THE JEWS IN PALESTINE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 16, 16 July 1910, Page 9

THE JEWS IN PALESTINE.

. <To the Editor.) Sir, —With reference' to "Zionist's" -let-, tor in your .paper of the 11th inst., I write to say that is was your reporter who misstated what I said regarding the Jews' return to Palestine. It was 80,000, not 180,000, which statement was made at a public meeting in England by Judge Martin in April: The Judge said: "Within the last 25 years Jerusalem has become a Jewish city, and 80,000 are now Jews, and the whole country is gradually being populated iby them." It also was published in the Jewish papers. As regards the 'Maccabee Society, I quoted Sir And Tew Wingalis'- letter to mc. It was not for the Zionist movement at all, hutin connection with the great scheme of Sir William Wilcocks for the opening up of Mesopotamia and the new railway to India and Baghdad, in which, the Jews in London are taking a great interest, and 25 per cent has been quoted: by .Sir W.- Wilcocks as 'the"interest" on anoney lent, as the - conn toy is very rich and could he made tho granary of Europe. Egyptian irrigation brought- to capitalists 15 per cent, as in the case of-Sir E. Cassel asid -other. I enclose a cutting by Sir A. Wingate, who was for many years in India and since the Sirdar- of Bsypt.— I am, etc> - E. FREEMAN.

I "The Jews should begin as a Central Mesopotamia Irrigation Company, and secure the. concession for the BaghdadDamascus Railway, and construct and manage it as a company under international guarantee that their concession would be upheld. This could awaken no susceptibilities. . Turkey might hesitate to allow any other country to step m and finance the restoration of Mesopotamia, but the Jews are not open to the - same suspicions. This enterprise, and the successful settling of a large colony ■would give the Jews- a new statue in the world, and as they succeeded the Powers of Europe would be more and more disposed-to further the "undertaking. Nothing would knit the great Powers closer together than co-operation in settling the Jewish question, which, aa the Jewish population increases, -tends to become more and more troublesome. A Jewish colonisation 'would also-settle the Alesopotamian question. For this rea-. son it would be worth while for .the Powers to arrange with Turkey suitable guarantees for the Jewish loans, because the introduction of Jewish capital and population has the elements in it of peace to the nations. There are some who consider that Babylonia is under a curse, and they wonder whether it can be resuscitated. Such may find contort from iMiss Louisa Jebb's observation ("By Desert Ways to Baghdad"), that though the great alluvial tract i≤ only, waiting to yield its hidden gifts till man dis-. tributes the waters of the river, yet'tjie actual soil of .Babylon, consisting a3 it does of building dust and debris, is dobined to perpetual barrenness. . It may be' so, and as a- ruin it possesses permanent, interest. But it is not. the landj.fout the people that come under ' the curse— "Cursed be the ground for thy sa!ke". v (Gea. w- 171. Tb.erei.ore has Mesonota-

mia been, 'swept with the tresom of de-> strh|dtion' (Isa. xiv. .23)rjall none of the men remain who made it an abomination. The land can be restored and blessed. In' "that day "there shair.Tie a"- highway out of Egypt' tK> Assyria' "(Isiuxix. 23).' When railway connection' is linked up between Ismailia,' and" Jafia7 arid "between Damascus and Baghdad, aVriew'day will IbTeak for 'Palestine." With a prosperous ' Egypt and. _a' renovated-' Mesopotamia, Palestine would regain importance. Let Israel held this-- consummation; longed; for-by every Zionist.' -Israel went out of -Palestine, -eastward into -captivity. It -may- -be ■ that • "Israel will- -be led " back through -±he sams gateway."