Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-08-20
Only Effect to Keep Subject Alive as
Natter Of Interest.
SULTAN OF TURKEY MAY SELL PALESTINE
Hone of Returning to Holy Land Lies in
Moslem Ruler.
NO HEAD OF ORGANIZATION CHOSEN
Movement Born of Dreyf- >%W :
End with Nothing y ed
Since One- N

LONDON, Aus is.-(speclal Cahlegram to
The Bee)-The chief result Of the recent
Zionist congress at Basel has been the
keeping of the proposition before the ma
tions Of the world. The rejection Of the
offer of the British government Of the land
| necessary for a Zionist settlement in Brit
ish East Africa has had the effect Of pre-
venting anything specific being accom-
plished in the near future. To those who
nave 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. It appears as though
the objections to British East Africa were
religious and not climatic. The report Of
the committee of inquiry. composed Of
| Major Hill Gibbons, Prof. Kaiser and Dr.
wilbuschewitch the engineer who went to
East Africa last year to make the investi-
cation locally, was Iunfavorable 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.
II has been suggested that the sultan,
who has held the Holy Land against Jews
huu OuTlblidnS might not De PROOF against
the power of gold. Palestine is Of no par
ticulsr value to him from a religious or
sentimental point OF view. 1t might
strengthen his hold upon Constantinople
and Turkey in Europe to surrender Pales-
tine to the Zionists And It is thought that
enough money could be raised from the
wealthy Hebrews of the world to accom-
plish what the sword could not do-wrest
the Holy Land from the Turk
Question of Lendership Unsettled.
Not even the question Of a successor to
DR.. Herzl appears TO have been settled by
the Basel conference. Israel Zangwill the
well known Jewish writer, was prominent
in the proceedings but he became identified
with the East African Zionlsts and they
proved the losers in the contest with the
believers in Palestine and the dsbenevers
In British West Africa. The question of a
leader Of the Zionist movement has really
been open ever since the death Of DR. Herzl.
For a long time the Zionlsts have been gov
erned by the actions committee" which s
the executive of the movement and acted as
kind of a cabinet to Herzl before his
death. At last DR.. Max Eordau was In
vited to take up the post, but for various
personal reasons, including that of not hav-
ing the necessary opportunities for its
duties, he declined Eventually, after much
trouble, II was decided to have a commit
tee OF three to rule DR. Max Nordau. after
considerable persuasion and pressure. CON
sented to be one; Herr DR.. Wolfssohn of
Cologne, chairman Of the Jewish Colonial
Trust and one OF the closest friends of DR..
Herzl, was another and Prof. Otto War
burg Of Berlin was the third This cabinet
however, was practically upset by DR.. Max
Nordau stating that the state of his health
was so unsatisfactory that he must with
draw HIS candidature as one OF the three
To accept, he declared. would be suicide
and not slow suicide. Many there are who
are anxious to have Sir Francis Monte
fore, who was one of the vice presidents of
the congress, take an active interest in the
leadership.
HerEI a Strong Man.
In this connection It is worth while to call
attention to the fact that 1t is only tvvo
years since DR.. Theodore Herzl died ana in
movement like the establishment of a
colony in British East Africa or the prac-
tical purchase of Palestine from the Turks
time is an important essential 1t is still a
debated question II the society has in itself
the strength and power TO survive the stag
gering blow which II received when DR.
Herzl died. There were men in the move
ment OF greater intellect than he; men
more famed as literateurs; men better
known In the countries where they were
born; men who had occupied a high place
IN the various nations Of which thew were
units. but in RECONCILIATION OF those quail
tiles. together with an iron Will. clear per
ception, accurate judgment Of his fellows
and an intuitive statesmanshlp. Tbedore
Herzl was a giant over them all He was
just the figure to FIRE the imagination Of
the people, and when at the time OF the
H. 1-Ns.. ~.
tion which had stood for all that was ad-
vanced in thought and liberal minded IN
idea had gone mad on racial and religions
hatred; therefore large section of them
commenced 10 think that the hand of every /
one was against them, and that the one 40 |
luton for the Jewish question was a land
of their own national and spiritual saliva !
tion. OF course Zionism in theory-tbe
return 10 Zion-had been feature of line
Hebrew prayerbook for all time. Rut
whereas In most western countries the
Jews were prepared to pray, and that alone.
for the return, there were few missionaries
who even hoped for Its realization
Herzl supplied that. He wrote his lew
ish State" which sketched the life of IFS |
people in Palestine-Zon-under modern |
conditions II was translated into English I
and the Zionist movement as it is known |
today was born and came into being Whilst
the majority who took up the idea were
those living in Russia and Galicia. there
was a goodly following in England. ana I'm |
almost every country, even 10 the far east:
and in the far west Of the world Zionist l
societies sprang up. II appears TO the re-
turning delegates Of the British section. at |
least, that somthing practical in a world !
wide forward movement like that of the |
reclaiming Of Palestine will be necessary
to hold the attention OF the nations Of the \
world. II may be possible that something
practical can be done for Jews fleeing from |
persecution OF impossible conditions OF ex- |
istence, particularly in view OF the legisla- |
tion which is putting restrictions upon i'm |
migration into the various countries II is |
quite generally admitted, however. that the |
program OF the establishment OF a mere |
city OF refuge" is not a program large |
and daring enough 20 continue TO hre the |
hearts OF the Zionist societies all over the |
world