Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-16
THE JEWISH HOMELAND

T1NHE development ana repopulatiOn by the
i Jews of the homeland of Palestine has
been called 'the greatest romance in his
tory" The ascription is not entirely exact,
since it implies an element of the unattain.
able
To credit this romance and dissociatc
It from the purely imaginative it is neces-
sary to take cognizance of the compre
hensive practical organization Of q stu
pendous undertaking.
Its reality receives especial emphasis this
week in Philadelphia, where a fortnights
campaign is under way to raise the local
quota of 100000 for the So, 900 900 fund
of the Keren Hayesod, or Palestine Founda-
ton. The ultimate goal is fixed Mt $780,
100000. Of which the American ALLEGATION
is $75,O00,O ,O00 to be raised within the next
five years.
Twenty four years ago in Basel the move
ment commonly known in ante. bellum days
as Zionism assumed the outlines of a task
to be prosecuted to conclusion of cxtraor-
dinary historical, spiritual and social sig.
ni6cance. The World War provided an
unexamplcd opportunity to realize ideals
which until then had appeared as elusive
as they were inspiring.
Encouraged by the successful resumption
OF the offensive in the Near East, Arthur
James Balfour on November ., 1917, for
mally declared that "IIis Majesty's Gov.
ernment views with favor the establishment
In Palestine Of a national home for the Jew.
ish people and will use its best endeavors to
facilitate the achievement Of this object"
Woodrow Wilson espoused the same cause
on August 81, 1913. One month previous
the remarkable victories of Allenby, which
had furnished new foundation Of substance
for a dream, rendered possible the dedica.
To-, &C A.
Hebrew university designed as a symbol of
Jewish cultural revival in Palestine.
In the San Reno conference in April,
1920, the Entente Powers officially scaled
and delivered to the Jewish people their
opportunity for national development on an.
cestral soil. REORGANIZATION had already
begun under the British regime.
Notwithstanding American traditional
aversion to active governmental participa-
tion in foreign affairs, the Senate of the
United States recently voted unanimous
approval of the Lodge resolution favoring
the establishment in Palestine OF the Jew
ish National Home. Last week the League
OF Nations Council, sitting in Geneva, re-
corded with satisfaction the receipt Of
American sanction of the British mandate
in Palestine.
An enterprise Of impressive proportions
questionably been started on major scale.
There Is room for Jewish resettlement in
the motherland. Although Moslems now
greatly predominatc in the population there
the average of persons per square mile is
only seventy five. Belgium, one Of the most
prosperous and enterprising of small ma :
tons, has nm average of 65S.
There Is nothing essentially impractical
In the effort to bring to full fruition the
rich resources Of a land msmanaged and
cruelty harassed from the days OF the Roman
Titus.
1t is regarded as certain that great mum.
bers Of European Jews, especially Poles and
Russians, will return to the heritage Of
their fathers. On comparatively small
scale an influx has already started. The
raising of the huge fund, in which Philadel-
| phia will assuredly assist to the measure
Of its abilities and according to the pre-.
scription Of the Keren Hayesod, of which
Samuel Untermyer, of New York, is Ameri-
can chairman, will give n new power of
organization and equipment for the COLOMBIA
| ton scheme.
| Zionism, to use the old name, has ceased to
be solely a vision. With consistent ener.
gics 1t is on the verge Of becoming a nun !.
dane fact.