June 12, 1945
Right Honourable W.L.Mackenzie King
Prime Minister of Canada
Laurier House
Ottawa, Ontario.
Dear Mr. King:-
Allow me to congratulate you on the return of yourself and government to office. I feel that the country and the whole world might properly be congratulated; because more of world-wide interest depended upon yesterday's voting than most people realize. We never can know all that we have escaped; but we have escaped plenty.
The local situation was a peculiar one. Life- lomg Liberals voted Conservative, while many Conservatives voted for Breithaupt. Because of a deal which L.O.is believed to have made with Hepburn by which the latter went over the head of the riding convention and sponsored a Catholic Tory for the Provincial seat, many Liberals went Tory.
On the other hand Tories voted for L.O.in the belief that he was slated for a cabinet position and could look after the interest of big business better than could Bailey. Whether the Tories won or lost throughout the country they would have in L.O. a representative, they believed.
In my opinion the thing that contributed lost to Breithaupt's huge majority was the Tory type of campaign. Here is a typical statement: "The political trickery that has been practiced by our present government is a disgrace to Canada. In 1942 the people of Canada gave a mandate to the Liberal Government to enact total conscription; yet even when times were most critical in the European war our prime minister ignored the will of the people and refused to enforce the mandate." Conscription in this riding was dynamite; and before the Tories awakened to the fact the damage to their cause was irreparable.
At this writing complete returns are not available regarding your own seat or the country at large; but with the independent Liberals who, no doubt will support the Government, I trust that your following will be sufficient to enable you to carry on without more than normal worries.
With kindest personal regards and every good wish
I am as ever
Your sincere friend,
(page 2)
June 12, 1945
Right Honourable W.L.Mackenzie King
Prime Minister of Canada
Ottawa, Canada.
Dear Mr. King:-
Allow me to congratulate you on the return of yourself and .Government to office. I feel though that I could more properly congratulate the country and the whole world; because more of world-wide importance depended upon yesterday's, voting that most people realize. We never can know all that we have escaped; but we have escaped plenty.
The local situation was a peculiar one. Life-lomg Liberals voted Conservative
