2 Zionist Fund Bodies Adopt New Pact at Lucerne

The text of a new agreement between the Jewish National Fund, Zionist land redemption agency, and the Keren Hayesod, Zionist colonizing body, was adopted today at the second session of the World Conference of the Jewish National Fund. The new agreement, supplementing that of 1920, aims at avoiding clashes between the two primary financial institutions of the Zionist movement, and will enable the Jewish National Fund to broaden the scope of its work.

The World Conference, meeting after an interval of six years, was opened last night at the Lucerne Auditorium by Menachem M. Ussishkin, World president of the Jewish National Fund, and veteran Zionist leader.

The opening session was also addressed by Prof. Selig Brodetsky, on behalf of the World Zionist Executive, and Dr. Israel Goldstein of New York, president of the Fund in America.

Reporting on the progress of the Jewish National Fund and the situation as regards the redemption of land for Jewish colonization in Palestine, Mr. Ussishkin said that the prospects for the acquisition of new land are rather gloomy.

“After 53 years of Zionist activity,” he declared, “the Jewish people is still de facto without land in Palestine.”

Mr. Ussishkin pointed out that while the Jewish population in Palestine now reaches over 26 per cent, Jews in the country control only 6½ per cent of the land, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain land because Arabs are unwilling to sell to Jews, and the government, too, is hampering Jews in the acquisition of new acreage.

Discussing the possibilities of acquiring land in Transjordan, Mr. Ussishkin said that this would not solve the problem, as Jews on the other side of the Jordan would have the Arabs at their back.

Concerning the Huleh concession recently acquired by a private company with the aid of the Jewish Agency, Mr. Ussishkin declared that the Jewish National Fund will interest itself in the project only if it is given a 50 percent partnership, and also if the other partners are not private individuals but public institutions subscribing to the development of the land in Palestine according to the principles of the Jewish National Fund.

Mr. Ussishkin also disclosed that large plans are now afoot for the development of the Beisan district, where the J. N. F. recently acquired a large tract of land. A project for the development of being considered, and an attempt is being made to float a large loan to further facilitate expansion of the Fund’s work, he said.

The session this morning was devoted entirely to a discussion of Ussishkin’s this morning was devoted entirely to a discussion of Ussishkin’s report. The participants in the discussion were mostly Laborite representatives who attacked land speculation and demanded ruthless action on the part of the Zionist movement against the speculators even to the extent of refusing to accept their children in public schools in Palestine. A resolution was adopted at today’s session to change the constitution of the Jewish National Fund committees to permit the representation on J. N. F. bodies of all kinds of Zionist federations, parties, as well as non-Zionist organizations, synagogue federations and others interested in the work. Representation on committees will be determined according to the amounts raised by such bodies for the Fund. It will also be extended in some countries to contributors at large who will be expected to meet at the time of the Biennial J. N. F. Conferences.

A resolution was adopted at today’s session to change the constitution of the Jewish National Fund committees to permit the representation on J. N. F. bodies of all kinds of Zionist federations, parties, as well as non-Zionist organizations, synagogue federations and other interested in the work. Representation on committees will be determined according to the amounts raised by such bodies for the Fund. It will also be extended in some countries to contributors at large who will be expected to meet at the time of the Biennial J. N. F. conferences.

Preparations for the 19th World Zionist Congress which opens here next Tuesday are pressing feverishly ahead. Almost all the delegates to the Congress have already arrived, and thousands of guests are pouring into Lucerne to witness this biennial Zionist parley. Members of the World Zionist Executive have already arrived here, and Nahum Sokolow, president of the World Zionist Organization and Chaim Weizmann, are expected here tomorrow.

It was announce today that the Congress will have 480 delegates, of whom 57 per cent are Laborites.

For the first time a daily Congress newspaper will be published in Hebrew in addition to the usual Congress Zeitung published in the German language. The noted Hebrew journalist, Moshe Kleinman will be editor of the Hebrew paper.