Publication date
3/1/10
Volume
31
Number
5
The WatchTower
Views from The Watch Tower
../literature/watchtower/1910/5/1910-5-1.html
 
 
 
 
 
(8384) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKLYN. 
N. 
Y. 
~avannah, 
Ga 
Feh. 
IG 
A. 
C. 
,Ta,'ksonville, 
Fla.. 
.,. 
17 
Tampa, 
Fla.......... 
III 
S. 
A. 
Ani 
\'c 
!J: 
30 
a. 
m. 
7: 
15 
a. 
m. 
:30 
a. 
m. 
Feb. 
17 
17 
21 
A. 
C. 
J, 
Depart 
2: 
35 
a. 
m. 
N. 
A. 
L.... 
.. 
., 
U:30 
p. 
m. 
:00 
p. 
m. 
YOLo 
XXXI 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
MARCH 
1, 
1010 
No.5 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ZIONISTS 
ON 
TO 
CANAAN 
~ew~ 
from 
all 
part" 
of 
the 
eivilized 
wurld 
intere~ted 
in 
Zionism 
ha 
n~ 
eome 
face 
tu 
fa('e 
with 
the 
kingdom 
que~tion. 
TIll' 
retorm 
guvernment 
uf 
Turkey 
has 
treated 
the 
Jews 
very 
favor<tbly 
an(1 
protfered 
th"m 
full 
privileges 
in 
j'alestIne, 
re­ 
rmndlllg 
them 
thnt 
Turkey 
I~ 
one 
of 
the 
few 
natIOns 
that 
haye 
not 
per~e"uted 
the 
Jpws. 
Thi~ 
liheral 
otfer 
would 
have 
been 
seizPd 
with 
aYidlty 
short 
time 
ago, 
Lut, 
with 
the 
ImIHove­ 
ment 
of 
prospe('t, 
,onw 
of 
the 
leading' 
ZIOnists 
are 
InslstlI1g 
that 
l'alc".;tinc 
shall 
he 
ma(le 
It 
JewIsh 
~tate 
with 
govern­ 
mpnt 
of 
its 
own. 
hut 
~uhi('(·t 
to 
Turkey, 
after 
the 
manner 
of 
the 
Balk:ln 
Ntate~. 
SpriptJirally 
we 
ha~'e 
reason 
to 
believe 
that 
suph 
('on('ession 
will 
not 
lw 
granted 
nor 
attained 
before 
IIJ 
ii-!ollowing 
the 
<'!o'e 
of 
"the 
times 
of 
the 
Gentiles."­ 
Luke 
21 
:24. 
The 
Zl(mi~t 
Gongno,s, 
whidl 
dosed 
its 
session 
in 
Hambu.rg, 
(;ermany, 
on 
the 
last 
day 
of 
HlOn, 
had 
this 
Kingdom 
queshon 
as 
its 
prine'ipal 
is~up. 
Its 
President, 
Dr. 
l\1ax 
]\;ordau, 
threw 
all 
thp 
wpight 
of 
his 
great 
influence 
against 
undertaking 
any 
sl"-I'ial 
work 
in 
Palestinp, 
until 
Turkey 
should 
grant 
the. 
Je.ws 
an 
autonomous 
goyprnment. 
\Ye 
quote 
portIon 
of 
hIS 
ad­ 
dress. 
He 
said:- 
"\Vhat 
Wp 
de8ire 
is 
to 
form 
nationality 
within 
the 
Otto­ 
man 
Ntate 
lIke 
all 
the 
other 
nationalities 
in 
the 
empire. 
True, 
W(' 
flpmand 
the 
ref'ognition 
of 
our 
nationality; 
there 
must 
be 
no 
doubt 
allout 
that. 
It 
will 
he 
our 
ambition 
to 
earn 
the 
J'('puta 
ion 
of 
IJPing 
the 
most 
loyal, 
the 
most 
reliable, 
the 
most. 
usdul 
of 
th" 
Turki-h 
nationalities, 
to 
contnbute 
the 
most 
zmlously 
to 
thp 
weal, 
the 
progrcss 
and 
the 
power 
of 
the 
empirp. 
