Canadian Jews Pleased at Defeat of Anti-semitic Candidates and Victory of Three Jewish M.p.’s

Great satisfaction is being expressed in Jewish circles here that despite the national sweep of the Conservatives in Monday’s Dominionwide election the Conservative candidates supported by the anti-Semitic Goglu order went down to defeat. A good omen is seen in the complete route of the anti-Semitic candidates. Their defeat is being hailed as an indication that the majority of the Catholic French-Canadian population, for whom the Goglu, its weekly papers and candidates professed to speak, condemn racial animosities and anti-Jewish agitation.

The last week of the campaign was productive of numerous violent attacks on the Jews from Conservative platforms with Goglu leaders as the spokesmen. The agitation against the Jews was particularly severe in the rural districts of Quebec Province where the Jewish population is small and hence the alarm was greater. The considerable speculation whether there was a tacit alliance between the Conservative Party in Quebec Province and the anti-Semitic Goglu order was dissipated by the complete defeat of the anti-Semitic candidates. Nevertheless it is still too soon to be able to determine whether the power of the Goglus has been broken and whether they will continue to receive direct or indirect support from some Conservatives.

Special satisfaction is being voiced at the victory of S. W. Jacobs, Liberal incumbent from the Cartier division, who was elected for his fifth term over one Jewish Conservative candidate and two outspoken anti-Semites. Some Conservatives had frankly called for his defeat because he, a Jew, was representing a predominately French-Catholic district.

Deputy Jacobs was first elected to the Federal parliament in 1917 where he gained considerable esteem. He was largely instrumental in facilitating Jewish immigration to Canada. In 1913 he was chief counsel in the famous Quebec anti-Semitic libel case. He has promised to take action against the Goglus.

While the Jews of Montreal are pleased at Mr. Jacobs’ victory in face of what amounts to almost a landslide by the Conservatives, the Jews of Toronto and Winnipeg are even more satisfied, particularly those of Toronto. Alderman Samuel Factor, the Liberal candidate in Center West District, was not conceded much of a chance in that Conservative stronghold but he came through with the first Liberal victory in Toronto in 38 years. His successful campaign, in view of the Conservative triumph, is more significant because of the fact that he is also the first Jew to be elected to the Federal Parliament from Toronto. Mr. Factor is a prominent Toronto barrister.

In Winnipeg the Jews are greeting one of three successful candidates of the Labor Party in A. A. Heaps, who has been elected for a second term at Ottowa. Mr. Heaps is a prominent labor leader and a supporter of the Jewish labor efforts in Palestine. He has also devoted much time to problems of Jewish immigration in Canada.