A JEWISH COLONY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 7

A JEWISH COLONY.

» AUTONOMY CLAIMED. MR. DEAKIN DECLINED THE OFFER. MR. ZANGVILL'S VIEWS. (1)1 TELEORAPH—PKESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRI3H K) , . Melbourne, August 5. Wlion tho Federal Prime Minister, Mr. Deakin, was in London, Mr. I. Zangwill, tlio novelist and president of tho Jewish Territorial Organisation, approached ' him in regard to establishing a Jewish settlement in the/Commonwealth, and stipulating that settlers Bhould havo liborty to mafeo thoir own laws. Mr. Deakin had pointed out that the stipulation was impracticable, as practically consenting to tho creation of an autonomous state. He invited Mr. Zangwill to submit a practical scheme, but had not since heard from him. I \ ABLE TO "DICTATE TERMS." Mr. Zangwill's ideas as to tho degree of independence which the Jewish colony should have were made fairly clear by his correspondence last year with Mr. Alex. Marks, who was acting for the Jewish Territorial Organisation in Australia/in connection with its colonising schemes. After receiving a letter from Mr. Zangwill, Mr. Marks wrote to Kim stating that any form of independence was quite out of the question for a Jewish settlement in Australia, but that under Australian local govcrnmont laws a large amount of local autonomy was possible. Thereupon the author of "Dreamers of the Ghetto returned to the charge with tho following letter :— ('Dear Sir,—l 6hp.1l be very pleased liencoforward to consider j-ou a member of the International Council for Australia. We are quite satisfied with local autonomy. "What we really want is elbow room. We do not desire to solve the problem for a few thousands, but to build up a possible futuro for a whole people. I am quite aware that Australia will fight ■ hard against giving away any territory or fostering our aims in any way, but Australia has to choose between a black population and a Jewish white one. Australia is waking .up to her folly, and her possible futuro collapse. Tho Jews could possibly safeguard her future as a white territory; thus we are in a position to dictate our own terms. The great mistake of the Jewish people has always been to let every other peoplo profit by their pioneer labour. I am .convinced that the present dog-in-the-manger attitude must pass away. What will help it to pass away will be that the Jew takes a Strong, manly attitudo, and refuses to bo further exploited for any political advantage. He must make a bargain, 60 that after ho has developed the country he is not turned, round upon as a parasite and a bloodsucker.' A definition of the territory must be his by public recognition. . . . With a land sufficiently healthy and sufficiently large, I should havo no fear of the rest. Tho gain to Australia .would be no less than tho gain to our own people. We want no hypocritical pity, nor tolerance, but a fair bargain, profitablo to both. Our utmost hope would be that in tho far future there should bo a Jewish province in Australia —perhaps oven a Jewish State as not the ieast valuablo member of the Australian Federation. "Yours faithfully, "ISRAEL ZANGWILL."