American Jews Helped Britain Get Palestine Mandate, Have Right to Complain, Wise Says

Concluding Part of Address Delivered by Dr. Wise at Cleveland Conference

Referring to the part played by American Jews in urging that the Palestine Mandate be given to Great Britain and stressing particularly the assistance of the Wilson administration in this matter, Dr. Wise in his Cleveland address developed what might be termed his case against the present British policy in Palestine and the Zionist leadership. Continuing his address Dr. Wise stated.

“One other item of remembrance bound up with the speaker’s eager desire that Britain play the greatest part in the redemption of the Jewish people! It was toward the close of December, 1918, in the midst of the sessions of the American Jewish Congress in Philadelphia, over which Judge Mack presided, that, being in London on behalf of the Zionist Organization in relation to the impending Peace Conference, I happened to inform Mr. Balfour, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, about the resolution adopted by the Congress. The term ‘mandate’ had not yet been introduced into political life–just before the reading of General Jan Smuts’ pamphlet. The Congress had urged Great Britain to take a protectorate over Palestine, I informed the then Mr. Balfour, by a virtually unanimous vote, adding that the American Jewish Congress technically represents one-third or one-fourth of the Jews of the United States, actually many more. He inquired: ‘Do they desire us to assume a protectorate over Palestine?’ My answer, which represented the spirit of American Israel, was: ‘Our falth in England is unmeasured; we are prepared to entrust the safekeeping of Palestine to Great Britain.’ He seemed to be touched as he replied: ‘What a token of confidence in my country and government on the part of your fellow Jews! It does us honor indeed.’

CRITICISM OF GREAT BRITAIN PERMISSIBLE

“Am I prepared to assert that such confidence was misplaced? No. I do not believe it,” Dr. Wise declared. “If the question were to be opened afresh, I would favor the assumption by Britain of the Mandate of the League of Nations over Palestine. Great Britain has not facilitated the establishment of the Jewish Homeland, has not adequately and consistently facilitated the creation of the Jewish Homeland in Palestine. At Basle I cited instance after instance of the failure of the facilitation. I believe that when I pointed out these things, I spoke for the mind of the Jewish world, not for myself alone. We must have an end of the notion sedulously spread that there is no treason comparable to complaint against or faultfinding touching the failures and shortcomings of the British in Palestine. As an American and a Zionist, I know of no ordinance which denies me the right to speak my mind touching Great Britain’s attitude toward the Zionist movement and toward the Jewish resettlement of Palestine in the light of the Balfour Declaration and the San Remo treaty. Nor is the subsequent setting aside of £5,000 or £10,000 in Tel Aviv for the relief of unemployment an answer to my charge. It may for a moment be an answer to the unemployed in Tel Aviv, but it is no answer to the Jewish people, one of the moral if not actual signatories of the covenant with Great Britain. That is no answer. An answer it would be if Great Britain as the Mandatory Government were to cease to regulate the Jewish resettlement in Palestine as if it were a normal, prosperous ‘baol-batisch’ coloniztion, and begin to deal with the Jewish settlers of Palestine as a struggling, pioneering daring, not to be burdened and overburdened, but facilitate in their hardy and noble enterprise of transforming Palestine into a livable place and thus to create a Jewish National Homeland. This Jewish minority in Palestine is poor save in the resources of its spirit and requires every facilitation if it is not to fail in its doing of the impossible.

ZIONIST LEADERSHIP BLAMED

“The time is come for us to seek an answer to the question–why is land taxed when it is held in non-Jewish hands as if it were virtually valueless and why does it become of high value the moment it passes into Jewish hands?” Dr. Wise demanded. “The explanation is offered that the new appraisal is not valid until it passes from old to new ownerships. This plausible and technical explanation is no defense of Britain’s over-taxation of Jewish enterprise, of Britain’s laying insurmountable burdens upon our self-sacrificing young pioneers. We may be stifled if we seek to speak out in other lands, but in America we shall speak the truth as we see it, more particularly seeing that–and this is of deepest significance–it is far from certain that the British Government is responsible. For my part, I do not believe that Great Britain is chiefly answerable for the policy of non-facilitation of the Jewish Homeland in Palestine. Has it never occurred to you, my fellow Zionists, that ours may be the responsibility in large or small part. I do Britain the honor of believing that its government is always ready to deal justly with a people, which makes just demands with courage and sincerity. The justest, noblest Government in the world will not deal justly with the people that does not stand up with self-respect for the last lota of its rights.

