Palestine Jewry places great hope in the Jewish Agency, Samuel C. Lamport, well known New York merchant and communal worker, declared on his arrival in New York from an extended trip to Palestine and European countries, when interviewed by the representative of the “Jewish Daily Bulletin” yesterday. Mr. Lamport was accompanied on his tour by Mrs. Lamport.
Prior to the establishment of the Palestine Free Loan Foundation, for which his father set aside the amount of $250,000, Mr. Lamport toured Palestine, accompanied by James Hodgson, commercial attache of the United States Legation in Cairo. During his tour of the country Mr. Lamport made a thorough survey of the economic conditions prevailing there.
A board of prominent Palestine Jews was appointed by Mr. Lamport to administer the Free Loan Foundation which will begin to function soon.
Mr. Lamport took a special interest in the project of establishing modern hotels in Jerusalem, Haifa and Tiberias, the hot spring resort. While in Paris he conferred on this subject with James de Rothschild, president of the Pica, and his brother-in-law, Frank Goldsmith, who will come to this country in the fall to enlist financial support for the project.
“Despite the severity of the economic situation,” Mr. Lamport stated to the representative of the “Jewish Daily Bulletin,” “I found that the pioneer spirit is not on the wane in Palestine and that the settlers are displaying unique courage, tenacity, persistence and incomparable devotion for the ideals which brought them there. No one who comes to Palestine can fail to be moved by this steadfastness which holds out against all odds.
“I have become interested in the hotel project because until the Agency will start to function I see in the development of the tourist traffic, the most immediately attainable way of improving economic conditions in the country. Of the 60,000 tourists who flock to Egypt every year, only a few thousand go to Palestine because of the lack of proper accommodations. Just like Switzerland, Palestine could derive a large part of its income from an increased tourist traffic. I feel optimistic that the Jews in the United States will extend help to this project which will be of immediate value for Palestine and also presents a sound business investment.”
Mr. Lamport, the “Jewish Daily Bulletin” understands, was invited by the Russian Ambassador in Paris, Christian Rakowsky, to proceed to Russia in connection with textile interests in Russia.
James Marshall, son of Louis Marshall, who arrived on the same steamer from a trip to Palestine, expressed himself in optimistic terms about the future of the Palestine work, when interviewed by a representative of the “Jewish Daily Bulletin.”
The Jewish work in Palestine is sound, notwithstanding the present crisis, he stated. On his way to New York, Mr. Marshall stopped off in London where he conferred with Dr. Chaim Weizmann and Dr. Lee K. Frankel. “Palestine is a great country for the Jewish spirit,” he declared.
MEMORIAL MEETING FOR MRS. FREEDMAN TONIGHT
A memorial meeting to pay tribute to the late Mrs. Isabella Freedman will be held tonight at Temle Emanu-El.
Mrs. Freedman. who died last Thursday, was active in nearly every branch of social welfare. Representatives of the many organizations in which she was interested will participate in the services tonight. Among the welfare agencies which she aided are the Welfare Island Synagogue, the Belfree House, the Widowed Mothers’ Fund, the Jewish Working Girls’ Vacation Society, and the National Council of Jewish Women.
Mrs. Richard Gottheil will preside at the memorial meeting tonight.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