"But 
let 
it 
be 
understood 
that 
we 
WIll 
do 
all 
thIS 
solely 
a~ 
nationality. 
as 
a. 
,Jewish 
nationality. 
That 
is 
our 
frank 
reply 
to 
pprtain 
Turkish 
utteranpes. 
\Ve 
have 
been 
told: 
'('onw 
to 
Turkey 
as 
much 
as 
you 
like. 
You 
shall 
be 
welco.me. 
You 
will 
find 
eYl'rything 
you 
desire, 
fertile, 
cheap, 
possIbly 
free 
land, 
seeurity 
against 
persecution. 
all 
the 
liberties 
accord­ 
pd 
to 
every 
f'itizen 
of 
the 
Ottoman 
Empire. 
But 
you 
must 
her'ome 
Tu~kish 
subjects, 
adopt 
the 
Turkish 
language, 
merge 
with 
the 
Turkish 
people 
so 
that 
you 
eannot 
be 
distinguished 
from 
other 
Turks.' 
"In 
the 
faee 
of 
such 
views 
we 
are 
impelled 
by 
pride 
and 
sf'lf-respeet 
to 
reff'r 
to 
our 
original 
programme. 
On 
thi~ 
~oint 
('on"essions 
are 
impossihle. 
If 
the 
Jews 
want 
to 
asslmlla~e 
tlwv 
f'an 
do 
it 
nearer 
lwme 
and 
more 
cheaply; 
they 
can 
do 
It 
wh~re 
tllf'v 
arf' 
amI 
save 
the 
fare. 
You 
are 
Zionists. 
however, 
jmt 
heeal;~f' 
you 
ao 
not 
wish 
to 
disappear 
as 
Jews. 
You 
wish 
to 
go 
to 
Pal"stinp. 
the 
bnd 
of 
your 
fathers, 
to 
live 
and 
develop 
hpre 
as 
na 
tiona 
.T 
eW8. 
"Our 
idpal 
is 
to 
Sf'f' 
Jewish 
people 
in 
the 
land 
of 
its 
fathers 
ennohled 
hy 
a. 
2.000-year-old 
firmness 
of 
ch",racter, 
r,,~peet~d 
on 
aN'om{t 
of 
its 
honest, 
eultural 
work, 
an 
instru­ 
mf'nt 
of 
wisp 
progre~s. 
phampion 
of 
justice, 
an 
apostle 
and 
pprsonifipr 
of 
brotherl~' 
love. 
Of 
this 
ideal 
will 
not 
sur­ 
rend"r 
an 
iota. 
On 
this 
point 
there 
can 
be 
no 
concession. 
"This 
ideal 
would 
not 
eXf'hange 
for 
all 
the 
treasure 
in 
the 
\\'01'1(1. 
let 
alone 
for 
dividend. 
If 
Turkey 
today 
opposes 
the 
rea 
lir.ation 
of 
mv 
idpal, 
must 
wait. 
To 
wait 
long 
is 
mis­ 
fortun(' 
but 
no 
disoraf'e. 
Vaeillation 
is 
disgrace. 
My 
ideal 
is 
et('r~al. 
It 
eml;apes 
every 
hope. 
To 
abandon 
hope 
is 
to 
"ommit 
suif'ide. 
ThE'rdore, 
exclaim 
as 
loudly 
as 
can: 
B:wk 
to 
the 
BasIl' 
programm('! 
L('t 
us 
never 
forget 
that 
we 
aspire 
to 
the 
creation 
of 
pllhlif'ly 
ref'ognized, 
leg-ally 
assured 
llOme 
for 
our 
peopl('. 
Let 
liS 
never 
forget 
that 
we 
have 
to 
"lpanse 
the 
shield 
of 
the 
.Jewish 
people 
from 
all 
the 
mire 
with 
wltif'h 
hatred 
that 
has 
lasted 
for 
2,000 
years 
has 
hegrimed 
it." 
