ment. It may be that some few here and there would drop out; but, allowing for this eventuality, the increased revenue that would be received from those remaining would more than make up for any financial loss, and those who might drop out at first would eventually And their waw hark intn the mnavement
There is still another thing that I wish to present for the consideration of the convention; and that is, the status of those who are contributing $ro a year to the movement. At the present time they have absolutely no rights and no privileges; and. while I would not favor granting them any privileges, I do believe that they ought to have some rights that would place them at least on a par with those who are paying 25 cents a year to the Federation. While. no question of this sort was raised by the many who have contributed, it is to be expected that, sooner or later, this question will be raised, especially if it is our desire to build up this class of membership: and it is best that we should take time by the forelock and be prepared to answer that question when it arises.
. A word as to the opposition: While I have .no desire to belittle it, I am afraid that we have made the mistake of magnifying it out of all proportion to its importance and effectiveness. Anti-Zionist press and preachers mav fulminate as much as they please, their loudest noises, their bitterest invective, their most vicious .denunciations. :do us but little harm. The majority of Jews hear but little of these vain alarums; and, for the rest, a clear, dignified, earnest presentation of the Zionist case causes the doubts and misgivings. that may be aroused to vanish as do the vapors of the swamp before the clear, life-giving sun. The doubts recoil ‚like boom- erangs upon the heads of those who create them, and they only harm themselves most who would do most harm to the Zionist movement. j .
In absolute confidence we may continue our work without giving overmuch heed to our opponents, whose number is fewer than we have imagined, sure that American Jews will ultimately take its place in the very first rank under the blue and white banner of Judea, eager to make every sacrifice within
its power for the establishment of a publicly, legally assured home for the Jews in Palestine.
Respectfully submitted,
THE MACCABAEAN COMMITTEE.
The Maccabaean committee comes once more before you with a report on the condition of your monthly magazine. It offers, as usual, a complaint and expresses, as usual, a hope.
The complaint is entered against a large majority of Zionists, who, having in their power the upbuilding of our magazine, have not exerted themselves as they should have done in its interests. As a result, the deficit which we .reported last year has been but slightly reduced, the circulation has . but slightly increased, and we are still compelled to ask American Zionists to search their hearts and to confess that they have not done their duty by us. It may surprise the convention to know that the circulation of THE MACCABAEAN is composed of fifty per cent. of Zionists and fifty per cent. of non-Zionists, a pretty fair indication of the valuable propaganda service of the magazine. These non-Zionists are, for the most part, our most regular subscribers; they seldöom default in payments and seldom discontinue, while some of our Zionist subsceribers have the disagreeable habit of reading the magazine for one year and discontinuing the next.
Nor have the Zionists lent a hand in securing advertisements for THE MACCABAEAN. If they had, they deficit which the committee has been carrying so patiently for the last few years would have been discharged during the year. In this direction we appeal once more for the co-operation of the delegates.
The gathering of subscriptions was more expensive this year, owing to the lack of volunteer workers. A number of paid solicitors had to be employed. Credit is due to several societies for their assistance.
The fact still remains that THE MACCABAEAN may be relied on to become an immense source of income for the Federation. In the course of another year, with the co-