Public opinion, rather than legislation should be relied on by the Jews of Palestine to obtain that full and proper observance of the Jewish Sabbath which they desire, Sir John Chancellor, the retiring High Commissioner for Palestine, urged in the course of a speech which he delivered today at a farewell reception given him by the Municipality of the Jewish town of Tel Aviv, prior to his departure from the country on relinquishing his appointment.
Sir John was referring to the recent disorders in Palestine caused by the indignation of the Orthodox Jews over Jewish teams playing matches on the Sabbath. In the same way as public opinion has brought it about that Hebrew is now the language of the Jewish Community of Palestine, and not Yiddish, Sir John said, it is possible also by exerting public opinion to ensure the proper observance of the Jewish Sabbath in the country.
The retiring High Commissioner went on to pay a tribute to the remarkable way in which Tel Aviv has grown up to occupy its present important position as one of the most thriving centres of industry and commerce in Palestine, describing it as nothing less than a historic phenomonon. Dwelling on the further opportunities of development that exist in Tel Aviv, Sir John announced that the Government is going to give the town a concession over a large tract of land near the Yarkon River, for the purpose of laying out a big sports ground there, and he further promised to support the plan for providing a proper drainage system for the town.
HOPE AMERICA WILL GO WET AGAIN TO PROVIDE MARKET FOR PALESTINE’S SPLENDID WINE SIR JOHN CHANCELLOR SAYS.
I hope that America will soon go wet, Sir John Chancellor said in the course of a speech which he has delivered in opening the vintage season at Rishon le Zion.
I hope that Europe will drink more and more of Palestine’s splendid wine, the retiring High Commissioner went on. Wine growing and orange growing are the back bone of Palestine economics. I wish that colonists would work and develop the resources of the country. In this way homes will be made surer and happier. It is not by political speeches, articles in the press, and telegrams broadcast all over the world that we can make for a happy life.
Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Meirowitz, the veterans of the wins industry took Sir John and Lady Chancellor over the cellars, and each threw a basket of grapes into the wine press, thus inaugurating the new season’s vintage.
Mr. Shapiro thanked the Government for what it had done for agricultural progress. Palestine had been badly affected by the world crisis, he said, but the wine growers would overcome all difficulties and emerge stronger, if the Government would but alleviate the financial burdens under which the industry is groaning.
Sir John said in his reply that in his recent visit to London he had stopped in Paris in order to meet Baron Edmond de Rothschild. He had long desired to see the man who had done so much for Palestine, and he had told the Baron that one of the great pleasures he had had in Palestine, was to see the colonies founded by the Baron. He was pleased with the friendly atmosphere prevailing there and he had noticed how good were the relations of the Jewish colonists with the Arabs.
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