JEWS FOR COLONY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 190, 14 August 1939, Page 9

JEWS FOR COLONY.

ISLAND OF MINDANAO.

SCHEME IN PHILIPPINES. Development of the island of Mindanao, the second largest of the Philippine group, is the aim of the Philippine Commonwealth Government, according to Mr. C. W. Heyda, an American mining engineer, who arrived at Auckland by the Maetsuycker yesterday. He has been associated with gold mining in Mindanao for the past three ynar« and intend# to visit his home in Wisconsin for seven months' leave bofore returning.

Ho said that Mindanao had remained undeveloped because of the fear of the natives in the northern Philippines for the pugnacious Moros, a race of Mohammedan Filipinos who inhabited the island.

"The Government has now taken a hand in the matter and is sending lurge numbers of people out to cultivate the land, which has distinct agricultural ilities," lie said. "Each family which goes out to .Mindanao under this scheme is provided with a homestead and about 50 acres of land.

"The Government is intent upon developing the island to its utmost, and with this in view .t has consented to admit 10,000 Jewish refugees from Europe to n.«sist," hi; added. "In many respect* this is amusing, as the Jews are not looked upon as an agricultural race. They are essentially business people with a city background, and it is difficult to imagine them settling in the wilds of a tropical island."