Friday, May 26.
1944
THE JEWISH NEWS
$150,000,000 Plan Started
For Palestine Irrigation
Engineering Surveys, Initiated by Dr. Weizmann, Were
Proposed by Dr. Lowdermilk; Work Is Directed by
Commission Headed by Emanuel Neumann
NEW YORK (JTA) —
Plans for a large scale irrigation
j and hydro-electric development, transforming Palestine's
agricultural and industrial economy, are in preparation by
American scientists and engineers, it was announced this
week by the Commission of Palestine Surveys.
The project, initiated more than a year ago, compares
in magnitude with the Grand
Coulee or Boulder Dam develoo-
ments and would require a capi-
tal investment of between $150,-
000,000 and $200,000,000 over a
period of years. The plan calls
for diversion of existing waters
and the building of a network
of artificial streams, which would
irrigate arid and semi-arid re-
gions with an area of 600,000
acres, and for the erection of
power plants with an installed
capacity of approximately 250,000
• KW, generating in excess of
1,000,000,000 KW of electric cur-
rent per year.
ed the cooperation of 21 experts
including civil engineers, re-
clamation and irrigation experts,
geologists, hydrologists, soil ex-
perts and agronomists, chemists,
. ...
Initiated by Dr. Weizmann
It is estimated that the de-
velopment of cheap power and
the transition from extensive dry
farming to intensive irrigation
farming would make it possible
to double the present, farm popu-
lation in Palestine and double or
treble the present total popula-
tion of 1,500,000.
The engineering surveys and
related studies were begun by
the Commission at the request
of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, presi-
dent of the Jewish Agency for
Palestine, following the submis-
sion of proposals by Walter' C.
Lowdermilk, reclamation expert
and assistant chief of the United
States Soil Conservation Service,
in a memorandum entitled "The
Jordan Valley Authority."
Lowdermilk's proposals were
reviewed by the late Col. Theo-
dore B. Parker, formerly chief
engineer of the Tennessee Valley
Authority, and more recently
head of the Department of Civil
Engineering of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. His in-
terest was aroused by the idea
of applying the methods and ex-
perience of the TVA for the re-
habilitation of the Holy Land and
by the special technical problems
involved in the Jordan Valley
Authority project. •
Unusual Topography
A major feature of the over-
all plan takes into account the
unusual topogi-aphy of the coun-
try and the great difference in
levels between the surface of. the
Mediterranean and the Dead Sea,
which is the lowest body of water
in the world, about 1,300 feet
below sea level. In addition to
t h e Mediterranean Diversion
Plan, the power projects under
study include possibilities such
as the continuous and rapid drop
of the Jordan River from the
headwaters of the Jordan clear
down to the south.
So far as irrigation possibili-
ties are concerned, hydrologists
have estimated that ultimately
750,000 acres of land may be ir-
rigated, as against 95,000 acres
now under irrigation. The pres-
ent studies already point to pos-
sibilities for irrigating at least
600,000 additional acres and pos-
sibly more at costs which would
compare favorably with irriga-
tion works in parts of the United
States.
- 21 Experts Work on Project
The Commission on Palestine
_ Surveys in New York has enlist-
Jr. Home Relief Society
Announces New Officers
Jr. Home Relief Society an-
nounces election of the follow-
ing new officers: Miss Florence
Naimark, president; Miss Estelle
Goldsmith and Miss Betty Bra-
ver, vice presidents; Miss Diana
Gordon, recording secretary;
Miss Marion Wexler, correspond-
ing secretary; Miss Ethel Mar-
cus, treasurer.
The new officers will be in-
stalled by Miss Bertha Belkin,
retiring president, Wednesday,
at 8 o'clock, in the Music Room
of the Jewish Center. A music
program and refreshments will
follow the installation. Guests
,A
EMANUEL NEUMANN
industrial engineers, economists
and one archaeologist. A number
of these experts had been to Pal-
estine and carried on investiga-
tions in their respective fields,
while. others worked from a mass
of data compiled by the engineer-
ing and research staff of the
Commission. The lay members of
the Commission are Dr. Nahum
Goldmann, Abraham Goodman,
Andre Meier, Emanuel Neumann,
Judge Morris Rothenberg, Alex-
ander Sachs, Israel Sieff and
Robert Szold.
Lasting Monument
Terming the project "an all-
American plan," Mr. Neumann,
who directs the work of the Com-
mission on Palestine Surveys,
said that "if the plan is ever
carried out in Palestine, it will
be a lasting monument to the
American spirit." To questions as
to where the money for the ex-
ecution of the project will come
from, Mr. Neumann replied:
"The financing of such a
project over a period of years
would require the cooperation of
a) the Palestine government; b)
Jewish organizations; c) private
capital and d) credits based upon
looted Jewish property in Eu-
rope, the owners of which have
been first robbed and then
"liquidated" by the Nazis — loot
for which Germany must make
some restitution.
"This is a multiple-purpose
project in a higher sense of the
term: 1) It will make room for
large numbers of Jewish settlers;
2) It will raise the level and
living standards of the Palestine
Arabs; 3) It will serve as a model
and ferment for the whole Near
East."
Hillel Evening
Next Wednesday
Rabbi Harry Kaplan to Ad-
dress Gathering Arranged
- by Bnai Brith Council
Jack J. Hartstein, chairman of
the Hillel Committee of the
Greater Detroit Bnai. Brith Coun-
cil, announces an "Evening With
Hillel" to be held next Wednes-
day evening, at the Brown Mem-
orial Chapel of Temple Beth El.
