Zion, Ten Years After

U. S. Jewry was urged last week, as it is annually, to give its mite to rebuild the Jewish National Home in Palestine. Not all Jews approve or understand the politico-emotional band which is the World Zionist Organization, but all may contribute to the Jewish Agency, which includes Zionists and non-Zionists. Quota this year is $2,500,000, of which one million is to be raised in New York City.

Last week's money-gathering began importantly. Any Jew could be impressed by the following facts:

Anniversary, Ten years ago next May the Lodge-Fish resolution, favoring the Jewish National Home, was introduced in Congress. In September it was approved by President Harding, became a public resolution. No one could possibly object to the U. S. Government giving official notice to the Zionist program. No one, either, could anticipate much practical result from it. But an anniversary is a good time for a checkup. What are the accomplishments of a decade in Palestine? World Jewry has sent $220,000,000 there since 1921. Of this the U. S. gave $100,000,000. Eretz Israel ("Land of Israel'') now has a great -L-1,000,000 Palestine Electric Corp., founded by Engineer Pinhas Rutenberg, whose stations in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Tiberias and in the Jordan valley supply all Palestine (except Jerusalem) with power. The Agricultural Experimental Station of the Keren Hayesod (colonization & immigration) teaches scientific farming and has experimental fields. The clean, white, all-Jewish city of Tel Aviv ("Hill of Spring") more than doubled its population (46,000). For building trades exists the General Mortgage Bank of Palestine, first to be modeled after European institutions. In Palestine are now new hotels and resorts for tourists. Palestine's Jewish population has increased from 60,000 to 175,000. There are 328 Jewish schools. 135 agricultural settlements of which 70 are under the supervision of the Jewish Agency. Hadassah (female Zionist organization) looks after 50 hospitals, clinics and dispensaries, which exist for Arabs and Christians as well as Jews. Palestine has its own Hebrew university, founded in 1925. The Jewish population of Palestine runs its own religious affairs. But it is a minority (16.9%) without political power, save for the advisory powers conferred on the Jewish Agency by the mandate, allotted to Great Britain ten years ago. Chief set-back of the decade: the British Government's policy, published in Lord Passfield's White Paper (TIME, Nov. 3, 1930 et seq.) which proposed restriction of Jewish immigration and land purchase. No Zionist oration is complete without references--in lamentation or scorn--to the White Paper.

World President of the Zionists is Nahum Sokolow, scholarly, goateed journalist who was elected last summer (TIME, July 27). Currently President Sokolow is visiting the U. S. Last week in Manhattan, before starting on a tour of the Midwest, he spoke at the opening of the American Palestine Campaign. Nahum Sokolow speaks twelve tongues (he politely corrected Louis Wiley of the New York Times who, at a dinner, credited him with only nine). He addressed his audience in Yiddish last week, departing from his set speech to eulogize the late Boris Schatz, head of the Bezalel School of Arts & Crafts in Jerusalem, who had died in Denver during the week. Boris Schatz had appealed for funds for his school and museum. He died in poverty. Said President Sokolow: "Today, all that we can give to Boris Schatz is our pity. . . . It is my hope that American Jews will not permit the fate that befell Boris Schatz to overtake Jewish upbuilding work in Palestine. . . . Let us act before pity is called for."

Milk Man's Son. Last week Nathan Straus Jr., 42, son of the late Charitarian Nathan Straus, assumed leadership for the first time in fund-raising activities of any sort, as chairman of the Greater New York section of the American Palestine campaign. Presiding at the meeting at which Nahum Sokolow also spoke, he said: "I like a difficult job . . . I accept the responsibility of leadership at this hour, not merely by right of name or kinship with any man. but by right of my conviction of the supreme importance of the success of Palestine. . . . The Passover week is near at hand. . . . Millions of Jews all over the world will say Leshona Habo Beyerushalayim.* To the fulfillment of that prayer let us dedicate ourselves."

Nathan Straus Sr., who made a fortune in R. H. Macy & Co. and other metropolitan department stores, spent most of his time and money on milk stations and propaganda for promoting pasteurization. His interest in Palestine came comparatively late in life, and all his strictly Jewish benefactions (including the Jerusalem Health Centre) totaled less than the $5,000,000 which the late Julius Rosenwald gave for Jewish colonization in Crimea. Nathan Straus Jr. did not take part in Zionist affairs until comparatively recently. Educated at Heidelberg and Princeton (as a graduate student under Woodrow Wilson), he became a cub reporter for the New York Globe, bought Puck in 1914, built its circulation from 18,000 to 105,000. The anti-Semitism which Life then featured he fought hotly. Publisher Straus was a pacifist, earned the thanks of President Wilson for an anti-War editorial. But he went to War himself. Serious, sardonic, rather shy, today he says: 'T was just as bad a lunatic as anyone." In 1921 Nathan Straus Jr., a liberal, almost Socialistic Democrat, was elected to the New York State Senate, storming Manhattan's "Silk Stocking District" during a Republican landslide. He kept his seat until 1926. He has long been in the crockery business. His company, Nathan Straus & Sons Inc., is the biggest U. S. maker of hotel & restaurant equipment. He is an Elk, a Moose. Most Manhattanites regard him, chiefly for his long-time interest in city parks and planning, as one of their most civic-minded men.

*"Next year in Jerusalem": The traditional prayer which concludes Passover Seder services (April 21 & 22).

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