Plan Cotton Growers’ Association in Palestine

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail. Service)

The program of the new Palestine organization of Cotton-growers has now been issued. The largest possible number of Jewish families–the program of the new limited company states–are to be settled on cotton-plantations, and the whole scheme run on a pure commercial basis. The Jordan basin is to be used for plantation, as it has proved the most suitable for irrigation purposes. Each family will receive, apart from land, three dunams for vegetable gardens and the building of a small house, but must hold shares amounting to £E.200, so as to become a shareholder in this company. In cases where immediate settlement of this amount is not possible, the instalment system will be allowed; loans will be sought for this class of settler. By an annual lottery, settlers of four years’ standing will be enabled to acquire their sites and continue as independent planters; in such event, the settler will be allotted free in area of 30 dunams fully irrigated. The price for this land will be paid off in fifteen years and must clear his produce only through the company’s selling agency. The establishment of cotton cooperatives will be aided.

“WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE” DISPUTE

Gentlemen:

Sir:

Upon my return from London today I read the letter which Mr. Henry Hurwitz wrote to you in explanation of the suppression of my article which had been requested and accepted by the “Menorah Journal.”

Mr. Hurwitz states in his letter that I made two unacceptable conditions to its publication, one that it should be printed in full, without change, and two, that no answer to it should appear in the same issue of the “Journal.”

This is correct and one will readily understand why these conditions were made when one remembers that two of the three authors whose papers I discussed are respectively the editor and managing editor of the “Menorah Journal.” When I requested that no answer should be made in the same issue, I asked for my article the same privilege which the articles of Dr. Kallen, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Hurwitz enjoyed. The editor indicated in a note which accompanied the galley proofs that a reply to it would appear in the following issue of the “Journal”, to which, of course, I raised absolutely no objections.

Mr. Hurwitz was free to reject my conditions. He did not reject them; rather he accepted them with alacrity.

Mr. Hurwitz refers to the title of my article, “Why Do the Heathen Rage” (A Bib-Ecal phrase, by the way,) as “the elegant nomenclature of Rabbi Silver.” Here again Mr. Hurwitz’s memory seems to fail him. I submitted two titles for his consideration, the other being “A Rabbi Makes Reply” and Mr. Hurwitz, himself, selected the former.

There is a subtle suggestion contained in Mr. Hurwitz’s letter that my article did not fully measure up to the established standard of thought and expression of the “Menorah Journal.” Of that the reader must judge. I am however, again compelled to refresh Mr. Hurwitz’s memory. Upon receipt of my article, he wrote that he was glad to get it “and glad even after reading it.” This was in April. Four or five weeks later, during which time the editor undoubtedly had sufficient time to acquaint himself with the palpable deficiencies of the article, he sent me the galley proofs. Shortly thereafter, at a public meeting, he announced its forth-coming publication. In June then the article still measured up to the exacting standards of the “Menorah Journal.” In July ###

One must be a dour fellow indeed to suppress a chuckle at the literary vagaries of this distinguished editor.

With kindest regards, permit me to remain

(Signed) ABBA HILLEL SILVER.