THE NEW PALESTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1921, Page 9

THE NEW PALESTINE.

MUCH WORK TO DO A tour of Palestine was recently made by Sir Alfred Mond, First Commissioner of Works in the Imperial Government. Prior to his departure from London, he reviewed the tasks of reconstruction in Palestine. “There is,” he said, “an immense amount of work to do.” “The housing shortage is worse than in England, and the country has practically to be rebuilt from the beginning. If plans are properly worked we could provide for three or four million people. Preparations have to be made for those Jews who want to go, and, in fact, we have to make Palestine fit to be the home of the Jewish race. All kinds of Jews want to go to Palestine, chiefly those from Cenj;raK Europe, Russia, Arabia, and Poland. So eager are many that, failing other means of transport, people are actually walking from the Ukraine and drifting through via Constantinople. Great numbers of young men are going, and university men, doctors, and people of that sort are actually working oi\ the roads which are being constructed to Lake Tiberias. The exodus, from this country is comparatively small. Money is coming in from all the Dominions, and there is no need to hold out inducements to people to go to Palestine. The difficulty is to restrain them until the land is more or less prepared for such a new population. There will be an enormous influx as soon, as the country is ready.”