The American Jewish world. [volume] (Minneapolis ;) 1915-current, 1921-08-19

TOUR years aICer Cne memorable Bal
four Declaration-is a curious phe-
nomenon, for the principles of Zion
ism have long been considered and
studied by all the Allied Governments,
have received their unanimous ap-
prevail and the encouragement of our
own Government when it was sup
posed to be party to the Treaty.
The attention devoted by these Gov
ernments to the claims and objects of
the Zionist movement was neither
brief nor perfunctory. Its aims and
ideals, it's plans and proposals, and
the varied implications and far
reaching consequences involved by
their adoption and realization re-
ceived the most thorough and pro-
longed examination on the part of
the worlds leading statesmen, with
the result that the Peace Conference
held at San Reno in April, 1920, SOL
emily endorsed the ideal of Zionism
by deciding that a Home in Pales-
tine shall be created for the Jewish
people. The Mandate for the admin
istration of Palestine was conferred
upon Great Britain; Sir Herbert Sam
uel was appointed first High Commits
sioner; and for over year now the
Government of Palestine has been
graphing with it's difficult task.
There is not a State throughout the
civilized world that has not through
it's authorized representatives ex-
pressed sympathy with the great en-
terprise now undertaken in the Holy
Land; there is not single statesman
of eminence who has not given sin
cere utterance to his wishes for it's
success. But it has remained for
retired diplomat and a processing Jew
to spurn the collective wisdom of the
worlds leading statesmen and their
experienced political advisers and to
attempt to Illustrate the age-long as
pirations of his own people. Had Mr..
Morgenthau any new light to throw
upon the question, had he any new
argument for objection to advance,
had he discovered any unknown diff
culties or revealed any unsupported
risks, I could understand his enter
ing the arena at this late hour with
his time-worn protest. But careful
perusal of his article fails to bring to
light a single objection or argument
that has not long ago been discussed
and demolished Nay, much more
plausible objections have been offered
in the past and effectively shattered
and many who like myself, were cold
to the movement because of want OF
understanding, have become it's
champions. But Mr.. Morgenthau,
whose knowledge of the question is
manifestly superficial, has simply re-
furnished some Of the most thread
bare fallacies of the discredited party
and faunts them as a new political
revelation.
He claims, indeed, to speak with
knowledge, by virtue of his associa..
ton with Jews in various countries OF
Eastern Europe in which he has tray
eled; but his intercourse with his fel-
low-Jews in these regions has OBJ
viously been of little profit to him, as
he has failed to grasp the ideal by
which their lives are so strongly AMI
mated, and even presumes to combat
it. He speaks of Zionism as "be-
trayal" and thereby betrays his own
ignorance of Jewish history and lit
erature, for throughout the annals of
the Jewish people there has been a
persistent and irrepressible yearning
for the restoration of Palestine. Mr..
L