"ITOLAND."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 109, 5 June 1909, Page 3

"ITOLAND."

SEARCH FOR A NEW JERUSALEM.

The Jewish nuostion of j ••Whither if" Every year 100,000 Jc«» leave Russia wing, to the conditions ot . oppression, and emigrate, mostlj to America. But owing to the laws loi the restriction of alien immigration that are now in fonie in that countij, emigration does not provide the Russian Jew with a sure means of refuge. Eui. if he HUm-mls ill passing though the weil-"UiUiled portals of the New \\ond, he «n»W into the overcrowded Mictto of New York or Philadelphia, and scarcely improves his material dominion. Ami as there is no prospect of an early cessation of the oppression in Russia anil Rouniaiiia, leading Jews throughout the world 'have become convinced ot tile necessity of founding a home upon ail autonomous liasis for their co-rcligion-There are two great organisations which are trving to carry out this tremendous task. I'lle one consists ol the Zionist movement, which aims a.t estaljI.jiii■ a publicly legally assured liouu for the Jewish 'people ill Palestine. '1 lie other it the Jewish Territorial Organisation. 'which desires to found an autonomous settlement in any part ot the world. The latter 'W-as 'brought into existence by Mr. Israel Zangwill »itL'i' | the seventh Zionist Congress at Basle in the summer of 1005 declined the oll'er of a territory ill East Afrit a made b) the Britii-jli Government. As the prospect of achieving the Zionist geheme in Palestine seemed then remote, and Jewish distress was ingcnt, ,\lr. Znnjjwill. declared that it was imperative to discover a new land anywhere where the Je.ws could enjoy liberty and self-government, llr. Zangwill's organisation set itself to discover a territory. In its search it had the powerful hacking of such men as Lord Rottahi'ld, the lion. Oscar S. Straus, Minister for Commerce in President Roosevelt's Cabinet; Sir Matthew Nathan. Governor of Natal; the Rijfiit Hon. Arthur Cohen, K.C.; the Hon. Judge .Mayer Sulzberger, and oilier leading Jews, llninchcs of the organisation were 'founded in various parts of 'the world. The Jewish Territorial Organisation 'was designated, for brevity's sake, "Ito/' and the country which it -was decking •was called "Itoland."

At last, alter a lew yeare of patient waiting, the report has just appeared of an expedition' sent out to investigate a territory for the desired colony. The territory is Cyrenaica, situated on the north coast of Africa, between Tripoli and Egypt. The expedition was led by a distinguished explorer and scientist, Dr. J. W..Gregory. Professor of Geology at Glasgow University, and formerly at the Melbourne University, and it enjoyed the, favorable protection of the late (Jo'vernor-Gcnt'i-al of Tripoli, Redjeb I'iisha. it left London on the oth of last July, and devoted itself to the exploring of 550 square miles —just under a tenth of the area of Northern Cyrenaica.

Cyreunica is situated witliiu easy (lis- j tance of Kastinn Enropp, whence tliß' grunt stream of ilewislli emigration flows. It is near to Palestine, to wiiieli, all Jewish hearts' Ire bound 'by the sentiment and traditions of centuries. It was free- from those holy associations which made Palestine a centre of religious rivalry. It has formed the home of a large Jewish community two thousand years ago, of which traces are still istant. Moreover, Redjeb Pasha promised that tlie proposed settlement would enjoy religious and lineal independence, and woulil be protected from the Anita if the latter should prove unfriendly. So eager was the (iovernor-tieneral about the matter that he urged that the exodufi ot Russian Jews into Cyrenaica should start at once, and lie offered the "Ito" a free concession for the opening of two banks at Tripoli and Benghazi. The report of the expedition is ail interesting and instructive document. Unfortunately, it is likely to remain merely of historic interest, as the result,< of a careful investigation are not favorable to the creation of a large colony in Cyrenaica. Tlie principal drawback of the country is its lack of water. The rainfall is good, bu.t tlie .soil is so porous tlunt the conservation of water would be a dilliralt and costly undertaking. The whole plateau of Cyrenaica, writes Professor liregor}, consists of a vast block of linies'ton. l , at least 3000 ft thick, and the whole mass is iis porous as a sieve. The only chance for the settlement of a considerable population rests in the discovery of a good water-supply. The members of the expedition made some other unpleasant discoveries. They found that Cyrenaica is inhabited by ":i martial, 'well-armed race, which could prove a very formidable foe." Moreover, the country is less fertile than is reported, "for though the soils are excellent, they are very patchy, and the country is heller suited for pastoral than agricultural occupation." In jnivay respects, .such as its beauty, its healthiness, its .pleasant climate, and its commanding position, the country is attractive. lint Professor (Iregory was forced to tile conclusion that, "owing to tlie scarcity of water, tlie country never has supported, and probably never will support, a dense population."

In view of the general character of this report, it is nut surprising to read in Mr. Zangwill's -preface that the council of the "Ito" has* unanimously decided not to take any further action regarding Cyrenaica, "as the prospects of eolonisa--1 tion in that country in accordance with the principles and object of the 'lto' do uot appear to be sufficiently favorable to -warrant the costly experiments (suggested in the report." The result of this first expedition in search of "J.toland"' 'will doubtless be disappointing to the millions of downtrodden Jews in Eastern Europe who had been hoping for immediate relieff. ami it is likely to give <i stimulus to the parent organisation of the Zionists, particularly a& Palestine is now under the sway of a constitutional (government.