Prisoner of war relief and humanitarianism in Canadian external policy during the Second World War

Abstract

First paragraph: The third week of August 1943 was a good time for the Canadian premier, W. L. Mackenzie King. In recent years there had been precious few opportunities for King to play the role of 'interpreter' for the two great English-speaking countries, a 'mission' he had cherished ever since President Roosevelt had first raised the prospect with him in 1935. Now, with Canada hosting the Anglo-American 'Quadrant' conference, opportunities abounded for King and Canada to make their mark. On the 24th of August, King gently reminded Prime Minister Winston Churchill to include a reference to China in an impromptu speech before assembled pressmen, so as not to repeat the faut pas Churchill had made while addressing the U.S. Congress earlier in the year. At the same occasion, he made sure to situate himself between the two eminent war leaders, a position that made him appear to the assembled world's press as both host and choreographer of the summit meeting. King clearly revelled in the week's events. Indeed, his only major disappointment seems to have been the administrative blunder which denied him the chance to accompany Her Royal Highness Princess Alice on an open-topped car-ride through Ottawa and thereby 'sharing with her the sight of the people, recognising that the P[rime] M[inister] ... had an important place in the procession'.