Palestine Arabs Shared in Benefits of Jewish Funds, Says Warburg

Felix M. Warburg, chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Jewish Agency Council, who returned on the “Homeric” on Wednesday, made the following statement:

“After a stay of only three weeks abroad, I return with torn feelings. What horrible, unnecessary suffering and cruelty, caused by misunderstanding and false agitation and not prevented by those who could have done so, if watchful.

“We had just finished the complicated discussions and perfected a satisfactory agreement, at Zurich, for the Jewish Agency, and from all countries came representation and statements of good will and cooperation. Speeches by English Conservatives, such as Lord Melchett; English Liberals, such as Sir Herbert Samuel: by scientists such as Einstein; by Zionists such as Dr. Weizmann; by American non-Zionists such as Mr. Marshall, Dr. Lee K. Frankel, Dr. Cyrus Adler; by Socialists from France, such as Representative Blum; Orthodox from Poland such as Rabbi Lipszye; or Sephardic from Palestine such as Rabbi Uziel, all promised work for the up building of Palestine.

“Many-and among them myself-made a special point of the fact that nobody in the Jewish world wants to obtain what belongs to his neighbor, except by purchase; that nothing is desired but good will and cooperation. Most of the work done through the Joint Distribution Committee since 1914 has benefitted Jew, Christian and Mohammedan alike. We imported medicine and foodstuffs for all alike; we fought malaria and bad health conditions for everybody’s advantage, and helped to build roads and farms for the development of the whole country. The prosperity which was plainly visible on our visit to Palestine last April showed how much the funds which the generous public had sent to Palestine had benfitted the Arab population. This was plainly visible in many ways-by better attire, better housing conditions, and motor cars. A few more years of development of that type, and an understanding would have been brought about and friendships formed, as was done in a good many cases, among others, very much so by the establishment of the University, where one department discovered and dwelt upon the beauties of Arab literature. This had reached a point where, according to my information, anybody who wanted to study the beauties of Arab literature and culture would probably have gone through the gates of the extraordinary material.

“I am quite sure that the better part of the Mohammedan population deeply regrets this uprising. It seems unbelievable that, during the absence of High Commissioner Chancellor and the major part of his staff and during the absence of nearly all the Executives of the Jewish Agency, the people (Continued on Page 8)

in charge should have made the incredible mistake of permitting demonstrations near the Western Wall. High Commissioner Chancellor, in his conversation with me last April, requested that care be taken that no large numbers should go to the Western Wall during the Nebimussah Festival-the Arab holiday. His warning was heeded and the holiday passed without excitement. Why the same thing was not done lately we cannot understand. Protest we must against such carelessness, horrified we must be by the cruel, unnecessary death of innocent teachers and students, who had no other desire but that of improving their minds. Help we must those bereaved families whose property was wantonly destroyed for nobody’s benefit. Until the Mandate government does its full share in repairing at least this damage, we must step in at once and give them back, so far as we can, what they have lost, but mainly give them back the courage to carry on and the belief that their brethren all over the world sympathize with them and want to help them.

“We mourn for the suffering of the innocent and pity the misguided, and we have only one resolution-to bring about as speedily as possible better un-in Palestine. If we have succeeded in bringing the different groups of Jewry together and if we have asked them to stop discussing theories and put their shoulders to the wheel, and each member of the Agency to do a specific task in the administration of Palestine, so we hope that, if a corresponding desire is shown by the Arab population, as with the Mandate government, small joint committees will work for better roads for better hospitals, for better schools, for better technical education, for better civil service training, and that through recommendations by such joint committees, better understanding, more ample cooperation and greater watchfulness against vicious agitation will be brought about.

“I am delighted to learn of the interest and the enthusiastic sympathy which has shown itself in statements of our wonderful President, Mr. Hoover, of Senator Borah, and of those who have already shown by their contributions their willingness to help rebuild. Traveling through Europe, one marvels how quickly the scars and wounds of horrible war can disappear and how battle-scarred fields become fruitful fields again. Let us hope that between human hands and a kind Providence, these days of horror will soon be wiped out of memory.

“As I see it, we who are united in the Jewish Agency stand solemnly pledged to the following guiding principle-no political ambition, but cultural, social, economical live and let live for all.”