . now causes cynical amusement. It is not fashionable to know anything about it." Thus Mr. F. C. Hears, seasoned staff correspondent of the famed Toronto Globe, publicly admitted the bewilderment of the gentlemen of the press after five days of impassioned debate by members of the Canadian House of Representatives upon the "Want of Confidence" motion introduced by Conservative Leader Meighen (TIME, Jan. 18) for the purpose of forcing the Government of Liberal Leader Premier King to resign.

Throughout the week Mr. Meighen and all but one* of the 116 Conservatives loudly called attention to the fact that, as the result of Canada's recent "freak election" (TIME, Nov. 9), Premier King can muster only 101 Liberals, thus leaving the Government, theoretically, without a majority. The Liberals, on the other hand, put on a bold and blustering front, intended to give the impression that they were sure of being supported by the 27 minority party members: 24 Progressives, 2 Laborites, and 1 Independent, that fire-eating gaffer, the Hon. Henri Bourassa of Quebec, now again returned to Parliament after an absence of 19 years. The situation was rendered grotesque by the fact that the "freak election" threw Premier King out of his own seat in Parliament and reduced him to sitting in the "Visitors' Gallery."

While frenzied dickering and lobbying proceeded behind the scenes, lurid Independent Bourassa made what was later referred to on the floor of the House as "a delightful speech on everything under the sun":

"I came out of my long retreat ... to help the Canadian people get rid of a certain class and of attempts at blackmailing public men, Governments and Parliaments in order to secure certain sordid ends . . . that sordid dominion of this group in Quebec which has been exercised by Lord Atholstan and the Montreal Star for 25 years.... "

The Empire is indifferent to me, although British traditions are dear to me.... I would far rather secede from Great Britain and remain British in spirit than remain and go on as we areepared the secret treaty of alliance between Britain and France to a point where, eight days before the War, even the British Parliament and the nation were ignorant of it?...

"When history is written, Ramsay Macdonald will be credited as the peacemaker of Europe!..."

With this sulphurous byplay safely over, everyone barkened while Conservatives read hour-long extracts from volumes of constitutional law to prove that the King government was flatly violating every legal precedent in clinging to power. Needless to say, Liberals read out precedents for Mr. King's acts from other volumes. At length a furious discussion arose as to how many minutes, hours or days William Pitt remained away from the British House of Commons in 1791....

Mr. "Chubby" Power (Liberal) at length exploded: "Gentlemen! gentlemen! We are here not to study history, but to make it!" Conservatives howled that the kind of history "Chubby" wanted to make was "anarchy." At intervals the tumult was stilled, as one of the 24 Progressives arose, coquetted maddeningly with Liberal and Conservative views, twitted with impunity the two helpless political giants, Meighen and King, and finally sat down without saying which of them he would support.

At length, as the sixth day of debate got under way, a vote was called. Worn to a frazzle, the combatants voted with a listless fire in their eyes.

The result:

To sustain the "Want of Confidence Motion": 115 Conservatives plus 5 Progressives robust, hearty Premier King beamed in triumph. Slender, aristocratic conservative Leader Meighen compressed his thin, bloodless lips; pondered words of scorn which will issue from them ere long.

Plans were at once set on foot to discover some parliamentary loophole through which Mr. King can crawl into the House. It was recalled that the vote, close as it was, was not so close as the exact tie which was recorded on one occasion last year. At that time the Speaker was forced to descend to the floor and cast the single vote which saved Premier King.

The Significance. Non-partisan Canadian dailies flayed the whole proceeding as "a sickening orgy of bargain and barter." It was widely alleged that both Mr. King and Mr. Meighen had bootlicked shamefully in their efforts to win Progressive votes. Progressive Leader Forke was called "the puny puppet-master who will now make dance a Government and an Opposition of manikins."

Many papers demanded that a new election be called at once. Expressions of their wrath: The Montreal Star: "The whole farce was a damnable competition in bribery and corruption.... The Conservatives, in an act of shamelessness, finally entered into competition with King in his bribery of Progressives." The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph: "Between the conduct of Liberals and Conservatives there is nothing to choose. Both of them merit the severest condemnation that an outraged electorate may impose." The Toronto Globe (in headline type): "Newspapers of Canada Are Sickened by Orgy of Bargain and Barter.... Blackest Affair in All History." The Vancouver Sun: "Get King out, but don't let Meighen in."

*The Hon. Alex Chaplin of Kent, Ontario, who was desperately ill at his home.