THE NEW ZION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 81, 31 December 1919, Page 8

THE NEW ZION

VISION OF THE JEWS AT HOME. There was a great Zionist demonstration at tho London Opera House last month, tho anniversary of the historic declaration as to the future of Palestine mads by tho Government two years ago (says tiie "Daily News"). Loud cheers greeted a letter from Lord Curzon, the Foreign Secretary, in which ho mado the assurance "that there lias been no change in the policy of His Majesty's Government with regard to the establishment of a national Jewish home in Palestine." The cheering was renewed when Mr. Sokolov,', one of the world leaders of Zionism, announced that he had received in Paris similar reassurances from representatives of the French, Italian, and United States Governments. "Wo are much nearer our .goal than wo were when Inst we met," 'said Lord ■ Rothschild, who presided, "and I feel confident that we.shall yet 6ee tho tho establishment of. our much-desired national home in Palestine, because it is the will of by far tho greatest and most overwhelming number of Jewish brethren, and, although it may still \bo unconscious, it is also tho will of the rest of the world. '(Applause.) "We owe a debt of gratitude' to the British Government, to Mr. Balfour, its spokesman, and through them to the British people in that they have been tho first nation for nearly 2000 years who have publicly acknowledged to the Jewish people tho rights and privileges .#f a free community.'" (Loud ipphiuse.) vision of the future Palestine was given by Mr. Herbert Samuel in somo eloquent passages. He said: "looking forward, I see tho possibilities ther'o in Palestine somo day- of agricultural villages where now there is desert; of fruit orchards, vineyards, and cornfields; of herds of cattle in the lowlands, and. flocks of sheep 911 the hillsides; of land watered by streams that will bring electricity to hundreds of industrial enterprises : in towns and villages, and provide both for the population and a flourishin? export trade. "I sec industrial districts well planned, with their parks and gardens in the bright atmosphere of a Mediterranean climate, undefiled by smoke. I see iho port of Jaffa full 'and busy with commerec, and Jerusalem an even more spacious and beautiful city. "In that environment I seo a healthy population, with the natural intelligence of the Jewish people cultivated by a highly-developed system of education centring in the university on Mount Scopus, once more able to brood snnes and philosophers, scholars, and musicians. scientists, and dramatists. That is an ideal worth working for." (Loud applause;) ■ The Jews, continued Mr. Sanui-1, did not wish to establish immediately a complete Jewish State in Palestine If Britwin was to lie given the mandatory power ever Palestine she must, seek to develop the country' so as insure for it a prosperous and succcssful inture. Jewish brains, enterprise, wealth, and' population wero best fitted to achieve that end, and so servo tha interests of the Empire as a whole. ,