Evening star., 1938-11-22
Brituin's Generous Offer


Great Britain has lost no time in
coming to grips with the urgent sit
uation brought about by the persecu-
ton of German Jews. Prime Minister
Chamberlain yesterday disclosed
plans to lease 10000 square miles in
British Guiana, on the northeastern
shoulder of South America, imme-
diately east of Venezuela and north of
the Equator, to provide homes for the
victims Of the Nazi anti-Semiticism.
Mr.. Chamberlain also told Parlia-
ment Of favorable progress in nego-
tiations for settlement of Jewish
refugees in Tanganyika, formerly
German East Africa, and in other
British-African territory. Tangan-
yika is held by Britain under League
mandate. It is coveted by the Ger
mans as part of their colonial resto-
ration drive, but they were informed
only last week that London has no
intention of returning this particular
portion of the Reich's former over
seas domain.
Obviously because British Guiana
Is in South America and is embraced
within that continental defense"
project which the United States is
about to advocate at Lima, the Brit
ish proposal was not made public
until after there had been close CO.
operation on it between American
Ambassador Kennedy and the British
Colonial Office. Revelation of the
scheme is accompanied by the official
intlmation that at least $10O,000,00O
Of private and public funds will be
contributed from this country, to
help settle the Jews in the new Land
Of Promise. That is evidently to be
our end Of the Anglo American at
tempt to ameliorate without delay
one Of the real tragedies of history.
British Guiana, with an area Of
IS, ,480 square miles and a population
Of something under 100000, has been
In British possession since 1895, when
it was taken from the Dutch. Hav-
ing the status Of a crown colony,
the territory is governed under
ten-year-old constitution by legis-
lative council. Guiana is sparsely
settled and is manifestly considered
in London to offer promising posi-
bilities of development at the hands
of efficient and energetic settlers.
The country produces sugar cane,
rice, coconuts, coffee, cocoa, some
rubber and limited quantity Of
citrus fruits. There is also con-
siderable livestock industry. The
colony's greatest economic potential
ity Is said to be its untapped wealth
In gold. There are diamond mines,
too, and some deposits of manganese
ore and mica. Oil is also believed to
exist. Large fields of bauxite, the
ore Of aluminium, as well as thou
sands Of square miles of forests and
undeveloped land, are still available
for exploration and exploitation.
On its face Guiana would seem to
offer even more promising possibili-
ties for Jewish colonial future than
Palestine. It happens to be almost
the exact size of Palestine. While
the eastern seaboard members of
the United Palestine Appeal in
Washington on Sunday reaf1lrmed
belief in a reopened Palestine as the
supreme Jewish need of the hour,
late events in the strife e-stricken
Holy Land must have made it ap-
parent to the most ardent Zionist
that the Arabs determination not to
suffer either Jewish political or eco
nomic domination of their ancient
soil presents Great Britain with al
most insurmountable difficulties.
Faithful to the spirit of the Bal
four Declaration, the Chamberlain
government is evidently constrained
to do the next best thing for the
yeuS which Rritain's circun sta nceS