Evening star., 1926-12-05
BYFREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
. ION, the Jewish national home

" ION, the Jewish national home
In Palestine. has bounded sud
denly into the ever widening
A~3 orblt OF Americas 8 foreign af-
fairs. Discussions concerning
IT nave just taken place in Washing
ton between DIR. Chain Weizmann Of
London, president Of the World Zion
lst Organization, and important off,
clal personages. Among those with
whom he conferred are Secretary Kel
logg. Senator Borah. chairman of the
foreign relations committee of the
Senate. and Vice President Dawes
Dr. Weizmann also saw DIR. Elwood
Mead. chief of the Bureau of Recla-
nation. Reclamation and irrigation
are major problems in Palestine
The significance of Dr. Weizmanns
visit TO Washington at this time lies
In the fact that 1t concided with an
amazing report just issued by the
Carnegie Endowment for international
Peace. Through DIR. Henry s. Pritch-
EFT. one Of it's trustees, the endowment
gives utterance to the view that Zion
ism is doomed to failure because Of
economic handicaps and political i'm.
pedlments. DR.. Pritchett goes to the
length Of suggesting that Jewish as
pfrations in Palestine are breeding Sc
rious conflict with the Arabs in that
country, adding one more, quarrel to
those which already embitter the coun.
tries that lie at the eastern end of the
Mediterra The whole Jewish
national home project is assailed as
a visionary enterprise"
Has American Backing.
DR.. Weizmann. who was recently
received in formal audience by Presi-
dent Coolidge, seeks no sort Of Ameri.
can support. cooperation or indorse-
ment from the United States Govern
ment. 1t is recognized by all Zionist
leaders that America has gone def.
nitely on record in favor Of the Zionist
movement. In 1922 Congress passed
a resolution approving the aims and
ideals Of a. Jewish Palestine. Presi-
dent Coolidge on one or two occasions
meantime has voiced corresponding
sentiments. But as Palestine's chief
source of strength. apart from the ad-
ministrative mandate carried out there
by the British government. is the
financial aid IL receives from America,
the Carnegie Endowment's bolt from
the blue Is deplored as possible
source Of Misunderstanding.
Naturally" said DR.. Weizmann to
this writer, Il embraced the oppor.
tunity Of my sotourn in Washington
to discuss the astonishing Pritchett re-
port with the distinguished men who
received me. ! told them, and tell
you, that this attack on the Jewish
national home is gratuitous. un.
founded and wholly misleading. 1t
ie so utterly unjustifiable that I am
bound TO wonder what sort of motives
inspired 1t. l am more than ever con-
flrmed In the certainty that the re-
port does Zionism grievous injustice
by DIR. Pritchett's own statements In
New York within the past few days |
Not only does he admit that he spent
only few weeks in Palestine. and
then rushed to conclusions about an
enterprise on which decades of
thought and years of energy have
been lavished. but he acknowledges
that he conferred with authorities
notoriously opposed TO our develop
ment. DR.. Pritchett mentions in par
ticular that he consulted Musa KAHN
Pasha, head of the antiZionist Pales-
tine Arab Executive, a person wholly
unrepresentative of the rank and file
Of Arab sentiment.
Denies Zionist Failure.
Tbs Jewish national home Is not
a failure. Its progress has. on the