Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-06-15
MAKE PALESTINE
A GARDEN AGAIN
Economic Council Chief Foresees
Holy Land as Great Agri-
cultural Nation.
IS PLEASED WITH PROGRESS
Country Soon Will Be an important
Factor in Near East Economic Life
will Not Support Large
Cities.

LonuOH.- Adplu pTOSTeSs hlreduy
has been made in developing the
economic resources of Palestine, but
we cannot hope for any five-year mir
acles in the country" said Sir Alfred
Gil for Palestine.
"The few months that have passed
since Sir Hebert Samuels organized
the new civil government have done
much to put things on sound foot
ing" he continued. There have been
10000 Jewish immigrants in the past
year, coD>lng from all parts of the
world, and they are already at work
building roads, laying out farms and
organizing the groundwork for devei-
opment schemes.
II find, however, that there are In
the public mind many misapprehen-
sions both In regard to the economic
conditions In Palestine and as to what
the Jewish people hope to do there
/ have heard persons talk OF the
Palestine Of the future as IL the Jews
hoped TO make 1t into another Eng
land, a gensey populated state full of
factories, industries, of large cities.
I do not see how this can ever be.
have just returned from tour of
Palestine and / know that ii is not
a country that will support cities such
as Manchester or Sheffield. Further
more, the Jews do not want such
cities.
An Agricultural Country.
Palestine is an agricultural cOun-
try. 1t resembles in topography such
Mediterranean lands as Spain or
Southern Italy. There is no coal. no
iron. Much Of IL is now waste land
that must be reclaimed by irrigation
There are now 100000 persons In
Palestine. gOf this number only 100,-
900 are Jews. The country Is In
poor condition politically and econo-
No one can realize. without
going there, what the centuries of
Turkish rule have meant. The Turk
fish regime prevented the development
of any worthwhile industry.
"FurthernOre, Palestine suffered
heavily "a the war. The Turks stripped
the country, cut down the orchards,
destroyed the vineyards and burned
the factories Excessive taxation pre-
vented industry Of any kind. Now,
after the war, Palestine is suffering
with the rest of the world i'm the
present economic depression. Palestine
is beautiful country; it can and will
be rich country. But that wealth
will come from agriculture. With irri-
gation-and there is both irrigation IA.
cility and water power in the Jordan
II believe that Palestine can be made
another California. Palestine now ex-
ports barley, oranges. olives, olive oil
and wines. There are two growing
seasons in the year, and the soil when
irrigated is most productive. Near
Jaffa saw 1000 acres of vineyards.
Almonds are grown there and wonder
full oranges aud grapefruit. The
colonists are just beginning to devel-
op the fruit growing possibilities to-
day, but throughout Palestine one can
see the terraCed hillsides that made
the whole country garden two thou
sand years ago. 1t will not be difficult
TO make the country garden again,
Cotton Can Be Grown There.
Cotton can he grown In Palestine,
and tobacco is already being grown
Furthermore there is q big field for
cigarette manufacture in the importa.
tiOn of nearby Macedonian tobacco. A
country with such natural assets can
become economically self-sufficient
end support a large population. There
were once 100000 in Palestine; | be-
r. Iieye that she soon will be able to
support at least 100000.
To-day Jews all over the world are
planning 10 emigrate to Palestine.
Hundreds Of thousands want TO 90
The Zionist organization is not hav.
Ing any difficulty in finding colonists
its difficulty Is to check and control
lths hEOd of applicants so that the de-
%eIopment will he sound and normal.
] believe that II is fair to say that al.
most all the Jews in parts Of Russia
and middle Europe wOsld like to go
10 Palestine.
palestine has a big future, but ii
will work out slowly"
b