▁comfort ▁in ▁Australia , ▁where ▁the ▁Canadian ▁victory ▁rank led ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁to ▁come . ▁A ▁Liberal ▁prot ég é ▁of ▁Laur ier , ▁William ▁Lyon ▁Mack en zie ▁King , ▁was ▁elected ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 2 1 . ▁Un like ▁his ▁prede cess or ▁Me igh en , ▁an ▁imperial ist ▁at ▁heart ▁who ▁opposed ▁the ▁Ang lo - J apan ese ▁Tre aty ▁only ▁as ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁necessity , ▁King ▁shared ▁his ▁ment or ' s ▁determ ination ▁to ▁avoid ▁all ▁external ▁ent ang lement s ▁that ▁would ▁weak en ▁the ▁b onds ▁between ▁French ▁and ▁English ▁Canada . ▁During ▁his ▁first ▁years ▁of ▁office , ▁he ▁assert ed ▁Canada ' s ▁right ▁to ▁control ▁its ▁own ▁foreign ▁policy ▁to ▁suit ▁Canada ' s ▁interests ▁better . ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁conven e ▁an ▁imperial ▁conference ▁in ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁King ▁resolved ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁occasion ▁to ▁rep udi ate ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁an ▁imperial ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁The ▁prospect ▁of ▁challeng ing ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁during ▁his ▁first ▁over se as ▁assignment ▁filled ▁the ▁self - eff acing ▁prime ▁minister ▁with ▁dread . ▁" I ▁am ▁filled ▁with ▁terror ," ▁he ▁conf ided ▁to ▁his ▁di ary , ▁" at ▁the ▁thought ▁of ▁having ▁to ▁speak ▁many ▁times ▁and ▁[ at ] ▁my ▁in ability ▁to ▁work ▁out ▁them es ." ▁ ▁What ▁King ▁lack ed ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁speaker , ▁he ▁more ▁than ▁made ▁up ▁for ▁in