Lunatic asylums for local anti-Semites were advocated by Olivar Asselin, editor of the French-Canadian daily, Le Canada, in a spirited attack on the fomentors of anti-Jewish feelings and hatred. He censured the rabid journalists who have taken upon themselves to carry on a campaign of incitement against the Jewish population and asked for fair play and justice for the Jewish community.
Anti-Semitism and Jewish persecutions, as practiced in certain countries, he stated, have shown themselves to be not only unjust to the Jews, but also detrimental to the interests and general welfare of the countries concerned. He expressed the hope that the people of Canada, and particularly of the Province of Quebec, would insure their own prosperity by being fair and just to the Jews.
In his address the speaker turned back the pages of history to show the roles Jewish men had played in the history of Canada. He pointed out that in the 18th century it was a Jew, Abraham Gradis, who looked after the victualling of the French ships under General Montcalm. He spoke also of the Hart family which came to Canada with General Wolfe and which figured prominently after the English conquest.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
