Jewish Legionaires Will Be Alloted Land in Paletine

A statement on the question of land allotment for Jewish Legionaires in Palestine was issued yesterday by Meyer W. Weisgal, Executive Secretary of the Zionist Organization of America. His statement read:

“In his address to the Jewish Legianaires in New York, given on Sunday, March 14th. Mr. Jabotinsky is reported to have said that the Zionist Organization has done nothing to aid the Legionaires in acquiring land in Palestine.

“It is hard to believe that Mr. Jabotinky was reported aright, for the facts must be known to him. Far from being indifferent to the demand of the Jewish Legionaires that they be given land in Palestine, the Zionist Executive has been constantly pressing the Palestine Government for action in this direction. Nor has the Government indicated that it was opposed to giving land to the Jewish Legionaires.

“After the establishment of a civil administration, definite promises were made by the Government to endeavor to find available land, fit for colonization, to be given to the Legionaires. There was talk of an allotment of land for them in the Beisan region; but this was made impossible by the so-called Beisan agreement between the Palestine Government and the fellasheen, which was dictated by political reasons, and against which the Zionist Executive protested.

“Since then, owing to the abuses that have arisen out of the allotment of Beisan land, a demarcation commission has been set up by the Palestine Government, and pending the report of this commission, three various offers were made by the Palestine Government to the Legionaires, but all three had to be rejected owing to the fact that the land in question lacked water or was unfit for cultivation. It is a fact that the Government made an endeavor to find water on the land offered to the Legionaires in one instance, and spent quite a considerable amount of money in this direction. In the meantime, the subject is being brought up regularly by the Palestine Zionist Executive in its discussions with the High Commissioner, and it is now hoped that when the demarcation commission has finished its labors, good land will be found available in the Belsan region for the Legionaires.

“It is to be regretted that the Zionist Organization is not yet in a position to report practical results, but this is not due to any neglect on its part to press the claim of the Legionaires. It certainly is not at all correct or fair to impute negligence or indifference to the Zionist Executive in this respect.”