Canada's Foreign Policy in Transition

countries are more conditioned than Canada by their international relationships. Specially dependent on foreign trade, occupying an unnatural geopolitical area of the North American Continent, caught squarely between the great protagonists of the Cold War, and worrisomely exposed to the social and economic radiations of the United States, Canada needs an active and imaginative foreign policy. Like a smallish young man at a crowded cocktail party, Canada must move nimbly and speak clearly to avoid being stepped on or worse, ignored. The international cocktail party is getting more and more crowded; events closed in on Canada in the past year or so. The debates relating to foreign policy in the Second Session of the Twenty-Fifth Parliament clearly showed an awareness both of the difficult problems confronting the nation, and of the possibly perilous decisions to be made. But there was no clear response by the government. The Opposition argued the need for a thorough reassessment of Canadian international relationships ; the Government offered only a continuation of old policies with a few new trimmings and the manner of offering was perfunctory at best. The inactivity in the East Block is partly explained by the tragedy of the sudden death of Mr. Sidney Smith on March 17, just when he was beginning to show some mastery of his new environment in government and international affairs, and by Prime Minister Diefenbaker*s long delay in naming a successor for the Department. Mr. Smith was never able to exert a strong foreign policy influence in the cabinet. He deferred to Mr. Dief enbaker's views, and consulted him in every important mat

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