New-York tribune., 1921-03-13

war. Palestine is suffering with the rest
of the world in the present economic
depression. The cost of living has
risen 500 per cent since 1914 Trade
routes have been broken. markets cus
on. In building the new Palestine we
must begin at the bottom.
hls is, perhaps. a gloomy picture
But after visiting Palestine | feel any
thing but pessimistic 1t IL beauti-
fui country; it can and will be rich
country But that wealth VIII come
from agriculture With gation-ard
there is both irrigation facility and
water power in the Jordan believe
that Palestine can be made another Cal
ifornia. Palestine now exports barley,
oranges, olives, olive oil and wines.
There are two growing seasons in the
year, and the soil when irrigated X
most productive. Near Ja9a I saw
1000 acres Of vim yards Almonds arc
grown there and wonderful oranges and
grapefruit. The colonists arc lust be-
ginning to develop the fruit growing
possibilities to-day. but throughout
Palestine one can see the terraced hill
sides that made the whole country a
garden 1000 years ago. 1t will not be
difficult to make the country a garden
again.
cotton Can Be Grown There
Cotton can be grown in Palestine,
and tobacco is already being grown.
furthermore there is big field for
cigarette manufacture in the importa-
ton of nearby Macedonian tobacco.
his could be made a big factory indus
try for the seaport towns. There are
phosphates for local consumption and
asphaitum also Many believe that
there is mineral oil there; certainly the
surface indications of oil bearing
strata are very good. A country with
such natural assets can become eco
nomlcally self-sutficient and support a
large population. There were once
6 100000 in Palestine: l. believe that
she soon will be able to support at
least 5000 900.
Today she has a good export trade
with Great Britain. Egypt and Danas-
Gus. She imports largely from Great
Britain. There is market here for
goods of all kinds. Meats, timed food
stuffs, clothing, cotton goods. agri-
machinery and some factory
machinery are all wanted. The cur
rency Of the country. is the Egyptian
pound. which is now at a premium over
the pound sterling. Even under the
Turkish rule Palestine paid her own
way. A tax OF 1872 per cent on all prod
ucts OF the land met all government ex-
pendltures, OF course, with the growth
OF the country taxation Will be distrib-
1ted IN a better and more modern way.
But Palestine is, and Will continue to
De, successful business proposition.
Big Flood of Immigrants
o-day Jews all over the world ara
planning to emigate TO Palestine. Hun
oreds OF thousands want to 90. The
Zionist Organization is not having
any difficulty in finding colonists; its
difficulty is to check and control the
food OF applicants so that the develop
ment will be sound and normal. l be-
lieve that it is fair to say that almost
all the Jews IN parts OF Russia and
middle Europe would like to go to
Pa alestine.
Palestine has a big future, but it
Will work out slowly There are many
local problems to be settled. There are
are only 100000 Jews. The Arabs own
the land and Will continue to own II.
some people have seemed to think that
he Jews were going to receive Pales-
Inc as gift. This is not so. Many
IF the leading Arabs. who held high
'ffices under the Turkish regime, are
ealous OF the Jews, but they are now
beginning to realize that they will
oenetit with the rest If Palestine is de-
seloped under a Jewish rule and by
modern Jewish methods. Their antag-
onism is merely a surface thing aud
soon viii pass. There IS no other. po-
itical difficulty. Bolshevism does NOT
exist. The Jews have come to Pale=-
,ine 20 escape Bolshevism, Of which
,hey know too much They DO nee
Tant TO see it in their country aftes
laving felt its results in Russia"