The 
Work 
Not 
to 
be 
Dela.yed 
1\otwithstanding 
their 
gr('at 
respect 
for 
their 
President, 
the 
Zionist 
delegatcs 
took 
an 
opposite 
view. 
claiming 
that 
further 
delaY 
in 
the 
realization 
of 
their 
hopes 
must 
not 
be 
considpred­ 
that' 
they 
mllst 
go 
lip 
at 
onf'e 
to 
possess 
thp 
promisf'd 
land, 
aYRiling 
'themseln's 
of 
the 
",1001''' 
whieh 
Providenf'e 
had 
opened 
lwforp 
them. 
('orrespondent 
pif'tllres 
the 
sentiment 
of 
the 
Con!!Tpss 
aR 
wholl' 
in 
thl' 
following 
graphic 
language: 
"Long 
hf'fore 
thp 
Zionist 
Congrps~ 
convened 
there 
seemed 
to 
bf' 
a' 
fe('ling 
pervading 
('very 
aetivity 
conne('ted 
with 
the 
('ongTPs8 
that 
thf' 
ZioniRt 
mov('ment 
had 
H'aehed 
decidf'd 
turning 
puint 
in 
its 
prog-re,s. 
Every 
dell'gate, 
no 
matter 
where 
he 
hailcd 
from, 
appeared 
to 
carry 
with 
him 
the 
sub­ 
('onseious 
convictiun 
that 
unless 
all 
the 
stored-Up 
energy 
an,l 
accumulated 
subs!3nee 
uf 
ZlOllism 
is 
at 
ollee 
turned 
to 
prae­ 
tieal 
us('s 
in 
l'all'stillc 
sOIllPthing 
might 
be 
missed. 
"If 
allV 
sirwle 
wurd 
euuld 
aptlY' 
characterize 
the 
menta.L 
attitude 
of 
the 
"'majority 
of 
the 
deleg,ttps 
in 
that 
respect 
that 
word 
would 
have 
been 
'impatiellce.' 
An 
irresistiLle 
desire 
was 
noticf'able 
to 
do 
things, 
and 
to 
do 
them 
at 
once. 
Thpre 
seeme(l 
to 
exi,t 
the 
apprehen,ion 
that 
with 
the 
signs 
of 
Palcs­ 
tine's 
awakening 
IJPfore 
the 
eyes 
of 
the 
world 
the 
Zionist 
movenlPnt 
was 
not 
qniek 
enough 
to 
take 
advantage 
of 
the 
situa 
tion." 
The 
Deciding 
Vote 
The 
test 
of 
the 
que8tion-whethpr 
the 
Zioni~ts 
would 
accept 
the 
dictum 
of 
their 
leader 
aIHI 
President 
and 
abstain 
from 
further 
ejfort~ 
to 
reoe('upy 
the 
land 
of 
Canaan, 
pcrhaps 
for 
years, 
pcrhaps 
foreVt'r-was 
de('ided 
against 
him 
by 
majority 
vote. 
At 
the 
elose 
of 
an 
all-night 
session 
it 
was 
resolved 
that 
all 
Zionist 
capital 
should 
be 
gradually 
trans­ 
ferred 
to 
Palestine, 
makillg 
it 
the 
only 
('enter 
of 
its 
financial 
and 
industrial 
operations. 
In 
a. 
word, 
the 
rank 
and 
file 
of 
the 
Zionists 
have 
outrun 
their 
l<?adpr. 
Otherwise 
statcd, 
God's 
time 
having 
come 
for 
the 
rehabilitation 
of 
Palestine, 
even 
the 
most 
influential 
man 
amongst 
the 
Jews 
today 
was 
unable 
to 
hinder 
it. 
\Yithin 
another 
year 
great 
things 
lUay 
bp 
expected 
in 
PaleRtine. 
\Yhen 
six 
months 
ago 
the 
Turkish 
rptormation 
threw 
open 
th<> 
door 
of 
Palestine. 
we 
wondered 
that 
there 
was 
no 
apparent 
hastl' 
made 
to 
enter. 
Now 
we 
see 
that 
Dr. 
Nordau 
for 
time 
was 
the 
influ<?ntial 
hindran('e. 
