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Balfour's Role in Zionism Given Emphatic
Consideration in Political Biography

sions. He spoke with deep oppressed . . . If we can find
cate that Theodor Herzl ap-
emotion at the cornerstone them an asylum, a safe
peared as a witness during
0.40
laying of the Hebrew Uni- home, in their native land,
the parliamentary hearings
0
versity on Mount Scopus in then the full flowering of
on the Aliens' Bill).
31-1i1.Yr1
1925. He was then harassed their genius will burst forth
11
Di
Mention also is made by
BALFOU
by
Arab protesters, but even and propagate . .. The sub-
Dr. Zebel of Balfour's having
DECLARATION
cr
1917-1967
u,
Ns
much earlier, in 1920, he merged Jews of the ghett
been "one of numerous emi-
made it clear, speaking to a of Eastern Europe will
nent signatories of a public
Palestine find a new life and
Jewish audience:
letter to the czarist govern-
"So far as the Arabs are develop a new and powerful
ment protesting against the
concerned—a great, an in- identity. And the educated
revival of the old medieval
.135lia5 n' lavN
teresting, an attractive race Jews from all over the world
blood-ritual libel against a
1"um"'; n01
—I hope they will remember will render the University in
humble Jewish resident- in
that among the great powers, Jerusalem a center of intel-
Kiev." He was referring to
most especially Great Brit- lectual life and radiant nurse
the Mendel Beiliss Case.
ain has freed them from the of Science and the Arts."
It was as British Foreign
Prof. Zebel's work on Bal-
tyranny of their brutal con-
Secretary (1946-1919) that
queror, who had kept them four is timely. It not only re-
Balfour's role was historic
Stamp issued by Israel
as the author of the famous 'Balfour's honor, in 1967, on under his heel these many vives interest in an impor-
Balfour Declaration.
50th anniversary of Balfour centuries . . . I hope that, re- tant pledge: it reconstructs
membering all that, they will an old debate, it brings to
Many debates, numerous Declaration.
not grudge that small _notch, light anew the deep interest
controversial obstacles, de-
layed the issuance of the were away on vacation. They for it is not more geograph- in the cause of President
statement favoring the estab- renewed propagation of the ically,- whatever it may be Wilson, who negated the op-
lishment of the Jewish Na- idea, but it awaited approval historically — that small position to Zionism of his
tional Home. Dr. Zebel tells by President Wilson and it notch in what are now Arab secretary, Colonel Edward
of the Balfour-Weizmann finally won the cabinet's con- territories being given to the M. House.
Like all other historians
people who for all these hun-
talks, Weizmann having left firm ation.
- ARTHUR J. BALFOUR
Dr. Zebel makes much of dreds of years have been who were concerned with
a deep impression upon the
Balfour, Dr. Zebel leaned up-
points out that Balfour "op- British statesman who re- the McMahon Letters and separated from it."
Balfour was proud of what on the writings of Blanche
posed the use of tax money mained a consistent support- the secret Sykes-Picot Treaty
to establish public works er of the Zionist idea in spite as representing pledges akin he had accomplished as the Dugdale, Balfour's niece, for
projects." The author of this of the wrangling in the cab- to those given the Jews by author of the historic Zionist much of the data regarding
inet. But Balfour also had the Arabs. In "The Question statement. He had made the Zionist factors in the emi-
biography states:
"Instead, as a sop to labor, the support of Prime Minis- -of Palestine" by Dr. Isaiah many references after the is- nent statesman's career.
The Zebel story is about a
Friedman, (Schocken ) , a suance of his famous letter
the government in 1905 en- ter David Lloyd George.
There was the Jewish op- thorough study of the issue, to Lord Rothschild, Nov. 2, long career in British politics
acted an Aliens' Bill restrict.
ing the entry of impoverished position led by Edwin Mon- 1914-1918, it is clearly indi- 1917, on the Jewish question, of the man who emerged as
immigrants — mainly Jews— tagu. Lord Curzon opposed cated that the Arabs under- one of the most frequently the Zionist hero. It is per-
haps for his Zionist Declaia-
from eastern Europe. The the Zionist endorsement. But stood that Palestine was not quoted being:
"The
Jews
are
the
most
ton that he is and will re-
included
in
British
pledges
Herbert
Samuel
was
a
strong
Jews, so xenophobic critics
gifted race that mankind has main best remembered. Dr.
charged, were an unassimil- advocate. There was -a delay to the Jews.
