Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-27
THE LEADER OF zIONISM
INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH DIR.
HERZL BY AN AMERICAN.
The Movement Cannot Be n Failure,
Say the Doctor; 1t Has Already
Recrented the Jewish State
Herbs Great Book

Rev. Mr.. E. A. Steiner, in the Chicago Advance.
In the city of Vienna, opposite that piece
of dainty Gothic architecture, the Votiv-
kirche, Is the Office of Die Welt, the organ
of Zionism. the new movement to solve an
old problem in an old way. DR.. Theodor
Herzl, the editor of the paper and the au-
thor of that epoch-making book, 1.-THE Jew
ish State was there at an appointed hour;
and to meet the man means to have faith
in the movement in spite of ones incredu-
lily as to the feasibility of his plans.
The first impression in meeting him is
that of disappointment. I expected to meet
a small copy of Michael Angeles Moses. or
a copy of my own image of jeremiah; in
stead. l found a man with the face and
bearing of a king, who repels one by his
reserve, but fascinates by the dignity of
his bearing and by the classic beauty of
his figure and face. The fire of Sinai is in
his eyes. though he bears non of it's rug
ged features. The prophets sadness has
drawn its lines upon his face, but mike
our conception of the prophets. he is STRESSED
in the height of fashion, and is surrounded
by the comforts and luXuries of life.
DR.. Herzl Is a lawyer by profession. but
has chosen a literary career, in which he
editors of the Neue Fret Presse, one of the
best German papers in Europe. He is the
author of many books, and a dramatist of
great prOnise
Il am at you disposal he said, throw
ing himself into a comfortable arm chair.
and IN spite sa Of his his readiness to be inter .
questions. and SO he began.
Il suppose you would like to know what
made me write that book"
Yes" 1 said, that's one of the ques-
lions 1 would like to ask you"
THAT book wrote itself" he replied. at
forced itself upon me. l fought it. for it
f foree the Jews lew g Of sl Europe ps to eo'e Show ana their ip
colors. and for a Jew in Austria to show
himself a jew. especially if he be a literary
author. and still more perilous to the pub
LEGATION with which he is connected. The
Jews here have played the game OF hiding
Testament names behind those of our New
Testament enemies. We have Stunned the
synagogue, and have ,%sprinkled ourselves
children the dreadful secret that their
parents were Jews-and yet We We're perse-
cuted. We wanted to be Austrians or Ger
Gentle neighbors. but .Juden raus' was the
cry in Germany. 1t was echoed in Aus
tria. it was realized in Russia, and in
thousands. If we are to go, whittier shall
we go? If We cannot be citizens here in
e%ifize lnna Fl Tbe our Can't blft RIl T us off shall They we saS be
tried it for thousands of years; they have
not succeeded; let them give us q land. no
Iaad wh hew 5 We NAV Su1 no 1es o IT be ca ogr o ,ba
burdens. but also have the privileges of
citizenship"
Will Jews Go to Palestine.
DO you think" I asked. that the Jews
will be willing to go to Palestine, even if
you get the land?"
mo. not all at once" he replied. 1.-THE
poor Jews of Russia and Poland will GER
tainly be willing to so Immediately. They
will be the pioneers. They will till the
soil, build roads and te!egraphs. and then
the r1arrhnnfS anyIfaPf1raSu 1uI nrfiSfy
will come of themselves"
DO you believe hat the Jews of Po-
land and Russia will make good pioneers?
Are they not all traders?" 1 asked nat
urally.
That is a great fallacy. The factories
of these two countries are full Of Jewish
laborers, wherever work is given to them.
They work industriously and faithfully.
They are poisoned by the thousands in
about 20 cents a day. They dig in the
mines; they manufacture trimmings for
the peasants dress. buttons. optical goods,
wagon gr~ease-anything they can do. they
do. The reason they cannot work in the
fields is simply this: They mo COM
on a still smaller p%ittance than the Jews.
1.-The Jew is in the majority of the sweat
shops Of the world. If he must be a
sweater, and If he can do nothing else. he
there he can sell his clothes just as well
as he can from London or Vienna"
Have you any hope that the condition
of the Jew in Europe will grow any better
with the growing civilization"
"It will grow worse every day. Look at
France, which sheltered the Jew when
everybody else prosecuted him-which up
to ten years ago hadn't a shadow OF anti
Semitism. See to what tremendous pro-