MACKENZIE KING, though comparatively untried in politics, was
in many ways particularly well fitted for the position of party leader.
His political inheritance as a grandson of William Lyon Mackenzie
and as Sir Wilfrid Laurier's bright young man recommended him to
many Canadians. He had some administrative and political experience,
and he had a record of successful accomplishment in all the tasks to
which he had set his hand. He was young, vigorous, and exceptionally
industrious. Above all, he had proved to be unusually adept in bring-
ing about harmonious relations between conflicting interests by con-
ciliatory methods. While this talent had been exercised in the sphere
of labour and not of politics, it was the product of many qualities
which were essentially political-an alert mind, a high degree of
sensitivity in human relations, a bland and easy manner, an instinctive
ability to find a common ground of agreement, and a gift for persuasive
and mollifying statement which could minimize differences and make
compromises more palatable.

These qualities Canada needed badly, and she needed them at once.
The general post-war unrest and uncertainty were not to be quieted
nor was any satisfactory solution of the many problems confronting the
Canadian people to be found through the separate and exclusive
groups and parties which were suddenly appearing and giving battle
across the country. Only a party built on a Dominion-wide scale,
sufficiently comprehensive to be able to integrate some of the existing
groups and programmes and sufficiently well led to be able to make
its appeal for unity and co-operation effective, could hope to carry
Canada forward to the next stage in her development towards political
and economic maturity. Although the Liberal party itself was not able
at this critical time to meet the specifications, it was successful in

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