Fficley, September 1S, 1944
THE JEWISH NEWS
Palestine Faces Tontorroiv
Review of Year's Events
In Jewish National Howe
By ABRAHAM REVUSKY
The author of "Jews In Palestine,"
standard textbook on the Jewish Na-
tional Home, reviews the economic,
cultural and political scene in Pales
tine in the past Jewish calendar year,
in this article.—The Editor
Jewish Palestine the spiritual
center of the martyred Jewish
people, and a community which
was itself on the brink of dis-
aster in the course of the present
war, is extremely happy at the
approaching victory of the Unit-
ed Nations. The joy of victory
there is however dampened by a
deep anxiety over the fate of
European Jewry. During the year
5704 the public activities of the
Yishuv_ were largely devoted to
the great problem of rescue. Led-
by their democratically elected
Representative Assembly (As-
sephath Hanivcharim), Palestine's
Jews repeatedly expressed their
feelings in impressive demon-
strations of protest and mourn-
ing, invariably accompanied by
the demand for the opening of
Palestine's gates to the victims of
Hitler persecution. A petition
for the free admittance of refu-
gees to Palestine, signed by 253,-
000 Palestinian Jews, was pre-
sented to the British Government
in London.
Rescue Center
While these protests and de-
mands could not break the rigid
restrictions of the White Paper,
they succeeded, at least, in mak-
ing Palestine the most important
center of practical rescue ac-
tivities. Although the number of
refugees admitted . there is small
compared with the horrifying
scope of Hitler's extermination
campaign, Palestine with an esti-
mated immigration of 23,000 in
5704 absorbed more refugees than
all the other United Nations. Most
of them came from Nazi occupied
countries, but a considerable part
of them were Oriental JeWs, who,
feeling the increasing force of the
anti-Jewish wave now rising in
the Moslem countries, are seek-
ing a haven in the National
Home.
White Paper Crisis
Yielding to the pressure of lib-
eral public opinion, the British
Government extended the dead-
line of April 1, 1944, provided in
the White Paper for Jewish Im-
migration, and allowed the use of
the unexhausted quotas after that
date. In November 1943, when
this concession was announced in
the House of Commons, the num-
ber of unused certificates was
31,026.. But in spite of all efforts
of the Colonial Office to use these
certificates sparingly and grudg-
ingly and to stretch them for a
possibly longer period, there are
few left. When no more certifi-
cates will be available the fate
of the White Paper will have to
be decided. The prospect of a
hermetically closed National
Home at the time of increasing
rescue facilities will bring the
whole Palestine problem to a
head.
Reconversion Problems
The participation of Jewish
Palestine in the Allied war ef-
fort continues on a comparatively
large scale. Including the war
losses replaced by new recruits,
the number of volunteers con-
tribtited by the 580,000 Jews of
Palestine has reached 35,000.
After reaching its peak in 5703,
Palestine's war industry remain-
ed stationary, and even began to
decline. With the war now re-
moved from Palestine's borders,
the authorities are not as eager
to use the war services of Pal-
estine's factories.
Need for Housing
While the problem for recon-
version is a very serious one, and
it may be .aggravated because of
Palestine's unduly inflated prices
and production costs, Palestine's
economists are confident that the
country will cope with its dif-
ficulties. The greatest hopes are
being placed on the accumulated
need for housing, which was al-
ways one of Palestine's most im-
portant sources of employment.
According to a recently published
government estimate, Palestine
will need in 1945-46 not less than
127,000 new rooms even if there
will be no immigration at the end
of the war. Most of this need
will arise in the Jewish sector of
Palestine's economy. The postwar
prospects of Jewish industry look
much brighter.
-
Expanding Frontiers
During the year in review,
Zionist colonization continued on
a comparatively large scale. Since
the outbreak of the war, not less
than fifty new settlements were
added to the 240 existing in 1939.
The food production of the'Jew-
ish farmers increased by 35%.
The colonizers of Palestine
show an increasing tendency to
combine farming with industrial
activities. Collective farms, orig-
inally devoted exclusively to agri-
culture, built during . the year a
number of small industries which
are now an integral part of their
economy. The same aim is be-
ing pursued by fi4her villages
which combine farming with fish-
ing.
The Lowdermilk Plan
In spite of the war and the
scarcity of pipes and other ma-
terials, the area under irrigation
in the Jewish villages was es-
sentially increased, and even
more ambitious irrigation proj-
ects are being prepared for the
future. The plan for a Jordan
Valley Authority, first proposed
by Dr. Walter Lowdermilk in the
United States, is being intensive-
ly studied by Jewish experts in
Palestine.
Palestine's citrus industry is
still in the clutches of the severe
depression caused by the cutting
of its prewar markets. The Pal-
estinian planters are bitterly
complaining about the attitude
of the British Government, which
refused the Palestine citrus in-
dustry the kind of war help
which it— granted to the cotton
planters of Egypt and the ba-
nana growers of the West Indies.
There is, however, much hope
that the next orange season which
begins in December 1944, will
break the long succession of "lean
years."
New Industries
During the year 5704, the min-
eral production of Palestine
reached a new high. The Pales-
tine Potash Syndicate which
holds the concession for the ex-
traction of the rich mineral de-
posits of the Dead Sea, became
the largest producer of potash
and bromines in the British Em-
pire. For the first time, the local
deposits of superphosphate are
being exploited for the benefit
of Palestine's agriculture. A
chemical industry, largely based
on minerals extracted in Pal-
estine, made big 'strides.
While the war continued to re-
quire the main efforts of Pales-
tine's Jewish industry, new
branches of industry with defin-
ite prospects for the postwar fu-
ture were developed. Electric
equipment, drugs, diamonds, are
the outstanding examples.
