Canadian Jewish Congress Warns Government Against Admission of Germans into Dominion

The Canadian Jewish Congress has urged the Canadian Government to use its good offices “to delay admission of Germany to the family of nations until it is clear that such an act will not imply the glossing over of the wicked record of the Nazis and until it is certain that such a reinstatement will not strengthen the forces of totalitarianism in the world.”

In a letter to Prime Minister St. laurent, Samuel Bronfman, national president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, stated that it would be in the best interests of the nation if the greatest reserve were exercised in all questions regarding Germany and German nationals.

“We also urge” continues the letter, “the utmost care in the admission of German immigrants to this country as envisaged in the recent order-in-council which revokes previous orders-in-council prohibiting the entry to or landing in Canada of enemy aliens insofar as nationals of Germany are concerned. The coming of any Nazis will affect adversely the community of Canadians of German origin whose record of contribution to our nation’s life is so creative and will endanger the harmonious pattern of Canadian life in all its richness.

“The Government,” the letter points out, “must be aware that the admission of any immigrants with a racist and Fascist background will complicate the security problems of our country at a time when the entire western world is giving the most anxious concern to this problem, as is evidenced by recent American measures to prevent the entry of any person who at any time was a member of any totalitarian organization. Moreover, it would be a grave menace to Canadian democracy if such an immigration brought to our shores those with so vile a heritage.

“We fear that unless the greatest caution and reserve will be exercised in the face of these issues, Canada may be faced with grave moral, political and administrative problems which can be avoided at this time,” the letter concluded. It also reminds the government that is it not possible readily “to forget the massaore of more than eight million Christian civilians and of six million Jewish civilians during the German occupation of a large part of Europe.”