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James Layton Ralston

Ralston, (James) Layton

The Oxford Companion to World War II | 2001 | | Copyright

Ralston, (James) Layton (1881–1948),popular and courageous Canadian First World War battalion commander who was appointed Canada's minister of national defence in July 1940. He was a great supporter of the Canadian fighting man, and of conscription for service overseas. In 1942 he failed to withdraw a letter of resignation over the issue of overseas conscription, though he subsequently settled his differences with the prime minister, Mackenzie King. In October 1944 he returned from a visit to Europe convinced that conscription was unavoidable, and his stand threatened to split the cabinet. King attempted to resolve the dispute by offering the defence portfolio to General McNaughton and forcing Ralston's departure by accepting his 1942 letter of resignation. See also Canada, 3.
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I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Ralston, (James) Layton." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Ralston, (James) Layton." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-RalstonJamesLayton.html

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Ralston, (James) Layton." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-RalstonJamesLayton.html

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James Layton Ralston

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

James Layton Ralston , 1881–1948, Canadian cabinet minister, b. Nova Scotia. In the first Mackenzie King administration, he was minister of national defense (1926–30); in the second Mackenzie King government, he was made minister of finance (1939) but was transferred in 1940 to the post of minister of defense. When his demand that the cabinet invoke military conscription was rejected, Ralston resigned in Nov., 1944; the policy was shortly put in force by his successor, A. G. L. McNaughton.

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"James Layton Ralston." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"James Layton Ralston." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Ralston.html

"James Layton Ralston." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Ralston.html

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