BACK TO PALESTINE; SCHEME A FAILURE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 139, 3 June 1908, Page 4

BACK TO PALESTINE; SCHEME A FAILURE

MU. ZA.NIiWILL, J.OK WOKLD-WIDK *' COEOXISATION. r SCP.IPTGP.E ix court. J CATES til'' ZlO-TaiOSED TO HIE JEWS. 'i'lii- uiiu-ual incident of counsel quotin;,' the Scripiurcs ill tho Court of Chanccrv in support of liis argument wa„ noticed while .Mr. Cpjolm K.V., was explaining (says tin.' Ijondon Daily Mail Hi April llthl) his view of'the. origin of ideal* of Zionism. The ((notation occurred in connection with a petition liy tlie Jewish Colonial Trust (.Jucdischc Colonian Bank), Uniiti'd, I'm' the court to sanction a restriction of its übjeets. 'the company was formed with a capital of U>,<Ml».nol) in pursuance of a resolution passed by the Zion Congress held at Basle in 181)8 "to promote, develop, work, and carry on industries, undertakings, and colonisation schemes in Palestine, Syria, or any other part of tlie world which in the opinion of tin' company might he to the interest ot the Jewish race in any cuuiitry or Tlie object of the petition was to i delete the words "or in any oilier part • 01 the world" and restrict the scheme ( tn Hi" npatrialii.n of the Jewish race ■ in Palestine. Syria, and oilier parts of , Turkcv in A-ia, .Sinai, and the Island of Cyprus. This, the petitioners say, is tlie root I doctrine of Zionism. i- i.Mr. Israel Zangwill. author of "The t Children of the Ohetto,'' and other I shareholders opposed the petition on the - ground that the ideal is unattainable ■ and that "half a loaf is better than no e bread."

EXTRACTS FUOM THE IUBbIO. .Mr. Upjolin, K.C., "for the' company, said that advertisements were inserted in forty-eight newspapers in every part nf the" world where it might he supposed that Zionists could be found. The result was a vote of live to one in favor of the petition. There were IbUAMHI shareholders. ill-. Upjolin proceeded to deal with the origin and ideals of Zionism, lie quoted Deuteronomy xxx., verse 5: '•And the Lord thy Hod will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shaft possess it; and lie will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers." And Psalm 137, which counsel said was the most beautiful of all the psalms: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remeinliered Zion. "If 1 forget thee, O Jerusalem, let niy right hand forget tier cunning. "If I do not remember thee, lei my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." These early and sacred sources showed that Zionism was confined to a return of the chosen people to Palestine. Mr. I'pjohn declared that the evidence showed that Palestine niVorilcl an ample field for colonisation. There were already some thirty Jewish settlements there, the majority of which were flourishing. Every attempt to colonise the Jews anywhere but in Pale-dine • from Oliver Cromwell down to Baron llirsch-had failed. NOT HAPPY IN PAUiSTTXE.

Mr. Kessel, IC.C, for shareholders opposing the restriction, said their view was that under existing circumstances and having regard to the attitude o; the Turkish Covernmeut now. il was untrue to suppose that the Jews cmibl be colonised in Palestine. lie would show from the evidence of persons on i.he spot that their existence in Palestine was not a happy one. There was no prospect of autonomous government in Palestine. Anybody thinking there was blinded himself to'the facts. Any proposal for an independent government would meet with opposition from the Turkish Cnvcrnmenl and other European Covernmeiits - who regarded tin' place as sacred—which it would be impossible to survive.

In conclusion, counsel stated that lie could prove that Baron llirsch's colonies in the Argentine had been extremely successful, and that the .statement to the contrary by Mr. I'pjohn was entirely wrong and calculated to do considerable mischief. Standing at the solicitors' tab!". Mr. Zaiciwill made an impassioned appeal to his Lordship not to-rant the company's pel it ion.

Back to Palestine was the most fascinating. I he most inspiring part of the movement, but it was far from expressing Zionism, which was very much larger than Palestine. ZIO.YS CATIiS CUtSEI).

What was I hi' IISP of sittill" llnwil idly heforo tin' closed fill's ol Zi.m; 'I In- Ir.uital ii(tn>-k on Zion hud fail.-,!. Why not try iiinilln-r way? Otlicnvsihow wen- they to assist' ill tin: great tragic I'liiitmlioii ol I heir people from l!u-i.i. whirh, wince tin- tcirihl assaiic of two years ago, liuil increased l-i 2III!.0IIII a year? .Mr. Zangw'ili proceeded to di-.il with 111.- Illlsinrss ollji-l-timis tl) 111.- lilllitillioii of tin- ii.iiipan.y's operations to Palestine, and ridiculed I In- "pious tourists" to whom Zionism was all poetry, and who ,hul (heir eyes to the fact's! 'J'ln-ir failh moved mountains, hut to Mr. Zangwill and the other opposing shaveholders the mouiitains were very nuieli there. It was said that, then- wore .lews alrendv in Palestine. "Ves," agreed llr. 'Zangwill, "hut they live there under impossible conditions mitigated l.y liaeksheesli." (Laughter.) The company's adherents thought that what the Sultan did not give them they eould take. (Laughter.)' This policy of peaceable penetration might do for Kngland, France, or Germany, who had warships, hut for the Jews it was merely an idle dream. (Laughter.) ' Jlr. Justice Eve said that as the parties attaehed so much importance to the case he would reduce the conclusions at which he had already arrived, and his reasons for them, into 'writing and deliver his judgment shortly.