London “jewish World” Attacks American Zionists for Move to Strengthen Zionist Leadership

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The move of American Zionists to strengthen Zionist leadership and increase the efficiency of the Zionist Executive bodies in London and Jerusalem was unfavorably commented upon by the “Jewish World,” an Anglo-Jewish weekly here.

The paper, commenting upon the address of Mr. Louis Lipsky, at the last session of the Executive Committee of the Zionist Organization of America, in which this question was raised, sees in it an attempt to transfer Zionist leadership to American Zionists.

“Should Zionist leadership pass to American Zionists, it would be a vital step, involving incalculable dangers,” the paper states. “This is said not in the spirit of the continuance of Dr. Weizmann’s leadership or in adherence to the policy of the present Zionist Executive, but because of the feeling that between the policy of the present Zionist Executive and that of an American regime there is a great gulf.

“American leadership would mean sentimentalizing, where there is no materializing. It would mean a degeneration of the movement to a maddening, raucous dissonance of jazz, from a great, practical striving of national self-help, to an institution for charitable aid. It would mean not the building of a Jewish national home, but a Jewish asylum and transplanting and repeating the evils of the Bronx in Jerusalem.

“The entire outlook of Zionism would change and so also would the world’s attitude toward it. The traditions and associations of Palestine and its upbuilding would become sicklied with demoralizing gush,” the paper asserts.

“The qualities which made America a great country and American Jewry a great Jewry would spell ruin when imposed upon Palestine,” the paper continues. “Providence has placed American Jewry in a position where it can best help the movement by supplying the sinews of war. American Jewry has done this with great distinction and has won an enduring place in the annals of Zionism. It should, however, know its limitations. Fund supplying does not necessarily coincide with a capacity for the control of the Zionist effort. They have never shown any of Weizmann’s original estimate of paucity. The Zionist spirit in America little understands the East, by which Palestine is environed, and still less European politics upon which Zionism depends for practical work. But for the war and its aftermath, Russia, Poland and Germany would not have been behind America in supporting the movement. The Zionists in these countries would resent that advantage be taken of their economic position. Besides, what Europe has done and is doing for the cultural support of Zionism weighs heavily against even America’s financial aid,” the paper declares.