Amid shouts and tears a chunky, goateed little British industrial chemist, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, was kissed and embraced by his followers last week as the 17th World Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland came to an end. For a fortnight 258 delegates had met in Basle's stuffy Mustermesse (sample fair) Hall, had emotionally and continually vociferated. Result: a change in presidents; no change in Zionism's complicated, diffuse political program.
Zionism's leaders must achieve their ends by diplomacy rather than action. To carry out its program for a Jewish National Home in Palestine, Zionism is attempting to get money from world Jewry (its deficit is now $4,000,000), and concessions from Great Britain, mandate-holder of Palestine. In the Balfour Declaration of 1917, Jewry was promised a permanent Jewish National Home in Palestine. But England, most Zionists agree, has reneged in the last two years. The Simpson Commission issued a report implying that the Zionist land policy in Palestine was harmful to the Arabs. The Passfield White Paper (TIME, Nov. 3), stalling for the moment all Zionist progress, caused Dr. Weizmann to resign as president of the World Zionist Organization. The subsequent, interpretative MacDonald Letter attempted to modify the harshness of the White Paper, but failed to suit most Jews. The problem of dealing with England divided last fortnight's Congress into two factions, focussed Zion's attention once more upon its need for strong leadership.
God Save Us! Arab-Jewish riots, Wailing Wall troubles, world Depression, the death of two great leaders (Baron Melchett and Louis Marshall) and the slowing-up of Zionism's executive machinery made Dr. Weizmann's presidency a difficult one. But many delegates believe he was too conciliatory. Boomed bass-voiced Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise last fortnight at the Congress: "A vote for the administration of Dr. Weizmann is a vote for the present British regime! . . . An eternal disgrace! . . . You have sat too long at British feasts!" Trembling, still pale from a recent throat operation, Dr. Weizmann hurried from the hall where he had been presiding, cried: "I could not stand it any longer! It is irresponsible and unparliamentary!" Then last week, after long hours of angry debate, a coalition of anti-Weizmannites gathered 118 votes and by electing Dr. Nahum Sokolow president made known their disapproval of the "eternal disgrace."