The Washington herald., 1917-12-12
Is. 900 Jewish farmers in Palestine,
strongly organized In forty villages.
Dreyfus Case Sequel.

lo,VO jewish Farmers In Palestlne,
strongly organized in forty villages.
Dreyfus Case Sequel.
Meanwhile. the Dreyfus scandal
had occurred in France, and DR..
Theodore HarzI. a Viennese journalist
who reported the last trial Of the
historic scapegoat. published q bro
chure entitled "a Jewish State" in
which he summoned the Jews Of the
world to revive their nationality and
claim at the hands of the powers "a
publicly recognized, legally secured
homeland in Palestine" Inspired by
this book. call was Issued for a
congress. which was held in Basle,
Switzerland. in 1897, and the Zionist
organization. which today has
branches throughout the world. was
organized. The Zionist organization
undertook firstly, political negotia-
tions for recognition of the Jewish
nationality and its claims on Pales-
tine; and secondly. the fostering of a
national colonization in the Holy
Land.
In the last few years before the
war there arose a number of large
plantation societies C"Achuzoth'D,
which were founded in Russia, the
United States. England and Ru-
mania
Several workmen's settlements have
been founded during the last few
years, mostly with the help of the
Jewish national fund, in the neigh
borhood of the large colonies. At
the same time the former colonies
have been considerably enlarged by
the purchase of land in their neigh
borhood.
Just Before War.
A brisk influx of brave young la
bOrers on the one hand, and Of en-
terprising capitalists on the other,
was particularly noticeable in Pales-
tine during the last few years before
the war.
The Jewish population Of Palestine
now bears a higher proportion to the
total number Of inhabitants Of the
country than does the Jewish popu-
lation In any other country Of the
world.
The old Jewish settlers are those
whose religious sentiment drew them
to Palestine, in most cases after they
have passed the prime of life, to
spend their remaining years in prayer
and study on holy grounds. For the
most part they have been from the
outset, or have become in the course
of time, dependent on charity. This
evil has extended to their children,
and their children's children.
Very different are the settlers of
the new type, who went there under
the impulse of Jewish nationalism,
They sought a foothold first Of all
outside the towns, in the plains of
Judaea and Galilee. As their azri-
cultural colonies grew and their pro-
ductivity increased, they brought
business to the seaport towns of
Jana and Haifa, and side by side
with the development OF the colo
mics there proceeded a rapid Jewish
immigration into those towns.
Arabs Show Jealousy. /
Settlers OF the new type began to
come also to Jerusalem, where, as In
the other towns, they formed modern
suburbs outside the old and over
city. In town and country
alike the new settlers have brought
with them European energy and ideals
Of progress. |
The Arabs have not unnaturally felt
some Jealousy Of the Jewish colonies,
which compare so favorably with
their own primitive villages, but they
realize that economically the coming
Of the Jewish settlers has been great
ly to their advantage, and they have
accepted II as a matter Of course that
the Jewish colonists shall make their,
own local laws and regulations, as
they build their own homes. Thus the
Jewish colonies in Palestine have en-
ioyed a measure of independence and |
self-governu1ent which will be impos-
sible in q more highly developed, and |
closely controlled country They have
had to work out for themselves their
own political and problems,
CMr. Bernstein wiIl.. tan tomorrow
about the first battle In thia war,
which was, fought not = Belgium.
but in RsleStlne.l q !