New Britain herald., 1917-05-04
NEW FUTURE FOR
 THE JEWISH RACE t
Events in Russia and Palestine
 Arouse Hope Among Faithful

London, May 4.-'The news of the past few weeks, both from Russia and from Palestine. points to the opening of q new era for the Jewish race." declared Sir Alfrad Mond in an interview today. Sir Alfred. who holds the post of first commissioner for works in the Lloyd George cabi- net. h the only Jewish member of the present ministry.
 Tn Russia" he explained, 'the rev. olutton brings the promise of com plete political emancipation; in Pal estine. the British advance indicates Tn the near future the realization of some modified form of a national ineal which most Jews have held dear for centuries
 "Of the two events. the revolution in Russia ts much the more import ant development so far as Jews are concerned. for it applies to 6,000,- 900 of my race. Nothing like this number could possibly be affected by the maturing of the Palestinian ideal.
 With the advent of a liberal re- gime in Russia, the sentiment of America, is now pro-Russian-a very remarkable but quite natural trans formation.
 Jewish emigration from Russia to the United States will now diminish for the conditions that made for this emigration no longer operate. Under the new era the Russian Jews should shed the characteristics which are largely due to repression. to exclu- sion from the life of the nation. Em- braced in the nation. they will be moulded by the national genius Of the Russian people while retaining their own individqality.
 Russia will find now that her new-born Jews are 8 tremendous as- set. Wherever the Jew has received full liberty. as in England and the United States, he has proved himself an energetic. enterprising and loyal citizen. ., In many branches of in-s dustFy, finance, law and medicine, he has excelled.
 When I was in New York the tremendous zest for educational pro- gress even among the most illiterate of the Jews who had emigrated there. was one of the many things that irn- pressed me. visited an extremely fine technical school, built by the of New York. one of the finest institutions of its kind I have ever seen. and there I was told that . very large proportion of the pupils were children of the poorest Jewish parents who had come from Russia.
 "Jews in Russia have never been hostile to the people of Russia. but only to the despotic form of govern ment there, and this hostility un- doubtedly played 8 great part in feeding the repugnance which demo- cratic America discovered for the Russian autocracy."
 Turning to the opportunity opened up for the Jewish race in Palestine by the entrance of the British armies, Sir Alfred said: Are the Jews suit able for the agricultural. life which must be the. basis of the development of this sun enriched soil?5 Reference to the Jewish agricultural colonies established in Palestine in recent years gives an affirmative answer. These colonies have achieved remark able results and seem to point to the survival of the old pastoral instinct of the Jews.
 "I consider that the Jew has a pe- culiar aptitude for arming. If Jews are found today mostly in non-agri- have been prevented for centuries from owning land. so of necessity they have congregated in the cities. I should like to see much larger agricultural element among my people, for the physical results to the race would be very appreciable.
 ''I have yet to be convinced that the foundation of an independent Jew