We 
shall 
expect 
that 
so 
hroad-minded 
man, 
so 
able 
lea 
dcI', 
will 
join 
heartily 
with 
his 
co-religionists 
in 
a. 
movement 
which 
is 
fulfilling 
prophecy 
and 
which 
will 
proceed 
and 
prosper 
with 
or 
without 
his 
assistance. 
WHAT 
WONDERFUL 
DAY 
IS 
OURS! 
Prophecies 
thousands 
of 
yearR 
old 
are 
fulfilling 
before 
our 
eyes. 
The 
wildprness 
is 
being 
made 
to 
blossom 
as 
the 
rose, 
not 
only 
in 
the 
arid 
rpgions 
of 
our 
far 
WeRtern 
States, 
but 
in 
the 
Rupposed 
('radJe 
of 
the 
Imman 
family 
in 
the 
land 
of 
Mesopotamia, 
where 
Abranam 
lived. 
T:1e 
power 
which 
is 
af'complishing 
th<:''ie 
thingR, 
in 
fulfillment 
of 
God's 
'Vord, 
is 
human. 
The 
foree 
behind 
the 
enprgy 
is 
not 
spiritual, 
but 
financial. 
The 
motive 
is 
not 
the 
fulfillment 
of 
the 
~:3f'riptureR, 
hut 
selfishness-the 
desire 
for 
wealth. 
The 
project 
of 
the 
Turkish 
Government 
to 
revive 
Mesopotamia 
has 
already 
been 
referred 
to; 
nevprtheless 
the 
following 
account, 
which 
is 
going 
the 
rounds 
of 
the 
newspapers, 
will 
bf' 
rpad 
with 
interest: 
To 
Restore 
the 
Garden 
of 
Eden 
"To 
restore 
the 
Garden 
of 
Eden 
sounds 
like 
hold 
enter­ 
prise, 
yet 
plan 
suggested 
by 
Sir 
William 
Wi!f'ox, 
the 
English 
engineer, 
who 
built 
the 
Assouan 
dam. 
makes 
the 
pro­ 
ject 
sound 
entirely 
feasible. 
It 
is 
l\IeilOpotamia, 
'the 
land 
between 
the 
rivers' 
Tigris 
and 
Euphrates, 
with 
which 
he 
i, 
dealing, 
and 
he 
purposes 
to 
turn 
the 
surplus 
waters 
of 
the 
Euphrates 
into 
the 
River 
Pishon, 
and 
to 
carry 
down 
the 
delta 
great 
canal 
which 
would 
not 
only 
bring 
back 
the 
produetiveness 
of 
several 
million 
acres 
of 
land, 
but 
would 
guard 
the 
region 
from 
the 
overflows 
of 
the 
Tigris. 
It 
marks 
d€'finite 
step 
in 
the 
world's 
progress 
that 
the 
work 
of 
reeon 
struction 
should 
now 
be 
taken 
up 
by 
the 
Turkish 
government, 
which 
thereby 
demonstrates 
its 
real 
reform 
to 
broader 
views 
ann. 
more 
intelligent 
ambitions. 
"To 
build 
this 
canal, 
whi('h 
will 
double 
the 
cultivable 
area 
along 
the 
Euphrates, 
will 
take 
three 
years 
and 
cost 
$2,000.000 
or 
less. 
Supplementing 
it, 
Sir 
William 
proposes 
railroad 
from 
Bagdad 
to 
DamascuR. 
costing 
$11.000,000, 
which 
would 
open 
the 
way 
to 
the 
Mediterranean, 
the 
natural 
commercial 
outlet 
of 
Mesopotamia. 
Such 
road 
seems 
to 
be 
demanded 
be('ause 
the 
irrigation 
sehemp 
will 
impair 
the 
navigability 
of 
the 
river. 