“Without being an English citizen by birth or adoption. I know enough about England and my own country to know that neither country is prepared to yield assent to those who are not strong or brave enough firmly to demand what in essence is just. This American Government some day may grant independence to the Phillipine Islands, — but never until its people voice its just demands in firm and inexorable terms. No government, I repeat, grants more to any people, whatsover its contractual relations with them, than is demanded by them in the terms of complete self-respect. Given the attitude on the part of the leaders of the Zionist movement of the governorship of a Crown Colony, and into a Crown Colony Palestine would speedily and irretrieveably descend. The British Government is too great to ask to be exempted from the fulfillment of its responsibility to the Jewish people with whom, in the terms of the Balfour Declaration, it has made a solemn and irrepealable compact.

RELATES BASLE INCIDENT

“I happened to be Chairman of the Political Commission at the recent Basle Congress, upon the request of the President of the Zionist Organization of America. In the course of its deliberations the following resolution was submitted to the Commission:

“Having regard to the outstanding political and allied problems relating to the economic development of the Yishub, and the impossibility of adequate and practical discussion of these problems within the brief limits of the sessions of the Congress, this Commission recommends to the Zionist Congress the election by the Congress of a special committee which shall consist of the President of the Zionist Organization as Chairman and four other members, and which committee shall under the leadership of the President of the Zionist Organization, undertake a full review of such problems, making recommendations for their early solution and discussing such recommendations with the Government of the Mandatory power, with a view to securing where possible the facilitation of the common objects of that Government and the Zionist Organization.’

“That resolution, framed and offered by Philip Guedalla, the President of the English Zionist Federation, and seconded by Mr. Abraham Tulin of the American Delegation, was introduced with my own entire concurrence. I did not then feel, nor do I feel today, that as the Chairman of the Political Commission, I could accept the responsibility for Dr. Weizmann’s threatened withdrawal from the leadership and the Presidentcy of the Zionist Organization, which threat, privately made and publicly re-stated, I did Dr. Weizmann the honor of taking seriously and at its face value, seeing that Dr. Weizmann was and is the pivotal figure for the present, in any event, of the Jewish Agency, that is yet to come into being. To put it into simplest terms, I do not withdraw from the fight. Because of the question whether the Mandatory Government or the political leadership is primarily responsible for England keeping the promise of the Balfour Declaration to our ear and breaking it to our hope, I concurred in the proposal to re-explore and re-state the social economic bases of the relations of the Zionist movement and the Mandatory Government of Great Britain. My withdrawal from the leadership of the Political Commission at Basle, which was prepared with virtual unanimity to urge the adoption by the Congress of the resolution referred to the Commission on the part of the leader of the Zionist Organization that she would withdraw from the leadership it such resolution were adopted. My considered act in resigning from the Commission was a protest against the attempt to stifle freedom of discussion and to destroy the rights of the Zionists freely to criticize the Executive and Administration. That fight will be carried on.

WILL ASK FOR CHANGE

“At the Convention of the Zionist Organization of America, at the next Congress of the Zionist movement, I shall insist again–and my insistence will yet prevail–that instead of one British subject negotiating on behalf of the Zionist Organization, we have the right in order properly to re-explore and re-state the political, economic bases of the Zionist Movement, to place at Dr. Weizmann’s side for a time a group of men, including an American, including a Continental European, including an Englishman, including a Palestinian representing those who have most at stake, that these, under the leadership of Dr. Weizmann, making it unnecessary for him alone to bear the brunt of negotiation with the British Government.

“One thing more must be said. The reign of the fear of criticism must cease, and the terrorization of the critics of the Zionist leadership must cease. You can kill criticism but if you do you kill any moral and spiritual movement such as our own. I demand an end of threats and of terrorization. I threaten, my fellow Zionists, and not to resign but to stay. I did not cease to be a Zionist at Basle. My fellow Zionists, the only Hillul Hashem in Zionism is unworthiness and its defense by concealpent thereof.

