Zion

Dr. Chaim Weizmann, President of the World Zionist Organization, debarked in Manhattan to spend three weeks in raising more money for the Zionist movement, the back-to-Palestine movement of the Jews.

In the last four years, the Palestine Foundation Fund lias collected $7,204,439 to finance the movement, of which 60% has come from America. True, the Jews of America are the richest Jews in the world, but the Jews of America are far from united in support of the Zionist cause. Henry Morgenthau, former ambassador to Turkey, is a direct opponent. Other prominent Jews, such as Justice Louis D. Brandeis and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, while favorable to the movement, have not approved of the policy of the Foundation Fund, believing that the movement should be financed by private initiative rather than by the Fund's communal methods.

But Dr. Weizmann came full of enthusiasm, rendering an optimistic account of developments in Palestine:

Education: "In addition to the modern grade and high schools, a technical school has been opened at Haifa; and the entire system is about to be crowned with the Hebrew University* on Mount Skopos, near the Mount of Olives."

Music: "Apart from reading, the population relies chiefly upon sports and music for recreation. By music I mean serious music. We even have the beginnings of opera. The performances are out of doors. Almost the Imperial Opera in Petrograd are now in Palestine." Movies: "You can't feed the population of Palestine on movies. The people are too fastidious."

Books: "The one thing you will find in every community, no matter how small or how new, is a library containing the leading periodicals from various parts of the world, and good books."

*Dr. Weizmann goes presently to England and will accompany Lord Balfpur to Palestine to open this university in April.