Evening star., 1935-06-10
ny THE RIGHT HON. LORD
MELCHETT,
Honorary President of the World
Maccabee Movement.


Maccabee Movement.
JERUSALEM (Palcor Agency (AN.-
Palestine is faced with many difficult
problems arising out of its general po-
ijtical character and the intensity of
its development, but 1t is extremely
gratifying to observe as the years
progress that those engaged in the de-
tailed work of building up Palestine
seem to be developing technique
which makes it possible for these
problems to be mastered.
There are many who criticize the
new Palestine on account of its nom
Biblical aspects I think this is an
entirely superficial view. Palestine is
developing a new modern life with i'm
mense force and energy. which VIII m
clude all the normal attributes of mod
ern civilized existence.
TODAY a great city life is developing.
teemnc with social problems. carrying
with il a high development of the fine
arts, of the theater. of music and of all
other manifestations of civilization
without which no nation can be COM
plete.
There are those who criticize the de-
velopment of the country on account
of So-called speculation. So tar as L
have been able 10 discover the volume
of speculation in this country in the
real sense is negligible
There exists. and there will continue.
either directly or SpaSmodlcalIy,
material rise in values.
The rise in values. even II some part
Of it is lost at a later stage, does no
great economic harm to the country.
provided the financial institutions and
the banks do not become involved in
mass of indiSCreet loans based on
fictitious values. To the best of my
knowledge such a condition does not
exist.
II is. however. necessary that laws
he promulgated as rapidly as possible
to prevent the development of small,
weak banks.
Industrialism Feared.
The principal economic danger from
the rise in values is Of different char
acter. The acute shortage OF labor
mas given L>t " q lIlElI dlC VI NhEt@-
This. in itself. is not altogether TO be
deplored. as it is assisting the lnvalu-
able working class of Palestine, on
whom Zionism ultimately depends. to
establish themselves more firmly in
the land
The danger is that industriallv an
uneconomic cost level will establish a
non competitive basis producing the
ultimate result that induStrialStS will
establish factories and that agrlcul-
tural DEVELOPMENTS will take place. in
countries adjoining Palestine with
lower cost basis. in order to supply the
Palestine market.
Such a movement could lead only to
disaster That is the one great danger
I see before the country. Unfor-
runatelv it is the case that even il
far higher rate Of immigration were
permitted. the development work nee
eSsarv in all the new services. particu-
larry in housing. would once more
create its own shortage of labor and a
further rise in values.
Larger Area Urged.
This is no new problem and has
been seen in many other countries. 1t
is accentuated in Palestine only be-
cause Of the small area which is sub
ject to this intensive development.
There is only one solution of the prob
lem and that is TO increase the size
of the area. The current trend in
European and world anti-Semitism is
intensifying the velocity and energy
of Zionism and is likely TO continue to
do so for many years to come.
The only solution is the inclusion
of trans Jordan within the area of
development. 1t is obvious that this
inclusion is inevitable That small
historic river. the Jordan, cannot
forever be the boundary between
booming prosperity, and the misery,
penury and starvation with which
trans-Jordan is afflicted.
in no way minimize the political
difficulties which affect this solution.
but I am fully convinced that politi-
cal difficulties will give way before
economic necessity. And when this
solution becomes effective the whole
Zionist picture will change.
1t appears to me to be an extreme
oct of destiny that the opportunities
for the salvation of Jewry should
emanate from Great Britain, whose
people-so versed in biblical knoWl-
edge-has an innate sympathy to-
ward Jewish aspirations.