The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-12

millions Of Jews throughout the word
last November when Arthur Balfour
British foreign minister. wrote to Sir
Lionel Rothschild, vice president OF
the Zionist organization of England
that the British government viewed
with favor the establishment in Pal
estine of national home for the
Jews.
But these were the joys of antici-
patton, the Jews having been prepar-
Cd for this semiOfficial statement is
sued by General Sir Archibald Muir
ray 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 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 Jewish state,
under either English or French pro.
lection, 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 sustained them through
the centuries will now be realized.
Statesmen of Italy, France and Rus
STA have politically pledged their coun-
tries to the support Of this plan. |
The. Pope recently received Zion
list emissary who explained the Jew
'ish aspirations. After listening intent
ly, his holiness CALCULATED I'VE viii
be good neighbors-we will be good
neighbors."
Whether ,by coincidence or design,
it is noteworthy that the American |,
council in London, extending its greet |
ings to the Zionists leaders on the OF. |
fetal declaration in their favor by the
British government, used the identical |
phrase that fell from the lips of the |
pope. @
Germany, too, indicated it's willing
ness to permit Jewish state in Pal
estine,. naturally under its over.lord-
ship E'ut since England's declara-
ton, there has been a revulsion of |
feeling in Teutonic circles.
Since 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 prayer for the res
toration. Through the centuries there
have been various attempts to re.es-
tablish the Jewish people on their an
cient land, but nothing of serious
character is recorded prior to 1860,
when the Alliance Israelite Univer-
salle,' of Paris began operating in Pal
estine. The first thing done by the
alliance was to establish an agricul-
tural school, for which the Turkish
government donated 625 acres of land
near Jaffa. A school was opened in
1870 under the name of "Mikvah L..
rael"
In, 1878 Laurence Oliphant, and Eng
lish explorer, visited Palestine and be-
came an advocate of Jewish resettle,
ment of the country. But not until
the SOS, when the first Jewish mass
acres occurred in Russia, was the
founl ation laid for the present Jewish
colonization. There were organized,
throughout Russia, "Bilu" societies,
composed of intelligent Jewish youns
men, who determined to become pic.
neers Of Palestine colonization.
Under their auspices a colony ''Rish-
on de Zion" first for Zion) was es-
tablished on the road between Jaffa
and Jerusalem. They found a land
barren, waterless, exposed
to the pitiless glare of the tropical
sun, rotting into mOrass and swamp,
and were almos:: entirely surrounded
by savage nomads.
We are thrilled with the story of
the Pilgrim Fathers who fought their
way to success from the precarious
foothold in bleak Plymouth. All the
valor, tile unquenchable courage o.
the Pilgrim Fathers was displayed by
these Jewish young men from the uni
versities of Russia. In 90 years. from
1SS2l914, this handful of pioneers
grew to some $4,000 Jewish farmers
in Palestine, strongly organized in 40
Meanwhile the Dreyfus scandal had
occurred in France, and DR.. Theodore
Harzl, a Viennese journalist who re-
ported the last trial Of the historic
scapegoat, published a brochure en-
titled "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.
a call was issued for congress.
which was held in Basic, Switzerland.
in 1897. and the Zionist organization.
which today has branches throughout
the world, was organized. The Zion
ist organization undertook firstly, po-
litical negotiations for recognition Of
the Jewish nationality and its claims
On Palestine; and secondly, the fos-'