LAND FOR JEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14284, 5 August 1908, Page 5

LAND FOR JEWS

SCHEME FOR SETTLEMENT. APPEAL 'FOR UNITY. Press Ascociation—By Telegraph-Copyright, LONDON, August 3. At a meeting of the Jewish territorial organisation entitled Ito, Mr Israel Zangwill announced that a schtnie was afoot to settle a large number of Jews upon land iii the Western States of America. He urged the avoidance of Eastern cities, and begged the Zionists, whose Palestine scheme was impossible, to join the Ito movement. Tho Jewish Territorial Organisation was , formed by Mr I. Zangwill, who'warmlv advocated tho acceptance of the British Government's offer of land in East Afrioa (which was declined bj tho Zionist Congress, m 1905 as involving an abandonment of the aim of regaining Palestine), and others who hold the same view. Many prominent Jews, who are opposed to the purely Zionist movement haw rallied to tho Territorial Organisation. .The present condition of the Jewish worid is thus described by the editor Jewish Year Book:— "In a.year'which has been marked by' social disturbances in nearly every country in the world it was only to be expected that tho Jewish 'ouestion would reflect Si? P r « vailin S fcelinp of unsettlcmcnt. Ihe Judoneohmerz, which is always with us, has been much intensified during the past 12 months. Bo far from lifting, the clouds have descended in an ever-thicken-ing gloom. It is no exaggeration to say that in this twentieth century the condition of the majority of JewS present a picture of abject misery such as even the worst periods of the Middle Ages could not have.exceeded. "With the whole of Eastern Europe bent upon their oxtormination or expuMon, and the 1 civilised countries of the West leas' inclined than ever to receive them, the outlook for the time being seems almost hopeless. The key to the situation is, of course, Russia whore five or sit of the 11 millions of Jews still reside. There, the forces of reaction aro in the ascendant. The Ec volution, of which so much was hoped, has been arrested, and the Union of the Russian PeoDle enjoys the open patronage of the Tsar.". . The eighth meeting of the Zionist ConKress took place in August at the Hague, under the Dresidency of Heir David'Wolffsohn. Tho object of the Zionist Movement is to secure Palestine for the Jews. We asprro to a politically and lct-allv secured homo for tho Jewish peonle in Palestine," said the President. "Evorv Jew who still deems it a privilege to helong to that powerful and indestructible mee has two fatherlands-his own and Pidestine," said Herr do Pinto.