Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1921-02-10
JEWS FLOCKINC
TO PALESTINE
Are Coming From All Corners of.
the Globe.
THEIR PROBLEMS OUTLINED

Their PROBLEMS OUTLINED
General Secretary of the Zionist Or
ganization Issues Statement Telling
of the Progress That Has Been Made
Program to Handle pioneers"
Was Formed at Conference of Gen.
trial European Observation-Disclosures
OF the Jews Is Growing.
Representatives of all the Jewish
| emigration bureaus in central Europe
met recently at Maehrich Ostrau on
the border between Poland and CzechO-
SloVakla and adopted program to
provide for the rush of Jews return
ing to Palestine. The conference was
called by Mr.. Landmann, general Sec
rotary of the Zionist organization of
London. Mr.. Landmann afterward is
sued statement in which he said that
Jews from the remote corners of the
globe are arriving in Palestine, and in
which he outlined the problems which
must be met. The statement reads:
1.-THE movement of Jews to Palestine
is no new phenomenon. For centuries
in fact ever since the destruction of
the temple in 70 A. D.-there have
been individuals who felt the call, and
on several occasions whole groups have
taken the wanderers staff in hand and
made the pilgrimage to Palestine. But
it has been reserved for our own time
TO see the beginning of a national re-
turn, of the rebirth of a people after
so many centuries of waiting and hop
Ing.
1.-The Balfour declaration was inter-
preted by the simple folk in this part
| of the world as the establishment of q
Jewish state and an open invitation to
all to come. Many sold their belong
ings and set out on foot i'm the midst
of war conditions. Very few reached
their haven; military eXigencies kept
the gates of Palestine closed, even to
the Jew.
Good Class of Pioneers.
THE actual migration was compelled
to wait until the political future OF the
country was finally settled at San
Reno last April. The reports read at
the conference by the delegates who
were in charge of the Palestine bu-
reauS in Poland and Vienna show that
after San Reno the number grew enor-
mously. The aggravated political con-
| ditiOns in Poland also contributed to
hasten the decision, of those who had
half resolved to go. Between the
months of May and September about
$4,000 persons registered their names
as ready to undertake the journey.
1.-THE class of these pioneers is very
good. They are almost exclusively
young men and women-about 10 per
cent are women-between the ages Of
seventeen and twenty-five. They are
called by the Hebrew name 'Chalut-
zim,' meaning pioneers They have
been preparing for their future lfe's
work in various ways Many have left
their schools and colleges and gone to
till the soil with their own hands in
order to be prepared.
apart from these purely agricultu-
raj pioneers, there are others who are
being trained as bricklayers, masons,
tinsmiths, plumbers and in all other
branches of the building trades. The
crying need of Palestine is for houses
and shelter for all the new arrivals.
I'm addition to the knowledge Of q
! handicraft, Hebrew speaking is an in
! 'dispensable part of the curriculum.
Between 70 and 80 per cent Of all who
leave for Palestine can speak Hebrew.
I was myself in Palestine two months
ago, and visited the settlements Of
some of the newly arrived 'Chalutzim,'
and was greatly impressed with them
the men as well as the women.
MANY came from well-to-do fami-
! lies and had not been accustomed to
! hard manual work. Yet they cheer
/ fully cleared the stones from the soil
in the broiling sun and planted seed
lings for the future fruits of Palestine.
Many in Need Of Funds.
There are hundreds of thousands
| like them yet in central and eastern
Europe and the great problem Is to
| transfer them to Palestine. There are
| two main difficulties to overcome. The
| first is due to the economic ruin Of
central and eastern Europe. In ordi-
nary times most Of these pioneers
| would have tolerable sum of money
/ at their disposition for the journey,
and for their first settlement in Pales-
tine. Today the German and Polish
| mark and Austrian and Hungarian
/ crown and Russian ruble are so low
that comparatively wealthy persons
have to ask for assistance to pay
their passage.
1.-THE other difficulty is due to the
condition of Palestine. The land has
been desolate for so many years that
IL cannot be rendered fit for habitation