The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-05
De HAAS VISITS
LOCAL zIONISTS
SECRETARY OF FEDERATION
DISTINGUISHES GUEST OF THE
SAVANNAH ZIONIsTs.

Is Making an MISUNDERSTANDING Tour
of the south and Says the Organi-
zatiOn in Savannah Is the Best in
This SectiOn-Mr. De Haas Is "A Man
of Strong Personality and Talks
Interestingly of the Zionist Move
ment.
| Mr.. ]. De Haas, secretary Of the
Federation of American Zionists. ar
rived from Charleston yesterday morn
ing for a three days visit to Savan-
nah and is being entertained by the
local Zionists at the De Soto.
An entertainment committee COM
| posed of Mr.. Julius Stark, DR.. B. Cour-
shon Mr.. A. Rauzin Mr.. George Lew
| in and Mr. Barnowitz, met Mr.. De Haas
at the railroad station and escorted
him to the hotel. During the day he
was entertained at the home of Mr..
Stark and last night he lectured at
the Synagogue B. Is. Jacob, where ne
interested a large audience.
Two receptions were held by Mr.. De
Haas at the home of Mr. Stark, No.
Ala Tattnall street, yesterday The
house was crowded with visitors dur
ing the entire time Mr.. De Hass was
there and boys and girls, young Zion
lists Mr.. De Hass called them, were
received with the older people.
strong Personality.
Mr.. De Haas is a man of strong
personality. Highly cultured and
thoroughly cosmopolitan, he is at once
"A homo x1fth
his hearers by his enthusiasm for the
Zionist movement. His trip through
the South is for the purpose of stir
ring up further interest in the Zionist
work, which has made rapid strides
in this section in the last few years.
You may call it a world stirring
tour, 1 guess he said, when asked
about the objects of his trip. Il came
down here, as l have gone to other
sections, to arouse new interest in
the work. In the last few years
great progress has been made in the
South and particularly in Savannah
but to further interest people in the
work I have come off my New York
shelf and am visiting the principal
cities of the South
object of ZiOnism.
The object of the organization is
to secure a legally recognized pub
licly assured home for the Jews of
Palestine. l don't mean by that to
take all the Jews back to Palestine
We have frequently been misunder-
stood on that point.
The movement is only about seven
years old and during that time we
have united about half a million Jews
In the work. We have raised a trust
capital of between 100000 and $4,-
000,0 900 and we have raised funds for
the purchase of national lf1ds in Pal
estine amounting to about 100000 This
last fund has all been raised within
the last twenty months.
All Over the World.
During the seven years we have
formed 5000 organizations in all parts
of the world. There are 308 in the
United States. We are stronger in
Russia than in any other country,
there being 1000 organizations there
alone.
We have held six congresses since
the organization and will hold the
seventh congress next spring or sum-
mer in Europe. 1t will be the largest
we have ever had and will be attend
ed by delegates from every quarter
of the earth. There were 592 delegates
at the last congress and there will be
an even larger number at the next.
Zionism has revived interest in the
original Hebrew language" he con-
tinued, and the presses of both Eu-
rope and the United States are now
continually turning out poems, essays
and other articles in the language of
Isaiah brought up-to-date. 1t has pro-
duced a new Jewish art and a new
Jewish literature"
jews as AgricuIturists.
THE Zionists' work has further DEM
onstrated," Mr.. De Haas said, that the
abilities of the Jews are not confined
to mercantile business. He gives sta
tistics to show what is being done in
an agricultural and horticultural way
in Palestine, figures that are rather
startling to one who has never looked
into the matter.
1--WE have demonstrated that Pales-
tine is fertile country and that the
Jews make excellent agriculturists and
horticulturists," he said. II haven't
the figures for last year, but two years
ago there were 100000 bottles of wine
produced in Palestine by the Jews
100000 bottles of wine from grapes
grown by Jews, gathered by Jews,
pressed by Jews and cooled in Jewish
cellars. l expect 1 might add that it
was mostly drunk by Jews"
Compliments savannah.
in speaking of the Zionists in the
oOulns MT. lie HAAS SAID the Ofgdnlzd-
ton here was the most active of any
Excellent progress has been made in
Savannah, he said. and large sums
have been contributed to all the funds
of the organization. He was pleased
with what he had seen of the city.
1T is very pretty" he said. You
know l have some Oriental blood in
my veins and like the sunshine and
the open air."
Mr.. De Haas will remain in the city
to-day and Tuesday From Savannah
he will go to Augusta, then Atlanta.
Chattanooga, and later to New Or
leans. To-day he will be shown about
the city by the entertainment COM
mittee. He will be carried to all the
resorts and upon his return will be din
ed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Car
funkel Tonight he will lecture in
the Metropolitan Hall, at President
and Whitaker streets, under the aus
pieces of the Ladies Society. No ar
engagements have yet been made for
Tuesday, but Mr.. De Haas will be en-
tertained on that day by the local