Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-08-09
Quebec Vote Protest.
Against War Policies
OF Mackenzie King
1y the Associated Press.

MONTREAL, Quebec, Aug. -
The voters Of Quebec Province, pre-.
dominantly French and comprising
almost one-third Of the population
of Canada, were on record today
with m indirect protest against TIN
war policies Of the Dominion gov.
eminent Of Prime Minister w. L
Mackenzie King.
They declined, however, to indorss
the ultra Nationalist view that thu
war is none OF Canada's business.
In the closest general election II
the history Of the province, forme,
Premier Maurice Duplessis, whe
campaigned against federal inter.
ference" in Quebec's affairs. appar-
emily was returned to power. over.
throwing Premier Adelard 0odbout
who had asked the voters to jndo9se
his policy Of cooperation with the
war program Of the Ottawa govern
ment.
The Union Rationale party under
Duplessis won at least q Of the o.
seats in the new Legislature, and
was leading In one Of three unde-
cided constituencies where . victory
would give it the required major
ity Of As.
Liberals Win Only 81 Seats.
Godbout's Liberal party had won
only 81 seats, compared to the COM
Portable majority Of 50 1t held in the
outgoing Legislature. The Liberals
were leading in one undecided con-
stituency, and the third voting Is
to be on August "a.
If the Union Nationale-which
had only II seats in the last Legis-
lature-wins 46 seats, Godbout would
resign and Duplessis. who was Pre-
mier from 1886 to 1889, would take
over. II the Union Rationale fails
to garner As, Godbout might remain
In office despite his minority, but
dissolution Of the Legislature and
another election would BE likely to
follow soon.
The defeat of the Liberals VA
viewed with gloom in Ottawa, where
neither the Liberal party Of Prime
Minister King nor the Conservative
party opposition feel kindly disposed
to the Union Rationale. Although
some of its members were former
Conservatives, the Union Rationale
and the Conservatives in other
provinces have drawn widely apart
on the issue Of the extent Of Cana
da's participation In the war.
While Quebec's voters were giving
this rebuke to Godbout's policy OF
cooperation with the federal wal
program, they sharply rejected the
Nationalistic Bloc Populaire, . new
party which. campaigning against
imperialism" and participation in
foreign wars" won only four seats
Women Vote First Time.
The Socialistic cooperative Com
monwealth Federation, fresh from
successes in Western Canada, en-
tered "a candidates In its 1irst ven
ture into Quebec, but won only one
seat, in a mining community.
With Quebec's women voting for
the first time in a general election
and with weather fair throughout
the province, q record Of more than
one million votes was cast, nearly
double the previous high Of SIS, 2s7
votes in 1889.
Rioting broke out in . French
section of Montreal during the vot-
ing when rival Liberal and Unior
Rationale sympathizers clashed ir
raids on each others local head.
quarters. Pistols were fred anc
knives were drawn. Scores were In.
jured and II arrested before order
was restored.
Duplessis pledged himself today
to carry on q policy which viii helr
Quebec to recover all the rights oul
province relinquished during the
past few years"
Wartime Restrictions Attacked.
During the campaign he capital
lied on French Canada's traditional
isolationism by attacking fedora
and provincial wartime restrictions
and inconvenience.
Duplessis first took ONCE a Pre-.
mier in 1896, ending 80 years a