The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-04-29
BACK TO PALESTINE.
Jews Everywhere Strong for Return
y to Land of Promise.

Over 80 per cent. of the entire
Jewish population of China, Japan,
Siberia and Russian Manchurla are
anxiously awaiting an opportunity to
migrate to Palestine, according to
Samuel Mason, Jewish Relief Com
missioner to Siberia, whose report in
this remarkable situation was made
public by the Zionist Organization of
America yesterday.
'The same tense yearning is found
among the Jewish communities of
Siberia proper and the Ural," says
Mr.. Mason.
t'In Japan there is no Zionist or
ganization of any description, yet
there are hundreds of Jews there, 50
per cent. of the entire Jewish popu-
lation impatiently awaiting the time
when they may have their passports
vfsed, so that they can embark in
Mediterranean steamships for Paless
tine. This mass desires to emigrate
to Palestine which I found every
where in the Far East is not due to
propaganda, but is an expression OF
deeply ingrained Jewish sentiment" :"
The thousands of Jews in the Far
East waiting for the opening of Pal
estine through the establishment of
the League of Nations or the signing
of the teraty with Turkey are rough
ly grouped into five classes by Mr..
Mason-investors, traders, farmers,
laborers and idealists.
'tThe traders contain a large pro-
portion of men with extensive export
and import business experience, which
they propose to utilize on a large
scale in Palestine Several corpora
tions with capitalizations of millions
of rubles for the purpose of export
ing and importing materials to Asia
Minor via Palestine have already
been formed at Harbin and Irkutsk.
] A shipping company has been estab-
ished at Harbin.
ssThe farmers want to convert their |
Russian currency into agricultural
implements as soon as they know
they can proceed and that there is
available land for them. The labor
ers are willing to do any kind of work
and content themselves with the scan
ty resources of the war ridden coun-
try as long as they can feel confident
of their future safety. The idealists
desire to dedicate their services to the
urgent needs of the country for one
orstwo years in any capacity for which
they may seem fitted. The investors
are usually elderly persons whose
faith in the future of Palestine is
firm and who are willing to stake
their capital on any development
proposition approved by the Zionist
government.
3 .sThe greatest difficulty in the emf
grafton of these people after the po-
1itical status of Palestine is determ-
sinhd and it's rehabilitation has proceed
ed to the point where it can receive
Immigrants is the Russian currency
continued Mr.. Mason Their capital
is in rubles, which have fallen in
value almost to nothing. The ST.
berian gqEernment prohibits the ex-
porting Of rubles now, and the Unit
ed States and Great Britain prohibit
their import
Mr.. Mason reports that the Zionist
aspirations have received ready in
dorsement from the governments of
Japan, China and Siberia, and that in
the latter country the Zionists were
granted the privilege of assisting
Jewish prisoners of war in Siberian
prison camps, privilege usually on
" accorded representatives of neutral
countries.
Captain Daid I. Sandleson, staff
officer with the British forces in ST.
IBERIA, who passed through New York
city homeward bound recently, told
officers of the Zionist organization
that he was present at conference
in ,Harbin where in response to
question from the rabbi the answer
was: "Next year in Jerusalem"
Capt. Sandleson attended other Zion
ist conferences at Vladivostock, Irku-
tsk, Omsk, and Tomsk and estimated
the number of Siberian Jews who are
eager to migrate to Palestine at
about 100000.