William Lyon Mackenzie-King (Canada, 1874-1950)
General Thomas Louis Derwent Kinton (Canada, 1887-1954)
attrib. Harry Baldwin (Canada)
Typed Signed Letter, 2pp w/ later B & W photograph
Response to inquiry in regards to the Parliamentary Library
on Prime Ministerial letterhead, dated Ottawa, June 23, 1922
8” wide x 10” high
Markings: signed in black ink “1. L. Mackenzie King.” Prime Minister’s office letterhead, watermarked “MADE INC ANDA” with a Beaver and S in circle logo, also watermarked “CHALDEAN/VELLUM”
Condition: Fine. Original letter tri-fold, plastic transparent tape on back of pp.2, rust stain and paper clip mark 2pp., slight paper-clip nip pp.1. Signature is strong, clean and clear.
Notes: General Thomas Louis Derwent Kinton, Reg. No. 304546, would go on to be involved with the Canadian Intelligence Corps, GHQ & the Canadian Records Office. Around the date of this letter, while recently married (1920), he appears to be living or maintaining a residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, near Harvard, from at least 1921. // William Lyon Mackenzie-King, Canada’s new post-war Prime Minister (1921) had deep ties to corporate and philanthropic lobbies in the states developed from his time at Harvard where he obtained his PhD in Political Economy and during the time spent as head of the Department of Industrial Research at the Rockefeller Foundation in NYC (1914-1918).
Notes (Photograph): This late period candid photograph taken at a public event shows Mackenzie-King and a man resembling Harry Baldwin in a crowd with their attention caught on an unknown location to their upper right, there is a typewriter in the foreground and two children, a boy and girl, to their right. Due to the age of the late period Baldwin and Mackenzie King the photograph has most likely been added at a later date. King said of Baldwin in his diaries upon their first meeting September 22, 1927, “I took to him at once, I like his appearance immensely, also his dress & manners which are perfect. He has a noble countenance, and I believe is just the man I have been looking for. Most intelligent, charming to talk with, fine purpose & ideals, & I believe good common sense. I liked his appreciation of Kingsmere.”
Biography (Sender): William Lyon Mackenzie-King (Canada, 1874-1950) Born in Berlin (Kitchener) in 1874 to John King & Isabel Grace Mackenzie, Grandson of William Lyon Mackenzie, 1st Mayor of Toronto and leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion; Mackenzie-King held 5 University degrees: University of Toronto, BA (1895); U of T LL.B (1896); U of T, MA (1897; University of Chicago; Harvard University, MA in Political Economy (1898), and PhD (1909); elected to Parliament as a Liberal (1908, 1909) and Canada’s 1st Minister of Labour. In 1911 he headed the Department of Industrial Relations at the Rockefeller Foundation and was advisor to John D. Rockefeller Jr during the Ludlow massacre (1914) where he would retain a salary and close ties until 1919. In 1919 he was elected President of the Liberal Party and embarked on a successful campaign to be Prime Minister, a position he would win and hold from 1921 to 1930 & 1935 to 1948. To this day Mackenzie-King is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Canadian history with a total of 21 years and 154 days in office.
Biography (Recipient): Thomas Louis Derwent Kinton (Canada, 1887-1954) Born 3 December 1887 in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada to Mackie Kinton & Mary Emma Lloyd (Llwyd) Kinton. A student at Queen’s University he registered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915 in the Canadian Field Artillery, No. 304546 (Gunnar) where he would participate in Ypres (1916); Somme (1916); Vimy Ridge (1917); Hill 70; Passchendaele; Cambrai; Denain; Valenciennes; and Mons. He would achieve rank of General and work with the Canadian Intelligence Corps, GHQ and Canadian Records Office. In 1920 he married Edith Jerrine (Wells) Kinton in Waterloo, had two children Clare and Laura, and died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1954.
Biography (attrib. Companion): Harry Baldwin, grandson to Robert Baldwin (co-prime minister of the Province of Canada before Confederation). A lifelong close friend and Prime Minister Mackenzie-King’s private secretary from 1929-1930. Co-founder and President of the Federal Woodlands Preservation League (1934-1937). Participated in the national Employment Commission under Mackenzie-King in 1935. Member and 1st Auditor of the Dominion Association; partner in the firm Blythe and Baldwin.
Transcript:
[Prime Minister’s Office / Canada Letterhead]
Ottawa, June 23, 1922
Mr. T. L. D. Kinton,
1619 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, Mass.,
U.S.A.
Dear Mr. Kinton:
I thank you for your letter of the 13th instant and for its further references to the subject of the possible re-organization of the Parliamentary Library. Your letter has come to hand in the last week of the Parliamentary session and there is little opportunity to consider anything outside of the legislative programme which remains to be carried out. For this reason it is impossible to advise you further as to what possibilities may present themselves. Certainly there is no immediate prospect of any far-reaching changes being made; consequently, I think you would be well advised not to forego any other opportunities which may come
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Your way. I am keeping your letters on record and note the addresses you have given, in the event of it becoming desirable to communicate with you during the summer months.
Let me add this expression of my cordial thanks for the kind congratulations you have extended. I deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness in adding this personal reference.
Yours sincerely,
[signature of W.L.Mackenzie King.]