Rabbi Harry Kaplan, director
of Bnai Brith Hillel Foundation
at Ohio State University since
1935, one of the largest founda-
tions serving a Jewish constit-
uency of over 1,300, will be guest
speaker. He is a past president-
of the University Religious Coun-
cil of Ohio State University, a
member of the board of the For-
eign Policy Association, and a
frequent speaker before college
and university groups.
Rabbi Kaplan came to the
Hillel Foundation from a minis-
try of nine years in Pittsfield,
Mass., and from a background of
Jewish student work in the col-
leges of New England. He is a
gradate of Jewish Institute of
Religion, 1927, and of University
of Minnesota, 1923. He has taken
post-graduate work at the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin, Ohio State
University, and at the Geneva,
Switzerland, Institute of Interna-
tional Studies. During the sum-
mer of 1934 he was a member of
the Sherwood Eddy Traveling
Seminar of International Affairs,
visiting England, France • and
Switzerland with that group and
traveling individually to Italy
and Palestine.
He is a past president of the
Jewish Teachers' Association of
the New England Liberal Schools,
of the Pittsfield Council of So-
cial Agencies, and of the Alumni
Association of the Jewish Insti-
tute of Religion.
Rabbi Jehudah M. Cohen, di-
rector of Bnai Brith Hillel
Foundation at the University of
Michigan, together with a num-
ber of Hillel Students of.the Uni-
versity of Michigan, will present
a program depicting Hillel
Foundation activities.
Hillel Foundations now serve
Jewish students on 143 campuses
throughout America.
The meeting on Wednesday
will be open to the public. All
are welcome, admission being
free.
Main Library Discontinues
Summer •Service on Sunday
The Detroit Library Commis-
sion has announced that Sunday
service at the Main Library was
discontinued for the summer be-
ginning May 21. The regular
weekday hours, 9 a. m. to
10 p. m. will be continued and
branch library hours will remain
unchanged. Sunday service at
the Main Library will be re-
sumed in the fall.
,
Page Seven
Rabbi Herzog Urges Pope
To Rescue Hungarian Jews
Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Congresssman Celler Appeal
to Vatican to Act as Hungary Threatens to Put
800,000 Jews in Ghettos by End of May
•
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog has
sent an appeal to the Vatican, through neutral channels, urg-
ing the Pope to exert all efforts to save the Jews of Hungary,
it is learned here.
The president of the Hungarian Jewish Settlers Associa-
tion here, this \veek appealed to)
Jews throughout the world to
save the 800,000 Jews of Hungary
from extermination, a s s e r ti ng
that there is still a possibility of
rescuing these Jews if immediate
action is taken.
All Hungarian Jews
In Ghettos in May
ZURICH, (JTA)—All of Hun-
gary's 800,000 Jews will be in
ghettos by the end of this month,
it was stated in Budapest this
week by Lazo Baky, Undersecre-
tary of State in the Hungarian
puppet government. The final
result of the Hungarian treat-
ment of Jews "will be a Jewish
exodus from Hungary," Baky
said.
At the same time, Hungarian
newspapers reveal that many
Jews have been arrested and jaill
ed for attempting to flee to Slo-
vakia or Rumania. Baky said
that 323,000 Jews were already
in ghettos or concentration
camps.
The Jews will be massacred in
the ghettos in the event that an
BRAES
.
invasion by Russian troops be-
come iminent, pro-Nazi Budapest
newspapers threaten. The papers
sneer at the Allied indignation
over the removal of Jews to dis-
tricts in Hungary which are tar-
gets of Anglo-American bomb-
ing.
Vatican Urged to Arrange
Transfer of Hungarian Jews
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — Rep.
Emanuel Celler (D) of N. Y.,
has urged that the Vatican un-
dertake to arrange the evacua-
tion of Jews froin Hungary. The
papal authorities, Rep. Celler
said, could hire ships which
would carry the refugees down
the Danube to where they could
embark for Turkey.
Rep. Celler suggested that Tur-
key be asked to receive all refu-
gees who can reach her shores.
Such refugees, he said. could • be
kept in "free zones" whose cost
would be borne by the United
Nations. After the war they could
return home.
sr ovdemty
7eotesi
ze, 6e
Srffititoge,"
This symphony was hailed with so much enthusiasm at its first
performance in 1876 that critics said, "Behold the Tenth Sym-
phony!", meaning that Brahms had added a symphony to
Beethoven's nine. Here, in this superb album, you hear it played
by the NBC Symphony conducted by the incomparable $
Arturo Toscanini! Add this greatwork to your collection!
Grinnell Bros.
1515 WOODWARD AND BRANCHES
BACK THE ATTACK BUY MORE WAR BONDS
FASHIONED FOR GRACIOUS LIVING .
Decorator-Type Regency Sofa
Bring
YOUR FURS TO
Milgrim
FOR CERTIFIED
" ' •"*:•••
••. .
Cold Storage
IN OUR MODERN VAULTS
Hollonderizing
AT STANDARD RATES
This sofa, like the many displaye . cl in our Finer Homes Shop, will appeal to truly
discriminating homelovers. Note the unique channeled sections of the back and
the one-piece down-and-feather filled cushion. Spring constructed base. Covered
$295
in soft-toned gray matelasse, with rose boucle edging and fringe
ROBINSON FURNITURE CO.
1420 Washington Blvd.
TR-2-3344
sa
•
CAdillac 4352
Open Friday and Monday Evenings Until 9:00