Back from the Onion Fields

At Bannockburn, where he grows acres of onions, Mitchell Frederick ("Mitch") Hepburn once more broke out his battle flag. Last week Canada's most unpredict able politician returned to the Liberal fold he left two years ago, when he quit as Ontario's Premier and abandoned his Party, thus contributing to its defeat.

A year ago, when b,e was re-elected a member of the Legislature as an "Independent Liberal," Hepburn promised his support to Tory Premier George Drew, whom he called "a good citizen and a hardworking public servant." Now Mitch had changed his mind.

Incitement to Hatred. Hepburn sighted his guns at Premier Drew's most vulnerable spot: his campaign against Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's brand-new, popular "baby bonuses" (TIME, July 3). Drew had trumpeted that the bonus was an invasion of Ontario's rights, proclaimed that Ontario was being taxed to appease French Quebec. Cried Hepburn: ". . . an incitement to hatred against a neighboring province, but, worse than that ... an incitement to hatred against one-third of our own Ontario population" (the French Canadians).

Hepburn's unexpected blast left Premier Drew and almost every politician in Canada guessing at Mitch's next move. On national and international questions, Mitch had often been spectacularly wrong. In the early days of the war he had persuaded his Legislature to condemn Mr. King's war effort. The Prime Minister promptly called a national election, was returned with an increased majority. Hepburn gloomily predicted that Germany would beat Russia. Shortly after Pearl Harbor he gravely embarrassed Ottawa by sneering that "the proud U.S. Fleet has gone into hiding." But in earthy Ontario politics, earthy, colorful Mitch Hepburn* had more often guessed right than wrong.

At week's end Hepburn held out a somewhat sere olive branch to his old enemy Prime Minister King: "My argument is not with Mr. King. . . . The time has come to oppose a new and dangerous form of Toryism in Ontario." Whether or not Mr. King accepted this peace offering, he undoubtedly would welcome any ally against enemy Drew. No one doubted that Hepburn was ready to step back as provincial Liberal leader--if he were asked. But some wondered whether he might not also be daydreaming. Mitch knows that Prime Minister King is 70 and that someone, some day, must succeed him as Dominion leader of the Liberal Party.

* Addressing a farm gathering in one Provincial election, he jumped on a manure spreader, whooped: "This is the first time I have ever spoken from a Conservative platform." Answered a man in the crowd: "Throw her into high, Mitch. She's got the biggest load on now she'll ever carry."

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