611.4231/1286
The Minister in Canada (Armour) to the Secretary of
State
No. 169
Ottawa, October 25, 1935.
[Received
October 29.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith
a memorandum of a conversation I had yesterday with the new Prime
Minister, the Right Honorable Mackenzie King.
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Although he had taken office only the night before and in spite of
the fact that it was a national holiday (Canadian Thanksgiving), Mr.
Mackenzie King insisted on coming to my house to see me although I
assured him that I felt it was for me to come to see him. His
attitude was most friendly, but the fact that he raised the question
of a trade agreement at this first visit and stressed its importance
so emphatically is good evidence of his desire to see something
accomplished as soon as possible.
I take it for granted that his suggestion of the possibility of his
proceeding to Washington for a talk with the President was merely a
friendly gesture as showing the lengths to which he would be willing
to go to accomplish his purpose. Certainly at this time it would
seem well-nigh impossible for Mr. King to absent himself from
Canada. The new Governor General, Lord Tweedsmuir, is scheduled to
arrive at Quebec next Saturday, November 2nd, and Mr. King and his
cabinet will have to be on hand to greet him. Also, a meeting here
with the Provincial Premiers has been scheduled.
Mr. King did not state how soon he expected to appoint the new
Minister to Washington or give any indication as to whether he had
as yet decided who it was to be.
I expect to return the visit sometime this afternoon, however, and it
may be that during the course of the conversation he will give me
some indication.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure]
Memorandum by the Minister in Canada
(Armour)
[Ottawa,] October 24,
1935.
This afternoon the new Prime Minister, Mr. Mackenzie King, called
on me at my house.…
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mr. King then raised the question of the tariff negotiations and
expressed the very earnest hope that we might get at this
problem just as soon as possible. He said that he presumed I was
aware not only of his own views but the position of his Party
with regard to tariff reduction, and more specifically
reciprocity with the United States. In 1911 he had gone down to
defeat on this question with Sir Wilfred Laurier. And again in
1929 he and Mr. William Phillips had worked out what he felt was
a really constructive plan but this also had failed, as the
American Government at that time was not disposed to consider
the question. This was, of course, followed by the disastrous
Hawley-Smoot tariff17 and the fall of Mr. King’s own Government.
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Now, however, that he was back in the saddle, he was eager to
tackle the question once more and he hoped this time with the
real possibility of success.
On the question of the Ottawa Agreements18 he was not in accord with Mr. Bennett. Rather
than benefiting the Empire by raising the tariffs against others
he was in favor of lowering the tariff so far as Great Britain
and the Empire was concerned, but also lowering the tariff so
far as possible as concerned all other countries. He felt that
perhaps never before had the necessity for action in this
respect been greater. In fact, unless something were done and
done pretty quickly to put an end to economic nationalism, it
looked as though we were all in for real trouble. Economic
nationalism not only meant isolation and ruination, but created
bitterness and poisoned good relations between countries. He was
himself, he laughingly remarked, accused of being pro-American.
In fact, they referred to him as “the American”, and with a good
deal of reason for so much of his life had been spent in the
United States, and he supposed that his desire to conclude a
trade agreeement with us as one of his first acts would probably
be ascribed by his opponents to his pro-American attitude.
I told him that what he had said coincided, I knew, with Mr.
Hull’s own views; in fact, not only those of Mr. Hull and the
Department, but the views of the President himself. The only
question was as to the best machinery through which to
accomplish our purpose. As he of course knew, the negotiations
had been going on, and just prior to the elections both sides
felt had reached a favorable stage. I knew our Government was
ready to continue those negotiations just as soon as Mr. King
gave the signal that he was on his part ready to begin. Mr. King
said that he was very glad to hear this and would look into the
question immediately, and hoped to be able to let me know
something definite within the next few days.
In concluding, Mr. King stressed the great importance of a
successful trade agreement at this time on the relations between
our two countries. He made it plain, as Dr. Skelton had done,
that there were two roads open to Canada, but that he wanted to
choose “the American road” if we made it possible for him to do
so. From every point of view it was important that our
attachments should be strengthened and our relations brought
closer in every way, politically as well as economically. So
strongly did he feel on this point that he even suggested that
if I thought it would be welcomed or would help the situation he
would be glad to consider proceeding himself to Washington and
having a talk with the President.
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Mr. King referred very warmly to the new Governor General, Lord
Tweedsmuir. He was an old and intimate friend and he was looking
forward with keen anticipation to his association with him.
