The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-01
British Guiana Suggested As So. American Palestine
ZiOniStS Want No Part Of English Idea
BY MILTON BRoNNER

tNEA Service Staff Correspondent)
 London, Aug. 1.-Having prac- tically closed Palestine to Jewish immigration, the British government is, toying with the idea of settling refugee Jews in British Guiana, its colony in the northern part of South America.
 Not only do the Zionists refuse to consider this from sentimental and historical reasons-which drew them to Palestine, the land of their fore- fathers-but they claim that tropi- cal diseases, tropical insects and con- ditions generally make it impossible for a race used to European and North American conditions to set- tie there.
 It would require about $4,000,000 to establish experimental farms. It would take at least five years to see whether these farms could be worked practically.
 AUTHORITY DECLARES
 SCHEME IMPRACTICABLE
 British subjects, who are not Jews, have been waging a battle of words over the proposition. A. J. Schwelm, who is known as an authority on land settlement, condemns the whole scheme. Assuming @ group of 5000 to 5000 settlers were landed in Georgetown, he says there would at once arise the problem of how to transport them and their possessions several hundred miles into the unin- habited interior. A first class road, suitable for horse carts, or even more so for motor lorries, would be re- quired. No such roads exist.
 There have not even been prelim- mary surveys for roads. It would take years and lots of money to build such roads. They would be de- layed, too, by torrential- tropical rains.
 For health reasons, he says, it would be best for settlers to live to- gether in villages where they could have medical attention. But living in villages would be a serious handi- cap to farming. In the interior they would be subject to tropical dis eases, particularly malaria. Their crops would be attacked by beetles and caterpillars and their homes by termites. Finally, he declared flatly, this territory is not white mans country. It could be cultivated and developed only by the colored races. ANOTHER AUTHORITY
 ENDORSES PLAN
 But Malcolm Watson, of the Ross Institute of Tropical Hygiene, To- cated in London, takes complete is- sue with Schwelm. He says he speaks from 39 years close association with tropical development in Malaya, In- di0 and Africa, and from many wis., ito to Java, Sumatra, Panama, the Philippines and British Guiana it. self.
 He does not think that prelim- mary settlements would fail if placed under the control of man who Is an agriculturist with a knowledge both of tropical develop ment and of the control of mala- ria. He would have to be supported by medical men familiar with the treatment of malaria and other tropical diseases. Once such a settle ment had been put on proper foot ing, laymen and medical officers from there could go on to open other new settlements.
 He denies that tropical countries can only be developed by tropical races, citing particularly the develop ment of the Panama Canal Zone.
 Hence Watson concludes:
 Tt seems to me that the Jewish race may well find in British Guiana and some other parts of tropical South America a national home richer and more fertile than Pales- tine; and that in the western hemi- sphere they may achieve standard of health and prosperity and de- gree of freedom which has not been theirs for the last 2000 years"