THE WEEK

Exhibiting a great deal more solicitude for the sacred sovereignty of Norway than ever they exhibited for the sovereignty of China, Czechoslovakia, Hungary or, come to think of it, the United States, enemies of the policy of liberation have seized on Senator Knowland’s “affront” upon Norway as a way to avoid discussing his proposal. It is not, in our judgment, a serious proposal; that is to say we do not believe (any more than Senator Knowland does) that the leaders of the Soviet Union would seriously consider evacuating Hungary. The proposal is, however, altogether defensible as a venture in psychological warfare, calculated to expose the emptiness of Soviet cant about mutual withdrawal. If the West were disposed to press the advantage, its leaders would brush aside disingenuous concern over the dignity of Norway (Senator Knowland never suggested forcing Norway to do anything) and would, by forcing a reply from the Soviet Union, demonstrate, once again, the hypocrisy of Communist concern for national self-determination.

We rejoice at the victory of the Conservative Party of Canada, not only because it marked the end of a developing political dynasty, and the dispossession of Lester Pearson, but because the Party that won is distinguished by so honorable a designation. Now the question arises, as these days it must, Is the Conservative Party of Canada conservative? It is difficult to say, and we beg leave to defer judgment. In doing so, we feel that we do not exhibit a greater ignorance of the program and purpose of the Conservative Party than do seasoned Canadian politicians with a great deal immediately at stake. On the day after the election—the day on which we write—we note that the leaders of Canada’s right-wing party (Social Credit) and left-wing party (Canadian Commonwealth Federation), “expect” to cooperate with the Conservative Party to enable it to organize a Government—depending on the legislative program the Conservatives put forward. Even Canadian politicians, it appears, don’t know what is in store for Canada under the Conservatives, who evidently campaigned primarily on the indisputable need for a change, and, no doubt, on the virtues of New Conservatism, which are as hard to define in Canada as elsewhere.

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Exhibiting a great deal more solicitude for the sacred sovereignty of Norway than ever they exhibited for the sovereignty of China, Czechoslovakia, Hungary or, come to think of it, the United States, enemies of the policy of liberation have seized on Senator Knowland’s “affront” upon Norway as a way to avoid discussing his proposal. It is not, in our judgment, a serious proposal; that is to say we do not believe (any more than Senator Knowland does) that the leaders of the Soviet Union would seriously consider evacuating Hungary. The proposal is, however, altogether defensible as a venture in psychological warfare, calculated to expose the emptiness of Soviet cant about mutual withdrawal. If the West were disposed to press the advantage, its leaders would brush aside disingenuous concern over the dignity of Norway (Senator Knowland never suggested forcing Norway to do anything) and would, by forcing a reply from the Soviet Union, demonstrate, once again, the hypocrisy of Communist concern for national self-determination.

We rejoice at the victory of the Conservative Party of Canada, not only because it marked the end of a developing political dynasty, and the dispossession of Lester Pearson, but because the Party that won is distinguished by so honorable a designation. Now the question arises, as these days it must, Is the Conservative Party of Canada conservative? It is difficult to say, and we beg leave to defer judgment. In doing so, we feel that we do not exhibit a greater ignorance of the program and purpose of the Conservative Party than do seasoned Canadian politicians with a great deal immediately at stake. On the day after the election—the day on which we write—we note that the leaders of Canada’s right-wing party (Social Credit) and left-wing party (Canadian Commonwealth Federation), “expect” to cooperate with the Conservative Party to enable it to organize a Government—depending on the legislative program the Conservatives put forward. Even Canadian politicians, it appears, don’t know what is in store for Canada under the Conservatives, who evidently campaigned primarily on the indisputable need for a change, and, no doubt, on the virtues of New Conservatism, which are as hard to define in Canada as elsewhere.