Weizmann's Scientific Prowess
Leads to Victory for His People
(Continued from Page 1)
ant role. President Wilson gave
Dr. Weizmann, more British his strong approval to the idea
than the British in his dislike of
exaggeration and overstatement,
replied:
"I will try."
The British Admiralty placed
-tories at his. disposal.
Weizmann sent for his assistants
in Manchester, and work began.
It continued day, and night, with
W z m a n n and his aides
taking turns sleeping in corners
of the laboratory, while tubes
seethed with mysterious liquids,
huge coils distilled even more
mysterious potions, and acrid
fumes made the room impossible
to all but its workers. The scene
might have been taken from
Dante.
But within a month, carrying
forward his early Manchester ex-
periments, he was producing
acetone by the fermentation of
starch—in, this case; the starch
of.the horse-chestnut, which grew
widely in England and provided
a very cheap source of raw mate-
rial
Presently plants in Britain,
Canada and the United States
were producing essential war
chemicals by the Weizmann pro •
cress. Not only Britain, but the
Allies were in debt to him to a
degree impossible to assess.
In this strategic work Weiz-
mann grew to know the leading
personalities in Great Britain—
'riot only Lord Balfour, whom he
had met in Manchester, but Lloyd
George, later to become Prime
Minister, Sir Edward Grey, For-
eign Minister, Herbert Samuel,
Minister of Home Affairs, and
others in and out of the Govern-
ment.
And since Weizmann carried
an irresistible dream with him,
the converts to Zionism grew in
number.
Refuses Offers of Honors
"I should like to recommend
you to His Majesty for honors,"
Lloyd George said.
Weizmann shook his head.
"I am very grateful," he said.
"There is nothing I want for my-
self. There is something I should
like you to do for my people. It
is something I have long wished
. .
Meanwhile, in the highest po-
litical circles of the Allied Pow-
ers, the postwar future of Pales-
tine was being considered.
If the Allies won the war, they
were . determined to free the peo-
ples of•Europe and Asia now un-
der the Austro-Hungarian Empire
and the Turkish Empire. Pales-
tine lay in a strategic area, the
junction of land, sea and air lanes.
Its Peoples, both Arabs and Jews,
sought independence.
Palestine's strategic importance
was emphasized in a brilliant
editorial in the Manchester Guar-
dian in '1915, which pointed out
that with the loss of Turkey as a
traditional English ally, the most
vital spot in British communica-
tions with the East was exposed
to attack from land.
To protect the Suez Canal and
Egypt, the newspaper suggested
establishment of Palestine as a
buffer state, and maintained that
the only people capable of form-
ing such a state was the Jewish
nation.
Three powerful currents of
thought were converging: First,
that it was a matter of highest
justice for the People, of the
Book to be restored to the Land
of the Book; second, that the
establishment of a Jewish State
at the intersection of East and
West would be a bastion of
democracy for both Britain and
the United- States; and third, that
such an act of statesmanship
would bring to the Allies the
moral support of the Jewish peo-
ple throughout the world and
help ensure victory for the Al-
lies.
Sir Mark. Sykes, a Foreign Of-
fice expert, was appointed to
negotiate the matter with the
Zionists, and Dr. Weizmann led
his collegues as principal nego-
tiator, in the conversations that
followed.
Delicate feelers were sent out
all over the world. American
Zionist leaders, headed by Louis
D, Brandeis, later U.S. Supreme
Court Justice, played an import-
•
of a Jewish Commonvhalth. The
British Government carefully
canvassed the point of view of
France, Russia, Italy and the
other Allies . . .
On the afternoon of Nov. 2,
1917, the British Cabinet was in
session, approving the text of a
historic one-sentence declaration,
which had been presented to it
by Lord 'Balfour.
In the corridor, waiting, pac-
ing slowly back and forth, was
a tall, heavy-set man, his bald-
ness accentuating his high-
domed forehead, the dark eyes,
the black, closely clipped, point-
ed beard.
Suddenly, a door opened. Sir
Mark Sykes hurried out. He saw
the other, and wrung his hand.
"Dr. Weizmann," he exclaim-
ed, "it's a boy!"
The "boy" was the long-await-
ed Balfour Declaration. Ad-
dressed to Lord Rothschild, as
President of the Zionist Federa-
tion of Great Britain, it read:
Foreign Office,
November 2nd, 1917
I have much pleasure . in con-
veying to you, on behalf of
His Majesty's Government, the
following declaration of sym-
pathy with Jewish Zionist
aspirations which has been
submitted to, and approved by,
the Cabinet. •
"His Majesty's Government
.
