On October 5 , 1960 , South Africa 's white voters decided to make the country a republic . At the Prime Ministers ' Conference in 1961 , Verwoerd formally applied for South Africa to remain in the Commonwealth . The prime ministers were divided ; Diefenbaker broke the deadlock by proposing that the conference not reject South Africa 's application , but instead state in a communique that racial equality was a principle of the Commonwealth . This was adopted , although Britain and New Zealand disagreed with Diefenbaker 's proposal . South Africa could not accept the communique , and withdrew its application to remain in the Commonwealth . According to Peter Newman , this was " Diefenbaker 's most important contribution to international politics ... Diefenbaker flew home , a hero . " American officials were uncomfortable with Diefenbaker 's initial election , believing they had heard undertones of anti-Americanism in the campaign . After years of the Liberals , one US State Department official noted , " We 'll be dealing with an unknown quantity . " Diefenbaker 's 1958 landslide was viewed with disappointment by the US officials , who knew and liked Pearson from his years in diplomacy and who felt the Liberal Party leader would be more likely to institute pro-American policies . However , US President Dwight Eisenhower took pains to foster good relations with Diefenbaker . The two men found much in common , from Western farm backgrounds to a love of fishing , and Diefenbaker had an admiration for war leaders such as Eisenhower and Churchill . Diefenbaker wrote in his memoirs , " I might add that President Eisenhower and I were from our first meeting on an ' Ike – John ' basis , and that we were as close as the nearest telephone . " The Eisenhower – Diefenbaker relationship was sufficiently strong that the touchy Canadian Prime Minister was prepared to overlook slights . When Eisenhower addressed Parliament in October 1958 , he downplayed trade concerns that Diefenbaker had publicly expressed . Diefenbaker said nothing and took Eisenhower fishing
Prime Ministers ' Conference
1961 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference
John Diefenbaker