The Denver Jewish news., 1923-05-02
By ISRAEL ZANGWILL

AtHbfnEA L.h4NN w
seldom has Jewish history been dis
gr;lced by n feebler document than that
issued by the American Jewish Con-
gress thru its executive committee. 1t
President Obregon lad made an offer
of great tract of land In Mexico for
the purposes of a Jewish settlement.
The offer had been made ia the first
instance thru Mr.. Paul w. Rothen-
berg of Chicago. hut the American Jew
ish Congress was naturally of opinion
that so great matter needed the Judg-
ment of n responsible Jewish body. And
obviously body operating on the Con
tinent in question and representing the
most affluent aggregation Of Jews in
history WAS the fit and proper instru-
ment Hence. when the Jewish Terri
torial Organization in London was
asked to leave the matter to the inves-
ti.ntiOn of the American Jewish Con-
grcss. l gladly stood aside. merely di-
recting the attention of the Jewish
Colonization Association. which admin
listers the Hirsch funds and spends no
small proportion of them in the pur-
chase of land. to the fact that II great
tract of territory might perhaps be ac-
uuired for nothing. A leading member
Of the Paris Council promised me to
bring up the matter in Il favorable
spirit. Refusing to work thru Mr.
Rothenberg. the executive committee OF
the congress even obtained proposal
for Jewish colonization and immigra-
tion from the president of Mexico di-
rect. And whatever the motive in pass
ing over Mr.. Rofhenberg. there is no
doubt that the congress thus strength
cncd its position in the matter as well
as the official character of the offer.
special committee on Mexican immi-
grafton" was set up. and after an i'm
posing delay this committee has now
issued its report.
This precious document is published
in the organ of the American Jewish
Congress. THE Index" the front page
WHICH III isii St itttVtS
line: Mexican Colonization Offer De
clined." \ subtitle declares: ''Ameri-
can Jewish Congress Made Thorough
Investigation of Mexican Colonization
Scheme and Found it Impractical" On
reading the report thus introduced. !
was irresistibly reminded of n criticism
of an English dramatist-let us call
him wilkinsOn-in great New York
daily- The notice of his new play was
headed in screaming capitals: "Wilkm-
son Fails Again. But when you read
the critilue itself. you found 1t quite
favorable. A hustled sub-editor was
probably responsible for the blunder.
But as the average reader rarely goes
beyond the headlines. the impression
that the play was Il failure was irrevo-
cably created in myriads of minds Even
so the head-lined report of the Ameri-
can Congress has already carried thru
the .Jewries of the world the impression
that the territory offered by President
Obregon was not worth having. But
the headlines. you discover that the
Congress has never investigated II at
all?
Indeed. the report explicitly declares
as much. ''Such scheme of c0lOniza
ton" it cOolly observes. lis quite be
yond the scope of the investigation ns
understood by the committee of the
American Jewish Congress- Thru in
vestigatiOn," forsOoth The only in
vestigation the committee has made is
as to the possibilities of ordinary immi-
grafton. That Mexico could not. at this
embrayonic stage of its economic devel-
opment and in view of the lingual and
religious difficulties, be recommended
for miscellaneous Jewish immigration.
leapt almost to the eye thru even rs
it is. thousands of energetic Jews have
found refuge and prosperity within its
borders. The inquiry that was needed
was of the possibility of extraordinary
Immigration immigration in the shape
of colonization of specifically allotted
territory. Inc lnadNisablllty OF orul-
nary immigration is no conclusive dis
proof of the possibility of extraordinary
immigration, safeguarded by special
conditions. And obviously the first step
in such an inquiry was to ascertain the
cha racter and climate of the region pro-
posed by President Obregon. Origi-
nally, for example, Lower California
had been suggested; n province the
jected nearly twenty years ago for its
aridity and which was not even free
from litigious issues. Mr.. Rothenbere
cnbled me that tract of five million
ncres in Chihauhau had been substi-
tuted, free from any necessity either of
.l.s.