Show PALESTINE P IN r i I EYE OF WORLD I ITh Th The future of or Palestine Is I Ib b by Viscount Bryce In an article articie contributed con- con conI I b by him in tho the June Juno number of or I Ithe Ithe the Journal from which toe the following following- excerpts are aro taken The Tho area of ot tho the kingdom dom of or Solomon was about as large as that of or tho the state of or Massachusetts But Palestine ha hanot had hadnot hadnot not then and never has had and has not now any well defined boundary ox- ox I the sea on the west But let us take tako It It as understood toda today at about aLou square miles Much of ot this area Is too dt dry and rocky for tillage large parts pacts are too dry even cen for tor cattle or or sheep SOrn Sonic Some large largo tracts might be irrigated Irrl- Irrl gated and would then yield rich crops r i but to construct Irrigation works would require considerable capital expendi- expendi i ture There Thero Is no water power except In the Jordan which has a rapid fall tall from the Sea of or Galilee to the Dead sea sen I and It Is b also tho only Important stream from which water could be drawn for tor I Irrigation So far tar as Is known no no I mineral exists In quantities that would I j repay repa working Its ts population must therefore depend on agriculture This was estimated before the war at about I 6 OOOO But as many matly have died of ot want or been killed b by tho the Turks withIn with with- In the last three years the tho number must now be smaller About two thirds are arc Moslems speaking Arabic some Arabic some ome very Yen fanatical No one propose to eject them from their lands so the tho present question Is Is- Is For how man many Immigrants can room be foun found j I Taking the country as It stands fin fin- eluding the tha cultivable parts of oC the district dis disa a east of or tho time Jordan probably not more than It If however the middle arid lri lower Jordan valley e were Irrl Irrigated If It reservoirs reser of ot water from the winter and spring rains wore ero provided provided pro- pro vided If the ancient cisterns W were re re repaired repaired re- re paired I If the terrace cultivation on tho the re I slopes of or the hills were replanted with trees for tor th the lan land Is now terribly bare I It woul would be bo possible to provide e work and sustenance lIance for many more perhaps for another or an even oon larger number Other improvements which Palestine sorely needs need are bettor better roads and md more of or them Some few light narrow gauge railways might ml-ht also ahlo bo be constructed and better ports provided provided- Haifa Is at t the only good one Jaffa Jatta the next best beet might however bo be rendered rendered ren ren- dered more secure |