The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-12-13
|DR||E'|AnO JEWS
IN PALESTINE
NAY CONE TRUE
Bernstein Tells About the
Efforts They Have
Made There.
FARMING N HOLY LAND
Feats Of the Pilgrim Fathers
Being Repeated in the
Near East.
:. by HERMAN BERNSTEIN
Editor Of The American Hebrew
Copyright, lit by the Newspaper

copyright, III by the Newspaper
Enterprise Association.
Joy, was brought to the hearts OF
millions Of Jews throughout the world
last November 8, when Arthur Bal
four, British foreign minister, wrote
to Sir Lionel Rothschild, vice presi-
dent Of the Zionist organization Of
England, that the British government
viewed with favor the establishment
in Palestine national home for the
Jews.
i But these were the Joys Of antici-
patton, the Jews having been pre-
pared for this official declaration by
a semi.official statement ssued by
General Sir Archibald Murray In
March, Just before his army reached
GAIA.
what shall we do with Palestine,
which is now about to be stripped
from the Turkish yoke?" he inquired.
and answering his own question, he
says:
Beyond doubt we will revive the
Jewish Palestine of ancinet days, and
give to the Jews the possibility of
realizing their ancient hope. OF all
Jews will return to Palestine, but
large numbers will. The new Jewish
state, under either English or French
protection, will become the spiritual
and cultural center of all Jewry. The
Jews will at last have their own
nationality. Hopes which have sus-
tanned them through the centuries
win now be realized"
Statesmen 0f Tta1y Franco and
Russia have politically pledged their
countries to the support OF this plan.
The Pope recently received
Zionist emissary who explained
the Jewish aspirations. After
listening intently, his holiness
calculated: We will be good
neighbors-we will be good
neighbors."'
Whether by coincidence or besign,
IT'S noteworthy that the American
council in London, extending its greet
ings to the Zionists leaders on the
official declaration in their favor by
The British government, used the iden-
tical phrase that fell from the lips
pf the Pope.
Germany, too, indicated its will
lngness to permit Jewish state in
Palestine, naturally under its over
rlaration, there has been a revulsion
Of feeling in .Teutonic crcles.
Snce the fall Of Jerusalem before
the overwhelming legions of Rome,
and the Jewish dispersion from Pal
estine, the liturgy Of that people has
been burdened with prayers for the
restoration. Through the centuries
there have been various attempts to
re-establish the Jewish people on
their ancient land, but nothing OF a
serious character Is recorded prior
to 1860, when the Alliance Isrealite
Bniyersalle" of Paris began operating
in Palestine. The first thing done
by the alliance was to establish an
agricultural school, for which the
Turkish government donated 625
acres of land near Jaffa. A school
was opened in 1870 under the name
Of. "Mikvah Israel
In 1878 Laurence Oliphant, an
English explorer, visited Palestine
and became an advocate of Jewish
resettlement of the county. But not
until the SOS, when the first Jewish
rnassacres occurred in Russia, was
the Foundation laid for the present
Jewish colonization. There were or.
gsuized, throughout Russia, "Bilu so.
cieties, composed Of intelligent Jew
ish young men, who determined to
become pioneers Of Palestine coloni-
Eation.
Under their auspices a colony
'Rishon LIE Zion" first for zion)
was established on the road between
Jaffa and Jerusalem. They found a
land atrophied, barren, waterless, ex-
posed to the pitiless glare Of the
tropical sun, rotting into morass and
swamp, and were almost entirely sur.
rounded by savage nomads.
We are, thrilled with the story OF
the sPilgram fathers who fought their
way to success from the precarious
foothold in bleak Plymouth. AL the
,valor, the unquenchable courage Of
the Pilgrim Fathers was displayed by
these Jewish young men from the uni.
yersities Of Russia. In 80 years, from
1Ss2-1914, this handful OF pioneers
grew to some $4,000 Jewish farmers
In Palestine, strongly organized in
40 villages.
Meanwhile the Dreyfus scandal had
occurred in France. and DR.. Theo.
dore Hazi. a viennese Journalist who
reported the last trial Of the histor-
30 scrapegoat, published a brochure
entitled "A Jewish State in which
he summoned the Jews Of the world to
fevive their nationality and claim
atAthe hands Of the powers "a publicly
recognized, legally secured home
laid In Palestine" Inspired by this
book, . call was issued for q CON.
igress, which was held in Basic. Swift.
gerland, in 1897. and the Zionist or
ganization. which today has branches
throughout the world, was organized.
The Zionist organization undertook
firstly, political negotiations for re-
cognition Of the Jewish nationality
and its claims On Palestine; and
secondly, the fostering Of a national
colonization in the Holy Land.
In the last few years before the
var there arose number OF large
plantation societies t"Achuzoth'),