FRENCH CANADA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1939, Page 8

FRENCH CANADA

LOYAL TO THE EMPIRE CHARGE BY MAYOR OF MONTREAL ALLEGATION OF SYMPATHY WITH ITALY. CHORUS OF INDIGNANT DENIALS. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received This Day, 1.10 a.m.) MONTREAL, February 3. French Canada is seething with indignation over an address by the Mayor of,Montreal (Mr Houde) before the Y.M.C.A. declaring that French Canadians, “by blood if not by name are Fascists, and would side with Italy' in the event of an Anglo-Italian war.’’ Mr Houde alleged that French Canadians traditionally had been under dictators from Louis XIV and Cardinal Richelieu to Sir Wilfred Laurier and argued that the Pope was Italian and Quebec Catholic and hence must aid Italy. There was an immediate wave of protests. Mr Napoleon Courtmanche, Mayor of Quebec City, quoted the pioneer Canadian statesman, Mr Tache: “The last gun fired in defence of Canada for the Empire will be by a French Canadian.”

Mr Adrian Arcand, leader of the National Socialists, a reputedly Fascist party, declared that Quebec would be solidly behind England if she were attacked by Italy. Monsignor Gauthier, representing the Archbishop of Montreal, termed the statement as too funny for comment. Mr Thomas Vien, a member of the House of Commons, stated that French Canadians, as long as Canada remains part of the Empire, will never side with an enemy of Britain..