A large shipyard was recently
founded with the assistance of
the Jewish Agency. Officers and
sailors are being trained for a
future Jewish merchant marine
which will serve Palestine's post-
war trade and carry its expected
immigration traffic.
Educational Progress
Palestine's educational and cul-
tural activities were not affect-
ed by the war. The school sys-
tem of the Vaad Leumi, Nation-
al Council, expanded further,
marking an increase in the num-
ber of its schools, teachers, and
enrollment. The higher educa-
tional institutions, the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem and the
Technological Institute in Haifa,
continued their gradual develop-
ment. In spite of the scarcity
of paper, eight daily papers ap-
pear in Tel Aviv, and book pub-
lishing is seemingly thriving.
Theatrical and musical activities
proceed normally.
Provocation
While Palestine's Jewry was
able during the year to maintain,
and even strengthen its economic
position it was greatly disturbed
by developments in the political
field. In its frantic effort to
insure the continuance of the
White Paper policy, aimed at the
curtailment of the Jewish Na-
tional Home, the MacMichael ad-
ministration, with the probable
approval of the pro-Arab of-
ficials in the British Colonial Of-
fice, did its best to weaken and
compromise the Jewish status in
Palestine. An arms trial in Jer-
usalem, in which two ...Jews were
accused of buying weapons stolen
from British military camps, was
transformed into a "cause cele-
bre" for the purpose of reveal-
ing an alleged Jewish conspir-
acy to seize Palestine in defiance
of Great Britain and her allies.
Even the large scale recruiting,
of Jewish volunteers for the Brit-
ish Army was presented as a part
of the scheme.
Even sharper resentment
among Jews was caused by mass
searches for arms in Jewish vil-
lages, vzhich were repeatedly ob-
jects of Arab attacks during the
riots of 1936-1938. One of these
New Year's
Greetings
Harry Weinberg's
Jewish Radio hour
■
Station
WJBK
Page Twenty-five
searches, in Ramath Hakovesh,
resulting in the death of one of
the settlers, and the arrest of
thirty-five others for resisting the
attempt to disarm them, led to
angry demonstrations, and armed
clashes between Jewish Youths
and British policemen.
Toward a New Day
All these incidents created an
atmosphere in which a small
group of Jewish terrorists saw a
fitting occasion for its irrespon-
sible activities. Government of-
fices were bombed in the dark of
the night, to demonstrate defi-
ance of Britain's anti-Zionist
policy, and in several cases Brit-
ish policemen were attacked.
Whether the latest attempt on
the life of the High Commission-
er MacMichael was made by the
same Jewish group, or by Arab
provocateurs, is at the time of
this writing an open question.
Generally speaking the polit-
ical situation became somewhat
calmer at the end of the year. It
seems that responsible govern-
ment leaders in London, alarmed
by the increasing turmoil in Pal-
estine, forced the over-jealous
officials in Palestine to stop the
provocative trials and searches.
Life is returning to more nor-
mal channels. The appointment of
Field Marshal Gort to succeed
the definitely pro-Arab Mac-
Michael increased Jewish confi-
dence. Whatever Palestine's po-
litical future may be, the preser-
vation of law and order during
the next critical years seems now
to be assured.
There was not much change in
Jewish-Arab relations. The at-
titude of individuals and single
villages shows signs of improve-
ment, but prospects for a general
understanding with representa-
tive Arab leaders are still remote.
The war nears its end. The
White Paper, the last vestige of
the prewar policy of appease-
ment, becomes untenable. A new
start for Palestine is at hand.
Copyright. 1944, by
Independent Jewish Press Service, Inc.
New Y ear's
Greetings
Y.
Hotel
Book-Cadillac
iI
The Community s
Many Kindnesses
I wish to take this means of expressing
my sincerest thanks to my many Zionist
co-workers and friends for the great
honors they accorded me on my 50 -1- 1- ,;
birthday.
On the eve of the New Year 5705, the
'touching news has been conveyed to
me that my fellow-Zionists have corn<
pleted the project of redeeming 400
'dunams of land in Palestine, through the
Jewish National Fund, in my honor;
For this I am very grateful and wish'
to take this opportunity to thank my
fellow Zionists, particularly the Labor,
Zionist Movement of Detroit, the Jew-s
ish National Worker's Alliance, Poale
Zion Party, Pioneer Women, League for,
Labor Palestine, especially, my com-
rades in Arlazaroff Branch 137 and
all my friends for selecting the great',
cause of Palestine's redemption as the
means of providing joy for me and my,
'dear wife on my birthday.
I deem it a privilege also to express my
UTY AND DEVOTION to
that great cause for which
our sons and brothers offer
their very lives . . . Decency
and belief in the sacredness
of mankind . . . demand that
we . .
BUY MORE BONDS IN 5705
BACK THE ATTACK
Jos. Campau, Corner Yemans
Michigan, Near Lockwood
Chene, Near Palmer
.
appreciation to four national leaders in
the Labor Zionist movement — David
Pinski, national president of the Jewish'
National Workers' Alliance (Farband):
David Wertheim, national secretary of
Poale Zion; H. Ehrenreich, director of
the Labor Department of the Jewish
National Fund, and Isaac Hamlin, na-
tional secretary of the Gewerkshaften
campaign, for having come to Detroit
to do me honor on my birthday. I am
'deeply grateful to Harry Schumer, a
loyal friend and a devoted leader in
all efforts for Palestine's redemption,
for the important part he played in en-
listing community-wide support for the
project created in my honor.
`Again, many thanks to all my friends,
and all good wishes to them for a very
Happy New Year.
MORRIS L. SCHAVER
.