Page:A Jewish State 1917.djvu/56

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Here I should like briefly to relate a story I came across in an account of the gold mines of Witwatersrand. One day a man came to the rand, settled there, tried his hand at various things, with the exception of gold-mining, till he founded an ice factory, which did well. He won universal esteem by his respectability, till one day he was suddenly arrested. He had committed some defalcations as banker in Frankfort, had fled from there, and had begun a new life under an assumed name. But when he was led away as prisoner, the chief local dignitaries appeared at the station, bade him a cordial farewell, and au revoir!—for he was certain to return.

What does not this story reveal! A new life can regenerate even criminals, and we have a proportionately small number of these. Some interesting statistics on this point are worth reading, entitled, "The Criminality of Jews in Germany," by Dr. P. Nathan, of Berlin, who was commissioned by the "Society for Defence against Anti-Semitism" to make a collection of statistics based on official returns. It is true that this pamphlet, which teems with figures, arises, as does many another "defence," out of the error that Anti-Semitism can be subdued by reasonable arguments. We are probably disliked as much for our gifts as we are for our faults.


I imagine that Governments will, either voluntarily or under pressure from the Anti-Semites, pay certain attention to this scheme; and they may perhaps actually receive it here and there with a sympathy which they will also show to the Society of Jews.

For the emigration which I suggest will not create any economic crises. Such crises as would follow everywhere in consequence of Jew-baiting would rather be prevented by the carrying out of my plan. A great period of prosperity would commence in countries which are now Anti-Semitic. For there will be, as I have repeatedly said, an intermigration of Christian citizens into the positions slowly and systematically evacuated by the Jews. If we are not merely suffered, but actually assisted to do this, the movement will have a generally beneficial effect. That is a narrow view which sees in the departure of many Jews a consequent impoverishment of countries. Different is a departure which is a result of persecution, for here property is indeed destroyed, as it is ruined in the confusion of war. Different again is the peaceable voluntary departure of colonists, wherein everything is carried out with due consideration for acquired rights, and with absolute conformity to law, openly and by light of day, under the supervision of authority and the control of public opinion. The emigration of Christian proletariats to different parts of the world would be definitely brought to a standstill by the Jewish movement.

The States would have a further advantage in the enormous increase of their export trade; for, since the emigrant Jews "over there" would depend for a long time to come on European productions, the States would necessarily have to provide them. The local groups would keep up a just balance, and the customary needs would have to be supplied for a long time at the accustomed places.


The shape which the social question may take depends entirely