to the world the example of "the model State" of which he dreams—the City set upon a hill.
But who knows? It may be that the Lord has chosen once again, the weak to confound the strong, the poor, the humble and outcast, to redeem the haughty of the earth. Who is this redeemer who comes to Zion? Is it the worldly minded, world-intoxicated Jew, who has reached the topmost pinnacle of worldly success? No, it is the suffering Redeemer of whom Isaiah speaks: "The despised and rejected of men, the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, from whom we hid, as it were, our faces, and we esteemed him not."
Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows . . . the chastisement of our peace was upon him.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spirit with the strong . . . because he hath poured out his soul unto death."
Where then is he leading us, this Savior of our people? We do not know; we do not ask. It may be that some great world-movement of which we, the Jews, are pioneers — no longer westward, but to the sunrise land of promise, is here foreshadowed, and we are content to follow the leading.
JOSEPHINE LAZARUS.
The Commerce between Palestine and the United States
FROM the view point of Jewish settlement in Palestine, agriculture may be a primary or secondary consideration in comparison with industrial development. The commercial ties which bind the Holy Land to the outside world and especially to the United States, are of no less importance.
While appreciating the necessity of having agricultural effort as a solid basis of settlement, we are generally more apt to appreciate the returns obtained from industry, which are generally sooner realized. So we regret to observe the rather slow progress made by the Jewish colonies in Palestine notwithstanding the heroic struggles of the colonists and the support given them by Baron Edmond de Rothschild and the comparatively minute assistance rendered them by Zionist societies. The improvement in industrial condition of the Jews in the Orient, due to improvements fostered by the Alliance, is more noticeable and is attained with considerable less expense.
We should not close our eyes to the difficulties in the way of colonization. A glance at the history of colonial settlement in the United States will at once show the innumerable obstacles in the way of pioneers. Industrial effort is much easier and less hazardous, if once the field is cultivated. The growth of industry in the New England States, though of later origin, soon overreached in point of value the slow steps of advance made by agriculture in the south. However, like the United States, Palestine must rely
on both industry and agriculture to build up a Commonwealth.
My previous articles treated of the products and the exports of Palestine. I purpose now to discuss the possible and actual imports from the United States into Palestine and shall be guided in my statements by personal observations made in Palestine and authoritative statements culled from consular reports.
Of the imports the possibility of sending to Palestine improved machinery, especially agricultural implements, must be considered. But at present this is of secondary importance, inasmuch as the farmers do not know how to handle machinery, and are too poor to purchase it, having sufficient to do to keep body and soul together and pay their taxes, which, though ostensibly of small account, averages up to about 15 per cent. Moreover, labor is very cheap, wages being from 20 to 25 cents per day, and the value of improved machinery in competition with-cheap labor is no considerable factor. But there is no reason why the Jewish farmers in the colonies should not be supplied with American farm implements to take the place of the antiquated French tools there in vogue. A more necessary need is the introduction of artesian wells and windmills attached to air-pumps, which would undoubtedly prove a great boon to a country practically semi-arid. These wells would be substitutes for the present method of irrigating orchards and orange groves by means of water pails.