Balfour asserted himself seen since the Greeks of the Zebel's biography helps add
able element and effectively in action by . the cabinet due
on
Zionism and on Jewish Fifth Century. They have interest to an,. eminent ca-
to
Montagu's
opposition
when
underbid British workers for
on numerous occa- been exiled, scattered and reer. —P.S.
questionS—
Balfour
and
Lloyd
George
certain types, of low-paid
jobs. But the more tolerant
Balfour approved a liberal-
izing amendment favoring
immigrants who were polit-
ical or religious refugees.
his finest anthology -of zar, Eliezer Kaplan, Moshe . ars. "Think" is creativeness,
By JOSEF FRAENKEL
And during the debate pre-
The Way We Think. A Collec- poetry, and now, the third Sharett, David Ben-Gurion, knowledge, our contribution
ceding the bill's passage, he tion of Essays from the Yiddish.
-We Josef Sprinzak and Lord to civilization, Yiddishkeit,
declared that he would 're- Compiled and Translated by Jo- in the league, "The Way
-Janner and, as London edi- tears, inspiration, tolerance
gard the rise and growth of seph Leftwich. Thomas Yoseloff. Think," all three form the tor, Ws was the task of ob- and vision.
heart
and
soul
of
Yiddish
is
difficult
to
judge
It
any anti-Semitic feeling in
taining, selecting, formula-
This collection of 135 es-
this country as a most seri- which of the many books by literature. I was inspired ting and often 'commenting
says and feuilletons by 81
Joseph Leftwich is the best. most of all by "The Way We
ous national misfortune.'"
upon the daily news, political authors is an excellent pre-
(Dr. Zebel does not indi- His biography of "Israel Think."
Joseph Leftwich was born and literary events, the sentation of Jewish literature
Zangwill" is, I am- sure, the
most excellent. But Leftwich in Holland, and when his statements of Jewish lead- and culture; of Judaism and
Foreign Office,
is also a poet. He began to parents settled in London, he ers, as well as upon the at- suffering. The first volume
write poems before the First absorbed the atmosphere of tacks by the enemies of the begins with I. L. Peretz and
140voimber 2nd. 1917.
World War, influenced by Whitechapel, of those days, JeWish people. The editors of Nathan Birnbaum (Mathias
his friend, the poet and so full of Yiddishkeit, Tal- Jewish papers in the New Acher); then we find Hillel
writer, Isaac Rosenberg, who mud Torah, Humash ;dis- York, Tel Aviv, Warsaw, and Aaron Zeitlin, Shazar
Dear Lord Rothschild,
was killed in action in 1918. cussions on Zionism, Social- Berlin, Prague or Vienna put and Asch, I. N. Steinberg
I have snx001essUre in conveying to you on
In his book, "Along the ism and Communism, lec- their trust in Leftwich and and Aaron Steinberg, Jabo-
Years: Poems," Leftwich re- tures on Herzl and Zangwill; the JTA reports from Lon- tinsky and Meir Grossman,
behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following
calls: "I had almost always on Hebrew- and Yiddish, on don. He became one of the Glatstein and Bickel. In the
declaration of sympathy wtth Jewish Zionist as- iratlon $
something of a gift for Palestine and Uganda, on pillars of Jewish. journalism second volume we admire,
and of the JTA circle (Jabo- among others, , Ravitch
and. . approved by. the, Cablne -
which hes been submitted Cc
writing and, at school, from revolution and visions.
tinsky, Agron, S m o l a r, Sutzkewer, Markish
began
to
write
he
Although
the
time
I
was
11
.
.
.
My
iS Majesty's GoveTnment view with _favour the
first printed verses appeared and to publish poems before Wurmbr an d, Tenenblatt, Manger. Dubnow and Sotto-
et;tablishnient 1n Palestine' - of a national home . for the
in the early days of the he. was 20, his school of Mendel Mozes and Schick). low, Salomon Birnbaum and
journalism and translations They were all endowed with Baal Machshoves, Leivick
war ."
2ewish people and +•1 11 use their best endeavours to
and Shneour, Glanz-Leyeles
was the Jewish Telegraphic inborn talent.
