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New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10686, 4 September 1920, Page 7

BACK TO THEIR OWN

RESTORATION OF THE JEWS ] THEIR REHABILITATION IN PALESTINE. The restoration to the Jewish people of the land jrom which their forefathers were'banished two thousand years ago has been the advocacy of many of their race for years past, but the proposition was never taken up with much seriousness or hopefulness until Britain, at tho Peace Conference last year, was given the mandate over Palestine on the understanding that it should be regarded as the home of the Jewish nation. The official endorsement given by the Peace Conference to this policy has aroused great interest amongst the Jewish fraternity the world over,- and tho extent of that keenness has been impressed specially upon Mr Israel Cohen, special emissary of the Zionist orga-nkation ot London, to the- overseas Dominions, who is now in Wellington. AVnilo in the city, Mr Cohen will address the public upon the Zionist movement, and enlist their practical support in a scheme for the rehabilitation of the race. The movement originally had as its object tho founding of Jewish colonies in favourable countries, and was warmly taken up, but latterly has developed into a scheme of greater importance and interest. In England and some other countries the Jews have been practically freed from .all disabilities, but in many lands they continue to be oppressed. It is estimated that the descendants of the ancient Hebrews or Israelites exist to the number of considerably more than 12,000,000 in all parts of the world. "SUCCESS WILL COME." In conversation with a "Times" representative ytwterday afternoon, Mr Cohen expressed his emphatic belief in the ultimate success of the great task of restoring the Jewish people to their own. -There were thousands who were anxious to return to the .land of their fathers —mainly people in south and Europe, where tho conditions of their existence were harder than anywhere- else in the world. The object of his mission to the colonies, said Mr Cohen, was to enlist moral and material support in the Zionist cause. He had already collected about £50,000, although in the course of his tour he had toucjfed at only four cities in Australia and two in New Zealand. " A sum of £25,000,000 was necessary for the foundation work, and for the next twelve months the organisation would require about £3,800,000 for immigration, afforestation, drainage, and other preliminary work in Palestine. He looked to his co-religionists in- Australia for substantial help, in spite of their comparatively small numbers. DEVELOPMENT- OF PALESTINE. The future -development of, Palestine would depend upon the personal and material sacrifices tho Jewish people were, prepared to make. The need for the restoration of Palestine was very urgent.- The Arabs, with their out-of-date methods, had allowed the land to drift, hut with intensive cultivation it could be made a prosperous country, possible of containing-, 6,000,000 people. The process of populating the country; would he gradual. Perhaps 30,000 would be settled in the first twelve months, and .in the second year ihev might be able -to introduce 60,000. "With Palestine settled by a. contented Jewish people under the aegis of the British, there would be a splendid barrier of protection for the vital Suez Canal, which was the point of the remarkable Turkish attacks in the earlier stages of the war. ADDRESS AT WELLINGTON.

Mr Cohen will deliver an address at the Town Hall to-morrow (Sunday) evening. He will be associated on the platform with the Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey), the Chief Justice (Sir, Robert Stout), Mr It. A. Wright, ALP., and the Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke) who will preside.