Open Wide Palestine’s Doors, Rothenberg Pleads in Report to Zionist Executive

Addressing the Executive Committee of the Zionist Organization of America, at a session preceding the calling to order of the thirty-sixth annual convention of American Zionism Morris Rothenberg, president, tonight submitted his annual report. Therein he outlined the political program of the Zionist Organization as it affects the rebuilding of the Jewish National Home, deplored the failure of Great Britain, the Mandatory Power, to allot a greater number of immigration certificates, but at the same time praised the High Commissioner, Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope for his cooperation with the Jews of Palestine.

The German Jewish crisis overshadowed every other subject of discussion in the Zionist circle conference throughout the day as the majority of the 5,000 delegates assembled here, the largest number for any American convention on record.

In the opinion of Zionist leaders this is the most important convention in many years, since a definite program must be formulated for the guidance of the delegates to the World Zionist Congress in dealing with a situation more critical than any since the massacres at Kishineff.

Among the proposals to be formulated here for presentation to the World Zionist Congress will be a demand for the settlement of 25,000 Jews in Palestine annually, for the next four years and that the executive of the Jewish Agency be elected for four years instead of two.

A strong fight is expected to be waged to secure the adoption by the Agency of the American Zionist proposal for a loan sponsored by the League of Nations to enable German Jews to settle in Palestine.

The spirit animating the convention, as manifested today, was that the situation facing world Jewry was one calling for action, and not merely the passage of the right resolutions.

Summing up the work of the Zionist Organization of America in helping American Jews to settle in Palestine, Mr. Rothenberg stated that for the year from July 1, 1932 to June 1, 1933, the organization had cleared the cases of 1,662 men and women who wished to settle in Palestine. These had brought into the country a capital of $3,138,046.

12 MILLIONS IN INVESTMENTS

Reviewing the progress in Palestine, Mr. Rothenberg stated that 20,000 Jews had entered the Jewish National Home in the last eighteen months. An indication of the capital influx into the country is found in the fact that in 1932 there were new investments in Palestine totalling more than $12,000,000.

In the course of his report, Mr. Rothenberg said:

“The calamity that has overtaken the 600,000 Jews in Germany has cast a shadow over everything else in Jewish life. Its colossal character and the terrible consequences accompanying it becomes more apparent with the lapse of time.

“In this tragic situation, aggravated by a world depression which has affected Jews as other peoples everywhere, the progress of the Jewish National Home during the past year takes on new significance for the Jewish people.

“The past year was one of steady economic growth in Palestine. In the main the advance is to be attributed to the uninterrupted flow of Jewish energy and Jewish capital into the country, so that today Palestine stands out as one of the few lands which is relatively prosperous and which shows every sign of increasing absorptive capacity.

IMMIGRATION INCREASE

“During the year 1932 Palestine had a net increase in the Jewish population of approximately 10,000 Jews as against 3,136 in 1931. To this must be added a further increase during the first six months of 1933 of at least 10,000 Jews, making a total increase of 20,000 Jews in eighteen months.

“Together with the increase in immigration there was a corresponding increase in the influx of capital into the country. It is estimated that new investments in Palestine during 1932 amounted to approximately £3,500,000.

CLOSED INDUSTRIES REOPEN

“In the field of industry Palestine continued to escape the worst effects of the world depression and to make steady progress, especially in Tel-Aviv and Haifa. New industries have been established during the year and several which had previously closed down in the depression of 1927-28, were reopened. An event of the greatest significance for the future economic development of Palestine is the opening of the Haifa Harbor.

“The Palestine Electric Corporation has completed its hydro-electric power house on the river Jo###dan and now supplies the whole the power distributed by the co### poration . Palestine Potash, Lt###working on the Dead Sea, increas### its plant and is now greatly excee###ing its former production.

“In the field of agriculture ### most notable event to be record### is the consolidation of existing K###ren Hayesod settlements. Few n### settlements were established, b### the old holdings have been cultivated more intensively. Most of ### Keren Hayesod colonies have ### turned the corner and are self-su###porting. This has added greatly the actual increase of Jewish weal### in Palestine. The extraordinary a###vance in the economic development of Palestine is best indicated by t### finances of the Palestine Government. The total revenue, excluding railways and grants-in-aid, has increased by over £500,000 and t### Government now has an accum###lated surplus of about £1,000,000.

POLITICAL RELATIONS

“The political relations {SPAN}betw###{/SPAN} the Jewish Agency and the {SPAN}Mand###tory{/SPAN} Power have happily {SPAN}improv###{/SPAN} during the past year. Much {SPAN}cre###{/SPAN} for this is due to the present {SPAN}Hi###{/SPAN} Commissioner, Sir Arthur {SPAN}Grenf###{/SPAN} Wauchope, who has shown a sympathetic understanding of the {SPAN}ai###{/SPAN} of the Zionist movement and of {SPAN}t###{/SPAN} obligations of the Mandatory {SPAN}Po###er{/SPAN} under the Mandate. A {SPAN}signi###{/SPAN} can contribution in that {SPAN}directi###{/SPAN} was made by Dr. Chaim {SPAN}Arlosoro###{/SPAN} whose tragic death by the {SPAN}dastard###{/SPAN} hand of an assassin has brought an untimely end a brilliant {SPAN}care###{/SPAN} dedicated to Jewish National {SPAN}ser###{/SPAN} ice.

“Despite the advance that h### been made toward better relation### it must be recorded that much still to be done by the Mandat### Government to meet both the le###ter and the spirit of the Manda### Economic progress is inextricab### bound up with political securi### The safeguarding of political right in Palestine is the foundation our work. The characteristic fe###ture of the Zionist program is endow the Jewish people with n###tionalstatus in Palestine. Our economic achievements in Palesti### only take on significance in t### light of the recognition of th### basic aim and its implications for free and complete Jewish life.

LIBERAL IMMIGRATION NEEDED

“In the integration of this principle, an increasingly liberal immigration policy is indispensable. {SPAN}Wh###{/SPAN} we take satisfaction in the rise immigration during the past {SPAN}ye###{/SPAN} the figures do not as yet {SPAN}represe###{/SPAN}