Evening journal., 1917-12-12


Sion by a semi-ofllcal statement issued
by General Sir Archibald Murray in
March. just before his army reached
GAIA.
What shall we do with Palestine,
which Is now about 20 be stripped from
the Turkish yoke2" he inquired, and
answering his own question, he says;
Beyond doubt we will revive the
Jewish Palestine Of ancient days, and
give to the Jews the possibility Of real
izing their ancient hope Not all Jews
viii return 20 Palestine, but large num-
hers will The new Jewish state under
either English or French protection,
will become the spiritual and cultural
center A. all Jewry. The Jews xviii at
least have their own homeland and their
own nationality Hopes which have sus-
lained them through the centuries viii
now be realized"
Statesmen Of Italy. France and Rus
sia have politically pledged their coun-
tries to the support Of this plan.
The Pope recently received a Zionist
cmissary who explained the Jewish
aspirations After listening intently, his
holiness calculated: we will be good
ncighbors-we will be good neighbors
Whether by coincidence OF design, 1t
is noteworthy that the American coun-
ril in London, extending It's greetings
% the Zi0nists leaders on the official
declaration I'm their favor by the Brit
ish government used the Identical
phrase that fell from the lips Of the
Pope.
Germany, too, indicated its willing
ness TO permit Jewish state In Paies-
line, naturally under its over-lordship.
But since England's declaration, there
las been a reyulsion Of feeling In Teu-
onic circles
Since the fall Of Jerusalem before the
overwhelming legions Of Rome, and the
Jewish dispersion from, Palestine, the
iiurgy Of that people has been bur
tened with prayers for the restoration
Through the centuries there have been
various attempts 20 re-establish the
Jewish people on their ancient land.
but nothing Of a serious character Is
recorded prior 20 1860 when the ALI
3nce lsrealite Universalle" OF Paris be-
gan operating in Palestine. The first
lining done by the alliance was 20 es-
,sblish an agricultural school, FOR
which the Turkish government donated
f25 acres OF land near Jana. A school
vas opened in 1870 under the name OF
Mikyah Israel"
In 1878 Laurence Oliphant, an Eng
-h explorer visited Palestine and be-
me am advocate Of Jewish resetile-
ment Of the country. But not until the
.D-. when the FIRST jewish massacres
occurred in Russia. was the foundation
laid for the present Jewish colonization.
There were organized. throughout Rus
,ia. "Bilu" societies. composed Of intel
ligent Jewish young men, who deter
mined 10 become pioneers Of PalesNne
colonization.
Under their auspices colony
"Rishon L. Zion" first for Zion) was
established on the road between jana
and Jerusalem. They found "a land
atrophied. barren, waterless, exposed TO
the pitiles, STARE Of the tropical sun,
rotting into morass and swamp, and
were almost entirely surrounded by
SAVAGE nOmads.
We are thrilled with the story Of the
Pilgrim Fathers who fought their way
i0 euccesa from the precarious f0OthOld
In bleak Plymouth. NJ the valor. the
uanc Ouragc Of the Pilgrim
Fathers was displayed by these Jew
I.n oung men f.om the universities OF
Russia In - years, from iSS2-i9ii, this
handful Of pioneers grew 20 some 1000
Jewish farmers in Palestine, strongly
organized in 40 villages.
Meanwhile, the Dreyfus scandal had
occurred in France, and Dir. Theodore
Harzl, a Nieunese journalist, who re
ported the last trial Of The historic
scapegoat, published brochure en-
titled "a Jewish state" in which he
summoned the Jews Of the world 10
revive their nationality and claim at the
hands Of the powers "a publicly recog-
nlzed, legally secured homeland In
Palestine" Inspired by this book, call
was issued for a congress, which was
held In Basle, Switzerland, in 1891, and
the Zionist organization, which todaS
has branches throughout the world,
was organized The Zionist organiza-
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