doubt, thought and still think that by enlisting the Jewish people of the world in sympathetic recognition great good might be acheived and the unfortunate Jews of those countries be transferred into their ancient home, the land where it is claimed milk and honey flowed in abundant streams, and where they among themselves could achieve and secure the happiness and political freedom which is denied them in the lands of their birth.
That is a fair partial statement, with which there can be no disagreement. It should be evident to Mr. Wolf, however, that the present phase of Zion can in no wise be compared to Mordecai Noah's absurd scheme for the establishment of a Zion near the city of Buffalo. Attempts such as his belong to that class of wild Utopias well-known in the history of the world as worthless constructions of unpractical men. Major Noah omitted from his consideration the one element necessary for the success of his plan, to-wit, the self-conscious effort of a nationally inflamed people. It seems that he had little thought of the Jewish people as such. For that reason his plan does not come in the same category with the present Zionist movement.
Mr. Wolf believes the movement has its origin in Christian intolerance, and if persecutions were to cease, Zionism would disappear. Admitting it to be so, for argument's sake, does Mr. Wolf truly believe that persecution is on the decline? We need not call his attention to Roumania, Russia, anti-Semitic victories in Austria, Jew-hatred in. France — liberty-loving France,— alien exclusion discussion in England; and. cruel though it seems to remind so ardent an American patriot as is Mr. Wolf, the growth of the dislike for Jews in this great republic of ours. Whatever the cause, there it is !Well, if intolerance is not diminishing, how can Mr. Wolf object to Zionism as the solution of the question? Yet, with the growth of anti-Semitism before him, he advocates the solution of questions in the country where Jews are oppressed. He says: “Every effort should be made on the part of civilized countries of the earth to create by diplomatic and peaceable agencies, more favorable legislation for those people.” We see how eager our own government is to help Mr. Goldfogle's inquiry as to how American Jews traveling in Russia are treated by that despotic government; the Secretary of State seems to be anxious not to be offensive to the Russian government, and so evades a direct reply to questions that he could answer categorically if he so desired. What impress can be made by Americans of whom we are an insig-
nificant minority upon the policy of governments wedded to despotism?
The Zionist movement will perpetuate a “separation of the Jew as a citizen from his fellow men, transferring him from a world representative into a purely local zealot.” A curious position, truly — a world representative. In what respect? As the world’s football, as an spiritual exemplar, as our reform friends have it, or as world representatives because they represent no one in this world? We prefer to represent ourselves; we prefer to remain local, if world representatives are treated with such honor as the Jew is treated in Russia and Roumania.
And we submit to Mr. Wolf, that it is scarcely fair to assume that all precedent will be abrogated in the case of the Jews to such an extent that when they will gather from many quarters in Palestine “there will be continual internecine strife that will inevitably end in disruption.” Given any class or classes of people, living on the same soil, having the same government, possessing the same literature, the same history, and variants of the same religion, whatever conflicting theories or inclinations there may be will slowly but surely disappear to give way to an amalgam which will not be antagonistic and will tend not to disruption but to national concord.
L.
"Palestína"
THE appearance in Berlin of a new journal dealing with Palestine is of sufficient moment to deserve some comment in these columns. In many modern Jewish circles it has become the habit, and in some cases the style, to interest oneself in anything and everything except that which concerns strictly Jewish matters. There are even Jewish journals which with difficulty are recognized as such; certainly not from their contents.
"Palestina" is a journal of a very different kind and marks, we venture to hope, a new step in the direction of Jewish literary and scientific effort. It is the official organ of a Committee constituted in Berlin, with corresponding members in some of the larger European cities and in Palestine, which has for its object the study of Palestine and the neighboring countries from an economic point of view.
Among the names of those forming this Committee, we are glad to see those of Prof. Martin Phillipson, the President of the Deutsche Ge-