Wauchope Lauds Jewish Communal Settlements in Palestine

Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope, former High Commissioner of Palestine, yesterday paid glowing tribute to Jewish communal settlements in Palestine, addressing a luncheon of the London Overseas League, attended by leading representatives of British and Allied governments.

Sir Arthur said he chose the topic of communal settlements because, despite the war, “we are all interested in solving economic changes after the war, especially those needed to effect more equal distribution of wealth.” Describing in detail how 15,000 Jewish settlers in actual practice had solved the problem of equal distribution of wealth by the “simple if drastic method of having none,” he said:

“It is easy to understand how much self-sacrifice is needed for this method of living, but without visiting and talking to the settlers it is harder to realize how much they gain from their disregard of personal wealth. They do not fear want and do not envy another’s possession. If labor is arduous, it is regular. There is no unemployment and every man is assured a livelihood.

“Similar experiments attempted in other countries for the past 2,000 years all have failed, but in this case you cannot escape the facts. What is the reason for this astonishing success? The reasons are to be found in the spirit of the settlers. The spirit that fills them is the faith of a people happier in leading a simple life without money than if joined in the general struggle for wealth and yet more wealth.

“Such faith demands great unselfishness, as well as great devotion to the community. Should that faith ever fail, this experiment will also fail. The communal settlements in Palestine are an example of cooperation working in an extreme form which is perhaps unsuited to England but which is worthy of study if we, too, are determined to effect a just settlement of our social and economic needs after victory is gained.”