25 September 1945, No. 368

September 25, 1945. Wilgress’ critical view of the Truman administration’s policy of “toughness for the sake of being tough” dovetails with his concerns about mistrust and suspicion among the Western allies in the absence of the Nazi threat. Here, Wilgress suggests an alternative “firm but fair” policy. Wilgress is convinced of a “morally-deficient era,” which is ironic considering the moralistic overtones of the Truman administration's policies. Though there is evidence of Wilgress moving toward the US approach, it is clear that he fears losing genuine Soviet cooperation and its knock-on implications. It seems as though Wilgress saw that Canadian hands were tied. Growing instability in international affairs seemed to leave the Canadians little choice but to take sides and adopt a harder policy line.