And 
even 
bfofore 
the 
increased 
wheat 
harvests 
are 
r<:'ady 
for 
tranRport 
there 
will 
be 
freight 
to 
carry 
and 
passen­ 
gers 
to 
eonvl':v-~fohammedRn 
pilgrims 
visiting 
hol~· 
plaees 
and 
tourists 
who 
will 
feel. 
probably. 
more 
interest 
in 
'Arabian 
NightR 
country' 
than 
in 
the 
'('radlf' 
of 
tIle 
ra('('.' 
"Th€'re 
may 
be 
some 
qupstion 
that 
the 
railroad 
is 
in 
dill. 
penRable, 
thongh 
Asiatif' 
entf'rprisps 
of 
this 
kind 
have 
gen­ 
('rall,v 
met 
with 
astoniRhing 
sUf'('ess, 
and 
have 
been 
profitable 
[4572] 
(83 -84) THE Savannah, Ga... 6... ee eee Feb. 16 ALC. L. oe... eee Jaeksonville, Fla... 02.0. 0... "17 eae Looe Tampa, Fla.......... cee eee “ 18 S. ALL... oe... eee. WATCH TOWER Brooxiyn, N.Y, Arrive 9:30 a.m. Feb. 17 A. OC. ...... Depart 2:35 a.m. “7:16am “ i Ss. AOL... WO 9:30 p.m. “6:30 a.m. “ 21 ee “ p.m 9:00 Vou. XAXT ZIONISTS ON TO CANAAN News from all parts of the civilized world interested in Zionism have come face to face with the kingdom question. The reform government of Turkey has treated the Jews very favorably and proffered them full privileges in Palestine, reminding them that Turkey 1s one of the few nations that have not persecuted the Jews. This liberal offer would have been seized with avidity a short time ago, but, with the improvement of prospect, some of the leading Zionists are insisting that Palestine shall be made a Jewish State with a government of its own, but subject to Turkey, after the manner of the Balkan States. Seripturally we have reason to believe that such a concession will not be granted nor attained before 1915—toNowing the close of “the times of the Gentiles.”— luke 21:24. The Zionist Congress, which closed its session in Hamburg, Germany, on the last day of 1909, had this Kingdom question as its principal issue, Its President, Dr. Max Nordau, threw all the weight of his great influence against undertaking any special work in Palestine, until Turkey should grant the Jews an autonomous government. We quote a portion of his address. He said:— “What we desire is to form a nationality within the Ottoman State like all the other nationalities in the empire. True, we demand the recognition of our nationality; there must be no doubt about that. It will be our ambition to earn the reputation of being the most loyal, the most reliable, the most. useful of the Turkish nationalities, to contribute the most zealously to the weal, the progress and the power of the empire. “But let it be understood that we will do all this solely as a nationality, as a Jewish nationality. That is our frank reply to certain Turkish utterances. We have been told: ‘Come to Turkey as much as you like, You shall be welcome. You will find everything you desire, fertile, cheap, possibly free land, security against persecution, all the liberties accorded to every citizen of the Ottoman Empire. But you must become Turkish subjects, adopt the Turkish language, merge with the Turkish people so that you cannot be distinguished from other Turks,’ “In the face of such views we are impelled by pride and self-respect to refer to our original programme. On this point concessions are impossible. If the Jews want to assimilate they can do it nearer home and more cheaply; they can do it where they are and save the fare. You are Zionists, however, just because you do not wish to disappear as Jews. You wish to go to Palestine, the land of your fathers, to live and develop there as national Jews. “Our ideal is to sce a Jewish people in the land of its fathers, ennobled hy a 2.000-year-old firmness of character, respected on account of its honest, cultural work, an instrument of wise progress, a champion of justice, an apostle and personifier of brotherly love. Of this idea] I will not surrender an iota. On this point there can be no concession. “This ideal I would not exchange for all the treasure in the world, lef alone for a dividend. If Turkey today opposes the realization of my ideal, I must wait. To wait long is a misfortune, but no disgrace. Vacillation is a disgrace. My ideal is eternal. It embraces every hope. To abandon hope is to commit suicide. Therefore, IT exclaim as loudly as I can: Back to the Basle programme! Let us never forget that we aspire to the creation of a publicly recognized, legally assured home for our people. Let us never forget that we have to cleanse the shield of the Jewish people from all the mire with which a hatred that has lasted for 2,000 years has begrimed it.” The Work Not to be Delayed Notwithstanding their great respect for their President, the Zionist delegates took an opposite view. claiming that further delay in the realization of their hopes must not be considered— that they must go up at once to possess the promised land, availing themselves of the “door” which Providence had opened before them, A correspondent pictures the sentiment of the Congress as a whole in the following graphic language: “Long hefore the Zionist Congress convened there seemed to he a feeling pervading every activity connected with the Congress that the Zionist movement had reached a decided BROOKLYN, N. Y, MARCH 1, 1910 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER turning point in its progress. Every delegate, no matter where he hailed from, appeared to carry with him the subconscious conviction that unless all the stored-up energy and accumulated substance of Zionism is at once turned to practical uses in Palestine something might be missed. “If any single word could aptly characterize the mental attitude of the majority of the delegates in that respect that word would have been ‘impatience.’ An irresistible desire was noticeable to do things, and to do them at once. There seemed to exist the apprehension that with the signs of Palestine’s awakening betore the eyes of the world the Zionist movement was not quick enough to take advantage of the situation.” The Deciding Vote The test of the question—whether the Zionists would accept the dictum of their leader and President and abstain from further efforts to reoecupy the land of Canaan, perhaps for years, perhaps forever—was decided against him by a majority vote. At the close of an all-night session it was resolved that all Zionist capital should be gradually transferred to Palestine, making it the only center of its financial and industrial operations. Jn a word, the rank and file of the Zionists have outrun their leader, Otherwise stated, God’s time having come for the rehabilitation of Palestine, even the most influential man amongst the Jews today was unable to hinder it. Within another year great things may be expected in Palestine. When six months ago the Turkish reformation threw open the door of Palestine, we wondered that there was no apparent haste made to enter. Now we see that Dr. Nordau for a time was the influential hindrance. We shall expect that so broad-minded a man, so able a leader, will join heartily with his co-religionists in a movement which is fulfilling prophecy and which will proceed and prosper with or without his assistance. WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY IS OURS! Prophecies thousands of years old are fulfilling before our eyes. The wilderness is being made to blossom as the rose, not only in the arid regions of our far Western States, but in the supposed cradle of the human family in the land of Mesopotamia, where Abranam lived. Tae power which is accomplishing these things, in fulfillment of God’s Word, is human. The force behind the energy is not spiritual, but financial. The motive is not the fulfillment of the Scriptures, but selfishness—the desire for wealth. The project of the Turkish Government to revive Mesopotamia has already been referred to; nevertheless the following account, which is going the rounds of the newspapers, will be read with interest: To Restore the Garden of Eden “To restore the Garden of Eden sounds like a hold enterprise, yet a plan suggested by Sir William Wilcox, the English engineer, who built the Assouan dam. makes the project sound entirely feasible. It is Mesopotamia, ‘the land between the rivers’ Tigris and Euphrates, with which he is dealing, and he purposes to turn the surplus waters of the Euphrates into the River Pishon, and to carry down the delta a great canal which wonld not only bring back the productiveness of several million acres of land, but would guard the region from the overflows of the Tigris, It marks a definite step in the world’s progress that the work of recon struction should now be taken up by the Turkish government, which thereby demonstrates its real reform to broader views and more intelligent ambitions. “To build this canal, which will double the cultivable area along the Euphrates, will take three years and cost $2,000,000 or less. Supplementing it, Sir William proposes a railroad from Bagdad to Damascus, costing $11.000,000, which would open the way to the Mediterranean, the natural commercial outlet of Mesopotamia. Such a road seems to be demanded because the irrigation scheme will impair the navigability of the river. And even before the increased wheat harvests are ready for transport there will he freight to carry and passengers to convey—Mohammedan pilgrims visiting holy places and tourists who will feel, probably. more interest in ‘Arabian Nights country’ than in the ‘cradle of the race.’ “There may be some question that the railroad is indispensable, though Asiatic enterprises of this kind have generally met with astonishing success, and have been profitable [4572]

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