o - Memorial University of Newfoundland DAI

emplwis on Communism as the endurina: threat to the Slate. At least one
government OffICial, however. kept a waechina: brief on Fascism from 1933 onwards.
M Norman Robertson was the hi&hest rankine civil servant. his continued attention to
Fascism should have prom(*ld an itlcreascd JO'IU'IUDeDt reaction 10 Fascism prior to
the war. r believe the reason that Robc:ruon hid Ytty little lid: in convincing lhe
government to focus on Fascism was the anti·left wine ideoI.OI)' of many in positions
of power. including Minister of Justice Ernest Lapointe. the leadership 5lfUCtutt of
the ReMP. and even Prime Minisler Mdenzie Kina:. AU of these people appe:and
10 share an intense anti.communism with the fascist orpnizations. perflap:s preferring
to allow the Communists and Fascists to battle it OUL 1be ReMP were aware of the
threat posed by the far right yet did tilde to act on it prior 10 the advent of war.
Perhaps this was due to a oommon pen::qKiotl oflhe perdeved enemy. Communism.
A. tentative conclusion woukl be that the RCMP were less afraid of Fascism than
Communists because in the end Communisls Wert OUt 10 overthrow capiwism while
Fascists were out ODly to modify capicalism it*) axporaIism. Simply put. to the
ReMP any opporlenlS of CommWlism c:ouJd not be all bed.
The IDC drew di:stiJx:tions betweeD. its 'enemy aliens'. the most ootab&e one
beina between European enemy aliens. Germans and lCalians. and Japanese enemy
aliens. While German and Italian interneeS were reviewed on a cue by case basis.
lapanese enemy aliens fac:cd relocation or inrernmenc m masu. The lOC viewed
German and lralian intcmccs quite benipl" secinc Germam u politically UxIifferent
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