DEAD SEA CONCESSION PUZZLE: CLARITY NOODED

“As an Illustration of the problem of the political conduct of our Zionist affairs, I cite the so-called ‘Dea Sea Concession’ about which those of us entrusted with the responsibility of leadership in America are deeply disturbed. What ever the nature or terms of the concession, we shall insist that the terms of the Mandate with regard to the control and utilization of the natural resources of the land be fulfilled, that the profits are to accrue neither to an individual Jew nor to a company of non-Jews, in England, and that the gains from this immeasurably valuable concession shall be safeguarded for Palestine and all its people. And if we were prepared to be silent, the American government would not be. Neither would the League of Nations, by virtue of the Mandate of which the British Government operates in Palestine, assent to the exploitation of the chiefest asset of Palestine, in any interests whatever, save those of Palestine. Moreover would the British judgment and conscience approve of an act in violation of the spirit of the Declaration and the Mandate. I believe not, even if the Zionist leadership, if the Zionist Organization, if the American fellow Zionists, choose to remain silent.

“I would not end my word today on the note of fear, despair, hopelessness. I say to you today that we have begun an era of constructive progress

BEAT NEED RACKING

“But over and beyond all else, there are the great and enduring achievement of the past fifty years, and abore {SPAN}##{/SPAN} of the last ten years since the Balfour Declaration. There is the old {SPAN}##{/SPAN} the immorral service of Theodor Heral the Balfour Declaration obtained {SPAN}##{/SPAN} through the leadership of Dr. We{SPAN}##{/SPAN} the San Remo Treaty, the C{SPAN}###{/SPAN} the Keren Hayesod. These are undenlable achievements. I would not {SPAN}##{/SPAN} a scapegeat today: it were too easy. Moreover, I speak neither for the ‘{SPAN}###'{/SPAN} not ‘ours’ I was warned yesterday by a warm friend. ‘Dr. Wise. don’t rock the boat.’ Well if I had to save the boat with its precious human freight, with its cargo of infinite worth to all of us. I would be willing to rock the boat a {SPAN}##.{/SPAN} If the rocking must be in order to save it. The important thing is not to rock the boat or to leave it unrocked, but to save its priceless cargo. That I seek to do. Remember that truth alone restores confidence, not the truth as seen from the viewpoint of three minutes before two on October 30, 1927, in the city of Cleveland County of Cuyahoga. State of Ohio of the United States, but of that truth, which, will come when I am dust when you and I shall have become m{SPAN}##.{/SPAN}”For the benefit of those who would understand in order to warn those who will to misunderstand I sum up in this sentence: I deal not with the collapse of Zionist ideals; I have dealt with the breakdown of Zionist machinery — a breakdown temporary and partial — and only temporary and partial True it is that there have been errors and mistakes and blunders of Administration, but these do not alter values which are eternal. Shall we speak the truth to one another, or shall it be spoken of us–as soon it may be? As one of you and one with you I speak to you and with you, not of you. As for breakdown and fallure and ever threats of bankruptcy, we know the worse, we confess the worst and yet we go on believing that we may achieve great things for our people. No errors and no mistakes no shortcomings and no blunders shall stay our forward march. Constructive progress in the rebuilding of Palestine is to be resumed. {SPAN}##{/SPAN} under a {SPAN}##{/SPAN} leadership but under leadership. There must be no regress, no halting. not yet ignoring of our magnificent triumphs in the last ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and now almost fifty, years, because these successes and triumphs will be ignored and minimized by others and our failures will be magnified. I know your task and mine is the viglant safeguarding of our hard-won triumphs and the investment of every dollar and every Jewish life in Palestine.

I make this last appeal to you. We have made heavy commitments and have accepted awful responsibilities. We do not shirk them. We will not default. Our work is to move forward together we of the Zionist movement and the Mandatory Government; we of the Zionist leadership and those whose confidence we invite and shall yet justify. We and the new Executive of which our own Henrietta Scold is a member, in whose hands we place this treasure of ours, by them to be guarded, cherished, defended, fellow Zionists, having put our hands to the plow, we will not withdraw. We will go forward.

“Dabaer el B’nai Israel Wissaon’–‘Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward.'” Dr. Wise concluded.