The Washington times., 1922-05-07

REV. f. C. PRIMM,
OF Petersburg, Va. who has been
called to the pastOrate Of the
Second Baptist Church Ia Wash
ingtOn.
and lodging and minor necessary ex-
penses cost them about half Of this;
and they manage to get along. Many
Of these workers had bandaged
hands. Others were shivering with
malaria. BUTT was Sunday when
l saw them-their food was excel
lent and abundant. There was even
white wine, Riscohn le-Zions, on tie
table. They chatted together and
sang awhile before going out to play
football on the beach. Their road
job would end the first Of the year.
after which they hoped TO find ern-
ployment building houses in Tiberias
or Jerusalem; that is. provided the
Zionist commission gets money
enough.
All Plan to Remain.
visited another equally courage
Gus and hopeful gang, one Friday
evening, at the farther end OF
Palestine, in Beersheba. 1t was
building a wall around an English
pie likewise seemed satisfied with
their way Of living and their work.
To be sure, the wall would soon be
finished and the men did no: know
what their next Job would be, or
where they next would pitch their
tents; whether they would be able
To keep together, or would have 10
60 their individual ways. But II was
the night before their Sabbath rest.
They ate heartily, drank tea, smoked,
and had me talk to them about Soviet
Russia, which / had visited the year
before.
One of the Jolliest among them
suddenly sat down by my side and
said: "Can you tell me what II going
to become Of us? We don't know.
Arc we TO have work or starveY
A little farther on someone struck
up a mournful song, that seemed
most appropriate for that encamp-
ment by the cemetery. After mo-
ment's silence. my man again re-
marked: ''Only one thing We know.
everyone Of US. We shall stay In
this country. No one thinks Of
leaving, whatever happens" THAI
was In Beersheba-
Tho spokesman of another party
remarked: Every one Of VS. came
hero for ideal reasons. But even IN
Jaffa, as soon As we set foot in
this country and looked around. our
idealism had vanished. Probably II
fell into the water. Our fight FOR
existence began. 1t has been ~ fear
full struggle with reality" Any man
who. after a month of such oattling
with hard facts, still clings to his
ideal Of Zionism, We laugh at TO his
face. We call him IAN actor" Yet
these men were certainly exceptions.
On the road from Jaffa to Jerusa.
lem. a little aside from the great
automobile highway, there lies. close
behind them. shouting greetings TO
by the city of Ludd-ancient Lydda-
a great British central military
camp. A large party Of Highland
soldiers came toward us. They were
walking at ease after an early morn
ing's drill in the burning trcpicSl
sun. Their barred. blond, sun burnt
breasts shone In the brilliant light.
Two pipers headed the column, blow
ing "Bonny Dundee" with puffed-out
cheeks. The boys marched merrily
us In our automobile.
British Brand Jews.
Not far from this point. a dark
crowd was working along the high
way, guarded by armed British sol
diers. This dark group was the ia
nous road gang OF Ludd. Egyptian
fellahs were working side by side
with our immigrants. 1t Is unpop-
ular labor on account of the charac-
ter Of the construction. or the ell
mate, or the swamps. Desertions
were formerly common. So the Eng
lish military authorities, finding that
40 many fellahs were running away
that the construction Of the road
was delayed, ordered that all laborers
be branded. Before beginning work.
and during their rest period. these
people are obliged to squat down on
their heels, SO that they can be
watched more conveniently. l once
saw a group OF sixty fellahs. squat
ting in . long row at a railway sta
ton In Palestine. Two 'Tymmies'
with fixed bayonSts quietly smoked
their pipes Mt each end OF the line.
These brands are pressed upon the
naked shoulder. Neither prespira-
ton nor water win wash them off.
Months later deserter can be rec
ognized by this brand and brought
back-presumabiy TO prison. Since
asSAEutu hlSD
to this labor. which they are forced
by necessity to accept. they natur-
ally are branded likewise. The Eng
lish prefer an intelligent Jewish inn.
migrant to n lazy and ignorant fel.
Iah. but the democratic instincts of
the Englishman will not let him
make the slightest distinction be-
tween native and immigrant labor
ers working In the same gang.
So. en- tho highway OF Ludd. In the
famous Ludd Gang. our fellow Jews
are labostng with q brand upon their
shouldesS. They are laboring TO re-
build their country. Ito recover Erez-
1sraei by the sweat OF our brow"
This 10 the National Home OF the
Jews. the home that was theirs two
thousand Year, ago. and the land into
which Moses led the Jewish people
from Aizrsim-from slavery. after
forty years wandering In the de~~rt.
But our laborcrs a; Ludd are hap
py. They have work.
Hear ye. oh Israel
Yet In many Cu mrs ms rff~~.astO~s