BACK TO PALESTINE SCHEME.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 55, 15 June 1908, Page 7

BACK TO PALESTINE SCHEME.

Mil ZANGWILL'S VIEWS. gates of zion closed to the JEWS; The unusual incident of counsel quoting the Scriptures in the Court of Chancery in support of his argument was noticed while Mr Upjohn, K.C., was explaining his view of the origin and ideals of Zionism.

Tho quotation occurred in connection with a petition by the Jewish Colonial Trust. (Juedische Colonialbank), Limited, for the court to sanction a restriction of its objects. The company was formed with a capital of £2,000,000 in pursuance of a resolution passed by the Zion Congress held at Basle in 1898 "to promote, develop, work, and carry on industries, undertakings, and colonisation schemes in Palestine, Syria, or any other parts of the world which, in the opinion of the company, might be to the interest of the Jewish race in any country or place." The object of the petition was to delete the words "or in any other part of the world" and restrict the scheme to the repatriation of the Jewish race in Palestine, Syria, and other parts of Turkey in Asia, Sinai, and the Island of Cyprus. This, the petitioners say, is the root doctrine of Zionism.

Mr Israel Zangwill, author of "The Children of the Ghetto," other shareholders opposed the petition on the ground that the ideal is unattainable and that "half a loaf is better than no bread." EXTRACTS FROM THE BIBLE. Mr Upjohn, K.C., for the company, said that advertisements were inserted in forty-eight newspapers, in every part of the world where it might bo supposed that Zionists could be found. The result was a vote of five to one In favor of the petition. There were 100,000 shareholders. Mr Upjohn proceeded to deal with the origin and ideals of Zionism. He quoted Deuteronomy xxx., verse 5: "And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and Ho will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers." And Psalm 137, which counsel said was the most beautiful of aIL, the Psalms:

"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem my chief joy." These early and sacred sources shewed that Zionism was confined to a return of the chosen people to Palestine. Mr Upjohn declared that the evidence showed that Palestine afforded i>n ample field for colonisation. Thtre wero already some 30 Jewish settlements there, the majority of which were flourishing. Every attempt to colonise the Jews anywhere but in Palestine—from Oliver Cromwell down to Baron Hirsch—had failed. NOT HAPPY IN PALESTINE. Mr Jessel, K.C. for shareholders opposing the restriction, said their view was that under existing circumstances and having regard to the attitude of the Turkish - Government now, it was untrue to suppose that the Jews could be colonised in Palestine. He would Bhow from the evidence of persons on the spot that their existence in Palestine was not a happy one. There was no prospect of an 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 Government and other European Governments—who regarded the place as sacred—which it would be impossible to survive.

In conclusion counsel stated that he could prove that Baron Hirsch's colonies in the Argentine had been extremely successful, and that the statement to the contrary by Mr Upjohn was Entirely wrong and calculated to do considerable mischief.

Standing at the solicitors' table, Mr Zangwill made an impassioned appeal to his Lordship not to grant the company's petition.

Back to Palestine was the most fascinating, the most inspiring part of the movement, but it was far from expressing Zionism, which was very much larger than Palestine ZION'S GATES CLOSED. What was the us© of sitting down idly before the closed gates of ZionP The frontal attack on Zion had failed. "Why not try another way? Otherwise how. were they to assist in the great tragic emigration of their people from Russia, which, since the terrible massacres of two years ago, had increased to 200,000 a yearP Mr Zangwill proceeded to deal with the business objections to the limitation of the company's to Palestine, and ridiculed the "pious tourist" and ''zealots ignorant of business" to whom Zionism was all poetry, and who shut their eyes to the facts. Their faith moved mountains, but to Mr Zangwill and the other opposing shareholders the mountains were very much there. It was said that there were Jews already in Palestine. "Yes," agreed Mr Zangwill, "but they live there under impossible conditions mitigated by backsheesh."—(Laughter.)

! The company's adherents thought : that what the Sultan did not give them they could take.—(Laughter.) This poi licy of peaceable penetration might do for England, France, or Germany, who had warships, but for the Jews it was : merely an idle dream.—(Laughter.) j Mr Justice Eve said that as the par- • ties attached so much importance to the case he would reduce the conclusions to which he had already arrived, ' and his reasons for them, into writing, land deliver his judgment shortly.