An author who broke the mould
John Buchan was a 20thcentury renaissance man who became governor general of Canada, PETER ROBB writes.
John Buchan: Model Governor General William Galbraith Dundurn
Who was John Buchan?
He was a polymath. He was a lawyer, author, journalist, publisher, head of information and intelligence during the First World War, a director of Reuters, British MP, and the Governor-General of Canada. All his endeavours were served by a high intellect. He loved the outdoors, was a mountaineer and an incurable fisherman.
Born in 1875 in Scotland to a Presbyterian minister, he was a brilliant student. At 17, he edited a book of Francis Bacon’s essays for a London publisher. He earned scholarships and paid his own way at Glasgow University and at Oxford by his writing. He is most remembered as the author of the best-selling novel The 39 Steps, but he was so much more. For Canada, he was a pioneering governor general, who re-shaped the office after the 1931 Statute of Westminster which gave Canada and the other Dominions constitutional equality with Britain. He was given a peerage by King George V and became Baron (therefore Lord) Tweedsmuir of Elsfield.
His appointment, as Mr. Buchan, was a rupture with the tradition of appointing Lords, sparked a debate about who should be governor general: from Britain or Canada, a nobleman or a commoner, and if a commoner, why not a Canadian? The duality of name and title was cleverly captured by a Citizen reporter who commented on the arrival of the new GG at the Ottawa train station: “Lord Tweedsmuir was warmly welcomed by a great crowd of Ottawa people who went to the station to see John Buchan.”
Can you explain your interest in him?
I came across Buchan quite by accident while doing unrelated research at Library and Archives Canada. I found External Affairs papers relating to the 1939 Royal Tour to Canada of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I picked that up later and wrote a piece in 1989 for the 50th anniversary of the Royal Tour in which Buchan, as Governor General Tweedsmuir, played a key role in that historic visit. I continued my research afterward, focused on Tweedsmuir, reading his correspondence and then his novels, historical titles and other writings.
His confident and positive character and outlook struck a chord with me, and I was struck also by his sensitivity to the country, the French and English dimensions, his concern about First Nations. From my research, I admired how he worked to strengthen the sovereignty of Canada while maintaining loyalty to the Crown.
What is the genesis of this book?
By the end of the 1990s, a number of themes were emerging from articles I had written. I was aware that there had never been a full study of his time as governor general from a Canadian perspective. A friend suggested I think of it in terms of a book. This was around 2000. It was a daunting prospect given I was working at it very part-time, with a young family, a day job and volunteer work.
Tell me about Buchan the writer.
He was a bestselling author of novels, short stories and historical biographies. Many of his novels remain in print. His output was enormous: more than 100 books but also regular columns on political and international affairs, book reviews and introductions for other books. During the First World War, among his other roles, he wrote a contemporary history totalling 24 volumes. He was not a well man, suffering from a duodenal ulcer throughout most of his adult life.
As a politician?
He seemed above politics, even in his parliamentary career, a sound characteristic for a governor general. His intellect and independence of mind would not allow him to blindly follow partisan politics. In his inaugural speech as a Conservative member of the Westminster Parliament, he criticized the leaders of the major political parties, including his own.
What is your favourite book of his?
Among his novels, Greenmantle (1916) and Sick Heart River (1941). The former a spy thriller set during the First World War and the latter a more personal, more spiritual novel. For his nonfiction, it is his memoir, Memory Hold-the-Door. Interestingly, this book was also a favourite of John F. Kennedy, under the American title, Pilgrim’s Way (in fact, of the 12 books listed as JFK’s personal favourites, two are by Buchan). [http://www.jfklibrary.org/ Research/Research-Aids/ReadyReference/JFK-Fast-Facts/Favorite]
As governor general?
Several of his Canadian successors explicitly referred to him with admiration or took inspiration from his approach: Vincent Massey, Georges Vanier, Adrienne Clarkson, and David Johnston. Notable because of the enthusiasm, energy and imagination with which he carried out his role, reaching out to Canadians through extensive travel and public speaking. He established the Governor General’s Literary Awards, tried to persuade wealthy individuals to help establish “a Hollywood in British Columbia” and engaged the heads of major universities to explore ways to develop the academic and intellectual life of Canada. He was not just advised by Prime Minister Mackenzie King, but advised him and helped him to establish part of Canada’s modern machinery of government. He helped draw the United States closer to Britain, to counter the threat, largely from Nazism. ... When it was announced in January 1940 Tweedsmuir would not be accepting an extension, Dr. Pelham Edgar, head of the Canadian Authors Association, wrote: “(t)he energy and intellect you have brought to your task will leave us permanently in your debt ... In war even more than in peace your influence is a national necessity.” He created a new, positive atmosphere at a time of economic hardship, political uncertainty and international danger. And he “pushed the envelope,” sometimes going beyond what he described as “governor-generalities,” which at times drew the ire of the prime minister.
What was his contribution to Ottawa?
Rideau Hall became less formal during the Tweedsmuirs’ time here. He was often described as a man of the people. Residents saw him walking through the neighbourhood around Rideau Hall, and they would see his wife, Susan, downtown. The family integrated into the life of the city. His youngest son, Alastair, married an Ottawa woman, Hope Gilmour. His oldest son Johnnie and Alastair joined the Canadian Army at the outbreak of war; an indicator of how closely Tweedsmuir felt himself to be Canadian.
Tell me something about yourself.
I was born and grew up in Fort Frances in northwestern Ontario, a border town with Minnesota. After high school, I spent almost eight months backpacking through Europe, from above the Arctic Circle in Norway, to Tunisia, Turkey and across Europe. I have an honours B.A. from Carleton in political science and French and a graduate degree from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium. I began my career with the Conference Board of Canada and have spent 25 years in the public service. I have volunteered for a couple of decades with St. John Ambulance. Married to Kate, in Denmark, in a 14th century Roundchurch on the island of Funen. We live in Ottawa, have three grown children and a first grandchild — this month.