The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-01
lBy ISRAEL ZANGWlLL.

sg9 By ISRAEL ZANGWlLL.
i5t& At q certain cornwall gathering Of Eng
4 ltshmcnf Of letters / found n good deal
OF kindly interest taken In tho pro-
Erammc of the Ito {the Jewish Terri
torial Organization) which was occupy
Ing nll my energies. 1t occurred to me
In consequence to invite my casual inter-
,ocutors to express a formal opinion upon
y the toplc--more particularly MS the Ito,
Though Theoretically unlimited IN its
quest Of territory, had begun negotlnt-
Ing for q territory under British protcc-
ton--and the views of divers English
writers OH such n project would reveal
in some sort the temper and attitude Of
the British people toward the idea. All
whom ! asked fell in with my sugg estion
on the spot. Subsequently, TO make the
collection Of Opinions more representa-
tive l sent the following letter TO
ii Jewish Territorial Organizations
IL Essex Street, Strand w. c.,
November, 1906
Il Dear ---: "A number of British men
OF letters have kindly consented to give
me their opinion for publication on tho
scheme outlined In the enclosed pamph-
let. ] trust you will also favor mo with
brief expression Of your views. The
scheme in a nutshell, is to build UP an
autonomous Jewish State out of the
refugees from persocution--a state which
will likewise attract a. number of pros
porous and idealistic Jews. In our quest
for n territory we wish II possible to
take advantage of Englands offer of a
virgin soil under British suzerainty.
e We have elements To offer England
in return which arc not to be disdained
even by so mighty an empire, since scat
tered over hnr domlnions across tho seas
fof thirteen million squire miles she has
only a white population Of twelve mil
lions, which is less than one per square
mile.
"A flourishing settlement of ono OF tho
most potent white peoples on earth can
not but bring n gain OF strength to any
Power that nccords 1t stretch of tor
sritory ntpresent waste. But, OF course,
AN independent territory Is theoretically
open to the organizatlon--cvcn Palestine,
If it wore nttainabe
Thanking you III advance for tho help
your kind opinion will give mo, yours
sincerely ISRAEL. ZANGWILL
In addition to the British replies have
included a letter from Maeterlncls, which
came to me at a mass meeting of the
Ito, presided over by the present Lord
Chancellor, to protest against Jewish
.mnssacres.
To all these writers. whatever their
views. beg to tender my sincere thanks
and although I have found it necessary
In some Instances to annotate their let
ters and remove false Impressions. II
recognize with pleasure the magnanimity
of their outlook. L is characteristic of
the British writer's that they do. not re-
gard the proposition of a British Judea
from any point Of View but that OF the
Ealvation of the unhappy race whose
tragedy has just touched such heights
of horror In Russia. With tho exception
of Sir Gilbert Parker, who is Il profess
sional politician, none looks aside to the
gain which would undoubtedly result to
England II one Of her comparatively vir-
gin territories became the seat of a
powerful and grateful colony. Even Sir
Gilbert Parker passes Immediately to an
altruistic cosmic standpoint Possibly
the lion Is toA big to realize tho posi-
bilities OF help ;latent In the mouse. and
yet Cromwell, in rcopening Engldndsand
her colonies to the Jews, had imperial
expansion and trade asccndancy very
lucidly in his eye.
2 The unfortunate superabundance of
unemployed population In Great Britain
beclouds the fact that the rest of the
British Empire is eminently in need of
population. There nre fewer people in
population. There arc fewer cople in
Australia than in the four-mile cab
radius of London, and Canada which IS
almost another continent, has fewer in
habitants than postal London. How
many people realize that RhodcsIa, tho
mere toy OF chartered company con-
tains a dozen Englands. with little moro
than the population of Glasgow? That
England shall feed these vast tracts from
her surplus population is obviously inn
possible, especially as that surplus popu-
lation prefers the United States. And
yet "the wealth Of nations is clearly
Inhabitants Thus, then the suggestion
that the tribes of the wandering foot
and weary breast as an English oct
styled them, shall find Il secure resting
place under the poets own flag is not
altogether onesidcd. Nevertheless, 1t Is
to the credit of the British writer's that
they have overlooked the side profitable
to Britain. Even Mr.. Rider Hasgurd.
who writes gloonily to tho Times OF "the
deserted lands Of Britain" ana Of "thc
infinite dominions OF the British Empire
lying unoccnpied and ready to support
men in Millions" does not bcthink him-
self that IN the impossibilty OF Anglo
Saxon settlers the next best thing is a
white population which Will carry on the
Anglo Saxon civilization, which Its lit
erature indeed helped to create.