If Jews Wont Rebuild Palestine, Gentiles Will, Sir Alfred Mond Says

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Sir Alfred and Lady Mond arrived here yesterday after a trip through Western Canada. They will remain here until Monday, when they leave for New York. Sir Alfred will be entertained at a Zionist luncheon today and on Friday he will be the guest of the Canadian Club.

Sir Alfred spoke enthusiastically about Palestine when he received a deputation of the Zionist Organization yesterday afternoon. He is of the opinion that the removal of Governor Storrs will be of benefit to the Jewish settlement.

“I am wondering why the Jews are so slow in upbuilding Palestine. If the Jews will not come and build the Gentiles will do it, just as Sir Henry Jackson is already building the water works of Jerusalem. If the Jews will not build, Britishers and British capital will do so,” Sir Alfred said.

He sees a great future for Palestine in colonizing the southern areas which are great barley producing centres. As to industries, they have also Syria as a market.

“The average Palestinian farmer lives under better conditions than the Canadian farmer. Anyone planting an orange grove is assured of 15 per cent returns after seven years,” he said.

The work of Hadassah was also praised. He criticized those who attribute to Palestine many failures that are personal. A business may fail in Palestine, as it may fail in America, and for the closed chocolate factory, Raanon, there are hundreds of flourishing ones. Palestine is a great country for investments, he declared.

Dr. Hirsch Loeb Gordon, lecturer at the Jewish Teachers Seminary and at the Hebrew Teachers College “Tarbuth,” was elected superintendent of the United Hebrew Schools of Newark, N. J., for a term of 3 years. Dr. Gordon will introduce the project method in his schools. He specialized in this method under Prof. John Dewey and other professors of Columbia University.