14 THE ACORN. MISCELLANEOUS. THE ZIONITE MOVEMENT. The Zionists are an organization of Jews from all parts of the world, who are working together to bring Palestine back into their own hands. They have always hoped that Palestine would again belong to them. This hope has lasted for more than 2,000 years, and from time to time, various projects based upon it, have been formed to repossess the land. Nearly all of these, however, have been visionary and outside the domain of practical possibility. Many of them have been founded upon the second coming of a Messiah, who would suddenly rise and lead them in some miraculous way back to their mother country. Many of the Jews hope for this today, and confidently believe it will occur. The Zionists also expect to acquire Palestine, but their plans are based upon the methods and men of the time. They are practical in that they expect to obtain their end through modern politics. They want to interest the Jews of the world in this work, and through them the great governments, and in time to be able to purchase Palestine of the Sultan of Turkey, or to show him that it is to his advantage that they should have it. In doing so they expect to convince the great powers of the world that such a consummation would not be to the disadvantage of the world at large. There are Jews from all parts of the world who would go to such a home. There are millions who would leave Russia and go there; also millions in other parts of Europe, as well as vast numbers right here in America. It is said there are more in London than THE ACORN. 15 there are in Palestine. New York alone has 600,-000 Jewish inhabitants. The Jewish charities spend more than a million dollars a year to take care of the poor among these people. What the leading Jews want to do is to send them to their own country and to give them a chance to work for themselves. The movement toward the acquisition of Palestine is being supported by gifts of Jews from all parts of the world. A little of it has come from the rich and prosperous, but the most of it from the poor. Some of the subscriptions are so small that five families have clubbed together to buy one five-dollar share of stock. Many aid by purchasing stamps of the Jewish national fund and ad-diug these to the regular postage of every letter they send out. These stamps cost about a cent apiece, so that when a man puts one on a letter he is giving one cent to the cause. Dr. Theodor Herzl was the founder of the Zionist movement. He was the editor of the Nene Freie Presse, the leading newspaper of Vienna, and also a dramatist and author of note. About seven years ago he announced his project of getting Palestine for the Jews by practical methods, and at onoe began to put his words into action. He called a world's congress, and Jews from every where sent delegates. They came by scores from Russia, Austria and other countries in Europe and there were many from the United States and from Morocco, Algeria and other parts of Africa. The convention was a success, and since then annual meetings have been held once a year. After starting the movement Dr. Herzl devoted his body and soul to it. He traveled over Europe, seeing the leading men of each country and interesting them in it. He obtained the support of Joseph Chamberlain in England.