ZIONIST CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 13

ZIONIST CONGRESS.

RELATIONS; WITH THE TURKS. The Zionist .Congress which drew to a close in the email hours of tie morn-, ing of January 7 in Hamburg, had (writes .a correspondent; of -"The Times")'.been postponed from,the Bummer,.,because, it was stated, tho Zionist' leaders wished to' take stock of the new situation , created by tho Turkish; revolution. - , It would, perhaps, be equally true to! say. that tho Turkish government "wished to take "stock of the', Zionist, leaders. TJnfortunately for the Zionists, -they .do' not represent the whole, or ..the majority of the- Jewish people, ■' more, unfortunately for them—the, Turks,, are'.apparently, aware, of. the fact. ■.'•'Consequently"'. Her'r.'. •■ David Wblffsohn and his, colleagues were..unable to go to .the.'congress'.with, the pleasing.intelligence that an understanding ..had been arrived at with: the Porte. On'the contrary, .Dr. Max Nordau found it , necessary, in > his ':. opening, oration,, to o.splain corani populo'th'o' attdtudo of' the movement towards. the Turkish State, as if,'.'the . assurances which' Herr. Wolffsbhn .'must .have,'given during ;his yisit to ;■ Constantinople had not' sufficed.

•;; ;;' Jewish Palestine Scheme.••■■:■' ,' made'it clear'that the old idea' of .founding a Jewish State in Pales-, tine has now been definitely,'abandoned. All that is now aakod : is that Jews shall' be allowed to, settle and . colonise freely invthe /Holy,- Land and their national identity,:, while 'becoming loyal /Turkish /subjects.V They ; ; will: not / fully assimilate.' "We/can do that where we aremoro bheaply, and save the travelling expenses," Dr.' Nordau sardonically de--dared.-; •; : . :!■•.■•.';■■■..;.. ■ ~■■'•'■"•■...;,.. ...?.•■:■ •':■■■

;:: .While.Dr. Nordau was busy telling'the Turks'Vhat Zionism wae Herr WoSsohn ..had , his , hands i full '• telling .'• them: what' Zionism was not.'He : complained bitterly ,of : the: , action of.,Dr..:,Alfred; Nossig, .the president of a Jewish:colonisation associatdon,;,,who:has_ been'ih' Constantinople' to obtain, concessions for■ Jewuh immigrants, and'whb ' n *& official.oircular .OMt.'susr picion-: on- ; the, , politicai-.bona; fides of- the Zionists,' :As. Dr. Nossig' wus. himself ■' a few months'ago a ; member of.the Zionist ;exeeutive ■'.■:v. committee,' Herr:. Wolffsohn found 'this a bitter pill: to ew.allow. ■... '■ : Fot. the ;first : . time ln.the'histbry.of. the movement: the congress"' was attended -by delegates, from'Turkey.-;TJ..:Hoise ; Cohen,;of 'the' course' of 'an address bn' : Jewish immigration "into the .Turkish Empire; made the welcome' assertion that anti-Semitism: had- never- '.existed; ..and could not exist, /in Turkey.;. He declared ;that the • Jews, , by their industry and ; lack :of,political axes to,.grind,; constituted a; most desirable 'class of. immigrants, who' :.wbuld;be welcomed;by 'Turkey, ; with open aims.' •He did not; .however,;attempt to .explain .:the ':• continued• existence, ■ of' the .restriction.J;whi«h',,"limitis v 'tho '.stay;' of, foreign Jews'in , Palestine to six months, \;-

