I DO NOT BELIEVE it is necessary in this third volume of the Mackenzie King
Record to repeat much of what is to be found in the prefaces to volumes
1 and 2. However, for the convenience of readers who do not have the
earlier volumes, certain points should be made again.

The Mackenzie King Record is not intended to be a biography. It does
constitute, however, for the period from September 1, 1939, to November
15, 1948, when Mackenzie King retired as Prime Minister, an integral
part of the biographical project sponsored by his Literary Executors, and
they do not intend to sponsor an official biography for the war and post-
war years.

As explained in the prefaces to the earlier volumes, virtually the sole
source for this book is the unrevised record of events and impressions kept
by Mackenzie King himself. This diary was kept largely to serve as a
record from which he could recount and explain his conduct of public
affairs. He had told all the original Literary Executors he intended to
use the diaries for this purpose.

I wish to indicate once more the basis on which I have selected the
extracts from the diary for inclusion in this volume. It is precisely the same
basis as that followed in the first and second volumes. I have tried, within
the limits of space feasible for this project, to select what seemed to Mac-
kenzie King most important, and, as far as possible, to preserve his own
sense of relative importance.

In doing so, I have set myself certain criteria. Since I was seeking to
present Mackenzie King's public life, not his private life, the references
to his private life have been confined to extracts from the diaries which
seemed to bear essentially on his public conduct. I have sought to present
Mackenzie King's record of events made at the time, not to write the
history of the period or to present the views of his contemporaries.

Mackenzie King usually referred to his diaries as the "record." Hence
the title of this book. It is not intended to be the final verdict of history, nor
even my own verdict, but simply a part of the raw material for the history
of the period.

-v-