Leftwich
is
a
bi-lingual
facilitate the',.actileveinent of this object, it being
Leftwich often represented and Mendel Mann, Maiths and
writer — in English and Agency. Meir Grossman and
clearly understood that nothinf Shall be done which
Yiddish. He often translates Jacob Landau established the the Yiddish PEN Center at Leo Kenig, Sholom Aleichem
his poems or essays from- JTA, and in 1920 Leftwich International PEN Co n- and Mendele Moher Sefo-
may prejudice the c iv 11 and religious rights of
English into Yiddish or from became editor of the London gresses and it could be said rim. The reader will be in-
P4lestine;
or
the
in
newish
eommunities
non
-
existing
Yiddish intoEnglish. He be- Bureau, which he directed that he knew nearly all of spired and grateful to Joseph
rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any
longs to the few great trans- until 1936. In London, in them — the Yiddish poets, Leftwich, who at the age of
lators who interpreted and Great Russell Street, the essaysists and novelists. In 81, attends his office daily;
-
other country
translated Yiddish literature. Zionist headquarters, the "The Way We Think," essays still produces articles, and
to es
I Should be grateful if yoU would. brinS
As ambassador of Yiddish "Jewish Downing Street," of over 80 writers are intro- is a regular speaker at meet-
literature, as he is called, he Zionist leaders from all over duced to the English-speak- . ings of the Association of
declaration to .the--knoviledge or the Zionist federation.
Jewish Journalists and of the
opened wide the windows of the world arrived to hear ing public.
"T he Way" penetrates Yiddish committee of the
Yiddish classics to innumer- Chaim Weizmann, Nahum
Sokolow, Vladimir Jabotin- countries, where Jews live, World Jewish Congress. He
able English -readers.
A great number of Yiddish sky, Selig Brodetsky, Joseph contributes to Jewish life, has just published another
writers would have remain- Cowen, F. H. Kisch, Harry tradition, the Bible, Jewish book on Abraham Sutzkever
ed unknown in English- Sacher, Berl Locker and history, past and present. and is now editing the Eng-
speaking lands, but for Left- others—and JTA news pour- "We" are the giants of Jew- lish edition on the biography,
ish literature, politicians, "Nahum Sokolo w," by
wich. His "Yisrael," the ed forth to Jewish papers.
Leftwich formed a bond of philosophers, editors, writers, Florian Sokolow. He has a
great anthology of stories,
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS then "The Golden Peacock," fri:ndsh:p with Zalman Sha- reviewers, critics and schol- lively and indestructible pen.
64—Friday, April S, 1974

Arthur James Balfour was
exceedingly conservative. He
aroused the enmity of the
Irish. He was not a social
reformer. He kept defending
the established system of
which he was a vital factor.
Only on the question of Zion-
ism was he a firm resister
of whatever opposition
may have stemmed from the
government in power.
"Balfour: A Political Biog-
raphy" by Prof. Sydney H.
Zebel, published by Cam-
bridge University Press as
part of its Conference on
British Studies Biographical
Series, revives interest in
the distinguished Englishman
who authored the proclama-
tion favoring the establish-
ment of the Jewish National
Home in Palestine.
Dr. Chaim Weizmann,
when he was still a chemist
working for a Manchester
firm owned by Charles Drey-
fus, first interested Balfour
in W110116III. He convinced
him in the validity of the
cause as early as 1906. They
met in 1914, when Weizmann
was a Reader in chemistry
at the University of Man-
chester. Then began • the
more routine meetings, Weiz-
mann's services to the Brit-
ish government during the
war, the issuance of the Bal-
four Declaration after stormy
discussions.
But Balfour had other con-
cerns that drew his attention
o Jews and the Jewish
;‘uggles for justice. He - took
al, interest in the Dreyfus
Affair and Dr. Zebel states
"he incidentally believed
Captain (Alfred) Dreyfus the
innocent victim of French
anti-Semitism, basing his
views on the reports of mili-
tary attaches in Paris."
As Prime Minister (1902-
1905), Balfour was concerned
with the effects of the pend-
ing Aliens' Bill. Prof. Zebel

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...YOUR CHILDREN SHALL COW BACK
tO 141(1R OWN COUNIRT
AIREAtiA. 31.17

Leftwich's Literary Skills in English and Yiddish