I6—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 30, 1948
view with favour the establish-
ment in Palestine of a national
home for the Jewish people,
and will use their best endeav-
ours to facilitate the achieve-
ment of this object, it being-
clearly understood that nothing
shall be done which may preju-
dice the civil and religious
rights of existing non-Jewish
communities in Palestine, or the
rights and. political status en-
joyed by Jews in any other
country."
I should be grateful if you
„would bring this declaration to
the knoWledge of the Zionist
Federation.
Yours sincerely,
•
ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR.
Thus, little more than half way
through his life's journey, one
great circle had been completed
for Chaim Weizfnann, now in his
43rd year.
The English nobleman who had
sat, as if entranced, while a Rus-
sian-born Jewish chemist poured
out his hopes to him in a musty
hotel room 11 years before, had
now put his name to a document
that was to go down in history.
Yet -- this was but the begin-
ning. .
.
Copyright, 1948, New York Jour-
nall:-American. All Rights Reserved.
Distributed by King Features Syndi-
cate).
(
(A visit to the Prince of Arabia
— Arab-Jewish agreement — the
laying of the cotherstone of the
Hebrew University in Jerusalem
-- Palestine grows apace. . . See
next week's installment.)
TWO GENIUSES: Pictured back in 1921 are DR. CHAIM
WEIZMANN (left) and DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN, great Scientists who
lived to see their dreams of a Jewish homeland come true.
LIVES OF OUR TIMES
Dr. Emma Zaludok Hecls Only
All-Jewish Institute for Blind
By RUTH MIRIAM LEVINE
A small, dynamic woman, blind since the age of 11, will
complete a tour of American institutes for the blind before
the end of summer, and will return to her life's work in
Israel. She is Dr. Emma Zaludok, headmistress. of the Insti-
tue for the Blind in Jerusalem.
Since Feb: 15, Dr. Zaludok has been in the United States,
.
studying American developments
in education and rehabilita- a concert and radio artist, is ac-
tion for the blind. She has vis- knowledged as one of the, lead-
ited the Perkins Institute in ing young violinists in Pales-
Boston, and schools and classes tine.
and homes for the blind in New
The primary problem for
York; Brooklyn, Lansing and blind adults in Palestine, Dr.
Detroit. Besides gleaning n e w Zaludok declared, is to find a
i
information
in her field from niche in normal communit y life.
these institutions, she has' dis-
cussed the work of the Jerusa- She
praised
American
industry
for its
progress
in hiring
blind
Lem Institute in talks before
expressed the hope
groups
of
teachers,
social
work-
workers,
and
ex
ers and Jewish- organizations. that Palestinian employers would
soon take similar steps.
She addressed a . 1uncheon for
Established 40 Years Ago
1000 persons at the Waldorf-As-
The Institute for the Blind was
toria 'in New York and was in-
terviewed on a New York • radio established in Jerusalem about 40
years ago. Originally intended as
station.
a shelter for the blind, its expan-
Modern Technique
sion into a complete school is
Dr. Zaludok describes the Jeru- more recent. It is supported by
salem Institute for the Blind as the New York Palestine Light-
extremely modern in techniques house organization, which bought
and educational theory. Since the institute's current building
the advent of Hitlerism, it is the and which, Dr. Zaludok hopes,
only all-Jewish school for the will soon enable the school to
blind in the world.. Although I add facilities for a nursery and
students from any country • are for refugee children from Eu-
accepted, the majority are from rope.
Palestine and other near-Eastern
"We must help the children
countries such , as Egypt, Syria, who lost their sight in concen-
Iraq and Yemen.
tration camps to live again," she .
The institute has a capacity of explains. Although she realizes
only 100 students, a fact which the importance of increased sup-
Dr. Zaludok hopes to remedy as port, Dr. Zaludok's mission here
soon as Palestine returns to a is for study. She is not soliciting •
more, placid existence. These funds.
students are housed and educat-
Dr. Zaludok found that edu-
ed in the most modern facilities, cation methods are more pro-
however, in one of the "show- gressive in. the Jerusalem school
place" sections of new Jerusa- than in most American schools
lem, on Mortefiore Plvd. • Ac- for the blind, but she deplored
cepted from the age of three, the lack of resources and of gen-
•the children are given elemen- eral acceptance of the need for
tary schooling, then trained in aid to the blind in her country.
crafts such as weaving, piano There are, for example, no See-
tuning, chair caning and other ing, Eye dogs, no white cane.
manual arts. They learn to read identification systems for t h e
and write Braille in Hebrew and blind in Palestine, although she
English, and some learn French hopes that they may, in time, be
as well.
adopted there.
