Controversy Threatens Zionist Morale, Weizmann Warns in Philadelphia

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Characterizing the present Zionist controversy as threatening the morale of the movement in this country and “undermining the very foundation upon which we try to build up our work,” Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, in an address here last night upheld the British Government policy in Palestine and pleaded with the Jews of America to be patient with the mandatory power.

Rabbi Max D. Klein, chairman of the United Palestine Appeal here, handed Dr. Weizmann a check for $100,000 as part of the quota of $300,000 for this city. Four thousand men and women gathered at the Metropolitan Opera House to welcome Dr. Weizmann at the inauguration of the United Palestine Appeal here.

“After all,” Dr. Weizmann said, “we are a handful of men and women who are united by a bond of confidence in an ideal. We are all carrying self imposed duties. It is essential that the morale, the only basis on which we are working, should be kept as socething sacrosanct. I view with great misgiving the somewhat superficial polemics, inasmuch as they affect the attitude of the mandatory power, the British Government.

“I do not rise here in defense of the British Government. It does not need my defense. It does not need my protection, but I do rise in order to make clear the Zionist fundamental principle upon which our relations with the British Government is based.

“It is true we have received a promise. It is true that this promise is all embodied in the mandate. It is true that this promise has not been sufficiently and completely carried into effect. I shall, however, point out only what I think is an important point. We have not got enough land from the Government to satisfy our needs. All the land we had to acquire in the open market and cover it with gold. In appraising what the Government has not done. It has enabled us to go on with our work by amking our country staple and by creating all the necessary fundamentals of modern civilization. It has cooperated with us adequately in the question of taxes, customs and tariffs, in the question of regulating the political status of our community. It has helped us in all of our activities with regard to immigration. It has granted us the two most important concessions which could be at all granted in Palestine. It has kept the country in order.

“The British Government says in effect to us: ‘As far as land is concorned, we can only grant you land, when, after we, ourselves, have made the survey of the country and know what land is available’. To that we answer: “We wish that you would go on a little more quickly in making the survey.” To that the Government answers: ‘I am doing according to the methods which I consider best.” And. today, in order to establish the land tenure in Palestine. I think the Government has on its hands about eight hundred law suits. Only when these numerous law suits will be gone throught, shall we know what land is available and then we shall not hesitate to demand our fair share of these lands. One may come to the conclusion that possibly the Government could have done more for us. but it could also have done less. Possibly one could have gone a little quiclear; possibly, one could have gone more slowly.

“I think we must make up our mind that the British Government is a slow Government–not a slow-thinking but a slow-moving Government. The British Empire is rather a heavy, bulky thing. We are a nervous people. The British have fewer nerves than we have. If it is a question of whether we shall make the British more nervous or we go slower, I believe the second will be the case.

“Moreover, one can only try and put one’s case as convincingly as possible. One must try to convince the British Government–that is the only method of proceedure. We must insist on our right, insist in the best way we can, and the best way is to prove to the British and to the world that what we demand is just.

“Negotiation with a Government is very simple and very easy. There is only one recipe I would like to give. One must demand things from a Government. A Government does not do things by itself. You must tell it the things demanded. You must know what to demand, how to demand it and when to demand. If you know that, you know all the secret. That, in my opinion, is essential for the Zionists to understand. Don’t threaten. Don’t bludgeon. Don’t lose dignity. You must have the patience of an angel. You must exercise as much patience with the British Government as we exercise with the Jews. We can’t expect them to go quicker than what the Jews, themselves, go,” he declared.