The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-13
Movement Of the zionis...

Movement of the Zlonists,
1t has always been the plous Jews de.
sire TO die IN Jerasalems- to be buried
On the holy ground with his forefathers
and In the course OF time quite q number
OF those wlho could go have made the pill
grimage. Today the young generation
joins the odd in the wish to go to Pales-
tine. not 70 die. but to live. This great
enange Is directly due 20 the untiring and
unceasing energy Of one man. Dr.. Thee
core Herzl. the leader OF the Zionis;
movement
Dr.. Theodore HerzI was born IN Buda
Pest In lisa. After passing through school
where he had many peculiar experiences.
he began TO study law in Vienna, and IN
1854 received lawyers degree. Dr.. Herzl
was something OF q playwright. for he
relates In his autobiography that he wrote
much more for the theater than for the
law courts, although he held q position
(unsalaried) in a law court as q judicial
clerk under Judge in Vienna and Salz-
burg, but, seeing that a Jew could not be-
come Judge. he left legal affairs alto
gether. He then began 10 write for news
papers and the theater, and many Of his
plays received great favor. while others
proved failures. In 1881 he became the
Paris correspondent OF a German news
paper. In Paris he first became acquaint-
ed with politics. In lsa5 he returned to
Vienna.
During the last two months Of his stay
In Paris he wrote the Judenstaat Jewish
state), which work advocated a Jewish
state to be established IN Palestine. IL
first appeared In 1895. and. although at
tracing attention from the greatest minds
OF Europe, the scheme was judged imprac-
ticable in the extreme. But Herxl began
TO work with such vigor that the first
Jewish congress was announced to take
place In 1897 in Munich. but the place OF
meeting was soon changed TO Basic. Swltz-
erland To call together q congress OF
jews who are scattered all over the world
was a great task. but DIR. Herzl accom-
piished ii and about two hundred dele
gates assembled to discuss the question OF
securing home for the Jews.
The derision which had at first greeted
DR.. Herzl from all sides now turned TO re-
spect and wonder. and the Jews OF the
whole world at once began to flock around
DR.. Herzrs banner. Even Max NOrdau.
who was not even known to be jew I'M
til that time, duly announced himself 20
be an ardent Zionist and made FIRE ora
lions at the first and second congresses.
At the second congress there were about
100 delegates.
To explain in detail what Zionism IL
would take up teo much space. but the
reader can get an excellent idea OF II from
the following program, which was passed
unanimously by the first aBsle congress:
THE aim of Zionism is to create for the
Jewish people a publicly. legally assured
home in Palestine" Or. TO take the words
OF DR.. Herzl himself, which he addressed
to the English Zionists recently: What
is our aim? We desire to prepare in the
ancient fatherland, Palestine. a legally
assured home for the Jewish people. This
we consider the complete and final solu-
tion OF the Jewish question. This solution
presupposes three things: First. the exist
ence of the Jewish nation; second. the
suitability OF Palestine for settlement;
thirdly. the assuran OF a legal basis for
the re-settlement of our people. In the
first place. at the time We began our
movement we only believed there was
Jewish nation. Today We know it,
Although the Zionist movement began
only two years ago there has already been
established in London a 100000 bank
a beginning for the practical work. The
thing about this bank Is that
its stockholders number about t00.O00. all
poor Jews the rich Jews being against
the movement. The value of one share
has been purposely made only l pound.
or s.. SO, payable at once OF in five INSTALL
ments. So far over 2S0,OO0 shares have
been taken out.
That Jews can be agriculturists. which
Is their ancient calling. has been proved
by the twenty-five self-supporting colonies
In Palestine, most of which were estab-
lished by Baron Edmund de Rothschild,
who was a Zionist even before the present
movement. In all he spent about i3,000,-
90 francs in the aid OF his co-reiigiOn-
lists. But colonies that have been attempt
ed outside of the Holy Land have al
ways failed. Argentine Republic may be
cited as an instance. Baron de Hirsch
spent here millions TO establish colonies
and to make Jews agriculturists. but they
have not proved such a success as 10
warrant further experimenting. 1t Is
significant fact that the Argentine Repub-
lie Jews sent delegates TO the Basic con-
zress. Before the first congress in 1881
there were about III societies in the var
ous parts OF the world, which have In
rI eased to over so in 1888 America has
about l25 societies. but 1t is the least
Zionistic Of all.
Very interesting and important develop /
nents are expected at the third congress, !
which is to take place at Basic, SwitZer-
and. this month.