"With this training, our blind
Will Return to Jerusalem
students could easily be self-
A native of Mariampol, Lith-
Supl5orting," Dr. Zaludok states, uania, Dr. Zaludok was educat-
"but unfortunately, Palestine ed in Germany, where she be-
has been and
concentrating
rapid
building
expansion, on
and
the came .one of the first blind per-
sons to become a Doctor of Phil-
builders have neglected to find osophy. Her doctoral disserta-
a place in industry for the blind tion, on the lingual problems of
workers." In _adulthood, she re- style and translation, was pub-
ports, many of the students mar- lished in Germany. She has been
ry and open workshops at t h e head mistress of the Jerusalem
school. , ,
Institute for 12 years.
Advanced Education
In Detroit, she lfas been visit-
For the particularly brilliant ing with her brothers, Harold,
students, and there -are many, Elias - and Herman Zold.
Dr. Zaludok says, arrangements Dr. Zaludok is anxious to re- •
are made for advanced educa- turn to her work in Jerusalem,
tion. Many go on to the He- and to discover what effect the
brew University. The 'majority of Palestine war has had on the
the Institute's faculty members school. A letter received last
are graduates of the InstitUte Monday from friends in Jerusa-
lem reassured her that the In-
and of the University.
One section of the school is stitute is still functioning, arid
devOted to musical training. The awaiting her return aria the op-
Institute has produced a num- portunity to put_into action the
ber of talented pianists, Dr. Zal- many ideas and plans she has
udok said, and one of the boys, formulated during her stay here:
BENJAMIN A. COHEN
produoi GI NORMAN MA SO!.
NOM
o•rt by RHODA' 11.5_4110H
CHIEF.UNUSUAL ABILITY FOR ANALYZING INTER-
NATIONAL. RELATIONS RESULTED IN APPOINT-
MENT AS PRESS ATTACHE' TO THE WASHING -
TON D.C. CHILEAN EMBASSY IN 192E
PRESENTING—BENJAMIN A.
COHEN,THE NAN WHO HOLDS THE
BIGGEST PUBLIC RELATIONS JOB IN
THE WORLD__ ASS'T.U.N.SEC.GEN-
ERAL IN CHARGE OF PUBLIC INFORM-
ATION FOR U.N.
"'",<%;/7
A mpi A.
DEMI
CONEIV
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■Q■
10.
BORN IN CHILE 52 YEARS AGO,HE GRADUATED WITH
HONORS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHILE,EXCELL -
ONG IN BORINGS, FENCING. HE WORKED 11 YEARS
AS A NEWSPAPER REPORTER RISING TO EDITOR-IN-
SERVING GYEARS AS CHILEAN
Ili WASHINGTON,HE ATTENDED THE SCHOOL
OF FOREIGN SERVICE AT GEORGETOWN UN-
IVERSITY,RECEIVING A DOCTOR OF PHILOSO-
PHY DEGREE /WITH TOP HONORS.
MASTER OF. S LANGUAGES,HE BOASTS OF OWNING A. ..
'LIBRARY OF $5,000 VOLUMES ON HISTORY,PHILOSOPNVf
AND INTERNATIONAL LAW AND READS AT LEAST'
BOOK A DAY. HE DESCRIBES HIMSELF
AM-
BASSADOR TO bOLIVIA,IN 1945 HE
WAS APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO
VENEZUELA.
7, 1 1
ER WHO WAS DRAGGED INTO DIPLOMACY.'
THIS IS
ON Al
CO#IEN
peE/OitjA
aft-
•
<1.6
-
•flegy•
AFTER APPOINTMENT AS CHARGE D' •
AFFAIRS FOR CHILE,HE RETURNED HOME
TO BECOME MINISTER RESIDENTS CHIEF
OF THE DIPLOMATIC DPI. OF THE
CHILEAN FOREIGN OFFICE.
IN MARCH 1946,HE WAS APPOINTED Assist-
ANT UALSECRETARY GilliRAL,A POST
WNICH HE MAWS Arlin ?JOINT TIME.
1gOP raonY ;via • Jitwis4