Activities of Jewish Colonization Agencies in Palestine Increase to Solve Problem of Growing Immigra

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Reports just issued by the Palestine Zionist Executive indicate the increased activities now going forward in Palestine through the Keren Hayesod, Jewish National Fund and Hadassah, in an attempt to meet the problem of preparing the land to absorb the ever-increasing number of immigrants seeking to settle here.

The building activities going on in the cities, especially in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, have resulted in the formation of another company to exploit the quarries around Jerusalem. A Cooperative Limited Company, with a capital of $30,000 has been organized. The majority of the capital was provided by the Keren Hayesod and a section of the quarries is located on land acquired by the Jewish National Fund. The company is expected to provide employment for a large number of Jewish workmen.

In order to stimulate essential public work in Jewish settlements, the Department of Labor of the Zionist Executive here is urging World Zionist headquarters in London to obtain a loan from some other source than the Keren Hayesod which has no capital available for the purpose. These loans will facilitate a number of public activities and will help reduce the seasonal unemployment prevalent at this time of the year due, among other things, to the curtailment in building activities during the winter.

On the Jaffa-Jerusalem line a new agricultural colony of Sephardic Jews from Georgia, Turkey and Bulgaria has just been established. Although the group of fifteen families has some capital of their own, the Keren Hayesod has assisted them in establishing themselves on the soil. Another important colony is shortly to be established in the Emek. An advance guard of a group of 102 families from Marmarosz, Roumania, has just arrived and is now seeking a site for a colony, which will be located on Jewish National Fund land when additional acreage is available. The colonists are all farmers and have some individual capital, but they will be dependent upon loans from the Keren Hayesod. Some recently acquired National Fund land is to be placed at the disposal of a Bulgarian settlement which is to receive 3300 dunam for cultivation, while a Yemete colony is to receive 1400 dunam. Six hundred dunam are to be given to a group of sons of pioneers who have been residents of Palestine for many years.

HENRY FORD “PREY OF FADDISTS,” COLONEL HOUSE DECLARED IN 1915

That Henry Ford is the prey of faddists who desire his money and whose influence he is unable to resist, was the opinion expressed by Colonel House on Nov. 22, 1915, we learn from an entry under that date in Colonel House’s diary which is appearing serially in the New York “Herald-Tribune.”

At the time this entry was made in Colonel House’s diary Ford was nursing his peace ship hobby and he called at the White House in an effort to interest President Wilson. House’s characterization of Ford’s ideas on peace is significant in relation to the automobile manufacturer’s notions about Jews as expressed in his anti-Semitic propaganda through the medium of the “Dearborn Independent,” Colonel House wrote (“Herald-Tribune,” Feb. 27):

“November 22, 1925: Henry Ford, the automobile manufacturer, called by appointment. He also came in the role of pacifist. He brought with him David Starr Jordan’s secretary, a young man who did most of the talking, despite the fact that I indicated very clearly that I wished to talk to Mr. Ford. Ford’s views regarding peace were so crude and unimportant that I endeavored to lead him into a more fruitful field, but just as soon as I got him discussing his great industrial plant at Detroit and the plans for the uplift of his workmen the young man would break in and turn the tide of conversation into another channel. Ford, I should judge, is a mechanical genius…. who may become a prey to all sorts of faddists who desire his money.”

In a letter to Ambassador Gerard in Berlin, Colonel House, writing on Dec. 1, 1915, made the following comment on Ford.

“… Henry Ford has been urging me to go on his peace ship, which I have not considered for a moment. Some of the women pacifists suggested this adventure to him, I think, and perhaps in a moment of enthusiasm he consented. I believe he will regret it later. Of course there is no need to tell you that the government is not interested in it, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise, for it cannot bring any results….”

CORRECTS SECRETARY KELLOGG’S FIGURES

When further figures are elicited, it will appear, declares the “Day” of Feb. 28, that instead of 577,000 immigrants, as claimed by Secretary Kellogg, less than one-fourth of that number would be admitted by the Perlman-Wadsworth bill.

Contending that the figures secured by the State Department from the American consuls abroad are wrongly interpreted, the “Day” writes:

“The figures are correct, but any assertion that such a number of immigrants would actually enter this country is absolutely false.

“The consuls do not discount those immigrants who in the course of the past few years returned to Europe and hence cannot bring their parents wives and children to this country. During last year 148,366 immigrants came here. The consuls base their figures on the visas issued to these. But during last year 75,064 immigrants left this country and the consuls in Europe do not know about these. This means that more than half of the immigrants returned to their native countries and cannot bring their families here. This alone reduces Secretary Kellogg’s figures to less than half.

“To this must be added the fact that not all those who have the right to bring their families here will make use of their privilege. The terrible figures about half a million immigrants do not appear so terrible, then.”

There would be no disturbing influx of immigrants if relatives of declarants and citizens were admitted outside the quota according to the provisions of the Perlman-Wadsworth bill, declares the “Herald-Tribune” of Feb. 27.

“As regards the favor held out to citizens, present and future, the indulgence may be granted without much misgiving,” the paper says. “Already the unmarried child under eighteen or the wife of a citizen is non-quota. The proposed amendment admits also the unmarried child between eighteen and twenty-one, the husband, the father or the mother of a citizen. These relatives have now a preference within the quota, but in a number of countries with small quotas the preference petitions exceed the allotment, so that it will be years before these aliens can be admitted in the usual course. Judging by the number of petitions in the first year of the law, there would not be a disturbing influx if the preference relatives were to be admitted outside the quota.”