Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-02
FAILURE OF JEWISH COLONIZATION,
Notable Experiment in Soutl,
America AccOmplishes Little.

"a AsoeHble experiment In South
America Accomplishes Little.
From the Chicago Tribune.
Almost simultaneously there comes the
report that two great schemes of Jewish
colonization have resulted in practical or
absolute failure. One of these of more re-
cent date, initiated few years ago under
the patronage of Baron Edmond de Roth
schi!d, contemplated the occupation of Par
estine by adhercnts of the Jewish faith
1t soon became apparent that the scheme
was regarded with disfavor, If not absolute
hostility, by the Turkish sultan, and it was
lands needed for the site OF a colony. and
least OF all foothold in the city of Jerusa-
lem itself, as had been anticipated. Besides
tfls the lands obtained were found I'M
suited 20 prohtabie cultivation, and as a
consequence II Is now announced that
many of the colonists are begging for re-
rnoval 10 the Island of Cyprus or some 9TH
er more favored locality.
Inc other scheme was on a larger scale,
set on FOOT by the late Baron de Hirsch
the Jewish millionaire and philanthropist
VINO died in Hungary over year ago. De-
string to secure the betterment of the con-
dit1on OF his oppressed corelgionists in
Russia and other portions of central and
southeastern Europe he planned an extern
sive system of colonization in America to
the accomplishment of which he contrib
uted several millions of dollars. The Ar
gcntine Republic, with its vast area of an
occupied lands-so1ne of it of the most fer
tile character, suitable for the cultivation
OF grains, fruits and sugar, and the raising
OF stock-offered favorable field for the
experiment Some 440,OUO acres Of la nd were
purchased from the government at a nom
inal figure, chiefly in the provinces of Bue-
nos Ayres, Santa Fc and Entire Rios and
immigration began in 1891. The River
Plate and its tributaries furnish means of
pyy1nd n
large portion Of the republic from the foot
of the Andes to Buenos Ayres a CITY of
100000 population, and finally to the sea-
Previous to 1895 four colonies had been es-
tablished, consisting of 563 families and
during that year ten additions groups were
added, embracing about 100 families
In spite of these favorable conditions
and the fact that some 100000 Italians out
OF total 1,tto,oO foreigners had succeed
ed in establishing themselves in prosperous
homes there only a few thousand Jews
could be induced to accept an offer of free
passage thther, with virtually free gift
of lands on their arrival. Some refused to
accept the lands offered them. A food of
complaints began to reach the home office
Of the ASSOCIATION, which had been estab-
lished to promote the enterprise and finally
return tide of disconnected cmigrants be-
gan to flow toward Europe The number
of Russian Jews still remaining in Argen-
tina is estimated at scarcely more than
1000, while many of these are disconnected
who have already left.
Thus the experiment, undertaken at such
heavy cost, having proved failure through
tile incapacity of those whom it was in
tended to Der eft to adapt themselves to
new conditions, 1t has been virtually aban-
doned at the advice of the widow of the
late baron. and the funds provided for it's
support will be diverted to other purposes
The failure is traceable chiefly, if not
wholly, to the inability of the Jewish people
to adapt themselves to an agricultural life.
For eighteen hundred years they have been
wanderers from their native land, often ex-
posed to the most cruel oppression and
while they have multiplied in smaller pro-
portion than any otner people who have
survived during that long period, they have
maintained their native characteristics with
greater persistency They have found their
congenial employment as traders and many
OF them as successful financiers, while the
less fortunate have chung to the cities, often
under the most squalid conditions. The
failure to make successful farmers of them
is scarcely surprising. and, while the re-
suit is to be deplored, it implies no reflec-
ton upon the broad minded, generous lib
crafty of the phiianthropic representative
of their race whose beneficence rendered
the experiment possible.