Intermountain Jewish news., 1925-12-10
The Zionists and the
Mandatory Power
BY Lieut.. Commander the Hon ]. NJ.
Kenworthy, II. n, N. p.


acknowledgements Kenworiig,
son Of Lord StpuAoigi and one Of the
most prominent members Of the Brit
ish House Of Commons. This is The
third Of a series Of articles pritten err
ehtsiveiy for the Jeuish Telegruphtc
Agency on the problem Of Palestine
aud the British Mandate) )-EDrToR.
The Permanent Mandates Commis
sion Of the League OF Nations has been
sitting at Geneva. The British Gov
ernment as a Mandatory Power Is, un-
der the constitution OF the League,
bound to furnish report on its ad-
ministration Of Palestine, and this has
duly been done. Major the Hon. Orms-
by-Gore. NJ r, under Secretary OF
State for the Colonies, represents the
British Government as a witness be-
fore the Commission. He is looked up
on as personally favorable to the Zion
list cause.
Commissioner OF Palestine Of Septen-
ber lst later, written on behalf OF the
Zionist Organization together with the
memorandum submitted by the Zionist
Organization to the Secretary-deneral
of the League of Nations for the infor-
nation Of the Permanent Mandates
\ Commission Of the same date has been
widely circulated. 1t is highly prob
able that those interested in the Zion
ist movement on the Permanent Man
dates Commission other than the Brit
ish Representative will raise the gen
eral and political conduct Of the Man
datory Power and the question Of
future policy generally.
The British Administration Of Pal
estine as Mandatory Power is not open
to any serious criticism II the condi-
ton were normal. The Government has
been good, there have been no disor-
ders OF any seriousness, the military
| lation have no Just grounds OF com
plaint But the policy of the British
Government in carrying out the terms
of the Balfour Declaration and the
steps taken for the re-establishment
Of the Jewish National Home in Pal
estine are all open to criticism.
Some of the reasons for this critic
ism are expressed in DIR. Weizmann's
letter. Among others they are the
small grants-in-aid given TO the Jewish
schools in Palestine, these amounting
in 1924-5 to only c3,O65. This amounts
to $50 Of the sum appropriated to etiu-
cation from public funds, Now the
Jews at present number about 1870 of
I the population and on a mere capita
: grant 1870 of the amount available for
. education should have been handed
: over to Jewish educational establish
i ments. The fact of the matter is that
4 the Zionist Organization itself is SPENT
4 total cost of the Hebrew schools in
the year ending September 80, 1924
l was f92,677. In addition to this $1,000
was granted by the Zionist Organiza-
tion to the Jewish Labor Association
for expenditure on evening classes, lee
lures and libraries. To all these must
he added the cost Of the Hebrew Uni
vcrsity on Mount Scopus which has
been almost entirely betrayed from
Zionist funds. The fact that the Zion
list Organization and other Hebrew or
CARNATIONS are spending so much
money on education is probably the eN-
. cuse of the Government for not pro
viding n larger quota of the grant TO
education from the revenues Of the
country But this excuse is not valid.
The revenues of the country are raised
by the taxation of the whole of the
. inhabitants and the proportion paid to-
day by the Jewish section, owing to
their greater prosperity and CONNER
cial activity, is relatively high. If the
grant was more equitably distributed
there would be more money available
TO the Zionist organization for land set
for further grants TO higher education.
Next, consider the land question.
Article vi of the Palestine Mandate IT.
self lays down that close settlement by
Jews on the land, including state lands
. and waste lands not required for pub
lie purposes, shall be encouraged.
Compared with the provision of lands
to emigrants by the Government Of the
British Dominions. the Mandatory Pow
cr in Palestine cannot be accused Of
; undue generosity. In fact. compared
/ to the action of the Turkish Govern
ment before the War, little more gen
erosity has been shown 10 the Zionist
organization in this all-important land
question.
f 1t is true that the original couces.
siou Of the Turkish authorities for the
lease Of the kabarra swamps has been
Y confirmed and Tpupwcl hut much cap.