“le Miroir”, Notorious French-canadian Anti-semitic Paper, Suspends Publication

The anti-Semitic weekly “Le Miroir,” has suspended publication indefinitely, according to a statement published in a special edition of the paper, issued yesterday. It gives financial difficulties as the reason for the suspension.

“Le Miroir,” one of the anti-Semitic Goglu publications, gained notoriety as the result of a campaign of anti-Jewish vilification, carried on in its columns. A great deal of its space was devoted to rehashing ancient anti-Jewish fables, and it did not even hesitate to revive the vilest of mediaeval slanders. An example of the attitude of “Le Miroir” can be gained from one particular edition of the paper, which called for a boycott against the Jews, and displayed a series of anti-Semitic slogans, which it asked anti-Semites throughout the world to use in the form of stamps as a means of propaganda. Typical examples of the slogans were, “Jews are responsible for the misfortunes of Russia, Spain, and Mexico. Drive them from Quebec”; “Do not permit our political parties to be controlled by the Jews”; “The Jews are an Asiatic race, a combination of the yellow and black races.”

“Le Miroir” subsequently was sued before Justice Desaulniers, by E. Abagov, a Jewish merchant, who applied for an injunction to restrain the owners and editors of the Goglu publication from continuing their campaigns. Though Justice Desaulniers dismissed the application, he handed down a slashing indictment of anti-Semitic campaigns in general and those of the Goglu publications in particular.

It being revealed that the law was inadequate to protect the public against certain forms of libel and slander by a publication, Premier I. A. Taschercau sponsored a bill at the end of February respecting defamatory libel of the sort engaged in by the Goglu publications.

It was thought here that the suspension of “Le Miroir” was connected with the desire to influence the Legislature’s attitude toward the bill by going out of business temporarily and reappearing when the attitude would be more favorable.