'■I';/::'' Co-operative; Small Hoidings, : .■."■' i-The "delegates showed that' they ■-■ were more' : than'.β^er,bent on pushing:forward what: has.coineto.be known; as 'practical work in Palestine.'- A'• considerable 'sum was- subscribed ; in the Congress Hall to form-the "nucleus of. a* fund, for the promotion' of ■Jewish'"' email- holdings, on co-, operative, , lineSj'ih-.Palestine.' .The author, ofthis scheme,is Dr.'Tranz Oppenhoimer, • of Berb'n.iihe, well-known economist.' The bhief-apostle of:-practical:w6rk'.in/Pales-tine .'is;-Professor'-,otto- Warburg,.of • Ber- , Irri University,;'an; authority"on:: Oriental. .bbtany..:";'He • has'i.founded-; eeveral -. com-, panies. fpTJthe.purchase'.iof land,"theideyelopment' of indnstryi -and the assistance of-.agriculture ,:in-;Palestine,', .and^; ; his aohievemenU were more than'once heart-, 'ily•'; recognisedi. by' the Congress.- ■ Another. eiamßle'Of 'practical: Work; in' Palestine ,ia } the' ."Bezalel" School^.of : 'Ait:.iii Jeru-' salein, which'is'nnder .thediiection of- the. Hungarian: sculptor,; Professorvvßoris i Sohatzi'; The' school 'had' an ■ excellent \ ex-: : hibition -'of. carpats, .'■needlowoik,-': 1 metal-. ; irork, '.S»ndpother cpn'g'ress; l'uildah'g_.r. ; ;-''i- , 'iiV-'-." , -.'■■■■ ;;■.■ H : "'.'.•:' i'; .'.""Apartfrpm its/attitude towards Turkey,'. the''.chwf '.interest' of 'tho'.congress centredround, the: leadership.V Herr' is the"be|e'. noire;.of -'the rßussian Zionists, .Who charge .him; ; inactivity; "especir ally''in'! regard to.'Palestine .work.,' Theyi to' oust hint from'.;:his position;" as theVJcongress, refused' to- accept any otherv.cbnibinatipn ,but; the'.pre-' ;6ent?oxecutive.;.;;^v,,;-~ , :.'; \v_'x> , :, ';■''. •'..

■; Bui, apart from ife ; political 'and,purely., infernal: interest,,' the /congress .was. i- remarkable, gathering'./ The delegates ;hailed literally. ; from ' tHe • fora ■'■ corners of the, earth',.aid one;had to be an accomplished. •' linguist :-., to v follow:.; all, the... proceedings,/ which /were conducted /in- Gerinah,;?Kus-. siim,.,Englißhy .French; Hebrew,' and',Yid-' dish.. ..fV.The^iJßflbrew'i.speedies'''.were ■ par-. ;tioiilarly. goodj.and,it..was-quite evident' :that .>the. movement!toliestore-the'.lan-guage', of the .Bible*to. ite : plaoe/as/a' livings'tongue has made great headwayi:The preseiceVof.: ; delegatesi,from':: Palesbno-it' -self gave" , aotiiality to\the gathering. One of. the /delegates 'wag,, lady, ,who; delivered: a .fiery .speeoh.; ; ;. /■■ . ■ . I

Ah: Understarjdlrig With. Turkey possible,

:';:The; Zionist 'movement,.has..undergone little ■ change ■ as' a result of the ; congress: Colonisation-; Wor- in.'■ Palestine will ■' be Bteadily...piireued' and -'-greater"-': financial support.;will be .given '.to'•■Jewish-'lndus-' triaT'enterprifiea iri v the: Holy land. , it: •is'■;notj likely .that; ; the : TurkishVGovern-' meh't '■ will , ; , officially the'blaim' of■■: the •-,Jews to be ■ regarded''. as a separate "nationalityi:but thefe'may be atacit iin-: deratanding.-' -That i,' , the, Zionists have frienda'af'.Court I ;was,shown/byia .tele-: Eram; from'M./Ronsso; ..the-Jewish Secretary of Finance in .Constantinople, wishing .theVcongress success, , and ■ expressing hopes •, for. a" speedy:' .'understanding;' with theiTurkish Government.: .::..

;■: The : .MntttuedVpersecutiou-of ,:the. jews ;in Biissia land'iEoumania,' and'..the 'cold welcome / accorded to the refugees ;ii the lands, ofithe.VWest make ■ the .creation ' of. a. necessity.--The establishment.: of; ', that land 'of.refuge in the old home, of, the .Jewish. people-con-stitutes /the; Zionist/programme.. , :• • ;