Evening star., 1939-10-18
Canada Enraged
Al Lindbergh Talk
On War Involvement
But Quebec lsoIotionists
Seized Upon 1t Eagerly
For Campaign Use
BY LOUIS M. LYONS,


MONTREAL, Quebec, Oct. 18
NA).-Canada, in its second
month of a war that has not
reached it, is meeting as a direct
attack Col Charles A. Lindbergh's
challenge of It's right to involve this
hemisphere in the war. Because it
is the first external attack, Col.
Lindbergh's speech Is getting a ter
rifle concentration of return fire.
"A piece Of bloody insolence, that's
what it is Montreal editor con-
flded his candid view to me. That
about sums up the attitude of the
British-Canadians in this predom-
inantly French-Canadian province.
"Lindbergh has turned to Linn
berger" ;" declares an article featured
here and already demanded by
many other Canadian papers for
reprinting. "Lindy of all people," ex-
claims a cartoon in Mondays Mon
treal Gazette. Editorials earnestly
describe the colonel as not repre-
senting the American people. One
speaker here suggests that ex-
President Hoover is behind Col.
Lindbergh's views. Canadian news
papers eagerly reprint all the Ameri-
can newspaper comment criticizing
Mr.. Lindbergh.
In the province of Quebec, Col.
Lindbergh'S frank challenge of Cam
ada's right Ito draw this hemisphere
into European war" is taken harder
than anywhere else in the dominion.
1t strikes here like glowing rocket
on drought-dry tinder.
Quebec Reacts.
For here in Quebec the war has
started political campaign opposing
the war. The Premier of Quebec,
Maurice Duplessis, has made support
OF the war an issue for special elec-
ton and is advocating non-partici-
patton in speeches to his French
Canadian constituency. He is op-
posing the war powers of the Do
minion government as an encroach-
ment upon the jealousy maintained
autonomy of French Canada.
He is going to win his election.
practically all his opponents agree.
They grind their teeth and curse
as they acknowledge it, and they
ask what the Interpretation will be
IN Germany. All of Canada is con-
cerned about it, for the prestige of
the dominion. In the British
Parliament yesterday afternoon the
question was raised whether the
government was doing anything to
postpone the Quebec election, a very
naive question which disregards the
internal autonomy of the Dominion
OF Canada. 'Is it not most desirable
to keep Quebec politics out of this
House?" was the government re-
tort, which was cheered, and the
matter was dropped. Canada would
like to drop it as easily.
All three of the Quebec members
of the Dominion cabinet have come
home to fight Premier Duplessis.
They are calling him a Benedict
Arnold and whatever else they think
Of, But they are meeting the kind
of persistent heckling that makes
politician lose his temper. Their
Journalistic supporters, assuming
their defeat, speculate whether the
logic of the situation will not re-
quire all three to resign after Pre-
mier Duplesses wins his election on
the issue of the war.
General Election Seen.
And, after that, the supposition
is that general Dominion election
will be in order to prove that Que
bee is all alone in its isolationism.
Such a general election was due
this month, but the war gave the
government further reprieve, as
war always does the government in
power.
Into this fiercely fought issue of
a people committed to war came
Col. Lindbergh's provocative speech
out Of the clear. 1t was picked up
at once by Premier Duplessis' min
lister of labor, William Tremblay.
He began a campaign speech yes
terday by citing with approval words
credited to Col. Lindbergh: Canada
may bring us enemies sooner than
expected on American soil"
There are no such words in Col.
Lindbergh's speech. But this distor-
ton is mild compared with some
made by speakers on the other side,
who interpret the colonel as de-
manding annexation of Canada.