Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20

Special Cablegram TO The Star.
LONDON August 19.-Tbe chief result of
the recent Zionist congress al Basic has
been the keeping of the proposition before
the nations of the world. The rejection of
the offer of the British government Of The
land necessary for Zionist settlement in
British East Africa has had the effect If
preventing anything specific being accom-
plished in the near future To those who
have studied the subject not from the
point of view of the Zionist, but from the
point of view of the statesman and the stu
dent of public affairs 1t appears as though
the objections to British East Africa We're
religious and not climatic. The report cf
the committee of inquiry, composed of
Maj. Hill Gibbons Prof Kaiser and DR..
Wilbuschewitch. the engineer who went TO
East Africa last year to make the inves-
igation locally was unfavorable to that
scheme. But there Is no doubt but that the
life of the Zionist movement Is found IN
the desire of the leading Hebrews OF the
world to once again acquire Palestine.
1t has been suggested that the sultan,
who has held the Holy Land against Jew
and Christian, might not be proof against
the power of gold. Palestine Is of no par
tcular value to him from a religious and
from sentimental point of view It might
strengthen his hold upon Constantinople
and Turkey In Europe to surrender Pales-
tine to the Ztonists. And it is thought that
enough money could be raised from ,he
wealthy Hebrews of the world to accom-
plsh what the sword could not do-wTest
the Holy Land from the Turk.
Not even the question of n successor 10
DR.. Herzl appears to have been settled by
the Basic conference Mr.. Israel Zangwill,
the well-known Jewish writer, was prom-
nent in the proceedings, but he became
identified with the East African Zionists.
and they proved the losers in the contest
with the believers in Palestine and the dis
believers in British East Africa. The quas-
ton of a leader of the Zionist movement
has really been open ever since the deaf tn
Of DR.. HerZl. For a long time the Zionists
have been governed by the Actions com
mittee, which is the executive of the move
ment. and acted as q kind of cabinet 20
Herzl before his death At last DR.. Max
Nordau was invited to take up the post,
but for various personal reasons, including
that of not having the necessary opportu-
mites for its duties. he declined. Event
ually, after much trouble, it was decided to
have a committee of three to rule. DR.. Max
Nordau, after considerable persuasion and
pressure. consented to be one: Herr DR..
WolfSsohn OF Cologne chairman of he
Jewish Colonial Trust and one of the clos
est friends of DR.. HerZl, was another, ana
Prof. Otto Warburg Of Berlin was the
cally upset by Dr. Max NOrdau stating
that the state of his health was SO unSat-
isfactory that he must withdraw his candi-
dature one of the three. To accept, he
declared, would be suicide. and not slow
suicide. Many there who are anxious
to have Sir Francis Montefiore. who was
one of the vice presidents Of the congress,
take active interest in the leadership.
In this connection it is worth while to
call attention to the fact that 1t is only
two years since DR.. Theodor Herzl died,
of a colony in British East Africa the
purchase of Palestine from thu Turks time
is an important essential. 1t is still de-
bated question and has In itself the strength
and power to survive the staggering blow
which IT received when DIR. Herzl died.
There were men in the movement Of grea ter
intellect than he; men more famed as lit
terateurs men better known in the Coun-
tries where they were born: men who had
occupied high place In the various ma
lions of which they We're units. But in the
an iron will, clear perception, accurate
judgment of his fellows and an intuitive
sta tesmansh.p. Theodor HerZl was a giant
over them all. He was just the figure TO
fire the agnation of the people, and when
at the time of the DreyfuS agitation Jews
saw that even nation which had stood for
all that was advanced in thought and lib
eral minded in idea had gone mad on racial
and religious hatred. therefore large sec
ton of them commenced to think that the
hand of every one was against them. and
that the one solution for the Jewish ques-
ton was land of their own national and
spiritual salvation. OF course, XOnism in
theory-the return to Zion had been fea
ture of the Hebrew prayer book for all