The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-25
yANGWILt MELTS Us UP
WHAT HE THINKS or AMERICA
IS IN MS PLAY.

-.,s About % Far 40 ms Present Dis
closure Goes-He Talks OF the Ere
nosed Jewish Emigration TO Africa
and of Woman 6uffrage In England,
Israel Zangwili, novelist. playwright,
.iso. essayist, sociologist and prophet,
.ho arrived yesterday on the Teutonio,
.,d who with Mrs. ZangwM Ia stopping
:, the Hotel Wellington, confessed last
ss,ht in the presence Of several Witnesses
,hst he has at last yielded TO q temptation
Ever resisted by any other Englishmar
IN, which hitherto he resolutely has put
soh;nd him. He has permitted himself
,hs luxury Of writing down his opinion
Of America.
Ne hastily added, however. In extenua-
aon that although 1t was an opinion
Ne hadn't put 1t in the form Of an opinion
hn, in the form Of a play. Then he ex-
r,,ined hat he wouldn't even have writ
ron the play, except that while he was
Eating for a scientific expedition to come
h.cl from the wiids Of northern Africa
and report on its search for q site for q
tventieth century Jerusalem there was
really nothing else for him to do.
since Mr.. Zangwill's visit to this ooun-
,rv four years ago he has devoted himself
alnost entirely to an. investigation Of Inn
migration and territorial problems In con-
naction with schemes for the improvement
an n large scale OF conditions among the
Hebrews.
Il am a Zionist in a sense, he said, 'but
above all | am a territorialist. The very
existence Of the Jews as a people-a
pation-is' contingent upon their posses
don Of a country Of their own. II that
COUNTRY might be Palestine, would
greatly rejoice. Nay. were I to be allowed
/, choose between Palestine and another
territory more fitted to the needs Of the
nce I would even choose Palestine; but
\ Palestine is to be forever unattainable
the Jews must still have a country. Lord
Rothschild and Mr.. Oscar Stratus are men,
hers Of a commission which has under
taken the work of procuring. II possible,
suitable allotment of land to which Jews
who wish a permanent home among their
own people may go. The exploring ex-
pedition sent nj under the auspices OF
this commission and which has just re-
turned from Africa has. we hope, been
successful in finding the place we seek
Its location cannot be disclosed at this
time because a board Of agricultural ex-
perts are still at work upon an analysis
Of various specimens Of soil, AND unless
the result Of their examination Is salts
factory, there can, Of course. be no ques-
ton OF fou nding a colony
MIR. Zangwill seemed much amused
when some one asked him whether the
Jews had not become so entirely a COM
mercial people that it would be impossible
Tor them to exist In a country where
there we're no other races to till the soil.
Don't you know he replied. shat
here are in the United States alone
several thousand Jewish farmersf"
Neither, he continued, would there be
auy necessity for undue persuasion on
tae rart Of the leaders OF the territorial
movement to induce Jews to emigrate to
me New Palestine should n be estab-
shed.
Il have only recently been confronted,
! c declared, with the problem of finding
5 me place Of abode for 800 j ews who
we're about B O embark for Brazil. a coun-
Try Of whose character and condi tons
.ney we're absolutely ignorant
As his field work has taken him several
lines to Russia MI. Zangwill has put much
of the tribulation, the hope, the despair
ard the poetry Of the great steppes into
America. In fact he has put ever so many
things into that play, and there is no reaso
why he shouldn't have done SO, because
it Is called 'Ihe Melting Pot Mr.. Fang
will admitted that America ID the melt
ing pot. He also admitted that the play
Is distinctly OF atmosphere, that 1t Is
as radical in some ways as The Servant
in the House and that he will not be a
bit surprised II II IL not q popular success.
student who. Gomez TO New York and
spends his time voicing Mr.. Zangwill,s
views on religion, politics, social ccndi.
tons, art, music, literature, the stage and
other things. As for the plot, the author
wouldn't say a word about II. He insisted
that in revealing the title he had revealed
all that was vital about tho play. The
scene Of one Of the four acts 10 laid on
Staten Island, he said. and unless some.
thing goes wrong the last ? Always wiz
plot he added, lis q mere ~triviality.
II s atmosphere that counts In q work Of
art To set forth in cold blood the story
Of this play would be simply q banality.'
When some one wanted 10 know what
Mr.. Zangwill thought Of the outlook for
woman suffrage In England he replied
enthusiastically that II was excellent.
When the first little riot broke OUT
he continued, @and lots Of wiseacres con-
dernned the agitators l said: AT last the
English women have learned how to make
politics. And from that time the move
ment has steadily increased In scope and
power. until now IL Ii only a question Of
avery short time, i think, before women
viii have the ballot
Mr.. Asquith, he said. was opposed to
the extension Of the franchise to women
because he is married 10 Mrs. Asquith,
who is a strong anti.
Many persons he went on w~himsically,
can't understand why II In that the suf-
fragettes persist in their attacks on men,
bes Of Parliament who have declared
themselves in favor Of woman suffrage.
The reason lies In the very simple fact
that it is impossible to And q member Of
Parliament who has the temerity to de-
clare himself against 1t.
Now the British Constitution. intangi-
Die though IL may appear, ID yet 90 won
defully constructed that when all parties
are in favor Ct any particular measure 1t Ii
absolutely impossible for 1t to become a
Upon being reminded Of the prophecy
o. Augustus Thomas that the next great
American play would dealw with the jew
the Englishman modestly disclaimed any
Intentions Of an attempt t be the fulfiier