J.D.B. News Letter

“The Jewish Chronicle,” which supports the proposal that Palestine eventually become the Seventh Dominion of the British Empire, published today an interview with Col. Josiah Wedgwood, Labor M. P., originator of the idea as set forth in his book, “The Seventh Dominion.” Col. Wedgwood outlined the purposes of the recently formed Seventh Dominion League.

“The ideas which are embodied in the program of the Seventh (Palestine) Dominion League,” he said, “are the outcome of my close study of Zionism and the investigations I made during my stay in Palestine. Both the methods of the Zionist Organization and of the British Administration in Palestine, caused me to doubt whether this most important historic enterprise of establishing a Home for the Jewish people is being conducted on the right lines. I saw mistakes on both sides, but what troubled me most is the fact that the British people have not played their part in the undertaking which found its highest expression in the Balfour Declaration and in the Mandate. I have noticed a sort of ‘shyness’ on the part of the British to show a real and determined friendship for the Jews; a feeling of reticence, in cooperating with the Jews to build up Palestine as the Jewish National Home. This attitude has manifested itself in many ways, in negligence and in petty fault-finding, in London as well as in Jerusalem.

“We started all right during the war and up to the time of the drafting of the Mandate,” continued Colonel Wedgwood, “but then the English seemed to say that they had done enough and that the partnership was at an end so far as they were concerned. We put Palestine on the road; what more is there to do? They left the whole burden of colonizing Palestine to the Jews alone-a task which is insurmountable to a nation without State machinery at its disposal.

“It was a long time before I personally realized that the cooperation which was the basis of the Mandate has in fact ceased,” Colonel Wedgwood proceeded, “and as I had a good deal to do with establishing this cooperation during the war, this realization came upon me rather as a shock. The friendship and understanding between the British people and the Jews seems completely to have ceased. Furthermore, there was the danger of growing alienation between the Jews and the British administration in Palestine.

“To me it looks as if the English behaved snobbishly diffident about being known as being partners with the Jews-Snobbism is the most contemptible of all vices; it consists of fear of what other people will think about you, and I cannot stand my country showing that form of cowardice.

“The real test of friendship and cooperation was obviously whether the British Administration in Palestine would treat the Jewish settler in Palestine as it would treat Englisch settlers in a new colony-fraternizing encouraging and cooperating. This I did not find in Palestine. They drifted apart. One asks why? It seemed to me that the reason was the failure of the British Administration in Palestine and the British officials there to grasp our common aim in Palestine. Moreover, in addition to joint British and Jewish real interest in this country, we have a common culture and common ideas to spread in the East. The progress of Palestine is in fact English as well as Jewish business. This lack of understanding was coupled with a suburban survival of medieval prejudice which has been small credit to British colonial officialdom.

“Now we have got to stop this for the sake of the good name of the British people and the life interests of the Jews,” declared Colonel Wedgwood with emphasis. “We English have to show both to the Jews and to the world that the English and the Jews are not ashamed of being friends and that the business of developing British culture and Jewish ideal in the East is of great moral and imperial value. If there ever was an imperial interest of magnitude it is in Palestine. We must impress this point of view on the British people. (Continued on Page 4)

We must stop our patronizing attitude towards the Jews and cease to think that we are in Palestine only as on-lookers. British officials there must realize that they are performing a responsible imperial task and not simply maintaining order in the country. We want a joint League to ensure the right thing being done there, and not only must we insist upon the right thing being done but we must strive to continue the friendship and understanding between British and Jews which was so conspicuously manifested during the War. Palestine must be governed in a spirit of partnership, because those Jews who settle in Palestine are surely likely to play an important role in the future of the British Empire.

“I have tried to show in my book,” declared Col. Wedgwood. “what can be done in Palestine, what kind of regime it is necessary to establish there to achieve the Zionist task, and what concessions must be made by the Palestinian Government to help bring Jewish settlement there to a success. I also pointed out that without taking a premature step in any direction, the Jewish population in Palestine should begin to think of the future and view this future in association with the British Empire. Jewish Palestine as well as Great Britian must, in short, have some sort of policy, because it is the lack of a policy, especially on the part of responsible Englishmen, that has brought about the present position.

“That book of mine was received by the British and American press with interest and sympathy, but by some organs of the Jewish press of the world with almost pathetic amazement; it was too good to be true. Some wholeheartedly applauded it, seeing the almost miraculous possibility that not one English ‘crank,’ but perhaps the English people, might become their friends and see with their eyes the injustice of exclusion from the family of nations and the wrong of misdirected administrative policy in the country of their hope; some have suspiciously commented on it as on a new venture of British Imperialism.

“The grogram of the Seventh Dominion League will now be known to your readers. It was drafted after careful consideration and consultation with the friends of the scheme, both non-Jewish and Jewish, who want important changes in all directions. It is in my opinion a clear, straightforward and honest statement of aims and objects. And it is hoped that the League will find wholehearted support among both ‘partners.’

“I should like to elucidate a few points of the program. First of all in visualizing Palestine of the future as a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, we do not commit any act of disloyalty to the League of Nations or to the terms of the Mandate. If Palestine is to be a Seventh Dominion, it will be by the free will of its population, who will take a voluntary step in choosing for the country the status of a British Dominion after the expiration of the Mandate-in other words, after the Mandate’s purpose has been accomplished. In the meantime the Seventh Dominion League will see to safeguarding the vital interests of the people who are to build the National Home.

“Our League aims at being a useful instrument for a real cooperation between the British and Jewish peoples, based on common interests and common ideals. The British Administration in Palestine must be constantly reminded that its main task there is to govern the country in accordance with the Mandate-that is, in such a manner, as to make it worth while for the Jewish population to join the British Commonwealth of Nations, instead of creating dissatisfaction and suspicion.

“Naturally, the Seventh Dominion League intends, not only to use the press and platform to propagate its objects and aims, but it will press for practical measures, for appropriate legislation, for necessary changes in administrative practice. The Government must facilitate the absorption by the country of a greater number of Jews, and the transformation of Palestine into a real Jewish National Home. The establishment of a colonization department as part of the Government machinery, the introduction of a specially trained civil service, are considered by us a practical application of the mandate. British citizenship for Palestinian citizens, treatment of loans for Palestine on the same basis as loans for Dominions, are among the steps which the Seventh Dominion League will advocate. Palestine must become a sound practical proposition instead of being an abstract object of sympathy.

“It would be a mistake,” said Col. Wedgwood, in conclusion, “to consider the establishment of the Seventh Dominion League as an attempt merely to appeal to the Imperial instinct of the British politician. It is much more the desire to stand up for a right thing, for a just cause, and for an enterprise which appeals both to the common sense of statesmen and the humanitarian feelings of civilized Europeans.

“I have no doubt that both non-Jews and Jews throughout the British Empire and in Palestine, and, indeed, in all countries, will come together to make the Seventh Dominion League an instrument for the furtherance and promotion of the Zionist aim.”