Palestine’s Spirit Unbroken Despite Year’s Difficulties. Says Jewish Agency Treasurer

In spite of the difficulties of the past year, political, financial and economic, the spirit in Palestine is unbroken, and there is a calm determination to go on working at any cost, Dr. Werner Senator, member of the executive of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, and its treasurer and financial adviser, who has arrived here on a visit to Berlin, said in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. In view of the forthcoming meetings of the Zionist Actions Committee and the Administrative Committee of the Jewish Agency, Dr. Senator explained, he could not go deeply into the various questions, but in general this was the position held.

“Even the barring of Labor immigration which has profoundly stirred the Yishub,” he said, “is viewed more calmly in Palestine than abroad. The responsible bodies in Palestine, too, are not allowing themselves to be diverted by sentiment from the essential work and essential measures. They collaborated closely, for instance, with Sir John Hope Simpson, and discussed with him thoroughly the whole material relating to the future of the Jewish economic program.”

CRISIS NOT YET FELT THERE

Speaking of the economic position, Dr. Senator said that Palestine has so far been practically untouched by the economic world crisis. “But the influence of the general economic world crisis must be felt also in Palestine. The flow of private capital is beginning to slacken. The general agricultural crisis is also affecting in particular the peasant settlers who depend on cereal produce. Unemployment has not for the present exceeded the normal. A series of public works will be started in the near future by various organizations active in Palestine, and these will have a very favorable effect upon the Palestine labor market.”

He was referring, Dr. Senator explained, to the work which is to be undertaken by the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (Pica), the Palestine Emergency Fund and the Jewish Agency according to plans. The Government, too, he added, has a number of works on its program. The orange harvest in the autumn will also absorb a large number of workers.

“Nothwithstanding these favorable factors, however,” he continued, “there is always, of course, the possibility of fluctuations on the labor market.

“The decisive factor in the economic situation,” Dr. Senator said, “is whether in view of the slackening down of the inflow of private capital because of the economic crisis, it will be possible for the Jewish Agency to succeed in carrying through a big program of work. That is to say, whether public capital will be available to take the place of the diminishing private capital. In this respect things are unfortunately not particularly favorable at the moment. Big efforts will have to be made to put the finances for the current year in order, and to proceed with the economic and cultural work to the proper extent.

NEED OF MODUS VIVENDI

“Politically,” Dr. Senator went on, “and the political factor influences the economic and psychological factors, it is very important to have a further calming down of the atmosphere. In most quarters the idea is taking root and there must be a modus vivendi between the three participating factors, Jews, Arabs and Government, to do away with the frequent friction. This is a problem to which we are all giving the utmost attention. It is especially significant at this moment, when the Jewish Agency is drawing to the close of its first year of activity, and has to lay down the lines of its future work.

“I consider it of immediate practical importance,” Dr. Senator concluded, “to have a co-ordination of the economic, social and cultural activities of the various organizations active in Palestine, which are connected with the Jewish Agency by means of personal association, or which otherwise work in close association with it. The coming meeting of the Admnistrative Committee of which the Jewish Agency will have to deal with very difficult political, but above all financial and economic problems. It will depend on the results of the deliberations whether Palestinian Jewry will retain the feeling which has till now given it strength, that there is a strong and indissoluble connection between the Palestinian Yishub and world Jewry, whether Zionist or non-Zionist.”