300 Alephs

All last week nearly 10,000 Jews crowded the auditorium of Zurich's vast Tonhalle to attend the 20th biennial World Zionist Congress. Never before has a Zionist congress had such a serious problem to discuss: the British scheme for the partition of Palestine which would divide Jewry's sentimental homeland into 1) a northern Jewish state, including most of Palestine's arable land, 2) a southern Arab state, 3) a kidney-shaped British strip including the port of Jaffa and the sacred city of Jerusalem (TIME, July 19, et ante).

Argument at Zurich was between those who believed that any scheme to divide the Holy Land was morally wrong, and those led by the world's best-known Zionist, chin-bearded Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who were willing to accept the British scheme as a basis for bargaining, feeling that half a cake was better than none. Near week's end the matter was put to a vote among the committee on political resolutions. Two resolutions were presented, one favoring the British scheme--with reservations, the other unalterably opposed. On a roll call delegates voted "Aleph" ("A") for the first resolution, 'Beth" ("B") for the second. There were 300 Alephs to 158 Beths, and the following resolution was declared adopted:

"The Congress empowers the executive to enter into negotiations with a view to ascertaining the precise terms for the proposed establishment of a Jewish state...."

No sooner was this out of the way than Treasurer Elieser Kaplal of the Zionist Executive Committee blithely presented a scheme to settle 200,000 more Jews in Palestine within the next three years, notwithstanding the fact that the partition scheme promised sharply to check Jewish immigration.

"This project," said Mr. Kaplal "is neither fantastic nor farfetched. In the period from 1932 to 1935, 150,000 Jewish immigrants entered Palestine, bringing their own capital of approximately $150,000,000."

Manfully Zurich detectives and policemen worked to prevent Nazis or Swiss Jewbaiters from causing any incidents during the Congress, but at week's end Swiss fascists managed to knock the hat off Rabbi Wolf Gold, once of New York, now of Palestine, and to bloody the nose of a British delegate.

Palestine is far from the only organized settlement of Jewish refugees, although it is by far the most costly and troublesome. A small settlement exists in The Netherlands on land reclaimed from the Zuider Zee. There are others in Czechoslovakia, Russia, South America. Most have followed Palestine in having friction with the previous inhabitants. From Costa Rica last week came word that Refugee Economic Corp. of Manhattan has purchased for a reputed $1 an acre the 50,000-acre Tenorio estate in Guanacosti Province to become a Jewish community where refugees from Nazi Germany may enjoy peace and raise soya beans. Elaborate plans included clearing jungle, road building, construction of an airport.

Costa Rica has long had a large colony of German coffee and banana growers, many of whom are pro-Nazi in sympathy. Last week Costa Rica's anonymous Nazi leader-announced:

"Costa Rica is a free country in which all foreigners enjoy equal rights. However I have received special instructions from Propaganda Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels. . . . Germans in Costa Rica will not do any kind of business with the members of the Jewish colony here."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.