The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-09-15
THE ZIONIST CONGRESS
Sixth International Gathering
at Basel, Switzerland.
SCHEME ON GOOD CASH BASIS.
Colonial Trust Has Working Capital
of $%2,OOO,oOO For Cperation-Whnt
Has Been Accomplished at
viOus Congresses.

of $2,OOO,OOO For Cperation-Whnt
Has Been Accomplished at Pre-
vious Congresses.
Leon Zolotkoff, d delegate to the sixth
International Zionist congress at Basel,
Switzerland, writing to the Chicago
Tribune says:
The sixth Zionist congress, like the
sixth day Of the week of creation, will
complete a cyclus of organization. Out
of the chaos of hopelessness, OF confu-
sion of ideas and Of a vague and unde-
fined yearning a powerful organization.
we'll regulated and full of purpose,
sprang forth, as if by magic. There
was no model to pattern after, no prec-
edent to consult. New conditions had
to be created. The achievements prove
how we'll the plans have been laid. The
sixth congress will proclaim the con-
summation Of the tremendous expert
ment, for it will record the completion
Of the worldwide organization in all it's
branches.
The Zionist movement, established on
the sound basis of a worldwide CO.
operative effort among the Jews, dis
covered that it needed a financial in
strument of the same character. A
bank plan was mooted at the first con-
gress held in 1897, the embryonic par
lament of a Jewish nation. In May.
1898, the scheme was put to a practical
test. A small committee was formed
with headquarters at Cologne and pro-
visional promises Of subscriptions We're
invited.
So enthusiastic and SO widespread
was the response that within a year
the Jewish colonial trust was estab-
lished with a capital stock Of $1O,OOO,-
600 divided into five dollar shares. The
Joint stock concern proposed by George
Eliot, as a writer, and by Sir Laurence
Of the refrigeration of a homeless Jew
ish people on their ancestral soil has
thus become a reality.
The trust speedily became the largest
joint stock concern in the world. Its
certificates are held from the Caucasus
to Klondike, from Perth in western
Australia to Aberdeen in Scotland. The
shareholders number 10000. who to
gether hold 100000 shares.
An undertaking Of that kind, though
not intended for gain, must have the
advantage of commercial profits, and
already a dividend was announced on
the $4,000, coo for the first working
year, which ended May, 1908.
The trust aims directly not at the
purchase of Palestine, but at the OBJ
tanning and financing Of such conces'
.sions shall, beyond commercial advan.
tages, give the right OF, legal settlement
in Palestine to those Jews who are iI
need of a home, and shall, moreover
give security Of tenure for land and al
forms of estate.
For the purchase of land in Palestine
and Syria another resource was Great
ed-the Jewish national fund. This
fund is being raised by means Of the
sale Of stamps which Zionists use tt
adorn their private correspondence an6
stationery. A stamp represents the
nation of every country. The admins
tration of the fund remains with the
The business control is vest
ed in the Jewish colonial trust. Ovel
$780, 600 has been raised in that way.
An as indispensable link in the chair
Of these institutions, the Anglo-Pales
tine company, was founded with a cap
ital of $25O,OOO for the purpose of de
~veloping Palestine industries and to as
sist Jewish c%olonists in finding mar
kets for their products. This compan!
recently opened its Offices in Yafa ant
is doing well.
The machinery of the organization
having thus been completed. the mail
problem which will occupy the atten
ton of the sixth Zionist congress vii
be how to put the wonderful mechan
ism to proper and immediate use a
this critical moment.