Canadian Premier Assures Jews on Proposals to Curb Hate Propaganda

Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson has assured Canadian Jewish leaders that his Government was given active consideration to proposals for federal legislation to curb the dissemination of hate materials in Canada.

The information was contained in a communication from the Prime Minister to the Joint Community Relations Council of the Canadian Jewish Congress and B’nai B’rith. Mr. Pearson acknowledged a request from the JCRC to introduce such legislation without delay.

The Prime Minister praised “the extremely valuable contribution” made by the Jewish organization “to solve this difficult problem.” He also referred to a report by a federal Special Committee on Hate Propaganda, named by the Department of Justice, recommending legislation to ban and punish advocacy of genocide and incitement to hatred of groups “which is likely to cause a breach of the peace as well as group defamation.”

The Prime Minister said his Government was consulting “others who also have a direct interest in the matter” and he added that the Justice Ministry was “actively considering all aspects of the question.” He also declared that “we are proceeding as expeditiously as is possible under the circumstances.”

Conventions of two major organizations have recently adopted resolutions urging the federal government to enact such legislation promptly. The Canadian Federation of University Women passed such a resolution at its annual conference in Halifax. Mrs. M.W. Menzies of Winnipeg told the delegates that individual citizens within minority groups “have a right to protection of the law for their security. ” Canadian delegates to a District Six B’nai B’rith convention in Winnipeg also urged adoption of such legislation.