Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-12-15
THE WAR AND
PALESTINE
By Frederic J. Haskin

GContinued from Editorial Page.l
war. the farmers had put their vine
yards and orange groves on a paying
basis. To-day the export of oranges
is forbidden by the Turkish govern
ment, and the loss on this crop last
year amounted to 100000. Raisins
and almonds, the other two great eX-
ports of the colony, were also held
up by the war. and showed loss of
$4,000. To cap the climax, in the
midst of war, like one of the catas-
trophies of Biblical times, came
plague of locusts.
Brunt Falls in e. S.
The Jews of Europe have not per-
mitted international feeling to inter
fere with what relief they are still
able to contribute toward the Pales-
tine colony. A stream of contribu-
tions still flows in from England and
the Continent, but the total is only
small fraction of what it was be-
fore the war. The Zionist movement
is spread all over the earth-reIief
funds are sent from Argentina and
Australia: yet the brunt of the bur-
den has been thrown upon the Jews
of the United States. The Provisional
Executive Committee, acting in con-
cert with national and local Jewish
organizations in this country, has
raised liberal sums of money, but the
problem they have still to face is
recognized as a serious one. Remit
tances from Europe are becoming
more irregular, and even American
contributions have fallen off of late.
1t appears that at least $4,000 a
month is needed in Palestine to pre-
vent actual starvation.
Along with the movement for
Zionist relief in America, interest is
rising in a proposed Jewish congress
nf at ha oh
ject of this congress will be to see
that the needs and wrongs of the
Jews are not forgotten in the great
arbitration that will precede the
signing of a European peace treaty.
There is still some uncertainty as
to whether their congress should be
held at the end of hostilities, or while
the war is still in progress; but the
general sentiment of the Jews seems to
favor the latter plan. In such a case
they will be ready when the war is
over to lay their case before the treaty
makers
1t is pointed out that the stake of
the Jews in this war is no small one.
There are over 700,O 900 Jews actually
bearing arms in the various armies,
and hundreds of thousands more have
been driven from their homes and
rendered destitute as result of the
belligerent operations.
1HGIt WILL De dlltDiph upon TIE
part of representatives of the jew
ish race TO favor or oppose any par
, ticular nation. However, they will
call the attention of the representa-
tives of the powers to their services
and their needs. A previous instance
of such action is cited. at the con-
ference of the powers which recog-
nized the autonomy of Rumania,
when the Jews succeeded in having
stipulation inserted to the effect
that their countrymen in the Balkan
kingdom shall enjoy equal rights with
their Christian fellow -citizens. The
Jews of Europe believe that their at
titude in the present crisis has shown
the European governments the value
of their citizenship, and that they
may ask for the abolishment of the
distinctions drawn against their race
in many quarters.
Meanwhile. the problem in PalesL
tine is still the more pressing one.
There Is little doubt that the colony
will prove self-supporting under ia
vorable circumstances, but for the
present the need of assistance is inn
perative.