The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-04-26
PALESTINE

ton of America has pointed out that a
recent story concerning the rebirth of
Palestine, based largely upon an incom-
plete review of survey issued last
December by Addison E. Southland, Am
erican Consul at Jerusalem, in effect
turned an optimistic statement into
gloomy picture and thus was unfair
both to the consul and the Zionist
movement.
Access has since been had to the
full report of Sc pages, and it appears
that the American consul made a most
interesting contribution to the move
ment being carried on by the Jews who
are referred to as zone of the most
active and virile commercial races in
, the world" Following is a summary
made from the full report of Mr..
Southland to the Department of Com
merce.
Writing in a conservative manner,
and in the customary formal style of
consular. report, Consul Southland
expresses in his survey most encour-
aging review of the future of Pale
slime After referring to the fact that
Palestine at present does not offer
great commercial attractions, he con-
fidently speaks Of ''the assured develop
ment of its splendid opportunities as an
entrepot in trade between the markets
of the Occident and those lying be-
tween the Euphrates and the Mediter-
ranean on the one side, and those of
the newly awakened districts of north
western Arabia on the other side.
Palestine will serve as trading base
for a probable total Of more than three
million people in~the district indicated.
Within the boundaries Of Palestine the
population will be appreciably increas-
Sd each year by immigration made up
mainly by adult individuals from cen
trail and eastern Europe, who are much
more advanced as potential consumers
of foreign manufactured goods than
are the people who, as whole, Gre
ferring to the Arabs) make DIP the
present population of the country"
Consul Southard's optimistic views
seems largely to be based on conf
dence in the Zionist movement, for he
writes that "the main factor in the
commercial rebirth of Palestine is the
sentimental and material attention it is
receiving from one of the most active
and virile races of the world (the
Jews) which appears determined to
snare no effort in making the best of
every economic possibility which the
country possesses" Of the Arabs he
then says: "The majority population
of the country, which is of Arabic
origin, is not in position to provide
financial capital to any great extent,
but it will supply valuable capital of
certain physical and Mental virility
which should react nightly to the var
ious economic factors that will proba-
bly, be set in motion"
Celebrating his views Of Palestine
as a great future trade center, Con-
sui Southland declares: with improved
communication assured, it (Palestine)
will command the trade of some mil
lions of people in northern Arabia; of
that wonderful grain district south of
Damascus, and known as the Hauran;
and of other parts of southern Syria
shut off by the Lebanons from the
Syrian port of Beirut, which includes
Damascus and it's rich caravan trade
extending even further INTO the dis
trict Of the EGphrates.
Mr.. Southland predicts. a great fu-
ture for Haifa, referring to it as the
proposed terminus of an oilpipe line
from Mesopotamia, of it's being the
Mediteranean port of the Hedjas rail
way and of railway connection with
Dama scus, and having the "most fav-
orable harbor possibilities on the long
Syrian coast south of Alexandretta."
The construction of proper harbor IA
cilities at Haifa, Southland indicates as
perhaps the most important factor in
fuencing the development of Pales-
tines foreign commerce"
The economic rehabilitation of
Palestine, Naccofding to this survey
depends largely upon the fullest pos