The Home Stretch

Just two weeks to go before Canada's national elections. Liberal Leader Lester ("Mike") Pearson, the challenger, was brimming with confidence. "A tide is sweeping across the country--and we will elect a Liberal government with a clear majority," said Pearson as he campaigned through the western strongholds of Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. A Nobel prizewinner and a somewhat reticent diplomat, Pearson seemed less ill at ease on the hustings than the last time he electioneered in 1958.

It is Pearson and the Liberals who seem to be showing most of the drive and the exhilaration. He frankly patterns his campaigning on Kennedy, talks of declining prestige abroad, and the need to "get moving" ahead. At rallies, Liberals last week had a new gimmick, passing out play money "Diefendollars" marked 92 1/2-c-, lampooning Diefenbaker's recent devaluation of the Canadian dollar. "Canada has been hurt in purse and hurt in pride," cried Pearson. And he hammers away at Tory "mismanagement''--citing unemployment, twice what it was under the previous Liberal government; six successive Conservative budget deficits, totaling $3 billion; and government spending up a third.

Evangelical Fire. On the other side, skipping around the country in a plane (both candidates have chartered DC-6Bs for $1,000 a day), Diefenbaker shows occasional flashes of the evangelical fire of the prairie lawyer that carried him to power in 1957 and again in 1958, but too often seems curiously defensive. Behind stolid placards intoning CARRY ON, JOHN (the Pearson adherents do no better with: BESTER WITH LESTER), Diefenbaker earnestly justifies the benefits of a devalued dollar in terms of increased trade, talks of recent improvements in unemployment, rising income and production. As to devaluation: "The only people who can be annoyed are those who want to visit the U.S." Finally, realizing that he was not getting through, Diefenbaker announced: "Up to now I have been answering the Opposition. From now on. we go into the next five-year plan."

Yet as he talked about a new Trans-Canada highway and a national power grid, side issues kept claiming the headlines: a feud between Diefenbaker and the press over the head count at his rallies, a tongue-lashing to a reporter who described a lackluster rally as a burst "Diefenbubble," attacks on the Gallup polls that showed the Liberals ahead. "What can they tell from a sampling of 1,700?" asked Diefenbaker. "I've been all across this great country, and I know what Canadians are thinking."

Neck & Neck. The pendulum seems to be swinging toward the Liberals. The question now is whether it will swing all the way. Diefenbaker, who won a sweeping electoral victory in 1958, holds 203 of the 265 seats in Parliament. His Tories could now lose 70 seats, and he would still have a majority. The Liberals, who have only 51 seats, and hold not one single seat in a province west of Ontario, could pick up 81 more seats and still not be able to form a government. As of last week, when a generally listless campaign came awake with lively heckling of both candidates, the betting was that the race is neck and neck and still to be won.

Not unnaturally. Incumbent Diefenbaker resents press comparisons with last time, in which 1962 inevitably comes off second best. Remarked Diefenbaker a little sadly: "In my opinion, nobody, including me, in the future history of Canada, will ever be able to duplicate 1958."

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