The Washington herald., 1917-12-12
Long Dream of Jews Near
Realization at Palestine
Herman Bernstein Tells of Progress of Plan
for Re-settlement of Holy Land by Hebrews.
Allies Show Decided Friendliness
!, and answering his own question, he

and answering his own question. he
says:
Their Ancient Hope.
Beyond doubt we will revive the
Jewish Palestine OF ancient days, and
give to the Jews the possibility of
realizing their ancient hope. Not all
Jews will return to Palestine, but
large numbers will. The new Jew
ish 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 homeland and their own
nationality. Hopes which have sus-
tained them through the centuries
will now be realized"
Statesmen OF Italy. France and
Russia have politically pledged their
countries to the support OF this plan.
The Pope recently received a Zion
ist emissary who explained the Jew
ish aspirations. After listening in
tently, his holiness calculated: I'VE
will be good neighbors-we will be
good neighbors."
Pope's Words Used.
Whether by coincidence or design.
it Is noteworthy that the American
council in London, extending its
greetings to the Zionist leaders on the
official declaration in their favor by
the British government, used the
identical phrase that fell from the
lips Of the Pope.
Germany. too, indicated its willing
ness to permit a Jewish state in
Palestine. naturally under its over
lordship. But since England's dec
laration, there has been a revul-
sion of feeling in Teutonic circles.
Since the fall OF Jerusalem before
the overwhelming Iegions 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 1880, when the Alliance Israelite
Universalle" of Paris began operat-
ing in Palestine. The first thing
done by the alliance was to estab-
hshm an agricultural school, for
which the Turkish government do
mated 625 acres OF land near Jaffa.
A school was opened in 1870 under
the name Of ''Mikvah Israel"
Progress Of Plan.
In 1878 Laurence OIiphant, an Eng
lish explorer, visited Palestine and
became an advocate of Jewish re-
settlement of the country. But not
until the SOS, when the first Jewish
occurred in Russia, was
the foundation laid for the present
Jewish colonization. There were Or
ganized. throughout Russia, "Biiup
societies, composed of intelligent
Jewish young men, who determined
to become pioneers of Palestine COL
onization.
Under their auspices a colony
"Rishon lie Zion" (irst for Zion)
was established on the road between
jana and Jerusalem. They found
land atrophied, barren, waterless, ex-
posed to the pitiless glare 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 to success from the pre-
carious foothold In bleak Plymouth.
All the valor, the unquenchable
Of the Pilgrim Fathers was
displayed BY these Jewish young men
from the universities of Russia. In
thirty-two years, from lS2-ls14. This
handful Of rioneers grew 70 some