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14 SECRET tion, and this it watches carefully. It recog- the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation nizes the necessity of a united front against might gain rapidly in industrial areas. the Communist imperialism of the Soviet Union, and consequently supports Canadian d. Social Credit Party. military and economic cooperation with the The Social Credit party, the fourth of the US, SO long as any military arrangement does national political parties in Canada, finds vir- not impinge on Canadian sovereignty. It tually no support outside of the predominant- supports the UN, and endorses Canadian mem- ly agricultural province of Alberta. Here it bership in the North Atlantic Pact despite the holds 51 out of 57 seats in the provincial legis- opposition of the party's left wing. lature, with the Liberals and Cooperative While the Cooperative Commonwealth Fed- Commonwealth Federation holding only 2 eration has made significant gains in its gen- seats each and the Independents the remain- eral position in recent years, despite the 1949 ing 2. In the 1949 general election the Social election debacle, it cannot hope to offer any Credit Party was the only one of the three op- really formidable challenge to the two old- position parties to win a majority of the seats line parties until it increases materially its of a province in the Dominion Parliament; out present feeble voting strength in the provinces of 17 MP's from Alberta, 10 are Social Credit- lying east of Ontario, which return about two- ers. Any marked extension of the party in fifths of the House of Common's membership. national importance appears unlikely despite If the present internal farmer-labor conflict its attempts to win new fields. which is alienating some of its rural voters is The Social Credit Party came into being in not checked, the dual basis of the party's sup- Alberta during the depression years as an ex- port may be destroyed. Furthermore, if its pression of rural revolt, under the leadership present trend toward becoming solely a labor of William Aberhart, a high school teacher party continues at the expense of the western filled with religious zeal, who promised Uto- farm group, there seems little likelihood that pia to the hard-pressed farmers. In 1935 the the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation Social Crediters won the provincial elections will be able to gain control of the Dominion from the United Farmers Party, and have re- Government in the near future. Of utmost mained in office ever since. While the party significance as an additional weakening factor originally advocated social credit money the- is the open conflict between the moderate ories as a solution of economic ills, the at- right wing in control of the party and the tempted application of radical monetary re- small and noisy left-wing group which is well- forms has generally been allowed to lapse with organized, particularly in British Columbia the prosperity of the 1940's and following the and Manitoba, and which denounces the declaration of unconstitutionality of some of North Atlantic Pact and ERP. The Coopera- the legislation enacted. In theory. the party tive Commonwealth Federation setback in the stands for easy money, direct monetary pay- general elections can be attributed in part to ments to individuals in amounts commensu- this split in its ranks over the North Atlantic rate with the rise and fall of commodity prices, Pact and to the defection of its rural support- and old age and other social security benefits. ers on account of the growing influence of the In practice the present administration in Al- labor unions. It cannot hope for progress as berta under its popular Premier is conserva- a diluted combination of non-socialist farm- tive and an advocate of free enterprise. It ers, socialist labor, and Communist fellow- has established a reputation for efficient gov- travellers. Over and above the necessity of ernment and in general has followed finan- ironing out its internal difficulties, the Coop- cially orthodox policies to attract business erative Commonwealth Federation's future men. appears to depend to a considerable extent on the economic position of Canada. A prosper- On foreign policy the party warmly sup- ports the principle of collective security ous Canada repudiated the party in 1949, but through the United Nations, advocates a re- if a severe economic recession should occur, alistic defense policy, close cooperation with SECRET

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    "ocrText": "14\nSECRET\ntion, and this it watches carefully. It recog-\nthe Cooperative Commonwealth Federation\nnizes the necessity of a united front against\nmight gain rapidly in industrial areas.\nthe Communist imperialism of the Soviet\nUnion, and consequently supports Canadian\nd. Social Credit Party.\nmilitary and economic cooperation with the\nThe Social Credit party, the fourth of the\nUS, SO long as any military arrangement does\nnational political parties in Canada, finds vir-\nnot impinge on Canadian sovereignty. It\ntually no support outside of the predominant-\nsupports the UN, and endorses Canadian mem-\nly agricultural province of Alberta. Here it\nbership in the North Atlantic Pact despite the\nholds 51 out of 57 seats in the provincial legis-\nopposition of the party's left wing.\nlature, with the Liberals and Cooperative\nWhile the Cooperative Commonwealth Fed-\nCommonwealth Federation holding only 2\neration has made significant gains in its gen-\nseats each and the Independents the remain-\neral position in recent years, despite the 1949\ning 2. In the 1949 general election the Social\nelection debacle, it cannot hope to offer any\nCredit Party was the only one of the three op-\nreally formidable challenge to the two old-\nposition parties to win a majority of the seats\nline parties until it increases materially its\nof a province in the Dominion Parliament; out\npresent feeble voting strength in the provinces\nof 17 MP's from Alberta, 10 are Social Credit-\nlying east of Ontario, which return about two-\ners. Any marked extension of the party in\nfifths of the House of Common's membership.\nnational importance appears unlikely despite\nIf the present internal farmer-labor conflict\nits attempts to win new fields.\nwhich is alienating some of its rural voters is\nThe Social Credit Party came into being in\nnot checked, the dual basis of the party's sup-\nAlberta during the depression years as an ex-\nport may be destroyed. Furthermore, if its\npression of rural revolt, under the leadership\npresent trend toward becoming solely a labor\nof William Aberhart, a high school teacher\nparty continues at the expense of the western\nfilled with religious zeal, who promised Uto-\nfarm group, there seems little likelihood that\npia to the hard-pressed farmers. In 1935 the\nthe Cooperative Commonwealth Federation\nSocial Crediters won the provincial elections\nwill be able to gain control of the Dominion\nfrom the United Farmers Party, and have re-\nGovernment in the near future. Of utmost\nmained in office ever since. While the party\nsignificance as an additional weakening factor\noriginally advocated social credit money the-\nis the open conflict between the moderate\nories as a solution of economic ills, the at-\nright wing in control of the party and the\ntempted application of radical monetary re-\nsmall and noisy left-wing group which is well-\nforms has generally been allowed to lapse with\norganized, particularly in British Columbia\nthe prosperity of the 1940's and following the\nand Manitoba, and which denounces the\ndeclaration of unconstitutionality of some of\nNorth Atlantic Pact and ERP. The Coopera-\nthe legislation enacted. In theory. the party\ntive Commonwealth Federation setback in the\nstands for easy money, direct monetary pay-\ngeneral elections can be attributed in part to\nments to individuals in amounts commensu-\nthis split in its ranks over the North Atlantic\nrate with the rise and fall of commodity prices,\nPact and to the defection of its rural support-\nand old age and other social security benefits.\ners on account of the growing influence of the\nIn practice the present administration in Al-\nlabor unions. It cannot hope for progress as\nberta under its popular Premier is conserva-\na diluted combination of non-socialist farm-\ntive and an advocate of free enterprise. It\ners, socialist labor, and Communist fellow-\nhas established a reputation for efficient gov-\ntravellers. Over and above the necessity of\nernment and in general has followed finan-\nironing out its internal difficulties, the Coop-\ncially orthodox policies to attract business\nerative Commonwealth Federation's future\nmen.\nappears to depend to a considerable extent on\nthe economic position of Canada. A prosper-\nOn foreign policy the party warmly sup-\nports the principle of collective security\nous Canada repudiated the party in 1949, but\nthrough the United Nations, advocates a re-\nif a severe economic recession should occur,\nalistic defense policy, close cooperation with\nSECRET"
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