The Vienna Conference
VIENNA, Aug. 15, 1904. PASSED across the Atlantic with as much speed as the engines of the "Teutonic" would permit, and the details of that trip, except in one case, are of no interest to the public. The vessel seemed unusually free of Jewish passengers. Even the steerage had but few Jewish occupants —the majority of the passengers there being deported Italians and Slovaks; but, by dint of many visits between decks, I located five Jews in all. All of them at once recognized the "Zion" pin, and naturally enough, the talk fell to the regrettable death of our leader, with which fact they were well acquainted. Three of them seemed too burdened with their own affairs to manifest an interest in public affairs; but the other two told me that they were about to settle in London, and asked me for the address of a London Zionist society which they desired to join. As for my non-Jewish fellow-pas-- sengers, they speculated for hours whether the inscription on the button —there were plenty of buttons aboard —was Greek or Arabic; and when I enlightened them —perhaps with a little pride —I discovered no change in their attitude towards me; there was no prejudice against our race.
My stay in London was exceedingly brief. The Zionists I met were still deeply moved by the death of Dr. Herzl, and the question that was put on every side, and which I was not qualified to answer, was: Who is to be our next leader. I called on but did not meet Dr.
Gaster; and in general conversation, I found nothing like any support for him, or for the leadership going to any English Zionist. The most definite proposal was that of electing Herr David Wolffsohn to the office at the next Congress, and on this I was able to obtain support for the postponement of that gathering to at least the end of the year. At the Jewish Colonial Trust office, the best news was the progress made by the Anglo-Palestine Company; but instead of information, questions were put to me on the American branch; London is now fully informed on all matters relating to American corporation law and so forth.
A great deal was anticipated from the Actions Comite sittings and so, on Saturday night, I crossed by the Hook of Holland route to the Continent. From London out, I met aboard the train an old Zionist who, of course, was all agog on the subject, and an old friend who had recently become convinced of the merits of Zionism. These two discussed the issue till our routes separated. En route to Vienna, I met yet another English Zionist travelling to Dresden ; and of course, he, too, discussed the one topic; so that to the moment of my arrival here, Il had, as befitted the circumstances, a thoroughly Zionistic journey.
Vienna seems to be holiday-making to-day; at least the quays were crowded as I hurried along the Danube to 9 Turkenstrasse in the Alsergrund, or Ninth District. It was the same old office—with Die Welt Bureau on another floor—but everything was subdued,