New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-25
Zionist Conference Marks
New Era i'm Jewish History
Delegates, knowing That Golden Opportunity Had
Come to Israel in Palestine, Made Sweeping
Sacrifices to Realize the Dream of Centuries
From The T4oume's European Bureau

From The Tribunes European Bureau
LONDON, July 24.--Not since Titus
destroyed Jerusalem and scattered the
Jewish people to the four corners of
the Roman Empire has there ever been
such an important Jewish meeting as
the Zionist congress, which concluded
its sessions here Thursday. Who can
tell that this Jewish conference
may not prove the beginning of new
epoch in Jewish history, rivaled only
by that recorded in the Bible? The
similarity of this period to the days
of Ezra and Nehemiah is virtually an
accepted fact.
When, on April "a last, the Supreme
Council at San Reno wrote into the
Turkish treaty the famous Balfour
declaration pledging the signatories in
tine of national home for Jewish peo-
ple," the Jewish people, as David Lloyd
George then told the Zionist leader,
Dr.. Weizman, were given a start-it
was now up to them to make good"
The Zionist delegates assembled
whether national leaders or of the
hank and file, seemed to realize clearly
that this, the greatest opportunity that
has come to Israel in nineteen cen
turtles, was only an opportunity, and
that properly to avail themselves of all
required tremendous sacrifices. More
over, this opportunity carried with it,
as one leader put it, a sort of chal
lenge---a challenge by the whole world
to the Jewish people to make good its
age-long prayer for the restoration Of
Zion.
And Zion is barren, desolate land.
The Zionists must not only build, but
also first of all eradicate six or seven
centuries of bighted misrule.
Year Of Preparatory Work
In the past, whenever and wherever
new settlements had been started,
whenever has been attempted coloni-
cation on a large scale, it was always
on virgin soil, where bountiful crop
was the pioneers almost certain re-
ward But the case is different in
Palestine. There, due to terrible neg
lect, year will be required of hard
labor in preparatory work alone. True,
the soil contains the possibility of be-
coming the best in the world. 1t re-
sembles in practically every way Lower
first be removed before it can give
forth of its best.
At present the land is arid, defor-
ested and in many parts malaria in
tested. This conference had to consider
propose ways and means for trans
forming this barren, desolate land into
a garden country-"a land flowing with
milk ana honey" That this is posi-
bic the sixty some odd Jewish colonies
planted in Palestine during the course
of the last thirty years bear living and
eloquent witness.
That Great Britain expects no less
of the Zionists in Palestine was clear
ly brought out the other day by Lord
Curzon, when he was questioned in the
House of Lords regarding Palestinian
affairs.
From every part of central and east
ern Europe comes the cry that the
Jews in those sections cannot remain
there any longer. The helplessness of
the Jewish situation was never brought
home so keenly to the American dele
miles nearer the scene of horror and
travail.
East European Jews Ruined
Every new east European delegate
corroborates the statement that the
Jews IN those countries are complete
~ ruined and that their salvation lies
IN migration. The delegates are con-
scious of the fact that virtually the
whole world is Theoretically sealed
against large influx of immigrants.
The dread of what is to become of the
millions of central and eastern Eu-
ropean Jews, who compose more than
half of the Jewish race, hangs over the
conference, like the sword Damocles.
There was not delegate present blu,
was ready to extend himself to the ut
most that all who are clamoring for ad-
mittance, which is only another way of
saying for a chance to the pursuit
of life, liberty and some measure of
happiness, be forthwith transported
into Palestine. Furthermore, the
Zionist organization is a thoroughly
democratic body, fully responsive and
responsible to its constituent member
ship - and this membership on more
than one occasion gave due expression
of its desire for an immediate large
immigration into Palestine. A classic
example of this feeling is the resolu-
ton the extraordinary convention
of the Zionist Organization of America
adopted last May, which reads:
"In response to the longing Of many