The Canadian Club in New York came under heavy criticism in the Canadian press this week-end for its barring of Jews from membership, Testimony revealing the anti-Jewish discrimination policy practiced by the Canadian Club in New York was given before the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs here this week-end by Ray Lawson, former Canadian Consul General in New York. He added, however, that “the Canadian Club of New York is not a Canadian club.”
(In New York, John H. Clough, president of the club, refused to say whether the club had Jewish members, or to name any that it had. He said the club was a “pure membership club” which has about 1,600 members who were Canadians by birth, sons and daughters of Canadians, or persons with “clearly identified Canadian association.” The club’s headquarters are at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.)
Mr. Lawson was asked at the meeting of the parliamentary committee by Allister Stewart, Socialist member at the Canadian Parliament, whether the Canadian Club barred Jews as members. The former Consul General replied: “Yes, absolutely.” Whereupon Leon Crestohl, Jewish member of the Parliament, asked: “Would I as a Jewish member of Parliament be barred?” Mr. Lawson replied that he thought so. His reply provoked cries of “shame” from the committee members, one of whom commented that “no truly Canadian club would have the racial discrimination this club has.”
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