New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
Adherents Increased
Ninefold in Year

Ninetold in Year
After the tremendous labor of sum-
moning the congress-many of the
workers, especially the young, had
Journeyed for weeks and weeks from
town to town and country to country
agitating for the cause-and the great
efforts made during the holding of the
congress there naturally was pause
in Zionist activity. The agitation and
propaganda, however, were soon again
IN full swing. The splendid echo the
congress found in public opinion, and,
on the other hand. the opposition which
made itself felt with redoubled sever
ity from certain Jewish quarters, in
face of the exceptional message the
first congress achieved, served to en-
courage the workers to renewed efforts.
The result was that within a period
of one year the number of adherents
increased ninefold. The III societies
grew to 913. Since then the number
of Zionists has been gradually increas-
ing, and the seventh congress was able
to register over 100000 organized
Zionists not counting tens Of thou
sands Of sympathizers, who without
being registered among organized
Zionists from time to time gave their
aid either individually or through their
own organizations.
At the first congress-, in 1897, the
idea of Jewish national fund was pro-
posed by Professor Herman Schapiro
of Heidelberg. At the fourth congress-
held in 1900, the plan was accepted in
principle. The purpose Of the fund was
to produce a permanent capital, which
should be the property of the Jewish
people for the exclusive purpose Of
buying land in Palestine. 1t was not
to be touched until it reached the sum
of Sl,OOO,000. This fund, incorporated
in England, has already exceeded ST.
100000, raised from the pennies of
the poor" in all parts of the world. 1t
is largely invested in Palcstinian land,
and the unique guiding principle of
of the land which may have been
acquired AS the fund continues to
grow more and more land passes into
the hands of the company, which holds
it practically as the trustee of the
Jewish people.
At the inception Of the Zionist move
ment it was realized that the pro-
gramme necessitated the upbulding Of
strong financial agencies for carrying
out practical aims in Palestine. Ac-
cordingly. the Jewish Colonial Trust
was cSCdDllSHeU III LOluOI, England. IL
now has capital Of nearly two million
dollars. Most of this money has been
subscribed by the poorer classes Ga
share is of the par value Of SOL, and
it is only recently that the richer
classes in Jewry have become sufficient
ly interested to contribute largely to the
cause Perhaps the best work carried
on by the Jewish Colonial Trust is
the activity of it's subsidiary company
the Anglo Palestine Company. The lat
ter has branches in all the important
centres in Palestine, including Jeru
salem, Jaffa, Haifa, etc. 1t has bee,
successful from the point Of view OF
the profits which it has earned, at least
until the outbreak of the war; but it.
great value to US consists in the i'm
petus it has given to the Jewish de-
velopment of Palestine by the loans
which it has been able to offer the
Palestinian farmers and merchants. By
encouraging agricultural and industrial
enterprises, the Anglo Palestine Com
pany has been perhaps the largest fac
tor in the Jewish economic upbuildin:
of the Land Of Israel.