Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1912-05-02
BY WILLIAM r. ELLIS.

Jerusalem.-Of all the nationalistic
strings within the breasts of men
today, the most romantic is the long
ing of devout Jews to get back for
themselves the land OF Abraham and
David. All Christendom is interested
in this project. Some schools OF
Christian theology stake vast prophetic
issues upon II. Statesmen of Europe
are interested in II as one solution
of the question of what to do with the
Jew who has been made unwelcome
In all their lands Whatever be the
reason for the well-nigh universal
sympathy with the Zionistic aspira-
ton. the news has doubtless been re-
ceived with regret that the Young
Turks have formally and officially an
nounced that the immigration of Jews
into Palestine must cease. Moreover,
II is intimated that those already here
must go.
That is the latest development In
Zionism: but II must be remembered
that Zionism is part and parcel OF all
high politics, and the end is not yet.
II Is not at all impossible that the
reason for this recent adverse pro-
nouncement is nothing less than the
failure of the French loan to Turkey.
Let nobody think that the Zionists
are merely company of pious Jewish
expatriates, signing for the land of
their fathers. They are the bankers
Of Europe and the men who often say
the deciding word In affairs OF ma
tons. / have reason to believe that
Zionism has been an important factor
In the recent hidden politics OF the
Turkish Empire. Some of the leaders
of the Committee of Union and Prog
ress are Jews, and Salonika, the head
quarters of the Young Turk party, is
the home of an influential body Of
Jews who several generations ago,
embraced the Moslem faith, although
they are commonly regarded as being
better Jews than Moslems. In most
unexpected places the Zionist cause
has allies, and one trained observer Of
events at Constantinople said to me,
You will never get hold Of the true
inwardness of this Turkish situation
until you unravel the relation Of Zion
ism to It,"
Zlonism and Abdul Hamid.
For the present, the Jews have lost.
Whatever their influence with the
Young Turk leaders, they have, on the
whole, preferred the regime Of Abdul
Hamid. member of the central
Zionist committee told me In Berlin
that Zionists would rather have the
old order than the new. His was the
first downright defence of the deposed
monarch / had ever heard. The rea-
sons given were, first, that the Turks
have ever been kindlier to the Jews
than have the Christians; and, sec
ondly, that Abdul Hamid permitted
the Jews to settle In Palestine, and to
acquire land.
Legally. no Jew is permitted to live
in Palestine longer than three months.
Upon entering the country he Is
obliged to surrender his passport, and
receive a temporary red passport. AS
for acquiring property, that also Is
and long has been interdicted. But
one well-informed Jewish leader at
Jaffa merely shrugged his shoulders
when / brought up this subject, and
said, I'VE have a golden key that can
unlock any door in Turkey. Practical
ly, we have found no difference be-
tween the old days and the new. In
either case we have to get what we
want by 'backsheesh.'
theoretically, there are no Jews in
Turkey; practically, there are more
than hundred thousand in the Prom
Used Land. In the past FIVE years the
number has increased fifty per cent.
When the constitutional party came
into power, with its avowals of COM
plete religious and racial liberty, the
hearts of devout Jews and their
friends everywhere leaped with exul-
tation; this meant the advent of the
long expected day when the Children
of Israel should be free once more to
settle in the land OF their fathers.
Zionism's heralded day had dawned
Now these hopes have once more
been dashed. AS of yore, every Jew
who enters Palestine must do so by
bribery and stealth. Those without
passports must buy them; and COM
mon report has 1t that there used to
be a lively traffic in American pass
ports in this country. That has been
almost, If not altogether, broken up by
the vigilance OF the consuls, and the
requirement that every American
citizen securing a red passport shall
deposit the original one at the con-
sulate. Each nation must look after
its own nationals in Turkey, and, un-
fortunately. there is no one nation to
stand back Of the Jews, as France
stands back of the Roman Catholics.
Russia back OF the Greek church, and
America and Great Britain back Of
the Protestants.
VIII Jews Be Driven Out7
In spite of the late vigorous pro-
nouncement from Constantinople,
there is little likelihood that the Jews
now in Palestine will be driven out.
Their consuls will protect them In