The Washington herald., 1921-03-27
PALESTINE TEENS
With ACTIVITY AS
YOUNG jews BUILD
Briton Visitor Tells of
Progress Being Made
By Zionists.

. LONDON. March 26.-sir Alfred
Mond. first commissioner Of works
In the British ministry equivalent
to minister OF public works), who
has just returned from a visit TO
Jerusalem. Is enthusiastic about the
progress of the Zionist movement in
Palestine. Sir Alfred is himself a
member OF the Jewish faith and has
been spending some time with his
ro-religionist. Sir Herbert Samuel,
high commissioner at Jerusalem.
He says that Palestine is getting
fine class Of young Jews from the
Ukraine and Galicia, having fed
from Bolshevik persecution. Most
CT them are accompanied by their
wives and intend settling down per-
manently in the Holy Land. These
young men and women. most of
them belonging TO the "intelligen-
sia" class. and including university
men with degrees. are roadmaking,
constructing railways and assisting
in the reconstruction Of the country
with enthusiasm and real patriot
ism. he declared in an interview.
Rough and Ready Life.
They lead a rough, hardy life.
husband and wife literally pitching
their tents by the roadside. Nearly
all the work on the land is being
done by Jews, some of whom have
come great distances. One Persian
Jew walked all the way from Persia
to Bombay to get to Palestine.
also met some very interesting Ca
madam Jewish farmers, who had
come from the other side of Win
nlnaU and fhav III
over other groups with tractors and
capital for working the land.
The American group Of Jews are
doing wonderful work medically and
the Zionist Medical Union has been
spending S50.OOO a month. One Of
the most impressive things Vas the
young generation of Jews, whose
parents were nearly all born In Rus
sian ghettos. They are fruit-grow-
ing and farming and showing that
the race will go back to their origi
nal role of cultivators Of the soil.
II found an Armenian family, who
had escaped massacre in their own
country because OF their skill. now
by the irony Of fate. repairing one
OF the Mohammedan mosques in Je-
russlem. which is being recon-
structed by an English architect
Obtains Arabs Conscience.
Sir Herbert Samuel has managed
to obtain the confidence of the Arab
leaders, and has convinced them of
his desire not only to assist them
but to give them a square deal
The government is opening up 40
Arab schools, and the responsible
Jewish and Zionist leaders realize
that the British insist on the proper
treatment of the Arabs and their
property. Great schemes of public
works are going forward, but il
should be understood that the civil
administration is being paid for out
Of the country's funds, and that
Britain is only substituting the mill
tary garrison.
Not only is Palestine quiet, but
security is good and improving. An
Arab and Jewish police force is be-
ing established and a local militia
Is contemplated. Communication and
transport are developing, and the
barren old land system, which left
everything at an economic stand
still. is giving way to a new order.
Turkish rule left everything at
low ebb. the country was even de-
forested owing to a tax on trees,
and the livestock was reduced ter
ribly."
Sir Alfred Mond declared that
there are immense possibilities in
the country, which was essentially
a land for the small farmer. There
is mineral wealth of phosrhates
and possibilities of oil.