(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)
The policy in Palestine for the next two or three years will have to be one of stabilization, declared Kurt Blumenfeld, president of the German Zionist Federation, who has just returned from a visit to Palestine. Conditions have improved, he said. The Palestine Government is ready to assist industry by providing facilities in the matter of customs duties, etc. What is now needed is capital and credits. The unemployment problem will be solved as soon as possible. It must be remembered however, that about 2,500 of the 8,000 unemployed were unemployables.
The crisis of the Fourth Alijah, he stated, is not a crisis of the workers. Yet there is an unfair attempt being made to break the back of the agricultural labor movement in Palestine in connection with the efforts to overcome the economic crisis. The workers, in agriculture as in industry are animated with the desire to assist in the upbuilding work.
After an interval of three years, the work in Palestine has now re-started. Despite the crisis, progress is being made in all directions. The crisis is only a crisis of the towns, of the “Fourth Alijah,” which has brought more people into the country than it could absorb. But agriculture has consolidated itself. Eight of the new colonies are already able to maintain themselves. Cattle-breeding has developed extensively. The orange crop this year has been excellent and has been sold in the foreign market at high prices. Experts are of the opinion that there are great possibilities for the orange-growing industry in Palestine. It is not intended, however, to confine the Palestine plantations to orange growing. Experiments are being made in growing bananas, grapes and grape fruit, he declared.
JEWISH COMMUNAL ACTIVITIES
The $1,500,000 Young Men’s Hebrew Association building fund was increased by $47,800 Monday, it was announced at a workers’ luncheon at the Hotel Biltmore. This makes the total of contributions thus far received $881,850.
Among the contributions announced were: $15,000 from Louis S. Levy; $10,000 from Adolph S. Ochs; $6,000 from George Blumenthal, and $2,500 from Abram I. Elkus.
Charleston, South Carolina, launched its United Palestine Appeal Campaign on Sunday night. Contributions amounting to $2,000 were received. Samuel Rittenberg, chairman of the drive, presided at the opening banquet.
The Cleveland Zionist District will give a banquet on May 29th in honor of Louis Lipsky.
Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver will be one of the principal speakers at the banquet. Aaron Garber is chairman of the committee.
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.
