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[Violet Markham]
Riviera Palace Hotel Monte Carlo
[8, Gower Street, Bloomsbury. Telephone. 799 Museum.]
March 21 1926
My dear John,
A long personal letter from Mackenzie King was forwarded to me here last night. I hasten to send you on the information it contains as he asks me to explain the situation to you. M.K. has written to Baldwin asking that he should be given a list of names from which he should be free to select the new
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G.G. [Governor General] & saying that he thought no appointment should be made which was unacceptable to the Canadian Government. So far he has received no reply to this letter. M.K. suggests that your friends should get busy & ask Baldwin to have your name submitted which will give him his chance.
He says "I recognize the B.G. [British Government] may claim the right to nominate : I shall claim an equal right to reject or approve any or all of
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the names submitted, leaving the ultimate choice & the reponsibility therefore with the Home Government or sharing it to the degree to which I may be permitted to do so. I have not thought it right at this particular time to assert [underlined] the right of the Canadian Government to name the person to be appointed but I have made a plan that such a right will be asserted if any appointment should be made of which we could not approve."
He goes on to say
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that of the names so far suggested only one strikes him as possible. I think he is a little anxious about it & that he may put forward someone with whose views he would be out of sympathy.
He says action will soon have to be taken & suggests that Baldwin should be approached about you at an early date.
He does'nt feel he can write all this to you personally but asks me to explain the position
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8, Gower Street, Bloomsbury.
Telephone, 799 Museum.
We leave here on Wednesday & I expect to reach Gower Street on Saturday night 27th March. I have to go to Chesterfield on Monday 29th but shall be back on Wednesday.
If there is anything further I can say do or write I am as always dear John your very humble & obliged friend & servant.
We have had three weeks
